Maptapper released!
 

I am very proud to present the first version of Maptapper, The Ultimate Amiga Graphics, Level and Map Ripper!

Download the Maptapper Install Kit (recommended) or a Zip File (containing the same files but no uninstaller).


What is Maptapper?

Maptapper is a Windows application used to rip graphics and maps from Amiga games. It has been designed with the Amiga in mind (big-endian), but there is no real reason why it would not be able to work with other systems such as the Atari ST.

The easiest way to use the program is to open the examples and have a play!

Once you are familiar with how it works, you should create save-states in WinUAE and load them into Maptapper. Maptapper supports both compressed and decompressed save states, and the Tools menu has an option to decompress a save-state if required.

In WinUAE you can create save states by pressing F12 to bring up the GUI, going into the Miscellaneous tab and clicking the Save State button.

For matching up graphics, it will often make your life a bit easier if you disable sprites first. You can do this by pressing Shift-F12 to enter the debugger, typing in "Ms 0" and pressing Enter, then type "x" and Enter again to restart the game. This will remove all hardware sprites from the display, giving a cleaner image to work with.


Installation

You should install Maptapper in it's own folder OUTSIDE of the Program Files folders in Windows. This is because the program saves settings to an INI file in the same folder, and also attempts to update itself regularly.

You can install Maptapper using the install kit, or download the zipped version and unpack the archive wherever you like!


Examples

Maptapper comes with the following examples to play with, each located in their own directory. To familiarise yourself with the software, select Open Project from the File menu and open any of the example files:

- Action Fighter
- Chuck Rock
- CJ's Elephant Antics
- Creatures
- Global Gladiators
- Nipper Vs The Kats
- Pang
- Rainbow Islands
- Rick Dangerous
- The Power
- Toki
- Turrican 2


Keyboard Support

Maptapper relies heavily on the keyboard for locating tiles and maps, and has been designed with English QWERTY keyboards in mind. In the Options menu, you can change the controls to QWERTZ (German) or AZERTY (French) keyboards.

If you have another keyboard you would like supported, please contact me.


Help

Most of the controls have a hint if you hover the mouse over them. Failing that, click on a control and press F1 to launch the help file. This will be added to over time!


Documentation

The documentation for Maptapper is rather lacking. Like all programmers, I hate writing docs, but realise that it's a necessary evil. I am hoping someone would like to assist with this task.


Future Plans

I have a lot of ideas that would improve Maptapper. Some of these include:

- Manual lining up of bitplanes (like the graphics ripper 3rdDay)
- Using threads for the searches (rather than making the program unresponsive)
- Search memory for other palettes
- Support games that draw graphics with multiple layers (eg Jim Power)
- An option to only search Amiga chip memory
- Built-in hex viewer

If you have any ideas or suggestions, feel free to get in touch with me!


Greetings

Toni Wilen for the amazing WinUAE emulator
Tomaz Kac (Tomcat) for writing the original GfxRip software
Nico Blüthmann (x_to) for his pioneering work in ripping maps
Adrian Simpson (CodyJarrett) for testing and ideas
Everyone on here that contributed ideas for the name!

Awesome :)

Thanks for all your hard work - it's very much appreciated.

Thanks Codetapper, for this great programme !!!
:great

(correct link for zipped version: Maptapper)

Whoops, thanks for spotting that! I've fixed the link now. I'm expecting a few questions about how things work, but nothing yet! :)

Thanks, Codetapper! :great

Looking forward to having a go with this! :D

tile ripping section - When save gfx button is clicked a dialog box pops up. When I select save as type iff or bmp the file is always saved as png. I'm using XP SP3. I'm having a ball with this program. :D

Yeah sorry about that bug, I always save as PNG so forgot to activate all those other formats but I will fix them at some point :)

If anyone get problems finding maps of a game, please use this forum to ask us for help.
When request help please include the INI file AND the savestate you are using.

Have fun with creating maps....:)

Love playing with this :)

One recommendation: Use one of the examples that come with the program as the basis of a walkthrough, so total newbies can see from start to finish how to rip graphics, or/and rip maps.

Again, thanks
Zen

great great great !

What kind of tutorials do you think are best? Text instructions with screenshots of the ripping process or a youtube video of it? I'm just not sure the best way to teach the process!

Cody Jarrett is also making a tutorial of ripping a game map.

Here's a tutorial for how to rip Toki: Toki Map Ripping Tutorial

@Codetapper

That's exactly what I meant :)

It's easy enough to rip sprites/graphics, but a step-by-step guide to ripping maps is exactly what I was after, and that link you gave looks bang on!

Cheerz
Zen

EDIT:

Just finished the map ripping tutorial, and found it ridiculously easy to follow. I'm staggered how good this is.

Now to try one on my own :)

Yay ! Congrats on the release...

Great stuff mate! Sounds like it's already improved the quality of life of all the veteran map-makers like Adrian and Nico, and encouraged some new blood to boot!!:great

I'm still bummed that the names I suggested in email came after you'd already settled on a name! :p

BTW I'm still harbouring hopes that you'll enlist someone to release a native, optimised 060/PPC conversion of Maptapper for the Amiga!! ;)

Great stuff Codetapper :)

However I can find my gfx is gfxripper and get it aligned etc, but in Maptapper I cannot get it to line up.

Probably something simple I'm not doing. Is there a guide anywhere on the usage and buttons (Not a tutorial)

Best way is to upload a saved state and I can take a look at what you're trying to do. One major change from GfxRip is the fact GfxRip calls ST Mode what I call Amiga ILBM, so is it possible you're using the "real" Atari ST mode (interleaved words across a line) rather than Amiga ILBM mode?

The actual keys used is almost identical to GfxRip anyway, X toggles the skip bytes/tiles, bitplanes with E/D etc.

Have you looked at the help file by pressing F1 inside it? That has 2 screens of the keys used in the Tile Ripper and Map Ripper tab.

Upload a save state and one of us will hopefully tell you what's wrong! Then I can improve the docs too!

I think it is me tbh. I've tried a few games (Robocop, bloodmoney, nitro, ruff n tumble, skweek).

For some I can find some of the gfx, but they're offset so I guess I'll need to save each individually, stitch together in some paint prog and then load into the tiles box...

I'll keep playing

Here is an image from skweek with obvious gfx glitches..

edit: Nevermind.. Sorted this one.. Ignore me lol

Ruff'n'Tumble is a trivially easy one. The tiles should become obvious easily, from memory they are 5 bitplanes and 16x16, probably ILBM. Once you have them the map finder works beautifully on it.

If the graphics do not line up properly, just make small adjustments with the arrow keys.

If you upload a save state with a saved config file we can replicate exactly the point where you are stuck and tell you where to make adjustments. Usually it's a very small thing to make the tiles appear! :)

You are the legend.

I've created a tutorial for Ruff'n'Tumble, featuring tile replacement. Have a read!