Would you like a random map?

[Telcontar]

Howdy folks,

As some of you might know, I'm a programmer by trade. Lately I'm playing with fractal equations and procedural world generation. I just put the finished touches on a very basic program for creating and outputting a simple image of a randomly generated map.

If you would like to take a look, go to the following Google Drive link:

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B3ugPBS9jZZ8bk8teG1DY3ZLZlE

Select File->Download

Unzip the files somewhere and then run the Aule.exe file. A console will pop up and be blank for a sec while the program churns away, then it will let you know if it worked or not. It should output a .bmp file called "map" to the same location as the .exe lives in. Every time you run it it will output a new map.

Anyway, I thought it might be fun for some of you guys to take a look at. If anyone gets any errors or problems while using it let me know, but there shouldn't be any.

(What, me use you all as a bunch of debuggers? Never! )

Edit: I should mention that this will probably only work on Windows machines.

 

[Mindfire]

You named the program Aule? Clever.

 

[J. S. Elliot]

Well, I want to try it, but Avast is blocking the bottom portion of the screen while it analyzes the program.

 

[Mindfire]

What's w9xpopen?

 

[arroncook]

Thanks! As a question, do you know of any apps that do something similar? I do a lot of my research and planning on my iPad rather than my Mac, so something like that would be really helpful.

 

[Telcontar]

w9xpopen is a file the Aule.exe program needs to run (Python, the language I coded Aule in, requires it). Basically, the program runs in a very simple "side-by-side" configuration which has all required files (that one) right there in the folder with it.

Arroncook: Couldn't tell you one offhand, but I'll be looking into deploying programs on other platforms and its a good bet I'll be using this one to experiment with. I'll post back in here if I manage to get a working .exe for Mac (or whatever they call in on that OS) going.

EDIT: Regarding w9xpopen: As it turns out, this may not be required. I can't seem to find a straight answer from the docs, but it doesn't seem like my code uses anything within that. Could someone do me a favor, delete the w9xpopen.exe file, and try to run Aule? See if it still works and let me know.

(what was that about bug testing, now? )

 

[Jes]

I wouldn't really call the output image a "map" as it doesn't much resemble landmass, but it does indeed generate random splotches. If you're creative enough you might be able to trace around these splotches to make a map. I can definitely see how it can be useful to someone who wants to create randomized landmasses. Thanks a lot, Telcontar!

 

[Telcontar]

True, the results are highly random. The program itself can do a number of specialized inputs but this executable doesn't have any of that functionality. Still, with the simple blue = water and "darker is lower than lighter" landmass scheme, the output is generally good enough to visualize as a rough map.

I've always dreamed of putting together a true world building simulator, capable of simulating things like plate tectonics and long-term erosive forces (which this one has a primitive version of). Those are a good ways down the road, though.