
TOP MAP-BUILDER           Version 1.0              (7/27/94)

SECTION 1  INSTALLATION

The TOP map-builder files should be copied into the directory containing
your other TOP files.  For example, if your program files are in the
directory "TOP", and your floppy is drive "A", copy the map-builder
files from the floppy with the following DOS command:
           COPY A:*.* C:\top   <ENTER>

The map-builder is accessed directly through the TOP program (just as if
you were going to play a TOP game).  Once the map- builder files are in
the proper directory, a new choice will appear at the bottom of the TOP
Initial Menu: "MAKE/EDIT A MAP".  To enter the map-builder, select this
option.


SECTION 2  GENERAL

Virtually all of the features available with the standard ADC map editor
are also found in the TOP/M-B utility.  Many of these features will be
used sparingly, if at all, when creating TOP maps.  That is because
unlike ADC maps, terrain and map effects are correlated and assessed
within the TOP program - based upon the terrain number as described
below.  However, in the interests of preserving maximum user
flexibility, these ADC features were kept available in the map-builder.

For example, with the TOP/M-B (or ADC) players may create and place new
hexside/hexline types (such as telegraph lines, and/or bridges) on the
map.  However, these new types will be for "show" only (to spruce up the
map's appearance).  They will not affect the game mechanics or play in
any way.
 
Players with ADC may also create completely new terrain symbols (such as
an oil derrick or a water well).  But, as before, these "unknown"
symbols will be ignored by the TOP program routines.  Normally, to
minimize confusion, players should place "extra" terrain types as
ATTRIBUTES.

The key to remember is that TOP always correlates the terrain or
hexside/hexline NUMBER to what the actual terrain should be.  So, for
example, if you place terrain #0 into a hex, the computer will ALWAYS
treat that hex as CLEAR, ELEVATION 0.  No matter what the terrain symbol
looks like, what it is named, or what designation appears at the bottom
of the screen.  The same correlation applies to hexsides/hexlines. 
Keeping this in mind, if you create a new "bridge" hexline (say a very
wide yellow line), always make sure to place a road or trail along with
the bridge, otherwise the "bridge" will be ignored.

NOTE:  For a list of the terrain and hexside/hexline numbering sequence,
please refer to APPENDIX B of the TOP manual

Placenames are not generally used with the base TOP maps in order to
make them more generic.  However, users will often add placenames to
custom maps for reference and authenticity.   may be placed anywhere on
the map, with or without a symbol.  These names have no effect on the
play of the game.


SECTION 3  GETTING THE MAP READY TO EDIT

Once "MAKE/EDIT A MAP" has been selected from the TOP Initial Menu, the
Map- Builder Initial Menu will be displayed.  From this menu, select to
either edit an EXISTING map (where the changes will overwrite the
original - which will be lost), or to start from a NEW map. 

If the option to edit an existing map was selected, a screen will appear
showing all of the maps available (in the current directory) to be
edited.  Next to each map name, the date the map was last saved is
displayed.  From this list, select the map file to change, or QUIT to
return without selecting any file.

If the option to start with a new map is chosen, a second choice is
offered - to start with a blank map, or to begin the edit by copying an
existing map.  In either case, the finished map will be saved to a new,
unused file name, without erasing any of the existing map files.

When starting with a blank map, the map name and size of the map can be
set as desired.  The minimum and maximum map measurements (in hexes) are
shown to the right of the size value entry fields.  Maps must measure at
least 16 x 8 hexes, and may not exceed 80 x 50.  New maps always use the
terrain set "AA.TER" and "AA.SET".  To use a set that has been modified
(which is only possible by using ADC), make sure the new set has been
copied into the TOP directory from the ADC directory, and named
"AA.TER".


SECTION 4  EDITING THE MAP

At this point, an pop-up menu to enable the autosave feature will appear
(almost always a good idea), followed by the base map being drawn on the
screen.  New maps will appear a solid shade of peach at this point,
because they are comprised completely (and only) of terrain #0.  

Like TOP, the screen has the command bar is at the top and information
boxes at the bottom.


*********************   IMPORTANT SUMMARY ****************************

When editing the map, there are three cardinal principals to remember:

1)  ALL editing is done in "BATCHES".  The specific feature (terrain,
hexside, etc.) to be placed is first picked, and then this feature is
placed repeatedly on the map.  Upon completion of placing that feature,
return to the menu to select the next feature to be placed, place it
repeatedly, and so on.  The feature being placed is called the "CURRENT"
feature, and will be shown in red at the bottom of each appropriate sub-
menu.

2)  Each hex ALWAYS has a PRIMARY terrain type (numbers 0-20: which
indicates either Clear, Woods or Lt. Woods cover plus an elevation level
of 0- 6), and MAY also be given one SECONDARY terrain type (numbers
21(+): such as swamp, buildings, craters, etc.).  The TOP/M-B will
automatically determine whether the terrain type being placed is PRIMARY
or SECONDARY. 

3)  HexLINES go from the center of a hex to the center of an adjacent
one, and are used for roads, trails and railroads.  HexSIDES, on the
other hand, are located between two hexes and are used for streams,
rivers, and gullies.  A word of caution: in order to preserve
flexibility, the map-builder makes no distinction between these
features.  As far as it is concerned, rivers may just as easily be
placed as a hexLINE as a hexSIDE.  However, outside of the screen
clutter, no damage will normally come of such mistakes because the TOP
program will ignore all such improperly designated features.

************************************************************************

A directory tree of the available commands follows.  The Top COMMAND
LINE Command is in ALL CAPS, with its associated sub-commands listed
underneath.

     TERRAIN:
       -  Set Current Terrain   (Pick this 1st, then change map)
       -  Change Map
       -  Add Hexlines    (Roads, Trails, RR)
       
     HEXSIDES:            
       -  Set Current Hexside   (Pick this 1st, then change map)
       -  Change Map
       -  Add/Edit A Hexside  (Change colors, widths, etc.)

     ATTRIBUTES:       (This command should not normally be used)
       -  Set Cur Attribute
       -  Change Map
       -  Define Attribute
 
     PLACENAMES:
        (No sub-menu choices)

     GOTO:
       -  GOTO A Hex
       -  GOTO A Placename

     OPTIONS:
       -  SOUND  ON/OFF
       -  MAPSHEETS  (Not Used)
       -  HEXSIDES  
       -  PLACENAME DISPLAYS
       -  SCROLL JUMP SIZE

     ZOOM:
       (Works just like TOP)

     DONE:      
       To SAVE and EXIT.


4.1  Changing Terrain/Elevations.
When starting with a new map, it is usually best to put the necessary
elevation features (hills, ridges, etc.) on the map first.  As shown in
the chart in Appendix B of the TOP manual, elevations are handled IN
CONJUNCTION with the terrain type of the hex.  Therefore, this same
procedure applies to changing the terrain type - since the elevation and
terrain are always placed TOGETHER.

For example, all hexes that are changed to terrain number #11 will
become Woods at an elevation level of 4.

The sequence is as follows:
     1).  Select TERRAIN from the Command Line (hit <T> or highlight and
     click with mouse).  
     2).  Select SET CURRENT TERRAIN from the sub-menu.
     3).  From the list of available terrain, pick the type to place. 
     The "L" value is the elevation level ("L2" = level 2).
     4).  Move the map cursor around the map.  Each time <ENTER> or the
     LMB is pressed, the terrain of the highlighted hex will be changed
     to the current terrain type.  (The map symbol and information in
     the box will immediately reflect the change.)
     5).  To exit placement or change the current placement type, hit
     <F1>, or select DONE from the upper right corner.
     6).  To select and place a new terrain type, return to step #2.  To
     quit placing terrain and return to the Command Line select DONE.

This same sequence is used to place all terrain features on the map -
whether PRIMARY or SECONDARY.  

The new terrain replaces the existing terrain of the same type - primary
for primary, and secondary for secondary.  Placing secondary terrain
into a hex never affects the primary terrain type, and with one
exception, placing primary terrain does not affect any secondary types.

The one exception is that when terrain #0 is placed (as primary), any
secondary terrain is eliminated.  Therefore, TO ERASE AN UNWANTED
SECONDARY FEATURE PLACE TERRAIN #0 INTO THE HEX.

4.2  Placing Hexlines (i.e. Roads)
To place hexlines onto the map, follow the following procedure:

     1).  Select TERRAIN from the Command Line.
     2).  Select ADD HEXLINES from the sub-menu.
     3).  Select the type of hexline to place.  Remember that the
     program will not prevent you from using what is expected to be a
     hexside (stream, river, gully) as a hexline.
     4).  Using the map cursor, select the hex in which to start the
     line feature.  The hex will remain highlighted after the map cursor
     is moved.
     5).  Pick an adjacent hex to "connect" with the line feature.
     6).  When finished placing the current hexline, select DONE or hit
     <F1>.  

Hexlines are always drawn between the center points of adjacent hexes. 
Each hex may contain up to six hexlines of the same type, with each
hexline progressing in a different direction (N, NE, SE, S, SW, NW). 

To delete all of the hexlines in a hex of the current placement type,
select the (same) target hex as both the starting point and ending point
of the line. 

4.3  Placing Hexsides (i.e. Rivers)
As for hexlines, the map-builder will not prevent the incorrect use of a
hexline type as a hexside.

     1).  Select HEXSIDES from the Command Line.
     2).  Pick SET CURRENT HEXSIDE from the sub-menu.
     3).  Choose the line type to place from those available.
     4).  Select CHANGE MAP.
     5).  With the map cursor, select a hex "adjacent" to where the
     hexline should run.
     6).  From the pop-up menu, select the sides of the hex along which
     to place the hexline.  Sides already assigned the current hexside
     feature will be highlighted in magenta.  To remove a side
     assignment, merely select it again (and the magenta highlight will
     disappear).
     7).  Select DONE from the bottom of the pop-up menu to save the new
     hexside configuration.  The hex will be redrawn on the map.
     8).  Pick the next hex to change, or DONE (<F1>) when finished
     placing the current hexside type.

4.4  Adding/Changing line features.
If desired, players may edit the existing line definitions (changing the
name, color, line type and display widths of each), or even add new
lines.  However, these changes are merely cosmetic, and do not affect
how the TOP program will interpret the lines or their effect on play. 

     1).  Select HEXSIDES from the Command Line.
     2).  Pick ADD/EDIT A HEXSIDE from the sub-menu.
     3).  To edit an existing line definition, select from the list.  To
     add a new line, pick NEW from the bottom of the sub-menu.
     4).  A pop up menu showing all of the current attributes for the
     selected line type will appear.  Change any or all of these
     characteristics as desired.  
     NOTE:  The magenta values in parenthesis () by each zoom level
     indicate the size of an ENTIRE hex at that zoom level.  Normally,
     line widths should never exceed 1/4 of the hex width at any zoom
     level.
     5).  Select DONE from the bottom of the pop-up menu when finished.

Note that the new or edited line automatically becomes the current
placement type.  To start placing it on the map, merely select CHANGE
MAP.

Also note that to see the effects of changing an existing line type, the
map must be manually redrawn.  Hit <R>, or select the "R" from the lower
right corner of the screen (with the scroll arrows).

4.4  Attributes
Attributes are provided in order to ease the limitation of two terrain
types (primary and secondary) per hex.  In effect, another five terrain
types can be identified as attributes, and placed into hexes.  

Because hex attributes are ignored by the TOP program, and the only real
use for them is with symbols created with ADC (ones not included in the
standard TOP symbol set), nothing further will be said about them.  If
you have ADC and want to use attributes to improve your map graphics,
please reference the ADC manual for more information. 

4.5  Placenames
Placenames are text strings placed onto the map for historical or
reference purposes.  Normally they are used for towns and cities, but
are by no means limited to these features.  In fact, any hex on the map
may be given a placename.

Placenames are displayed above and to the left of the hex to which they
are assigned.  This positioning may not be changed by players, although
names may be shifted when they would otherwise be drawn off the screen. 

The placename display toggle (ON/OFF) may be set individually for each
zoom level and for the name type (either ALL CAPS, or upper/lower case). 
The toggle and text color adjustment procedures are covered under the
OPTIONS section.

To add/edit placenames to the map follow this sequence:

     1).  Select PLACENAMES from the Command Line.
     2).  Use the map cursor to pick the hex which will be assigned the
     placename, or the hex containing the name to edit (or <F1> / QUIT
     to exit).  Note that existing placenames are shown in red down in
     the hex information box. 
     3).  Enter the new name, or edit the old one.
     4).  Hit <ENTER> when done.
     5).  Select a secondary type symbol to represent the placename on
     the map (such as buildings or rubble), or NONE.  NEVER SELECT A
     PRIMARY TERRAIN TYPE (which have terrain numbers less than 21) FOR
     A PLACENAME SYMBOL.
     6).  Select the next hex to assign a placename, or DONE / <F1> to
     return to the Command Line.


SECTION 5  EXIT/SAVE THE MAP

To quit/save the map, select DONE from the Command Line.  

To save the map, from the pop-up menu, select YES - SAVE.  If you are
editing an existing map, the old map file will be overwritten (replaced)
with the latest version.  Otherwise, the map will be saved to a new
file.  

To exit the map editor, next select YES - EXIT.   Otherwise, select NO -
RETURN, which will return back to editing the map where you left off. 


SECTION 6  OTHER FEATURES AND UTILITIES

The features and options described in this section are inconsequential
to the operation of the map-builder.  They are provided for those gamers
looking to customize their maps to a high degree.  New users should
probably just ignore these topics until after they are familiar with the
main concepts and operations already presented. 

6.1  GOTO

The GOTO command is just a quick way to get around the map.  Because the
TOP maps are limited in size, there is very little need for this
command, except perhaps at ZOOM 3.

To use this feature, select GOTO from the Command line.  From the pop-up
menu, pick to GOTO either a hex number or placename, followed by the
specific number or name.  The map will automatically scroll to that
location, or will print an error message.

6.2  Options

The following settings are accessed by selecting OPTIONS from the main
command line.

6.21  Sound Toggle
Selecting this line from the sub-menu toggles the sound ON and OFF.

6.22  Mapsheet Toggle
This feature is not used with the TOP/M-B. It is provided to maintain
compatibility with maps created with ADC.

6.23  Hexsides Toggle
The NE, SE, SW, and NW hexsides may be drawn on the map as either ANGLED
lines (corresponding to the hexagon outline), or as lines STRAIGHT up
and down.  Selecting this option toggles the display between the two
modes.  To view the map with the new mode, exit back to the Command
Line, and hit <R> to redraw the map.

6.24  Placename Display Settings
As was previously mentioned, the placename display differentiates
between two types of placenames: MAJOR (ALL CAPS) and OTHERS (with at
least one lower case character).  In the pop-up menu, a square around
the zoom number indicates that the name type will be displayed at that
zoom.  To toggle the display for each type at each zoom, just select the
appropriate number.

All placenames are displayed on the map in the same color.  To change
the display color, select the color line.  From the pop-up menu, pick
the new color from the 16 colors available.

Select DONE to save the changes and return to the OPTIONS sub-menu.

As before, to view the changes, return to the Command Line (by selecting
DONE again), and hit <R> (or the "R" box at the lower right corner).

6.25  Scroll Jump
This toggle allows players to set how far the map "jumps" each time it
is scrolled.  The jump is distance in hexes.  Jumps may be anywhere from
2 to 10 hexes.

Generally, the only time these settings need to be changed is when an 
ADC-created symbol set is being used.  And, then only if the hex sizes
are quite a bit different than the default set supplied with TOP.

Select DONE when finished.


