TAS Form 6 - Subsector Map Grid

[mearrin69]

Thanks! I haven't yet but plan to put it up for upload somewhere when it's done. There's definitely a long list of items to fix before I'll call it truly useable. There are about 20 items on my to do list.

The biggest of these may be a rendering glitch that's happening between the planet texture layer and the cloud (masked texture) and atmosphere (transluscent sphere) that overlay that. If it's a problem I might have to rewrite it using Dark Basic or something...I'm not sure if it's the programming language (Blitz 3D) I'm using or my graphics card or something else.

Also, I'd like to have it read in sectors generated by existing random sector generators. Do you happen to know the popular ones?
M

[altasilvapuer]

I'd have to check, because I do my sector-generating the old-fashioned way with dice, pen, and paper. I know there have been several discussions of similar at COTI. There was also a very popular generator for a while that output PDFs in classic LBB style, but it was Mac/Linux-dependent and never got a Windows port of the ground that I know of.

I can do some digging, if you'd like.

-asp

[mearrin69]

Don't put yourself out over it, was just wondering if you knew any of the key ones off the top of your head. I can't get Heaven and Earth to work on my machine...I thought maybe that was a popular one but don't see how if it won't function on current hardware! Maybe I'm just doing something wrong.

For you, this would be easy to use. The data just lives in a simple text file:

Sol  (ss name)
Vega (ss to coreward)
Arcturus (ss to trailing)
Gemini (ss to rimward)
Dingir (ss to spinward)
12354 (random seed so that the subsector uses the same textures, etc. every time)
18 (number of worlds)
0202 (start of world entry - hex location)
Nusku (world name)
A569943 (world UPP)
F (world tech level)
X (world bases - as in Solomani Rim supplement: N, D, S, W, A, B)
None. (remarks)
X (travel zone - A, R, or X if none)
G (gas giant present - G if yes, X if none)
--------- (just a visual separator between world entries so you don't get lost)
0204 (next world entry and so on)
Agidda
A972979
C
X
Industrial.
X
G
---------
0207
Terra
A867A69
F
B
Military rule.
X
G
---------

[Bhoritz]

I know there have been several discussions of similar at COTI. There was also a very popular generator for a while that output PDFs in classic LBB style, but it was Mac/Linux-dependent and never got a Windows port of the ground that I know of.

I can do some digging, if you'd like.

-asp

I would be interested about the generator you are speaking about. I am on Mac and it would be very useful for me. Do you have any precision?

[mearrin69]

Been working on jump routes. What a pain.
M

[mearrin69]

Just testing robustness. Entered the Jewell subsector (the one mapped at the start of this thread). I've got J1-J2 routes working J3 and longer and routes that end up off of the map aren't dealt with (so you can see them sort of hanging there). I've introduced 'allegiances'. Imperial routes are colored blue (for now) and there will be a toggle to show world allegiances. Non-Imperial are all red right now but I'll eventually create a user-configurable settings file with allegiances and their display color. Now I have to go back to real work...enough of a break.
M

[altasilvapuer]

For Bhoritz and any others curious about the aforementioned Mac-based generator: http://www.travellerrpg.com/CotI/Dis...ight=generator

I haven't looked into this in a while, and as I have little/no experience with Mac or Linux, I don't know how finished/stable the current version is.

-asp

[mearrin69]

Eh, programming is such a pain. I spent a lot of time figuring out how to do the jump routes and had 500+ lines of code for each special case through J-4 routes...and would have needed probably double that to handle J-5 through J-6 and routes that ended in another subsector. Then I took a break and reexamined the situation and realized there were some built-in functions and some long-forgotten trig that would help me do it more easily. Now it handles all jump routes, including those that end in another subsector...with only about 50 lines of code. Whatever. Learning experience, I guess.

So, pretty much all functionality is in there. I've got some cleaning up and enhancing to do before I put it up for download somewhere for 'beta testing' but you can see the output for Sol and Jewell below.

FYI, the routes (and, later, allegiance symbols on the map) are colored according to a user-editable config file. It notes the allegiance and color that should be used for each. I'll include the major races polities as well as Sword Worlds and so on, but the user will be able to add custom allegiances if they want...or change the colors of existing ones if they think the Consulate should be blue instead of green.
M

[mearrin69]

Now I've got allegiances showing up. Looked cool so I wanted to show it off.
M

[mearrin69]

It's getting close to being ready to share for testing. Still some things to do when I get some time...and I've been sick so haven't had much of that. I've got a nice little slide-up menu in there and you can now load new subsectors. Also got bordering subsector names in...though they're white on black instead of white on transparent.

Still have the flicker problem I mentioned, with close transparent surfaces fighting to be rendered on top. I'm told by some Blitz3D/DX7 experts that not much can be done about it. I may re-engineer this in another programming language at some point. The flicker is quite distracting.
M