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Newbie Joined: 01 Aug 2002 Posts: 1

Will ZMapper eventually be able to have it's database customized, as in the format of it.

The reason I ask is because I'm writting a mud server in VB, would do it in C++ but thats already been done about a million times. VB adds the extra challenge. I have my areas/rooms etc in a database.

I've written my own mud mapper [for use only with shadowmud and the other 4 muds currently being developed] and I'll be darned if I can't figure out how to auto connect rooms with the bends and such in them.

I did download the trial of ZMapper, it was really really nice, but I did notice that the auto snap in it is a little less than appealing. The file may be cluttered with lines running over top of rooms and blending with other lines. That drives me nuts :)

All in all good job! I love it, and if database customization comes into play I may buy it.

Posted: Thu Aug 01, 2002 6:07 pm

Well, yes and no. Direct customizing of the database doesn't really make sense. zMapper needs to be optimized, so that means choosing a particular database engine (the Jet 4.0 ADO engine that is built into Windows), and choosing a particular structure for the database (tables, fields, etc). There is no way to write a program like zMapper if you let the user customize the fields, table structure, etc...it just wouldn't work.

On the plus side, zMapper has extensive export and import options, with more import options on the way. So, it should be really easy to import your own database info into zMapper, and then export it back out to your own format.

Note sure what you mean by the "auto snap". Did you try turning off the Snap Grid option in the View/Grid menu? Without documentation, it's very possible that what you want to do is already implemented, but just not documented.

Also, when you click and drag a room around the map, if you hold down the Ctrl key while you are dragging, that temporarily turns off the grid snap. You can also right-click on a link between rooms and add bends which you can then drag around to make the links go around the rooms instead of over them.