Map Overlay Help

[FTC_Riksen]

Quote

It is also possible to create a map overlay for each mission with enemy positions and other info drawn on top of the navigation map:

 

This map overlay is stored in *.tactics files which are basically SWF format files created in Adobe Flash. So you need to create SWF format files in Adobe Flash and then rename them from *.SWF to *.tactics.

They should be named like this: 02.coalition=1.tactics, where 02 is the mission number in sequence and 1 is player coalition ID (1 are Allies and 2 are Axis).

 

SWF file requirements

 

You need to set the size of SWF file area so it will have one pixel per 200 meters on the game map. For example, Moscow map is 281600 x 281600 meters, so you need to create an SWF file with 1408 x 1408 pixels working area.

The file shouldn't contain fonts, they must be converted to curves.

All the lines should be converted to Fills.

Intersecting objects must be made a single object if you don't want for intersection to be visible.

The file may contain groups, movie clips and layers for easier work.

Timeline should contain a single frame.

 

Does the map overlay only work for campaign missions? I created a swf file with Adobe Flash and followed the steps listed above but no overlay shows up on the map (I'm trying this on a created mission and not a created campaign). Would really appreciate some help ...

 

Cheers

[Gambit21]

I don't know how you would utilize the .swf file in a normal/non-campaign mission.

 

I'm in the process of trying to figure this out myself (for a the Bodenplatte scripted campaign) but I don't have Flash, and my versions of Photoshop and Illustrator will not export int that format. So I'm stuck.

[Juri_JS]

Overlays don't work in single mission mode, only in campaigns.

[FTC_Riksen]

Thxs for the help Juri

[Gambit21]

Judi, have you done this?

I just realized that Illustrator does export as a .swf, however I can’t get the image to show in the campaign mission.

 

I changed the extension to .tactics and named the file exactly as Han spelled out.

[LLv34_Temuri]

10 hours ago, Gambit21 said:

I just realized that Illustrator does export as a .swf, however I can’t get the image to show in the campaign mission.

Illustrator has a habit of saving extra crap in the file. Might be because of that.

[samson]

I had to install FLASH and to resave all artworks from FLASH to make them work at "Allmost", for example.

[Gambit21]

I have no way to get Flash now...never needed it before (only Photoshop and Illustrator) and Adobe doesn't sell Flash anymore.

I sure not going to buy into their rip-off "creative cloud" BS or the new "Animate" app. I use CS5.

 

I've been looking for an older version of Flash CS on Ebay etc but everyone wants several hundred dollars for older Flash CS5, or 6.

So once again I'm stuck.

 

If anyone has a line on an older Flash edition, CS whatever that will run on Win 10, please PM me and let me know.

Otherwise I'm stuck.

I'm bummed that the Illustrator export doesn't work.

[Nazgul*]

On 6/6/2018 at 7:46 PM, Gambit21 said:

I have no way to get Flash now...never needed it before (only Photoshop and Illustrator) and Adobe doesn't sell Flash anymore.

I sure not going to buy into their rip-off "creative cloud" BS or the new "Animate" app. I use CS5.

 

I've been looking for an older version of Flash CS on Ebay etc but everyone wants several hundred dollars for older Flash CS5, or 6.

So once again I'm stuck.

 

If anyone has a line on an older Flash edition, CS whatever that will run on Win 10, please PM me and let me know.

Otherwise I'm stuck.

I'm bummed that the Illustrator export doesn't work.

 

Sorry for waking up such old thread. How to do the map over icon?

[JimTM]

2 minutes ago, Nazgul* said:

 

Sorry for waking up such old thread. How to do the map over icon?

 

If you are referring to annotations on the map without using Flash, see "Mark Locations and Draw Shapes on the Flight Crew's Map" on pg. 151 of the mission editor manual.

 

If you want to use Flash to create more sophisticated map annotations, see the 3rd page of the attachment in this post.

[Nazgul*]

Thanks you. I followed the guide and no overlay shows on map (Flash overlay). Do you have example mission?

13 minutes ago, JimTM said:

 

If you are referring to annotations on the map without using Flash, see "Mark Locations and Draw Shapes on the Flight Crew's Map" on pg. 151 of the mission editor manual.

 

If you want to use Flash to create more sophisticated map annotations, see the 3rd page of the attachment in this post.

 

[Gambit21]

FYI as a career digital artist guy, 3D,Adobe etc etc I was unable to get the Flash thing to work for me. I’m not saying it can’t be done, but it was apparently not so simple.

 

I could have had the file dimensions incorrect (although I was given the dimension by Alex) or the fornate/file extension incorrect - but the instructions in that regard are straightforward. Anyway I gave up .

Edited August 6, 2021 by Gambit21

[JimTM]

46 minutes ago, Nazgul* said:

Thanks you. I followed the guide and no overlay shows on map (Flash overlay). Do you have example mission?

 

 

I don't have Flash so there was no way for me to test my instructions, which I based on Han's writeup in Dev Diary 142. 

[Nazgul*]

17 hours ago, Gambit21 said:

FYI as a career digital artist guy, 3D,Adobe etc etc I was unable to get the Flash thing to work for me. I’m not saying it can’t be done, but it was apparently not so simple.

 

I could have had the file dimensions incorrect (although I was given the dimension by Alex) or the fornate/file extension incorrect - but the instructions in that regard are straightforward. Anyway I gave up .

 

Yeah. I did my image but that didnt work. I even tried with the game images (carreer) ones but it does not work.

 

17 hours ago, JimTM said:

 

I don't have Flash so there was no way for me to test my instructions, which I based on Han's writeup in Dev Diary 142. 

 

Try using the carreer file (\swf\il2\mapstactics\bobp)

[AEthelraedUnraed]

17 hours ago, Gambit21 said:

FYI as a career digital artist guy, 3D,Adobe etc etc I was unable to get the Flash thing to work for me. I’m not saying it can’t be done, but it was apparently not so simple.

You can create an .svg file with whatever you want to show. For the next step, there's  a freeware Flash viewer that I use (I've forgotten its name, will look it up later today) which you can then use to load one of the default IL2 maptactics flash files. Then replace the svg that's imbedded into that one with your own and resave. Pretty simple after all 

[JimTM]

5 hours ago, Nazgul* said:

...

Try using the carreer file (\swf\il2\mapstactics\bobp)

 

Thanks anyway but I don't have that file. I tried running the first mission of a Rhineland career but it did not generate a mapstactics directory.

Edited August 7, 2021 by JimTM

[Nazgul*]

1 hour ago, JimTM said:

 

Thanks anyway but I don't have that file. I tried running the first mission of a Rhineland career but it did not generate a mapstactics directory.

 

Here is the file in case you want to check out:

 

https://mega.nz/file/7IxXyIoQ#X0JFBIKCPm__dqNmnNdC5bWccnXwi8V7XGOXbmooebY

[Gambit21]

7 hours ago, AEthelraedUnraed said:

You can create an .svg file with whatever you want to show. For the next step, there's  a freeware Flash viewer that I use (I've forgotten its name, will look it up later today) which you can then use to load one of the default IL2 maptactics flash files. Then replace the svg that's imbedded into that one with your own and resave. Pretty simple after all 

 

Glad to hear - but moot in my case..won’t be going back there.

[AEthelraedUnraed]

22 hours ago, JimTM said:

Thanks anyway but I don't have that file. I tried running the first mission of a Rhineland career but it did not generate a mapstactics directory.

You need to unpack one of the .gtp's (swf.gtp I believe).

(EDIT - I first had mgm here instead of gtp, this is of course wrong as mgm is the 3d format of IL2, not the packing system).

 

19 hours ago, Gambit21 said:

Glad to hear - but moot in my case..won’t be going back there.

That's a pity, I do enjoy your campaigns.

Edited August 8, 2021 by AEthelraedUnraed

[IckyATLAS]

Adobe FLASH is being phased out as it was too prone to hacking. Windows will not support it anymore. I hope the devs come with something that works better and is more mainstream in the future.

HTML5 seems to be what will replace Flash.

[AEthelraedUnraed]

13 hours ago, IckyATLAS said:

Adobe FLASH is being phased out as it was too prone to hacking. Windows will not support it anymore. I hope the devs come with something that works better and is more mainstream in the future.

Why would they? They've got an implementation that works. Tools to edit flash files are freely available. Security is not really a problem since the flash files are parsed rather than executed. Switching to another system would cost lots and lots of developing time. My guess is that IL2 will keep using flash files, and that would be a perfectly reasonable decision.