What Is MapCreator?!
- MapCreator is an open-source Ultima Online™ map (facet) editor that was created for use with Adobe™ Photoshop
- This powerful program can compile any world you create utilizing an encoded set of bitmaps and an Adobe™ Photoshop Swatch (.ACO), Optimized Color (.ACT), and customized Brush (.ABR) file
- There are two versions available so choose wisely: one uses Ultima Online's out-of-the-box game files (any version), and the other uses uoAvocation's customized Ultima Online's game files and is capable of dual-layering maps during the compile process
What Is The Backstory!
- MapCreator is the result of reverse-engineering UOLandscaper, and yes I did get permission to do that from UOLandscaper's creator Dknight. What separates the two programs is that MapCreator is coded in C# and UOLandscaper is coded in VisualBasic. Additionally MapCreator is open-source and can be modified whereas UOLandscaper is an old soul and closed-source
- Dknight would not let me re-release UOLandscaper as an open-sourced project: so he told me to rebrand it, and then gave me permission to distribute it under the name MapCreator
- So if you are wondering, yes both software use indentical compiler engines and 80% of the same code; that also means that the XML files associated with both programs are interchangable
- Create your facet indexed bitmap terrain file, sync that terrain bitmap file and create an indexed altitude bitmap file, then when you are done creating and finalizing your masterpiece: compile those two (2) bitmaps from the same folder to create a playable game world for your custom Ultima Online emulation servers or uoAvocation's game engine (uoAvos)!
- Create new, or modify the Adobe™ Photoshop Swatch (.ACO), Optimized Color (.ACT) files right from inside MapCreator! With this program you can manipulate all color aspects of MapCreator and how the compiler will read those colors.
- If Adobe™ Photoshop is too expensive, you can also use GIMP to create your worlds using our Drawing Tool section! This section will provide screenshots of our custom Adobe™ Photoshop color swatch (.ACO) and optimized color (.ACT) files.
- Forget the guess work of making maps! Tutorials will be added to assist you on your journey!! The tutorial section will include tutorials on the best techniques to create and modify Ultima Online™ worlds and is a work-in-progress and will be added to over time. The success of this depends on the community and user submissions by people like you!
- Create or modify tile transitions, create or modify terrain types, view your flat bitmaps as spinning planets you can manipulate, and finally convert those pesky .mul files into .bmp, .uop, and back into .mul again! The user plugin section is a work-in-progress and will be added to over time. The success of this depends on the community and user submissions by people like you!
📌Main Software Application
📌Plugin: Create Terrain Types
📌Plugin: File Type Converters
