MAKE A WORLDMAP ITEM IN RM2K/3

World Map Tutorial ::..

Make a world map image

http://rpgmaker.net/users/kentona/locker/rpg2kdev.exe
This tool from Cherry saves the content of a RPG Maker 2003 map as BMP file. Simply copy the tool in your project folder and run it. Then enter the ID of the map you want to save as BMP and hit enter. Then it will be saved as "Map####.bmp".

Make an image of your world map and then resize it in an image editing tool like Irfanview to fit within 320x240 pixels.

Save the image as a 256 color image (8-bit color) and import it to the RPG Maker. (In IrfanView, go to Image > Decrease Color Depth... and select 256 colors (8 BPP)).

Also make a small 3x3 pixel image to represent your hero on this world map and import both images into your game.

Make a Worldmap item
Name: World Map
Type: Switch
Price: 0 (so that it cannot be sold)
Number of Uses: Unlimited Uses
Turn ON Switch: <99>:WORLDMAP_Activated
Activation Allowed: Field Only

Make an Auto-Start event on the worldmap
Precondition Switch: <99>WORLDMAP_Activated
Trigger: Auto-start
Event Layer: Below Hero

Calculate the hero's location relative to the size of the map and show the map
Remember that the screen resolution is 320x240. If you were smart, you would have made your world map 320x240, making the math easier. If not, just use maths.

In my game, my worldmap is 400x350 tiles. My image of my world map was shrunk down to 274x240 pixels (so that it would fit in RM2k3's resolution of 320x240).

To find the percentage change the math is simple:
350 * x = 240
x = 240 / 350
x = .685714285... ~= .685

So, to translate a position on the worldmap to a pixel on our image of the world map, we will need to factor the coordinates by .685, or 685/1000

<> Variable Oper: <97:WorldX> Set Hero X Coord
<> Variable Oper: <98:WorldY> Set Hero Y Coord
<> Variable Oper: <97:WorldX> * 685
<> Variable Oper: <97:WorldX> / 1000
<> Variable Oper: <98:WorldY> * 685
<> Variable Oper: <98:WorldY> / 1000

Now, since I plan on centering my map image, I will shift the X coordinate appropriately. Since my map width is 274 pixels but the screen is 320 wide: 320 - 274 = 46 / 2 = 23. So I shift it over by 23 pixels:

<> Variable Oper: <97:WorldX> + 23

Now I show the world map and the little image I have to show the hero's position on the world map...

<> Show Picture 1: worldmap, (160,120)
<> Show Picture 2: myhero, (V97:WorldX, V98:WorldY)

Now the image is shown and the player will want to look at it until he hits a key...

<> Key Input Proc: V0001:Keypress, Wait until key pressed
<> Erase Picture 1
<> Erase Picture 2
<> Switch Oper: 99:WORLDMAP_Activated OFF

...And now you have a world map. To use it, go to your worldmap, open your inventory and use the World Map item we created.



If you have any questions or need any help, just let me know! This will also work for later makers like XP and VX (however there is probably a world map script or something for those engines that will work better).

Thanks for reading.