How to: Create tactical map images

How to: Create a tactical map image (video tutorial)



In this tutorial you will learn how to create a tactical map image, which has the same style as the ones on stock maps.
The video tutorial will show you how to create this image using photoshop. The nomenclature of files you have to save is shown below.

The template.psd file that is used in the video tutorial can be downloaded here. It has been created using an original file from one of the stock maps, which has been extracted from the game and reformated for your use.



In the video tutorial you learned how to create the tactical map image for a square map. The dimensions of the image are 768 x 768 pixels.
For rectangular maps the longest side will remain with 768 px and the shorter side will be scaled accordingly. You will have to crop the image template to the size of your original mapname_mm.tga, which is also noted in the mapname.options file.

Three files have to be saved from the tactical map image and have to be put into your map folder before exporting the map package.

1.
The tactical map image as it has been created in the video tutorial has to be saved as a 24bit/pixel .tga file under

...\scenarios\MP\mapfolder\mapname_mm_preview.tga

2. and 3.
Create two copies of the previous file. Save the duplicates under

...\scenarios\MP\mapfolder\mapname_mm_high.tga

and

...\scenarios\MP\mapfolder\mapname_mm.tga

4.
Another copy has to be resized. Go to Image -> Image Size and make sure that "Constrain Propotions" is checked and "Pixel Dimensions" are measured in pixels. Choose the larger side with 768 px length and reduce it to 360 px. The other dimension should scale accordingly. Confirm the rescaling by hitting "OK".
The rescaled copy has to be saved under

...\scenarios\MP\mapfolder\mapname_mm_low.tga

That's it. You can now re-open your map in Worldbuilder and export the map as .sga using "File -> Export Package"

visible now

This is still such a pain to create... Thanks for sharing and explaining !

+1

OK I figured it out after I just now (doh) saw the "Worldbuidler BASIC information" thread.. lol ... it was the nomenclature in the step by step on THIS thread that didn't have (in the example) the "_mm" in the low/high file names.... I guess coh2 was then looking to the bigger file for the minimap and therefore was off.... so to be clear, you must have the _mm in there for low/high files, and then make sure you do check inside the "options" file with notepad (in your project scenario (sgb) folder) after you create all your images & make sure the minimap pixel size is correct to that of the pixel size of the "_mm_low" .tga file... which is to say the bigger of the 2 dimensions is 360 & whatever photoshop made the other one.

i am sorry i forgot the _mm in the nomenclature. fixed now

Where did you get the summer/winter backgrounds? Shopped yourself?

as it says in the tutorial, i extracted them from Relic stock maps. Not done by myself. I only deliver the instructions.

i am sorry i forgot the _mm in the nomenclature. fixed now

Oh now now, my good man Sam! No worries! You've done waaaay more than enough to help with this. (but keep it up ... lol)

Updated the first post to account for the recent changes regarding image orientation.

Updated the first post to account for the recent changes regarding image orientation.

The rescaled flipped copy has to be saved under

This should no longer be considered flipped, correct?

missed that one, thanks

My preview image works right in game but it is flipped in the workshop page. Any clue why?

the workshop is probably not updated, yet. ingame is what counts.

What is the reason behind having 3 copies of the same image, _mm, _preview and _high?
Are they used in different places? Where?

What is the reason behind having 3 copies of the same image, _mm, _preview and _high?
Are they used in different places? Where?

If you don't add those the game will use the standard map for all purposes. I wonder why I should create them. They only inflate the sga-file.

Thank you very much for this tutorial. I found it very easy to follow your instructions. Knowing PS well also helps.

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=215486086 How to fix?

Hey guys Photoshop It's obligatory for Create The Tactical image ?

Gimp is a free alternative.