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Jazzles
Beginner


Joined: 22 Jul 2005
Posts: 17
Location: UK

PostPosted: Mon Aug 01, 2005 10:07 am   

My wishlist
 
Little bit disappointed that zmapper is on the 'backburner', I'm currently trying it out using the months free trial period - with a view to buying.

Like many posts before me I'm also getting the access violation and open dataset error messages. But still managing to trial the software regardless.

It seems to me that it could be a very useful tool indeed but in my opinion requires a few user-friendly improvements. Firstly:

1) sort by alphabet in the zone tab
2) hyper-jump to a zone from main window (eg if room 'A' has an exit which states to the zone 'forest', thereby by clicking the text 'forest' - [with say CNTL key] it opens up 'forest' zone. This I think would also be a beneficial feature in ZMUD too.

Its still an excellent product (as is zMUD) and no doubt I will by licensing zMapper even with its flaws, because you deserve the funding.

I'm in no doubt that I'm not utilising (along with zMUD) it to its full potential - but I'm getting there.
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Jazzles
Beginner


Joined: 22 Jul 2005
Posts: 17
Location: UK

PostPosted: Mon Aug 01, 2005 10:27 am   
 
I also meant to put:

3) It would have been nice to have a library of a few ready made bitmaps for example food, water, shops, guilds etc or indeed a place on your server where users could upload their efforts.
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Zugg
MASTER


Joined: 25 Sep 2000
Posts: 23379
Location: Colorado, USA

PostPosted: Mon Aug 01, 2005 4:43 pm   
 
1) Seems like you could right-click on the zone list and select the sort option for this. Can't remember if this was added to zMapper or just zMUD.

2) You can do this. Double-clicking a zone link will jump to the zone. In addition, you can create a "hot spot" area that can be used for this. If you download zExplorer and select the Star Wars Galaxies game, it will download a map database called swg.mdb. Open that using zMapper and in the main galaxy map you'll see that each planet graphic is a hot-spot for jumping to a zone.

3) You can do this to. zMapper supports "libraries". You can create a library of commonly used shapes and icons and then use it in multiple projects. It even has a version control system so that when a "master" image in a library is updated you can then also update the graphics in your map project that refer to the library. If anyone ever put together a useful library of images, I'd be happy to post it to the zuggsoft.com site. I don't have enough graphics talent to create a library like this myself though.

Yeah, zMapper is a complex program. It went on the back burner because sales were too low to continue to work on it. At this point it really needs a big overhall to replace the Microsoft ADO database format with something faster and better like the ZeosLib database components I'm using in zApp. But since zMapper needs to maintain compatiblity with the zMUD mapper, I'd have to redo both programs and that is a *lot* of work for programs that aren't bringing in enough sales. Hopefully the zApp and eMobius projects will be successful in bringing in more money so that I can go back and improve zMapper in the future.

Usually the "open dataset errors" are caused by a problem with Microsoft ADO/MDAC DLL versions. The "DLL hell" caused by Microsoft ADO is one of the reasons it's hard to work on zMapper these days. It was a mistake to use that particular database technology, both in zMapper and zMUD. But we are stuck with it for now unfortunately.
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Jazzles
Beginner


Joined: 22 Jul 2005
Posts: 17
Location: UK

PostPosted: Tue Aug 02, 2005 7:12 am   
 
>>1) Seems like you could right-click on the zone list and select the sort option for this. Can't remember if this was added to zMapper or just zMUD.

Just zMUD, still if it is only on one then at least zMUD is the right one to have it on [for me at least].

>>2) You can do this. Double-clicking a zone link will jump to the zone

Fantastic, tried it out and its great, dont know why it didnt work for me before [must have not quite hit it right with the cursor and then assumed it didnt work]

>>3) You can do this to. zMapper supports "libraries".

Yes admittedly the ability to have a library is a great advantage - but I did mean a few readily available 'standard' icons would have been nice, but I take your point. hopefully a few of your seasoned users will take up your offer willing to post their libraries within your site.

Good work and I will definately be licensing zMapper once the trial has finished - thanks for your help.
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Kozlor1
Newbie


Joined: 23 Sep 2005
Posts: 3

PostPosted: Sat Sep 24, 2005 12:42 pm   
 
Is Zmapper proxy based mapper? I have seen some of them like cheesmapper etc.
If it isnt then its worthless in my mud :D. Those nice shapes and trees etc dont give me nothing.
Proxy based mappers are good - becouse they realy detect when you move or not.
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Zugg
MASTER


Joined: 25 Sep 2000
Posts: 23379
Location: Colorado, USA

PostPosted: Sat Sep 24, 2005 3:32 pm   
 
I have no idea what you mean by "proxy based mapper". The mapper in *zMUD* can detect when you move. zMapper itself does not and is just a map creation program (for use in zMUD or zExplorer).
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