zMapper

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zMapper is general purpose Map database creation program. Create your own maps of games or real-life from scratch.  Overlay your map database on any graphical image.  Enhance maps with shapes, icons, and text.  Supports Cartesian, hexagonal, or octagonal map layouts.  Maps are compatible with zMUD and zExplorer.  Windows 95, 98, ME, 2000, NT and XP. BUY
Feature Description
Create all types of maps
Example of D&D dungeon map
(Sunless Citadel module, level 1)
Easy-to-use graphical interface
Add background image to map
Use icons to mark locations
Draw connected maps
(rooms and exits)
A standard zMUD map
Enhance map with room shapes, exit styles, icons and graphics to the map
(same map as above with enhancements)
Create hexagonal maps
Built-in Windows Metafile (emf) Editor for creating shapes
Built-in Bitmap editor for creating icons and pictures
Real database format Uses MS Access 2000 database format for easy access to data with 3rd party tools.
Compatible Compatible with map formats used in zMUD and zExplorer.
Windows 98 / ME / 2000 / XP A 32-bit version developed and tested for Windows 98, ME, 2000, XP. 
   

Version History

1.30 13-Sep-2005 (PUBLIC release)
  • Removed eLicense copy protection and replaced with custom copy protection.
  • Fixed problems with shapes (polylines and polygons) not displaying on WinXP
  • Fixed KindTbl error when opening a map.
1.22 19-Dec-2003 (BETA release)
  • Fixed crash when moving rooms to a different zone
  • Ensures that database format is up to date 
1.21 15-Dec-2003 (BETA release)
  • Updated mapper engine to zMUD 6.66 version
  • The X,Y button for adding a location to a specific coordinate now has the Name field.  Name is copied into clipboard for easy addition of a large number of locations with the same name.
  • Fixed many issues relating to having an X or Y Scale that was negative
  • Added support for "background" bitmaps.  Background images are drawn before the locations are drawn on top
  • Added Filename field for Icon images to load image from file instead of storing BMP in database.  Supports BMP, GIF, and JPG file formats.
  • Added Properties dialog for graphical objects added using the Objects tool for exactly specifying the X,Y,Z position of the image along with the Width and Height of the image.
  • Added X,Y,Z and Dx,Dy fields to Room Properties dialog
  • Added "Parent zone" button for going to the previous zone in a hierarchical zone list.
  • Added Open option to zone right-click menu so that you can open a zone without double-clicking on it
  • Fixed various issues with the last zone displayed not restoring the zoom level or position
  • Double-clicking on a room in the Nearby list that has an associated "jump" location (zone or room) will load that zone and jump to that room, just like double-clicking it on the map itself
1.20 2-Oct-2003 (BETA release)
  • Optimized mapping speed (lots and lots of speed improvements!)
  • Added palettes for selecting room, exit, shape and style to toolbar
  • Fixed display of exits in palettes
  • Added ability to Link tool to click on the edge of a room to add a door.  If room is adjacent or overlapping another room, a 2-way exit is automatically created
  • Added Move Door option to Select toolbar to allow you to drag a door to a new position on an edge of a room
  • Added Select Link option to Select to only select links (when obscured by rooms)
  • Changed Resize option so that each corner is resized independently instead of keeping room centered.  Added old Centered Resize option to Select toolbar.
  • Added ability to Tile the background image
  • Tiled, Stretched and clipped images now work for normal shape objects added to map
  • Added Outline Width option to shapes/rooms which scales properly with map.
  • Door shapes are now rotated as needed for different edges of room
  • Holding down Ctrl key in Shape Editor to add a point to a Polygon now works properly
  • Polygon meta record used instead of Polygon16 for more accuracy
  • Rectangles converted to Polygons internally for accuracy and rotation
  • Clicking Quit from initial map selection screen no longer crashes sometimes
  • Clicking New to create a new map now works
  • Added confirmation in Shape editor when about to delete an object
  • Lots of fine tuning of drawing for more accuracy at various zoom levels
  • Fixed problem when Deleting rooms or links not updating cache and sometimes giving "Record deleted" erro
  • Fixed (again) dragging the ends of links between rooms, especially when there are bends in the exit line.
  • Added options for shapes and outlines to have round, square, or beveled corners
  • Added options to shapes for overriding color of fill and lines
  • When adding a shape to a room that has been resized, the new size of the room is used for the initial shape size
  • The Room Creation tool now allows you to click and drag to create a room of non-standard size
  • Added Copy/Paste to the Palette list right-click menu
  • Fixed a variety of bugs in the Printing and Save to Gif routines.  Print Preview now matches what is printed and properly centers image.
  • Added Draw Margins print option to draw the margin around the map pages for cutting and piecing multiple pages together manually
  • Multiple Links can be selected with the drag-box or by Shift-clicking on them.  Using Show Path also selects links and rooms in path.  The Assign button in the Exit type palette now affects the multiple selected links.
  • Added Map colors to Options
  • Added Autoconnect preferences to the Options
  • Added Properties dialog for Shapes
  • Transparent and non-transparent bitmaps are now both handled properly.  Transparent setting in Bitmap editor is no longer overwritten.
  • Added Floor Grid option to draw a grid on the floor of room shapes
  • Fixed a variety of issues with doors and wide links not getting displayed accurately
  • Improved accuracy of scaling routines for a wider range of zoom values
  • Fixed drawing of doors on hex maps
  • Added another sample map to the Samples directory (Sunless Citadel D&D map)
  • Zone/Refresh now properly recomputes the actual extent of the map
1.15 8-Dec-2002 (BETA release)
  • Updated with mapper code from zMUD 6.39
  • Fixed problem with editing shape and bitmaps of rooms getting confused and changing the wrong values
  • Apply Selected now enabled for images
  • Problem adding new exit type to new maps is fixed
  • Can now select image type
  • Works directly with zMUD as a plugin.  When called from zMUD, changes made to the zMapper map or zMUD map are immediately reflected in the other application.  So, both applications stay in sync.
1.14 30-Oct-2002 (BETA release)
  • Updated with mapper code from zMUD 6.37
  • Fixed problem deleting last room on map
  • Fixed hang in Save As Template
  • Fixed error with StyleTbl when loading old maps
  • Faster Nearby list and room selection
1.13 28-Oct-2002 (BETA release)
  • Fixed bug in creating new maps
  • Fixed various errors in updating the display cache
1.12 24-Oct-2002 (BETA release)
  • Updated with new faster mapper code used for zMUD 6.36
  • Removed 80 char limit on labels (limit now 255 chars)
  • Improved Properties dialog to work like room properties in zMUD
  • Converted to INDY to fix problems with AutoUpdate code
  • Added mousewheel support
  • Fixed various problems in zsConvert for converting old zMUD maps
  • Editing label now updates map properly
  • Origin of map is maintained when using Zone/Reset Bounds
1.11 (Internal release)
  • Export to GIF no longer requires a selected printer
  • Added GIF format to Zone/BackgroundImage file options
  • Fixed crashes when removing shapes and icons that have editor windows open
  • Save To option makes new database the active database now
  • Right-clicking exit and selecting Properties now opens exit properties window
  • Gives error if using SaveAs to same file name
  • Uses help file in installed directory now instead of using current directory
1.10a 19-Aug-2002 (BETA release)
  • Selecting Style or Image palette now displays correct window caption
  • Fixed URL for Help/Discussion Forum to point to zMapper forum instead of AC Explorer forum
  • Delete Zone no longer thinks there are always rooms in zone.
1.10 18-Aug-2002 (BETA release)
  • Released with zMUD 6.33
  • Added Styles for text labels
  • Added property dialogs for Room types, Exit types, and Style types
  • Exit types now support both inner and outer line width (for drawing corridors) as well as a bitmap for textured links (like cobblestone paths).
  • Room types now support textured room shapes when both a shape and bitmap are defined for a room
  • Draw Link and Link Labels are now supported
  • Text added to any Graphic object appears as MouseOver hint for the graphic
  • Copy/Cut/Paste added to Bitmap editor
  • Region selection added to Bitmap editor.  Region can be moved when selected
  • Added Text tool to Bitmap editor
  • zMapper no longer opens main window if there is an error in selecting or creating an initial map database
  • Clicking Fill tool in Bitmap editor twice in a row no longer hangs
  • Can now use Selection tool immediately after selecting other tool
  • Up/Down level selection works beyond boundary of zone to allow creation of rooms on new levels
  • Hierarchical Zone list added.  Zone name can no longer be edited from this list.
  • All Palette lists are hierarchical.  You can drag palette entries over each other to create a tree structured view
  • Export text file now has .txt extension by default
  • Fixed a couple of resource and memory leaks
  • Imported labels can now be selected and edited
  • Rooms are now labeled correctly even when custom type is used.
  • Labels now word-wrap within their text box, and multi-line labels are supported
  • Last pixel of line draw with right-mouse in bitmap editor is now set to correct color
  • Added Clear command to Bitmap editor
  • Toolbars are saved and restored
  • Removed Close X button from several floating toolbars
  • Door size can now be changed in Exit properties, along with defining custom door shapes.  Using background colors allows door to erase the edge of the room for seamless rooms and corridors.
  • Doors in diagonal directions now drawn properly, even when the X and Y spacing are different (like for hex maps)
  • Added Help file and linked to Help menu
  • Added links to Help menu for Tutorials and various web pages
  • The Add Bend command now adds bends to the correct location on a link
  • The Delete Bend command now works
  • Added Reset Bounds command to Zone menu to recompute the scrollable region of the zone
  • Added Print command
  • Added Print Preview command which allows print scale to be changed.
  • Printing zones onto multiple pages at any scale factor now works
  • Added Print Options to change margins
  • Added Export to GIF option to export map to a GIF image
  • Old versions of Jet 4 OLEDB now detected and user prompted to upgrade their software.  This prevents the problem of huge databases and slow operation caused by old Jet 4 engine.
  • Added ability to interface with zMUD as a special plugin
  • Added *many* COM objects for scripting.  See Help file for complete description of advanced scripting objects.  Scripting zMapper requires zMUD.
1.04 10-Jul-2002 (BETA release)
  • Released with zMUD 6.31
  • Selecting multiple objects on the map: the rectangle can now be drawn starting from any corner
  • Links can be deleted from the Room Properties Exit tab by right-clicking
  • New exits can be added using the right-click in the Room Properties
  • Can no longer edit the zone icon field in the zone list
  • Current zone in zone list properly highlighted now
  • Added more Zoom increments
  • If direction spacing in zMapper is set with Dx=0, Dy=0, Dz=0, then that direction is disabled during keyboard creation of map
  • Exit properties in the Exit tab of Room Properties are now disabled when map is locked
  • Up/Down exits are now drawn properly on all levels
  • You can now select Up and Down level beyond the current range of rooms in the zone
1.03 29-Jun-2002 (Alpha release)
  • Initial release of zMapper