.: Released :. Genesis - SE5 Map Editor

It might be useful to make your map editor handle the file shuffling for mods behind the scenes. Copy stock files to backup location, copy mod data into stock Data folder, generate, copy stock files back in.

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It might be better to read the mod names from the Mod_Definition.txt files, rather than just folder names.

The quadrant generator doesn't seem to connect systems with warp points in the same manner as SE5 does. This doesn't usually matter, but there are a couple of FQM quadrants (the spirals) that depend on the ordering for their shapes.

For some reason, the app is choking on the "Flower Spiral" quadrant type. It only seems to be adding 16 systems, then gives up.

Would it be possible to center the system view on the screen when the window is open at large resolutions (eg: 1600x1200)?

It might be handy to automatically go to the system view when one double-clicks on a system in the quadrant view.

There doesn't seem to be any correlation between which system is selected in the quadrant view tab, and which is selected in the system view tab. This might be a little confusing.

Stellar objects in the system view do not appear to be centered in hexes correctly for me. Instead, they are centered in a vertex between 3 nearby hexes. This doesn't seem to happen with "Standard SE5," just with FQM.

Would it be possible to implement a "click and drag" feature in the system view tab, for scrolling the system view? What I mean is, click and hold on an empty area, move the mouse, and the system view scrolls to follow the mouse. Look at Google Maps for an example.

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Hmm... upon a second run (closing app entirely and restarting), system objects are rendered correctly in the center of hex. It happened the first time after I had loaded "Standard SE5", then used the File > Choose Mod... option to load a new mod (FQM in this case). Maybe there is a glitch with resetting the object data when loading a new mod? I can't seem to replicate this behavior though.

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Maybe the generator should complain if it encounters such a mod bug?

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I knew someone would eventually do this.

Space Empires Depot | SE:V Balance Mod

I feel dumb. But I still can't get this program to compile a map I create. I've even followed the suggestion of copy/pasting all the mod files into the base seV folders and it still won't compile. I'm using the latest version of the Balance Mod. This program is beautiful, I'd love to get it to work.

The error message is basic, can't load blah blah file (the map.txt), fixed other errors like it couldn't find the main strings file by the copy/paste. Now of course I can't get even base seV maps to compile).

So is this able to handle mods like this one?

http://spaceempires5.com/en-US/node/3821

YES, my hero

Gives me a "failed to load selected mod" when I try to load any mod...
Any suggestions?

"For those who seek perfection, there can be no peace this side of the grave"

Make sure you Download .NET Framework

SE5 Files hosted on Filefront (Patches, Mods, Races, etc)

2 romulus: I have had .net framework, and to be sure, I have reinstalled it.. Nothing changed.

"For those who seek perfection, there can be no peace this side of the grave"

This is great!
I agree with the suggested changes/tweaks... and I have one more:
The Stellar Object drop down field in the System View needs to be wider... especially with the names of new planets that Fyron and I have been working on (i.e. trying to get working). I think the longest is 43 characters:
Planet Rock Hydrogen Vermilion Medium 01_01

An excellent idea but alas it does not run on my PC. I had .Net 3.0 and even tried installing the v2.0 on the above link but to no avail. Any more suggestions?

**Note: This is my first post here!!! **

Why are the Conditions an integer ranging from 1-32?
I believe Conditions range from 0 to 1.5.

I find it hard to generate a random quadrant... especially if I've already generated one. It would be nice if there was an obvious "generate button" or something.

Ive installed framework 2.0 and it still doesnt run. I dont receive any error message. The program runs for a couple of seconds and ten the process is terminated. Im a Steam user. Do you think this could be an issue? Perhaps the installation registry is different.

Hmmm... I guess the problem is that the generation time is long for large numbers of stars (which is fine), but the interface remains active, and there is no indicator that it is processing.

Actually the registry is

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\malfador machinations\Space Empires V

Thanks for the fix.

Looks like I got the program to start. The problem was with the shortcut to my desktop. I'll play with it tomorrow and see if any issues develop or if I come up with any suggestions. Thanx.

Thats it. Thank you. Problem solved.

I'm doing alright so far but have just a few questions:

1. How can I select the atmospheres of the planets?
2. Is there an easier way to select the appearance of the planet other than trial and error?
3. Is there a way to delete warp paths on the quadrant map?
4. How do I select specific special abilities for planets?

The following are probably outside of the scope of your program but would be nice (especially for setting up scenarios):

1. Designate ownership of a planet.
2. Add population and facilities to a planet.

Thanks again,
Vince

1. In the stock game, the relation of the planet names to their atmospheres isn't always clear.

2. See #1... and look in the pictures/planets directory for the portraits.

Also, after you place a planet, its type can be changed in the window on the far left, along with the minerals and stuff... just click the text.

3. When "add systems" if toggled off, the warp paths can be clicked and highlighted, then press delete.

4. The special abilities are in the far right window... and you can click on the word special ability after it is added and get a drop down menu. However, the drop down menus seems to be incomplete, and doesn't properly correspond to the Stellar Object type's abilities.

BTW, This editor is amazingly good for a first version... the problems are few compared to the usefulness.

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Im getting "Unhandled exception has occurred in your application."

"Object reference not set to an instance of an object"

I will email RogerN the error message.

Another neat feature might be to add a hook for FQM, which optionally runs the solar_systems.py script before generating a quadrant. There are a number of quadrants with fixed system locations in the mod (and diamond in stock), which unfortunately have to have fixed system types as well, due to how SE5 is structured. When the mod generation script is run, the types are randomized (according to set rules). Thus, it is technically best to run the mod script before making a Spiral or Diamond map.

Having this integrated in the map editor, mostly behind the scenes, would be really cool. It would have to check for the existence of Python on the system, naturally. Rather than hard-code script locations and such, we could hash out a settings file format, for inclusion in mods, which would specify the location of such scripts, as well as the runtime to use. Ideally we could stick this in the Mod_Definition file, below the END line.

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That won't follow the carefully-designed rules for system chances set up by the modder, though.

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Good to know. Does it reroll everything, including locations, or does it just randomize what each system is, leaving them in place?

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No more major issues so far. Looking forward to the next update.

Fantastic program!!!!

Great work, it must have taken ages!

Thank you very much RogerN for your excellent program.
I like especially the possibility to add sphere- and ringworlds to maps.
May I suggest two improvements:
1.) Add a minimum distance between systems. Now systems can lay adjacent to each other, which makes their selection in the small quadrant map of SE V quite inconvenient.
2) If possible a zoom for the system view, which allows to see the entire system in the window of your program, would be very handy.

May be I am not the only one who had to learn from mistakes:
If you use mods, you must overwrite the stock data folder (after you made a backup) for the map compilation. If you just replace the folder, the map compiler will not work as some of the necessary files are not present (at least in the Balance Mod data folder).

Note that the next patch (whenever it comes out) will make the map compiler support mods.

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"A mod-related crash at startup has been fixed (I hope"

I hope this has been fixed as well. It seemed hit or miss as to which mods would work and which would crash.

RogerN, where are you posting your updates?
SEV, more than a feeling.

The updates all use the link in the original post... RogerN just replaces the file.

RogerN You need to put a version number on the download file. For instance, you hold the cursur over the file and it says it's going to download Genesis_v1.2.zip, then there wouldn't be any question what version of Genesis i'm getting.

Otherwise though great work, my abilities are punny in comparison. :}

SEV, more than a feeling.

I really like the Find function in the system view... very nice. And the width of the drop down next to it is much better.

I think the big outstanding issue is the Stellar Abilities available for the objects do not properly correspond to that Stellar Object type's possible abilities.
People making FQM maps are going to want to add Facility Storage modifiers, etc.

Hi,

I´m having a serious problem.

When I start a game with a map created by Genesis, I can´t see any stellar objects. I created a empire with the ancient race trait and checked other systems. I can´t see any stars, planets, storms or asteroids. In some systems I can see a warp point, in others I can´t and when I can see, the warp point is positioned in the vertex between 3 hexes.
The only thing showing is the hex grid, highligthed in red where the stars should be. If I click, the planets and stars are there, I can see their information window in the bottom of the screen, but nothing in the system view.

Has anyone seem something like this?

It happened with maps created in Balance Mod 1.11 + FQM and on stock as well. When I start a game with random, normal maps (create in the usual way), everything is normal.

I would appreciate any help! Thanks.

I don't know about everyone else, but the number of deadly planets seems a bit high.
Anyone think a Random(0,0.5)+Random(0,0.5)+Random(0,0.5) curve would work better?

Actually, I think the decimal places might be skewing it... since there is a lot of results between 0.0 and 0.1... and no space between 0.5 and 0.5
Maybe three random integers between 0 and 5 added together and then divided by 10 with a float result?

I'm loving the functionality of this program, so nice to beable to make maps. I've noticed the large amount of the bad planets though. Another thing I noticed (which I know has no actual effect in the game) is that I'm getting ALOT of planets with their temp in the rather high range... by rather high mean up to the highest I've noticed so far of 800. I do like how ice planets get a negative in their temp though! I haven't noticed rock and gas giant planets getting a negative in the temp, so that's alittle odd. Anyone, like I said first off... excellent work, very very very excellent work!

Kyle

I've always been confused as to the scales used for temperature, radiation in SE5... but I have always assumed gravity is 1 = Earth (medium sized).

Happy New Year to you all!!!!

First of all I would like to say that this editor tool is just brilliant RogerN... great job!!!

But I don't know if I'm doing things right... I manage to compile the map and load it in the game, but the systems are void of any objects in the hexgrid, and the central hexes where the star should be are dark. Upon taking a closer look, (zooming in and moving to the edge of the system), I can see planets and warp points in the distence outside the hex grid????

What can I do???

There was something else I noticed, not major, but if you could look into it. It doesn't name things right, planets, astroids, and stars. With planets it doesn't take moons into account. Not anything major, like I side, just alittle something I've noticed. Still loving the editor, makes life so much better!

Well, I think I've just found out how to solve the problem of the missplaced stars and planets... I just read it in another threat regarding map compilator issues.

It seems that if your regional settings are not set to "English - US" before using the map compiler it causes alterations to the map archive that it generates. With regional settings US the maps compile just fine and the problems are gone.

Cheers!!!

Thanks for saying that Fujiwara. It worked with me as well. Now I can create the Solar System!

Yeah me too Arkonide!!!

I like playing terran cultures, but you just don't get the right feeling starting in a different solar system with an earth at 130º and surrounded by unknown planets...

Now, if I could just figure out how to make my dorn races start in the right planets I would be thrilled...

Or with gravity 1.78...

Without the solar system, I pretended that I was playing with human colonists or that the solar system had been destroyed. But it is much better to start in the solar system! I believe that I can copy the description in the genesis file and add the solar system to other maps, without need to make everything again. Befre you compile the file of course.

I got some information about gravity and temperature of our planets and a few moons in NASA website and I made the whole system. But I haven´t figured out a way to start in Earth. I don´t think there is a way at this moment. So I´m starting in a neighbour system and as soon as I colonize Earth I will pretend I started there. The only problem is the population, it will take some time to have a few billion in Earth.

I´m playing two games now. The other one, with the BSG mod, doesn´t have this problem, since I am playing with one of the colonies.

This version also lost some of the previous changes... the planet selector popup is gone and the width of the stellar object drop down is too skinny again.

Eeeeks okay... i may be a little slow

but for some reason i can not get SE V to recognize the files your generator puts out

they're being saved as a txt file for some reason

any ideas for me to get around this?

Tahnk you very much
knew there was some minor step i was forgeting

First of all, thank you, RogerN, for this great map editor!

As far as I am able to tell right now it works very well, with just one little exception: I had to reinstall SE5 with English as language (German caused an error, the message was saying it has not been able to load the Standard SE5 Mod).

So far I could rather generally edit a solar system to show Sol's sun, planets etc. The only thing left for launching me into SE5-Heaven is the lack of being able to actually let my empire start with Earth/Terra as it's homeworld. After loading the generated map and indicating Sol as starting system SE5 generates a whole new planet within Sol naming it Sol XII or alike.

I had a short look at scripting but so far haven't found anything I could recognize as possibility for a script that would make my Empire start on Earth/Terra (of course I had only a very short look). So if anyone could give me a hint (even if I should ask in another topic ), I would be very happy, and, of cource, by then entirely addicted to this game !

PS: sry for crude English, I am not a native speaker...

Cool!

Now to sit back and wait patiently for it to support stuff like my asteroid mod.

http://spaceempires5.com/en-US/node/3821

Very interesting map maker. I hope you will continue working under it.

Strangely I didn't have this on SEnet... anyways, here is a more stable link.

http://home.spaceempires.net/downloads-details-712-Genesis_-_SE5_Map_Editor.html#dldetails

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Hmm... would this be able to work with a mod that completely replaces all of the planetary objects? Especially one that uses a smaller number of said objects?

Cool!

Has this question ever been resolved/answered?
Looks like this program could solve one of the major shortcomings of this game.

A possible workaround would be to do the solar system, but leave out Earth.

Thanks RogerN for the reply.
Oh well. Maybe Aaron will get around to un-hardcoding someday or even make a map editor like SEIV had.
And no offense to you, your efforts are excellent in what you have accomplished. Just does not quite work for me.

And it is me, I've become a very narrow minded gamer. (I'm not a narrow minded individual however)
I should have become a computer programmer instead of an Aerospace Engineer, I'd be writing a game that suits my vision.
I'me 56 this thursday and have been wargaming since the 70's. I still have copies of the original "Reach for the stars" in 5 1/4 floppy, and "Master of Orion" 3 1/2 disks.
Sci fi makes for some of the best strategy gaming. I've just become a fan of more "Hard core" style of Sci-Fi and less of "Space Opera" style of gaming. Don't get me wrong space opera is fun gaming, just not for me.
I'm a buff of Game Designer Workshops "Space 2300" role playing Sci-fi. Very good science based gritty sci-fi. I wanted to mod SEV to replay the "First bug war" with the Kafers. The Warp point system of movement can be manipulated to appear like the FTL system used in Space 2300. I haved been modding the graphics extensivly for a better Hard Sci fi feel with all the planet pictures and some of the associated text files. Figured out how to reduce the size of the stars and planets in the main 3-D display window, much better scaling.
So I'll just keep waiting and see what develops here...
Again thanks for your efforts

BTW would this work with a mod that had 6 atmosphere types and six planet types, but only six combinations of the two?

It would be very nice if that feature was added in.

Ah, well I guess it doesn't really need it.