Map modding - crash at "Loading Graphics"

[Cheexsta]

I'm trying to make a new map from scratch, but I can't get past a particular crash. The game crashes at the "Loading Graphics" screen, and the last entry in setup.log is the checksum.

The map loads perfectly in the scenario editor and positions editor, no errors. Running the EU3 map checker reveals no errors not already present in the vanilla map.

I'm stumped, does anyone have any ideas?

 

[Hardradi]

Thats a tough one, even tougher if you are building from scratch.

Have a look at Descartes Mod Guides in the Imperium forum. I havent kept any notes of the problems I have faced and I ahvent done a new map from scratch. Here are some of my thoughts:

A) Make sure the following files are all up to date: provinces.bmp, rivers.bmp, terrain.bmp, topology.bmp, default.???, definition.txt, positions.txt, adjacencies.txt and region.txt

B) Make sure definition.txt, lines up with provinces naming in the history/provinces folder and in the province naming localisation files (I had some problems with this in the past but now it does not seem to matter)

C) With an entirely new map run it directly from the game directory to avoid colourmap_hires issues

D) Have you done a colourmap_water? Not sure if this is required.

E) Have you altered the map size? There are a number of other files which would require adjustment

F) It could be your system, I have had problems with Vista 64 not working. Are you using XP?

 

[Cheexsta]

Thanks for the response, Hardradi. You're one of the people I had hoped would reply

A) They're all up to date. Every pixel in each of the .bmp files matches perfectly (they were all generated from the same image), and I've matched their colour settings to those of vanilla. The .txt files and default.map are all updated.

B) Checked.

C) Hmm, I might give this a go. I actually tried transferring the vanilla map over to my mod folder and removed most of the provinces so it was basically the same as my custom map. That also didn't work.

D) Haven't tried, will look into it.

E) Yes: it's 2000x1037, a little wider but shorter than the vanilla map. I intend on making it bigger once I can get the game to load it, though. What files need changing, other than positions.txt? That can be done easily with the positions editor.

F) I'm running XP.

I'll try a few more things and will see if they work.

 

[Hardradi]

Have a look in this thread, post #15 and #17. I have listed them there, although the rivers.FX file was not causing crashes. They are not in the map directory.

If you look at Imperium 2.0, Descartes used the vanilla map sizes. Maybe try going back to them and see if it works then you will know if it is the problem.

Definately try (C) above. This causes a lot of problems. When I release my map expanison, I will run it directly from its own EUR installation, directly in the map folder. Otherwise it will be an installation nightmare.

How many provinces have you done?

 

[Cheexsta]

I've just blanked out colormap_hires for the moment - I just want the damned map to load at this point, I don't care about pretty graphics.

Already tried using vanilla map files (with appropriate text file editing, too), no luck.

Just tried moving everything to the vanilla map folder and removing the extend = "map" line from the mod file. Still no dice.

I've only got 3 provinces at the moment: two land and one sea. I've added and removed up to about 10 over the course of today, to see if that makes any difference. All the text files (including default.map) had been updated accordingly, of course.

I'm thinking that I might just scrap what I've done so far and start again, working on more minute changes to the vanilla map at a time rather than trying to make my own map from scratch. This is proving to be a headache...

 

[y1kdcb5au9rqw]

There are size restrictions on provinces as well - seem to recall 100x100 and 200x50 being the limits. And provinces are not allowed to touch the edges of the map.

You can also run into trouble if the edges of the provinces are too "pointy", keep a nice "organic" feel to the corners of the provinces in particular.

 

[Hardradi]

If you want PM me a link to the files and I will have a look and see if I can get it working at my end.

 

[Camara]

Don't blank colormap_hires, I had problems trying to edit it. Don't use it in your mod folder, just remove it from your mod folder and pretend vanilla one is correct.

 

[Cheexsta]

There are size restrictions on provinces as well - seem to recall 100x100 and 200x50 being the limits. And provinces are not allowed to touch the edges of the map.

You can also run into trouble if the edges of the provinces are too "pointy", keep a nice "organic" feel to the corners of the provinces in particular.

My provinces didn't seem to have any problems. They weren't "pointy", they weren't very large or small (about the same size as vanilla borders, maybe a touch smaller).

If you want PM me a link to the files and I will have a look and see if I can get it working at my end.

Thanks Hardradi, I might just do that. I want to try a few things first, though.

Don't blank colormap_hires, I had problems trying to edit it. Don't use it in your mod folder, just remove it from your mod folder and pretend vanilla one is correct.

Yeah, I left colormap_hires in the vanilla folder and blanked it with the normal blue background colour. It works on the vanilla map just fine, so I can't see how that would be causing a problem.

Cheers again to everyone, I think I might just try it from scratch again - at least it'll be faster this time, since I've learned a lot from the first attempt.

 

[Cheexsta]

Ok, I've decided to try a few more tests to see if I could get this to work. What I've done is this:

1. I created a new mod directory with no events, decisions, missions and only barebones history files (ie removed anything that was not essential for the game to run). Tested it, the game loaded just fine.

2. I decided to delete the last land province in the game (province 269) and removed all references to it in every file I could find. I replaced it with PTA in provinces.bmp and terrain.bmp.

3. In default.map, I changed the sea_start entry accordingly.

It has worked so far, so I might try working backwards and just remove provinces until I've just got a few, basic provinces left. Then I can start importing chunks of my map and tweak it as I go