New Release version 1.4

SeeJay · Post by **SeeJay** » Sun Jan 30, 2011 10:50 pm

We decided to start a new thread for the new improved
mercenary map site. It is now fully operational including
a search function for anything in the DB.

It is improving on a daily basis thanks to MapMan that
is doing the coding for the site. I just toss him data and
ideas and this have taken a tremendlessly workload off
my shoulders. I owe you big time Mappie.

There will hopefully be a lot of improvements/gadgets for
this new project. Thats why we decided to start a new thread.

The old map will still be online, but updates will be on the
new one. We will try our best to comply with any request
you people have. Just post here and we'll see what we
can do.

One more mission remains. Getting MapMan up and running
in space.

[Edited on 2011-2-15 by SeeJay]

MapMan · Post by **MapMan** » Sun Jan 30, 2011 11:24 pm

Hi all . Im MapMan. You maggots can call me ... MapMan

This is how the map works.

ZOOM
You normally zoom by double clicking one of the four areas visible on the map canvas.We call there "Quadrants".
When you are deep enough to see the system you are interested in, you just double click it to open it up.
You zoom out by clicking the "zoom-out"-button (duh).
Note! System zooming is smart. The zooming is controlled by the objects returned in that system. This ensures you dont miss anything when more objects are added. You cant free-zoom or free-pan(you really dont want to).

See Details
When you single click an object, you are presented with the info we have on this object in the upper right corner.
If you prefer to navigate in the table to the right (wich shows the objects currently in display), you can just click the object there instead. It does the same as clicking the object in the map, and also highlights it on the map.

Search
If you know the name of the object or system and just want to get there, you can click the "Search"-button in the middle.
This brings up the search dialog. Type some letters in the objects name (at least 4) and hit enter or click search-button.
If you get a hit you will be presented with a list with objects. Now you can either doubleclick that row, or select it with single click and click "show in map". This makes the map zoom in to the system you selected or the system containing the object you selected.

Features
if you select a row in the table, that object gets highlighted in the map. if you now press "arrow down" or "arrow up" you can cycle thru the objects and see their position in the map. This is useful if there are many objects visible at the same time.

Live tracking
Hit "tracking" if you want the map to show your ships position. It will update its position at the interval you specify in Settings.
You need to point out your savedata.txt file in the settings dialog. How to activate a savedata.txt ? This is what Vice sais.

Create Objects and Systems
After hitting "tracking" you have the ability to press the "Add object"-button. If you are NOT in a system it will let you create a System, if you ARE in a system it will create a object in that system. To add a system you must be in the sector where you want the system icon to appear on the map. A Star named "Star" will be created in that system automatically for you. You can move this star by selecting it and clicking "edit" in the bar above the system info (to the right).

You can optionally save in-game display data values out to an external text file for use with 3rd party programs and/or devices. To activate the system, create a text file in the game's install folder (where the EXE is located) named savedatasettings.txt Inside the file needs to be an integer value to specify the update rate for the game to use in milliseconds. A good setting to start with is 5000, or 5 second updates, which will generally keep the update rate pretty low and shouldn't impact game performance much. The game will create a file named 'savedata.txt' in the same folder as the EXE and will use the following layout for data:

(I would try to set it to something between 2 or 3 seconds)

Todo-list

GPS-functions
Ipad-App (in App-store or as web-app)
Android-app (tablets)

Please give it a test ride and report all bugs or feature requests in this thread.

Online version
http://mercenary.junholt.se

Installable versions. (Still uses SeeJays database but has WAY more functionality)
Version 1.5.0 Windows 32 bit
Version 1.5.0 Mac OSX 10.5
Version 1.5.0 Linux Intel 32 bit
Version 1.5.0 Linux Intel 64 bit

Last Updated
2011-02-14

Whats new
*Version 1.5.0*
Bug fixes
SY, PY coordinates on self created objects.

*Version 1.4.0*
Name change
Add Systems
Add all other objects

*Version 1.3.0*
Live Gauges under "Carrier data" tab

*Version 1.2.1*
Cooler buttons and icon.

*Version 1.2.0*
Tracking and Settings

*Version 1.1.1*
Reset button resets you Zoom to no Zoom.

*version 1.1.0*
- first public release -

[Edited on 2-28-2011 by MapMan]

[Edited on 2-28-2011 by MapMan]

Galaxian · Post by **Galaxian** » Mon Jan 31, 2011 3:16 am

Great Googely that's sweet!

Meesa gonna hafta get me that!

Nice work!

Nigel_Strange · Post by **Nigel_Strange** » Mon Jan 31, 2011 3:50 am

awesome. How do we enter data? Can anyone do it?

MapMan · Post by **MapMan** » Mon Jan 31, 2011 6:09 am

@Nigel_Strange
New findings will be possible to submit as soon as the map are not in beta.
Do you have any ideas of how you wanna do it?

SeeJay · Post by **SeeJay** » Mon Jan 31, 2011 7:03 am

For now, you need to send me the data as before.

verbosity · Post by **verbosity** » Mon Jan 31, 2011 7:57 am

mmm might be possible to log locations directly in-game if you are on a server, stay tuned

Post by **DaveK** » Mon Jan 31, 2011 10:52 am

We all owe both of you big time!

Post by **DaveK** » Mon Jan 31, 2011 10:55 am

Hi

What does the reset button do? Nothing seems to happen when I press it.

SeeJay · Post by **SeeJay** » Mon Jan 31, 2011 11:01 am

Thx DaveK.

It's just fun that people are actually using it. It's a lot of fun doing this. We have
a lot of ideas for the future as well.

For now it doesn't do anything:o It's for future use.
There will pop up more buttons and explanations when they are ready to use.

Stay tuned for further updates/changes.

Post by **DaveK** » Mon Jan 31, 2011 11:56 am

love it!

MapMan · Post by **MapMan** » Mon Jan 31, 2011 12:41 pm

From post: 101330, Topic: tid=7218, author=DaveK wrote:Hi

What does the reset button do? Nothing seems to happen when I press it.

Thats correct. The button itself is an illusion

Post by **DaveK** » Mon Jan 31, 2011 2:38 pm

calm voice intones: " . . . this isn't the button you want to press . . . you don't see a button here . . . "

response from white clad bloke with gun: "we don't see any buttons here . . . move along . . . move along"

:P:P:P:P

Post by **Marvin** » Mon Jan 31, 2011 4:48 pm

That's Didi's button. She can press it all day long without damaging Dexter's lab.

MapMan · Post by **MapMan** » Mon Jan 31, 2011 5:57 pm

If you dont like browsers and preffer the native software approach you can

Download the 32-bit Windows version

[Edited on 1-31-2011 by MapMan]

Post by **Marvin** » Mon Jan 31, 2011 11:19 pm

What's a Windows Installer Package?

Siege · Post by **Siege** » Mon Jan 31, 2011 11:21 pm

It's much the same as an exe install application most versions of windows will understand it just fine from about xp up I think.

I'm running Vista Sp2 I think. 32bit

[Edited on 31-1-2011 by Siege]

SeeJay · Post by **SeeJay** » Mon Jan 31, 2011 11:32 pm

From post: 101360, Topic: tid=7218, author=MapMan wrote:If you dont like browsers and preffer the native software approach you can

Download the 32-bit Windows version

[Edited on 1-31-2011 by MapMan]

Works on my Win7 64b as well;)

Post by **DaveK** » Mon Jan 31, 2011 11:43 pm

Does this mean I can run a version of the new map on my PC without having internet access?

SeeJay · Post by **SeeJay** » Mon Jan 31, 2011 11:51 pm

From post: 101394, Topic: tid=7218, author=DaveK wrote:Does this mean I can run a version of the new map on my PC without having internet access?

As for now you need an internet connection, but in a near
future you will be able to run a DB locally, and then update
the main one online with findings if you like.

That is if everything goes according to plan. This will also
be a first step towards a Universe GPS.

MapMan · Post by **MapMan** » Tue Feb 01, 2011 5:08 am

Had some success yesterday regarding locally stored user database.

The local database will hold your own findings and notes about objects in space.

The program itself will run without internet access. If this is a big feature requeat i could invent some sync feature so ALL data end up in the user database, and can be updated from SeeJays data on demand.

Give me IDEAS INPUT INPUT CRITICISM gosh darn it..You decide what it will do.

Dont forget to test what we already have . There must be lots of bugs i havent found. I cant be that good.... or?

edited due to language!

[Edited on 2-1-2011 by thetiebers]

Post by **Marvin** » Tue Feb 01, 2011 5:12 am

Well, it takes a few minutes to load everything to memory ... but, after it's up and running, your program works just fine.

MapMan · Post by **MapMan** » Tue Feb 01, 2011 5:24 am

From post: 101405, Topic: tid=7218, author=Marvin wrote:Well, it takes a few minutes to load everything to memory ... but, after it's up and running, your program works just fine.

a few minutes??!! ..

Post by **Marvin** » Tue Feb 01, 2011 5:31 am

I usually open the webpage while running Mercenary. That might be part of the problem.

Post by **DaveK** » Tue Feb 01, 2011 8:08 am

It's amazing how the Nav system in Mercenary has gone from "hard to use/a bit frustrating" through "cool" with Atollski's original MapLog and Seejay's "Universe Map" onto "dead useful/exciting" with MapLog developments and "The Son of Universe Map" and looks like it's going to be awesome with local databases (if desired), integration between the two utilities and heaven knows what else the team can come up with!!:)

btw: "Pices" is spelled "Pieces" in Pearl as in "Gate to Pieces"

Appropriate since Pearl where I often get "blown to . . ."!

ps can I claim a "thread record" for the use of apostrophes!

[Edited on 1-2-2011 by DaveK]

[Edited on 1-2-2011 by DaveK]