madcat2k1

I'll copy + paste this from my post at another forum. Please excuse me if this sounds like complete randomness or doesn't make any sense as it makes perfect sense to myself and my buddy and we're already have a basic working version (Looks like crap but it works, lol). Try not to flame, because it will just slow down my work and I want to get this out ASAP. This is the first, and probably the last map tool within EQ.

PS. When I say first I mean it's the first TOOL, not just a map displayer. It has multiple functions.

It also doesn't lag like a psycho when you try and display a large image.

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First of all I would like to note that I have not broken any laws or the EULA at all.
I'm posting here because I would like feedback and you'll be able to catch it at most UI sites (Popular ones) early next month. I've been working on this for a week now (Believe it or not I've only had EQ a week also) and should be ready for testing in early/mid Jan.

Before you tell me to stop spamming and post useless info, let me get to my point-

How would you like a UI addon that not only shows the map but if you hit the locate button a crosshair calculates your exact /loc and points EXACTLY where you are on the map in a birds eye view, making it possible to see EXACTLY where you are located in a Canyon or somewhere confusing. I'm talking about maps from EQAtlas.com if I get the permission from Muse. Ofcourse the size would be smaller and about 300x300 pixels in size so it doesn't clog your screen. Much like a minimap.

First thing you may be saying is- "Wrong forum" or "Impossible!". Well let me tell you it's not! I won't go into details because I don't want someone stealing my idea because it's in early/mid stages right now but I can assure you it's going well.

The Advantages :-

1) No need to /loc and run to check a map on another computer or if using EQW alt-tab out and try to compare. Just hit the button and a crosshair will appear at the location over the map. This is NOT a basic addon and my friend is helping me code the whole thing, which I owe him most credit to be honest.

2) You can keep hitting the button with a hotkey and it will actually look like a minimap from something like Diablo 2. When you move, the crosshair moves.

3) It's easy to use

4) It's ofcourse, free to download.

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Disadvantages :-

1) Had enough yet? Bored of my post? Sure thing but this is the most WANTED and most hardest there has to be out there. In able to not break the EULA I have had limit it to one resolution, which is 1024x768 (Mainly because I have to map each pixel out and sub pixels).

2)It's going to be a whopping 10Mb download file, mainly because of the amount of images included crosshair locations, once again this had to be done to not break any EULA.

3) You have to first select the map through a tabs, which can take up to 30 seconds to find the actual map you are in. Although once you have found it and clicked it the second box will open and you can then get started.

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Technical Info :-

Well as you can see it looks pretty good/bad so far, and the main problem has been keeping to the EULA. I could easily make a third party tool but that breaks my own rules, which is to NOT alt-tab out in the first place. Not all want to use EQW anyway. And no I don't use EQW before you ask, I use my own GUI full of all the info I need for maps/recipes/etc.

Anyway technically the way this is done is not logical and not very smart and takes long amounts of times. My friend has written a tool to help generate the pixels against the location in EQ sized worlds.

For example, let's say an area is 5000x5000 then use a basic calculation and create our maps as 300x300 (Doesn't make sense, does it? You'll understand when I post more further into development). Now instead of using 1,2,3,4 pixels we use sub-pixels.

In the method of 15 map pixels per 1 EQ Map pixels (As I call them)

5000 divided between 15 = about 333 pixels

5000 x 5000 = 333x333 map pixels, and overlay pixels (for the crosshair). That's for one map, and right now it may not make sense. Let's just say EACH coding is the part where we must make EQ understand our own method of sub-pixels, so it can translate and display them correctly. Once again this doesn't break the EULA.


AHhhh I'm too tired to type right now but let me tell you it's COMING pretty soon and may even release a test 1 day before the New Year as a gift for everyone.

This project hasn't been layed out easily for myself or my friend, so if we can't make out any sense in things above (Such as getting it in game for everyone and making it actually work) is a complicated problem. Do you guys want this GUI addon or not? It has taken 60 hours out of me already working on only 15 maps (YES I know there's loads more to do yet) and like I said it's very complicated getting this ingame for everyone below 10 megs. We also have to use individual images (Some containing 300x300).

While you may understand that a pixel is JUST a pixel, which is 1, that is very true but when you're like me and steve we try to think beyond what will actually happen. In other words, while EQ only understands pixels by 1, we can basically guess where the person will be depending on the location. We will release a pack later on that will enable high quality maps at 900x900 pixels which will help the system guess.

The crosshair will aim at 60% of your true location as of right now, but it's better then nothing, correct? Larger maps = Better prediction, so in the coming weeks we may even release one that is greater then what you can use by implimenting a 4000x4000 image if the engine can handle that and using scrollbars on somthing such as the "Help Window" so you can scroll around the whole map.

This sounds like garbage to you I bet but for myself and my friend Steve, we may be both new to EQ but what more then to release one of the BIG UI for EQ in our playing time such as a month (Time it gets released).

Big packs will be over 30 megs compressed, sadly. As there are many maps. We already have a slight working version and I'll probably post screenshots soon for you to see it in action. The images aren't exactly high quality and are in black and white at the moment for testing purposes but that's one of the biggest steps we've made, actually getting the crosshair to aim at 100 positions on a 200x200 EQ sized map.

Questions, COmments would be nice and try and keep the flames down. I know this map be a bad place to post this but I want to try and suprise all the big UI sites when I suddenly release it.

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Here's another follow up to my original post
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Wow I just typed a msg bigger then the last one and all my text got deleted when my puter booted down..UGH
I had all proper details in there.

Let me be quick on this one.

Let's say a game map is around 2000x2000

When you move forward a tad you move by 15 game pixels (As we like to call them). Our images are made of 1 pixel and then we do a 2000 divided by 15 = around 130 (I suck at math sorry lol). Our images are 300 pixels so thus if we put 15 pixels to 1 image pixel we can fit in perfectly with the accuracy. Um, I just re-read that it looks a little messed up. What I'm trying to say is simply put a game pixel is bigger then an image pixel and we can fit the crosshair in the image to fit the game map (Which is alot smaller if you translate it to image pixels).

This is just off the top of my head though so I can't prove that unless I try it out later, which it should work out fine.

If you're asking about the crosshair, it's quite simple really.

You may be thinking that in order to get it in we have to create EVERY image with the crosshair 1 pixel distance in each direction..NOT TRUE!!! While that would be the logical way to do it it's a damn stupid way. Who wants to download a 400 meg file? LOL

I won't let anyone in on the secret just yet but let's just say we're using a trick to overlay the crosshair within EQ itself.
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It's about time someone came along and did something like this, and I'm glad now that I can finally put my skills to use and prove that even NOOBS (To EQ) can create one of the biggest projects out there. And yes my friends, this is going to be the biggest UI out there as well. A few days or a week later after proper public release I'll be releasing a proper GUI version as well.

More encourgement = Faster release

By the way I'll be glad when I do finish this thing because it's been nothing but hell starting EQ with nothing at all. So when I release a 100% working and 90% accurate version I expect those EQ donations to be coming in!!! Lol only kidding but seriously a thanks is all I'll require for my work. This should of been done ages ago when it could have.