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Map making tools.

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D.H1cks

Thu Apr 19 2007, 05:53PM

Registered Member #92

Joined: Sat Apr 07 2007, 03:29PM
Posts: 12

Hi all,

So, the map making tools I have been working on seem to be working ok. There is still some more work I need to do to polish them up.

Map Capture: This program runs while you are playing LOTRO. Start it up before you enter the game. Once in game, you need to select 1024x768 for the resolution, and move the radar as far right, and as far up as it can go. Part of the ring around the radar will be off screen. When your radar is in position, press the 'Scroll Lock' key to begin capturing radar images. The images will start at image0.bmp, and start counting up. They will be placed in the same folder that you run the capture folder from. If you close the program and start it again, it will overwrite any files you already have, so be careful. To stop capture, press the 'Home' key. You can also press the 'End' key to get a single image.

Map Maker: This program runs outside of the LOTRO game. Run it in the same directory as you image files. You select the starting image number, and the end number. You can also select if you want a .BMP or a .PNG file for output. The program will run two threads, so multicore CPUs will process the images faster. When all the images have been processed, it will create a file call 'output.bmp' or 'output.png', depending on your selection. If the program cannot match two pieces, it will only build the map up to the part before the match could not be made. Once again, the program will overwrite any existing output files.

These programs work on Windows XP, but have not been really tested for Vista. Jshanman has tried the Map Maker on Vista, and has told me that it crashes.

Here is what I do when going to do a mapping session. I create a number of folders to use to store images. I then run the map capture program from one of these directories. I start LOTRO, and run around for about 15 minutes, capturing images. 15 Minutes will capture about 450 image files. I then quit LOTRO, and run the map maker program. On my PC, a dual core AMD, it takes between 15 and 30 minutes to process all the images. Then I move to the next folder, and start the process again.

My todo:
1. Stop overwriting files. Should be easy, but need the time.
2. I really want to figure out how programs like XFire and Fraps show stuff while you are in a game. Then I would put a message in game showing if the autocapture is running, and a box around where the radar should be. This will be hard.

Have fun, and let me know if you have any problems.

Hicks

1177019620_92_FT0_mapping_tools.zip

jshanman

Fri Apr 20 2007, 10:08AM

Registered Member #2

Joined: Thu Feb 08 2007, 03:23PM
Posts: 209

FYI - I had to update my .NET framework on one of my computers. Either do a Windows Update, or download/Install this package: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=10cc340b-f857-4a14-83f5-25634c3bf043&DisplayLang=en

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Skaldorin

Fri Apr 20 2007, 04:33PM

Registered Member #110

Joined: Thu Apr 19 2007, 11:31AM
Posts: 6

Inspired by what others have done, i've also made some mapping software. It's not quite ready for public consumption, and isn't for anyone without a relatively beefy computer (i'm running amd64x2 4200, 2GB RAM). it also helps to run a relatively large monitor - i'm running windowed in 1280x1024 on a 1600x1200 screen, and have room for my mapping app off to the side. it takes a screenshot every 2 seconds, and processes the shot real-time, and shows you the map (both the entire region, zoomed, and the real-size area you're in) as you go. it lags me just slightly, but i can pretty much just walk around and it makes the map as i go.

I've got about 1/3-1/2 of the ettenmoors done... i'll post the image when i get a little further along. there's a few areas that may be nigh impossible until someone's able to play as a freep and get into some of the areas where they live... i keep dying in certain towns. :)

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tarmilorn

Fri Apr 20 2007, 07:37PM

Registered Member #113

Joined: Fri Apr 20 2007, 07:33PM
Posts: 1

D.H1cks,

I am particulary interested in the maps resulting from lotro. I have written a piece of software in vb.net that can transform data from GIS to Google Earth and I would kill to create the Middle Earth map for real in Google Earth!

A few questions; how do you get it upon a coordinate system from the screenshots?

I also took the liberty to convert all the lotro POI's from the MEHQ and transform them to MapInfo, maybe we can add them to the google map displayed on this site?

Middle Earth Cartographer

jshanman

Sat Apr 21 2007, 01:50AM

Registered Member #2

Joined: Thu Feb 08 2007, 03:23PM
Posts: 209

tarmilorn wrote ...

D.H1cks,

I am particulary interested in the maps resulting from lotro. I have written a piece of software in vb.net that can transform data from GIS to Google Earth and I would kill to create the Middle Earth map for real in Google Earth!

A few questions; how do you get it upon a coordinate system from the screenshots?

I also took the liberty to convert all the lotro POI's from the MEHQ and transform them to MapInfo, maybe we can add them to the google map displayed on this site?

I am actually working on getting the maps into Google Maps (D.H1cks created an awesome program for getting screenshots and piecing them together). I am not sure about getting the maps into Google Earth (the windows application) I don't think you can make custom maps (like ME) for google earth.

If your referring to Google Maps, I am actually working on a n application for displaying game data/locations.

The mapping of the in game coords to google maps was an interesting part of this. I had to use the Google Maps API to determine pixel values for latitude/longitude distances and come up with a magic number to convert it to the game map system based on the game maps...

I have a database of many in game locations and I also plan to import the "there and back again" thread from the Official forums, but I'd love to get more data. Currently, I need
NPCs and Objects for mass import.

Check out the dev version of the map here: http://www.arda-online.com/mapdev/large.php

[ Edited Sat Apr 21 2007, 01:51AM ]

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jshanman

Sat Apr 21 2007, 01:54AM

Registered Member #2

Joined: Thu Feb 08 2007, 03:23PM
Posts: 209

kahuna wrote ...

Inspired by what others have done, i've also made some mapping software. It's not quite ready for public consumption, and isn't for anyone without a relatively beefy computer (i'm running amd64x2 4200, 2GB RAM). it also helps to run a relatively large monitor - i'm running windowed in 1280x1024 on a 1600x1200 screen, and have room for my mapping app off to the side. it takes a screenshot every 2 seconds, and processes the shot real-time, and shows you the map (both the entire region, zoomed, and the real-size area you're in) as you go. it lags me just slightly, but i can pretty much just walk around and it makes the map as i go.

I've got about 1/3-1/2 of the ettenmoors done... i'll post the image when i get a little further along. there's a few areas that may be nigh impossible until someone's able to play as a freep and get into some of the areas where they live... i keep dying in certain towns. :)

Very cool. It would be great if we can make all these programs available to the site users so they can easily contribute maps. Let me know how it works out and send me a copy to test if/when you feel ready.

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Skaldorin

Sat Apr 21 2007, 02:46PM

Registered Member #110

Joined: Thu Apr 19 2007, 11:31AM
Posts: 6

jshanman wrote ...
Very cool. It would be great if we can make all these programs available to the site users so they can easily contribute maps. Let me know how it works out and send me a copy to test if/when you feel ready.

will do. probably early in the week. i want to use it a bit more to make sure there's no more stupid coding on my part. :)

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yanman

Mon May 07 2007, 01:41AM

Registered Member #191

Joined: Mon May 07 2007, 12:56AM
Posts: 13

Hi, I'm going to get started on this tonight. Just wondering if the tools in the first post are still the current technique used? If so:
- can this work in window'd mode?
- any chance of modifying this to allow multiple sets without quitting the lotro client?
- finally.. sorry if this is posted somewhere but where do I submit the output to? :)

Toons on Elendilmir: eero, juuso, aira, terje, baark

jshanman

Mon May 07 2007, 09:08AM

Registered Member #2

Joined: Thu Feb 08 2007, 03:23PM
Posts: 209

Hi Yanman... Welcome!

I am very excited to have someone working on this! I was just thinking last night that I need to level up so I can et these higher areas...

Those tools are the most recent that I am aware of. I have not tested them in windowed mode. But remember that you have to move the Radar circle to the extreme upper right, so it may not work in windowed mode.

You could do multiple sets by just moving all the images for one area into a different folder before starting another area.

You can send the output to -email- and I will put it into the map.

Again, I am very glad to have help with this for the higher level areas!

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Skaldorin

Mon May 07 2007, 03:37PM

Registered Member #110

Joined: Thu Apr 19 2007, 11:31AM
Posts: 6

is there any coordination as to who's doing what areas? i can tackle the western LoneLands this afternoon. tell me what area you need me to do, and i'll do it. i'd prefer the western end, as i'm not high enough level yet to do some of the harder stuff on the east side.

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skaldorin - lvl 15 dwarf minstrel
galadhrandir - lvl 15 elf guardian

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