Manual for installing and starting the MAPPER

Installation

• extract the file mapper.zip in a directory of your choice e.g. /home/mh14/mak (this is the example directory to which I refer in this manual)
• if not installed you have to install Java for your platform, as the applet is not able to store anything due to security restrictions
• the icons should be extracted to the same directory
• there are startfiles for Linux (startMapper) and Windows (startMapper.bat), there you have to adapt the path where to find the java executable, if it is contained in your PATH environment variable you may even remove the prepended path
• to point the Mapper to the location of the maps you have to copy the single line fromt he file mapper.def that reads url=file://localhost/home/mh14/mak/maps to your own configuration file named mapper.ini
• then you must adapt this URL to the correct location (the installation directory or the directory where the subdirectory maps can be found)
• to start with mapping a MUD you have to copy the directory named default in the maps Directory to another name (e.g the name of your MUD (e.g. yourmud.org)
• installation is done

  Tips for starting

• Run:
• Linux: startMapper demo_en
• Windows: startMapper.bat demo_en
• the parameter demo_en refers to the directory name where the maps for the wanted MUD are located (e.g. yourmud.org)
• the Mapper listens on port 2000 (default) at localhost
• all commands that are sent there are, executed as if the were typed in the command line

  Usage

• the Mapper is operated by using the menus, the buttons or the command line
• Help can be requested by typing "?" or by using the "Help" menu
• or your look at the documentation page where an almost (!!) complete documentation can be found
• for the beginning some commands are listed here:
  • ae n e se: create exits
  • se: move in that direction
  • g 5: jump to node number five (names are also possible)
  • am Cave : create a new map with this name
  • sm Cave : switch to the given map
  • ai short A dark room : save the given text for a key word (e.g. short) for the actual node
  • zoom nodes 5 : zoom that at least 5 nodes are visible
  • click with the right mouse button or twice with the left one : jump to the clicked node
  • shift and click left or shift and drag : mark nodes
  • ctrl and click left or ctrl and drag : zoom in, ctrl and right click zooms out (or use the zoom button)
  • the mapper won't save automatically! therefore use save
  • quit with Q
  • .... look in the help, there you can find almost everything (or at the web page)

    Using with TF

  • If my tf packages are used, the file mapper.tf does the connection to the mapper (by sending commands to the mapper port), otherwise you find there the examples to build your own mapper-connection
  • the packages support the mapper themselves (walk along, jump to way-node (don't forget give the nodes in the mapper the same name like in the routing system using ai ways knotenname the same denselben Namen wie im Wegesystem verpassen), draw while walking, saving of information)
  • for initializing the connection /init_mapper has to be called, there a world for the mapper is created and connected to
  • the variable mapper is set to 1, if you want to suppress sending information to the mapper temporarily you may set it to 0

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  If you encounter any bug or missing localization or if you have ideas for easing the use of the mapper or extending its functionality send me an e-mail. Please attach a log of the java-console when refering to bugs.
  Michael Hunger