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Topic: Star Maps for Star Control I and II (Read 9449 times)
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alien_fan
Zebranky food
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Posts: 42
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Hello,
Thanks for the heads up. I have found that most of my web surfing with my PC is full of bugs and insecurities. I bought security software some time ago and it's surely outdated and there seems to be plenty of people able and willing to make simple tasks a problem to do.
So I don't surf with my PC much, which takes away the fun of things because there are a lot of interesting programs on PCs.
This computer is a Mac which I find is much more reliable on the internet.
Sega Genesis systems used to sell for $200 I don't know what they sell for now. I know a pawn shop in town that would sell it to me, but I don't like the idea of buying a console for just one game ... except maybe one or two.
BYE.
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alien_fan
Zebranky food
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Posts: 42
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Hello,
I looked at the links and do not know what to do with this?!?!
Thanks?
BYE.
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alien_fan
Zebranky food
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Posts: 42
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Hello,
The map only had circles where the aliens "live". Someone on this forum told me what SVG stood for and that didn't mean anything to me. I suppose somewhere I could download the open source load as I hear it is open domain now. However, I don't having a programming language in Mac or in a modern PC. I am familiar with Borland's Turbo Pascal 6.0 for DOS and Turbo C++ 3.0 for DOS as compilers (I find that Assembler is easier than C++). I've had a bit of experience with Java and Visual Basic in community college. However, all these
programming environments are for PCs and I use a Mac laptop to access the internet. I have a Mac tower not connected to the internet to play Star Control II.
SVG is a superior graphic format?
I want to try to print a map bigger than 8 1/2" x 11". I asked a computer guru of mine and am considering asking a librarian at a public library, since my printer doesn't work and I don't know how to print over sized maps like that, especially with all the details and hopefully a white background for easy reading and less ink (cheaper). I know for a fact they have maps that would be helpful, if not perfect in helping, and I have several places on Wikipedia I can print up information that would help, even though this other information isn't just maps. It's Ok to print Wikipedia articles, right? If I try printing at the public library, I will ask the librarian.
Thanks I'll try lnkscape.
BYE.
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alien_fan
Zebranky food
Offline
Posts: 42
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Hello,
Oops, it's "inkscape" not "lnkscape"! I do not know German and that looks like a lot of that site is in German. I don't think this will help me much since I don't know how to use your "bug database".
Thanks anyway,
BYE.
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Novus
Enlightened
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Gender: 
Posts: 1938
Fot or not?
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I suppose somewhere I could download the open source load as I hear it is open domain now. However, I don't having a programming language in Mac or in a modern PC. I am familiar with Borland's Turbo Pascal 6.0 for DOS and Turbo C++ 3.0 for DOS as compilers (I find that Assembler is easier than C++). I've had a bit of experience with Java and Visual Basic in community college. However, all these programming environments are for PCs and I use a Mac laptop to access the internet. I have a Mac tower not connected to the internet to play Star Control II.
Java is well supported on Mac, but that won't help you in this case, since the map generator is written in C. You'd probably want to use the GNU development tools (GCC and suchlike) for anything related to UQM, as it's what many of the developers use and free. I don't have a Mac, so it would be difficult for me to provide a Mac executable.
SVG is a superior graphic format?
The relevant point here is that SVG is a vector graphics format, while PNG is a raster graphics format.
I want to try to print a map bigger than 8 1/2" x 11". I asked a computer guru of mine and am considering asking a librarian at a public library, since my printer doesn't work and I don't know how to print over sized maps like that, especially with all the details and hopefully a white background for easy reading and less ink (cheaper).
Printing a large map is no problem with the right printer. You may find commercial printing services (sometimes connected to copying or photography shops) that are willing to print a poster for you. Universities often have poster printers, in my experience, but that probably won't help you if you're not a student or faculty. In any case, most of these services want a PDF or PostScript file (which can easily be generated from SVG using Inkscape). As I said, you can either edit the map I provided in e.g. Inkscape or modify the map generator's map definition files to produce a new map with a different colour scheme.
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alien_fan
Zebranky food
Offline
Posts: 42
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Hello,
I remember Windows 3.1 had PostScript and TrueType fonts. The PostScript was raster, if I have my facts straight, a bunch of pixels, where a vector is "drawn". I glanced at the Wikipedia file you mentioned and vector and graphics have their strengths and weaknesses
based on what you want to do.
I saw the word "GNU" once, referencing somebody's version of chess on the computer. GCC: GNU Commandline Compiler?
Are we still talking PCs here or is GNU something in Linux/UNIX? These development tools are free? Where can I get them if I decide I want them?
I think I know a place that may be able to print up a poster sized Star Control II map.
I found several people offering Sega Genesis' "Star Control" relatively cheap. I wouldn't have to worry about having an older computer.
I graduated with a Bachelor's Degree some time ago. I went to a junior college before then that's in town, but I don't know if they will be willing or able to help me in the library since I'm now an alumni.
I'm a bit intimidated using something I've never seen before and is not immediately self-explanatory (converting my map using Inkscape). I learned a bit about how databases are made in school for MS Access in MS Office. I don't query databases on the internet and truthfully never had a use for a database. I have a movie collection which I was thinking of cataloging.
Maybe the printer would know what to do?
Thanks for all the help!
BYE.
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Novus
Enlightened
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Posts: 1938
Fot or not?
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I remember Windows 3.1 had PostScript and TrueType fonts. The PostScript was raster, if I have my facts straight, a bunch of pixels, where a vector is "drawn".
PostScript is more like a programming language with a vector graphics output. It supports both vector and raster graphics and fonts (generally speaking, many vector formats, such as SVG, allow you to include raster graphics, such as PNG). Raster fonts were commonly used on PCs up to the early 90s because they are much faster and simpler to draw.
I glanced at the Wikipedia file you mentioned and vector and graphics have their strengths and weaknesses
based on what you want to do.
Exactly. For our purposes, the important ones are that vector graphics are easier to edit and provide a compact, resolution-independent representation of stuff that we have on starmaps.
I saw the word "GNU" once, referencing somebody's version of chess on the computer. GCC: GNU Commandline Compiler? Are we still talking PCs here or is GNU something in Linux/UNIX? These development tools are free?
GNU ("GNU's Not Unix") is essentially a collection of free (in both senses) software. GCC ("GNU Compiler Collection", formerly "GNU C Compiler") is their compiler. GCC is available for pretty much any system you've heard of.
Where can I get them if I decide I want them?
Again, I can't give specific advice for Mac. Most Linux distributions are so heavily based on GNU software that some are actually called "GNU/Linux". For Windows, MinGW is the simplest choice, although CygWin is more versatile.
Maybe the printer would know what to do?
If nobody else is interested, I'll see if I can take the time to produce a nice and convenient PDF file for you; it would probably help many others. By the way, do you want a spoiler-free map (the equivalent of what was included with SC2 in its original releases) or something with more stuff? I can do the former pretty quick since I already have the coordinates and everything. I'd also need to know the size you want.
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alien_fan
Zebranky food
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Posts: 42
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Hello,
Thanks for offering help on the star map for SC2. You said that vector graphics would be helpful for what we're trying to do. I'm not worried about spoiling anything, because I know a great deal about this game. I like the file I found "sc2finalmap.png" (do you recognize this file? I got it somewhere on the internet, perhaps on Wikipedia).
Oh, here's the link. I hope this is a legal link?!?!
http://img26.imageshack.us/i/sc2finalmap.png/
My guess is that this would be considered a "spoiler". I can play with less spoilers, but it takes a lot longer to solve the game. More importantly, the Kohr-Ah kill everybody if you take too long. It's happened to me, I didn't know you could actually lose this game.
I'm thinking of buying SC1 on eBay for Sega Genesis. The TV is bigger (though I admit it has worse graphics) and the fewer games I have on my computer the fewer bugs I have. It's good to be familiar with a piece of software to a certain extent so you know how games interact with your system.
I would need help reinstating my Linux system, which a friend installed and I know very little about. I have less enthusiasm these days with Microsoft, so I am willing to give Linux a try and read about it a bit. It's either a dual boot on my current hard drive or on a hard drive not hooked up to a computer. I could try putting in a Linux boot disk or swap hard drives, but I don't know how the computer will react to the boot disk and I don't remember if I've ever opened the lid. You lose your warranty when you do surgery (my cute way of saying opening the lid), but then again, I doubt I'll ever get it serviced again. My final misgiving is if I do swap hard drives, what happens if there's something wrong with the other hard drive? Professional service, by the hour, is expensive. I suppose I could try a few search engines or metasearch engines to answer some of these questions on my own.
I wouldn't mind trying GNU, but I'd probably have to download it onto my PC.
Incidentally, I saw an ad on the "idiot box" (what they call TV's on "Star Trek") about a site called "getmaxspeed.com" if I remember the URL right. It's supposed to clean up your system. The first is supposed to be free. I have misgivings about that because I don't know what they are doing to my system. Maybe Norton/Symantec have something if I bought a current internet security/antivirus program.
I would probably trust them better because they are legitimate software for a company that's been around for a while and using things on the Internet you just don't know what to expect.
I'll take a gander at "MinGW" and "CygWIn" when I'm done with this message, just to see what you are referring to.
What program will print PDF files? Remember I have a Mac.
I'd like a size where everything is legible, which may mean it is the size of a small poster. I went to a local printing company and they said the printout would be some $20 - $25 and that's more than I want to spend on a fake star map. Maybe you can accomplish that cheaper?
Thanks so much for your continued help and advice. 
BYE.
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onpon4
Enlightened
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Sharing is good.
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Avast! is a great free antivirus.
Has anyone else noticed the ads for MyCleanPC, the bogus antivirus? I can't believe they're getting away with that. That's just... infuriating! 
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Novus
Enlightened
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Posts: 1938
Fot or not?
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I'm not worried about spoiling anything, because I know a great deal about this game. I like the file I found "sc2finalmap.png" (do you recognize this file? I got it somewhere on the internet, perhaps on Wikipedia).
Oh, here's the link. I hope this is a legal link?!?!
Probably OK. I don't remember where I've seen that map, but I think it was on this forum, so it's probably intended for public release.
I would need help reinstating my Linux system, which a friend installed and I know very little about. I have less enthusiasm these days with Microsoft, so I am willing to give Linux a try and read about it a bit. It's either a dual boot on my current hard drive or on a hard drive not hooked up to a computer. I could try putting in a Linux boot disk or swap hard drives, but I don't know how the computer will react to the boot disk and I don't remember if I've ever opened the lid. You lose your warranty when you do surgery (my cute way of saying opening the lid), but then again, I doubt I'll ever get it serviced again.
Any solution that involves unplugging stuff inside your computer every time you switch operating systems is a bad one; there are way too many things that can break and it's time-consuming at best. Dual boot is reasonably easy to set up, especially if you already have a Linux partition on your hard disk; in fact, most computers in our household are set up for dual boot (Windows XP/openSUSE Linux).
Opening the lid usually does not void your warranty on a desktop system, but this may depend on the manufacturer, geographical region and other unexpected things.
Incidentally, I saw an ad on the "idiot box" (what they call TV's on "Star Trek") about a site called "getmaxspeed.com" if I remember the URL right. It's supposed to clean up your system. The first is supposed to be free. I have misgivings about that because I don't know what they are doing to my system. Maybe Norton/Symantec have something if I bought a current internet security/antivirus program.
Both Norton and McAfee flag Maxspeed as "adware", but it's apparently mostly harmless. It probably isn't much use, either.
I would probably trust them better because they are legitimate software for a company that's been around for a while and using things on the Internet you just don't know what to expect.
I usually try to avoid threats by avoiding behaviour that leads to problems (such as installing unfamiliar software) rather than detect them using a virus scanner. In fact, none of my PCs currently have a virus scanner installed. Of course, there aren't that many Linux viruses. 
What program will print PDF files? Remember I have a Mac.
Since OS X uses PDF for much of its display and printing system, a more interesting question is "How do I print without using PDF?". I don't remember the details, but you really don't need additional software and it's dead easy to do.
I'd like a size where everything is legible, which may mean it is the size of a small poster. I went to a local printing company and they said the printout would be some $20 - $25 and that's more than I want to spend on a fake star map. Maybe you can accomplish that cheaper?
Is that USD? If it doesn't mean more than that to you, I do have other UQM-related projects that the community would probably be more interested in. That said, if someone wants to make a printable starmap or two (or more) to include with the game, I guess I could lend a hand.
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alien_fan
Zebranky food
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Posts: 42
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Again, I can't give specific advice for Mac. There is a bundle of development tools called the apple developer tools or Xcode (after the central program in it) which uses and includes gcc and a bunch of other things. You can use Xcode as an Integrated Development Environment or as a programming-oriented text editor. The developer tools don't come preinstalled on macs, but they are free software.
Death 999 (oh, my, it's an Ur-Quan!):
This is the first time I posted with a quote. Are these HTML "tags"? (eg ?)
Can I download it (Xcode) on my Mac laptop? What I'd like to do is put it on my Mac which isn't on the internet because it's more secure that way.
Novus:
I figured the file was Ok because I think we both believe the file came from this forum. My question was about the website in general.
I was not intending to swap wires every time I decide to change an OS. I was going to try just one. One the other hand, I suppose it's possible to have a "master" and "slave" hard drive--it's been a while since I've heard much of that.
I know how to boot off a floppy and I think I can switch hard drives by opening the lid. I'm just worried that my computer would be Ok if I tried it (what do you think, is that a big risk or no?).
I had KDE and X Windows on Linux Mandrake, with the picture of a penguin. I wanted to use the enclosed web browser, Konqueror, but I couldn't get it to work.
I have a book on Linux and a book on Red Hat, which I don't think is oriented to me (it's for business, isn't it?).
I had a friend at college ask the Linux folks to send me a copy of Ubuntu, another form of Linux, apparently. I wasn't sure about putting it on my computer, but another friend of mine had his PC pretty much go ker-plunk and I tried installing it on his computer. No go.
Don't know what the problem was.
I don't like the idea of companies calling themselves by a URL (though it is a free country). First of all, what happens when and if you have more than one URL? Why don't you just have a company name and tack on a domain name or have them Google your company's name? I'd have a lot more faith in a company that doesn't revolve around a single URL. That's just me though.
What is malware? So, Novus, you don't get viruses with Linux? If only I could be so lucky. Like I was complaining to someday the other day (don't remember who), I should be able to do a lot of what I want to do with a minimum of effort and errors and bombs.
My offline Mac has a three in one. Xerox, scan and print. The scan works fine. The Xerox works but I need to get more ink. For some reason, when I print a document, the whole page is squashed into a little rectangle in the center of the paper. Do you know why it would do something like that? I was thinking Print Preview or Page Layout would help ... ?
Yes, the figure is in US Dollars.
Do you know where the dollar sign comes from? The letter U superimposed on the letter S. Imagine, then, the S being squashed horizontally until it is a simple straight vertical line. Learned that in world history class way back in high school.
Thanks everybody else, for your input on the antivirus/internet security software experiences you've had.
TTFN!
BYE.
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