From: David Jenkins <me AT jenkinsdavid DOT demon DOT co DOT uk>
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.djgpp
Subject: Re: Question about making maps for tile-based games
Date: Sun, 24 Aug 1997 03:39:29 +0100
Organization: None
Distribution: world
Message-ID: <2YA$FAAh75$zEw7u@jenkinsdavid.demon.co.uk>
References: <5tnql1$ko1 AT camel12 DOT mindspring DOT com>
NNTP-Posting-Host: jenkinsdavid.demon.co.uk
MIME-Version: 1.0
Lines: 54
To: djgpp AT delorie DOT com
DJ-Gateway: from newsgroup comp.os.msdos.djgpp
Precedence: bulk

In article <5tnql1$ko1 AT camel12 DOT mindspring DOT com>, Chris
<kupajoe AT atl DOT mindspring DOT com> writes
>Hello,
>       I am just beginning to make a tile-based 
>RPG using Allegro and DJGPP.  I've already read many
> of the tile FAQs, but I need some help with the maps.
>(Please bear with me, these are newbie questions)
>
>Does anyone know of a good map editor that works 
>with Allegro?  Something that I can make my maps on
>and then bring them into my program?  I've heard about 
>some, but I don't know where they are and how to get
>the map files into the game.
>
Not sure if it's good or not :) but I started one a while ago, it's sort
of 1/2 complete. Saving/loading and editing maps are possible. Look on
my website (URL in sig.) for MAD.

>If not, what is the next best way to get huge maps into a game?  

I wrote mine to use .pcx files. I'm not sure of the limitations in size
of these but they're pretty big. Only real limitation is the 256 colours
useable in a .pcx file, untill Allegro supports more colours that is.

I also have a couple of programs which load one of the .pcx maps and
scroll it around.
I just load the .pcx in and getpixel the bitmap into an array. (It
works. :)

>If anyone could help me write a function that can translate
>numbers from an integer (or character) array into tiles to be plotted
>at certain places on the screen?
>
Are you talking about using special tiles?? Like locations of monsters,
traps, etc,etc.
The best way is to use two maps. (.pcx files.)
1'st map layer holds ONLY the actual terrain type of map tile, eg.
colour 1=earth, 2=grass, 3=sand, 4=water. etc.
2'nd map layer holds your object locations. eg. colour 1=tree1, 2=tree2,
3=monster1, 4=monster4, 5=building1 etc.

>
>I hope this makes sense. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
>Thanks!
>
>--------------
>Chris
>
>

-- 
http://www.jenkinsdavid.demon.co.uk for C programmers.
David Jenkins