So the first thing I played around with were the PNGs found in:

\steamapps\common\endless space\Public\GalaxyGenerator\Regions

And did this:



To the GalaxyDisk_Regions.png file



It lead to a really weird galaxy with odd connections.



And I just figured out why.



Over in \steamapps\common\endless space\Assets\Xml\GalaxyGenerator there's a file called GalaxyShapes.xml



In it is some XML that looks like this:



[CODE]

















[/CODE]



Well now. That explains why the red region at the top had a wormhole connecting it to the cyan region at the bottom. Check out the third line.



How about that. Regions are defined by the PNGs,their star density should be defined by another grayscale image (but is not at current, although there is a mod to enable it) and the wormhole links are defined in this XML!



Along with some other cool stuff.



[CODE]
DensityMap="Public/GalaxyGenerator/Density/GalaxyDisk_Density.png"

RegionMap="Public/GalaxyGenerator/Regions/GalaxyDisk_Regions.png"

MinConstellations="2"

MaxConstellations="8"

MinEmpires="2"

MaxEmpires="8">[/code]



Here we've got info that defines some base behavior (min/max empries and constellations) and links up our Regions and Density pngs, as well as gives the map style a name. Roughly speaking regions (defined by color in the png and then linked below) are the same as constellations, although some are merged to create fewer constelations (a constellation is a collection of stars separated by a wormhole from another constellation).



[code]









[/code]



At a glance this appears to define some layout behavior for placing the empires onto the map, such that they are laid out symetrically around the center of the galaxy.



[code]



















[/code]



This defines which player starts where. No player starts in the "white" zones of the map. Each other player, from the top of the list (player 1 through player 8, in single player the human is player 1). This is why the player always starts in the yellow zone. Assumed that empirestart is either a boolean ("yes empires"/"no empires") or a weighted figure. Likely the former.



[code]

















[/code]



Again, our topology, which region colors are connected with which other regions.



[code]



[/CODE]



This last line I assume defines which background galaxy rendering we get. You can list more than one for the game to choose one at random (with a weight indicated). Choices are:



[code]"Prefabs/Environment/Galaxy/Galaxy_Spiral8_A"

"Prefabs/Environment/Galaxy/Galaxy_Spiral8_C"

"Prefabs/Environment/Galaxy/Galaxy_Spiral8_D"

"Prefabs/Environment/Galaxy/Galaxy_Spiral4_01_A"

"Prefabs/Environment/Galaxy/Galaxy_Spiral4_01_B"

"Prefabs/Environment/Galaxy/Galaxy_Spiral2_C"

"Prefabs/Environment/Galaxy/Galaxy_Spiral2_D"

"Prefabs/Environment/Galaxy/Galaxy_Disk_A"

"Prefabs/Environment/Galaxy/Galaxy_Disk4_A"

"Prefabs/Environment/Galaxy/Galaxy_Disk4_D"

"Prefabs/Environment/Galaxy/Galaxy_Ovoid_A"

"Prefabs/Environment/Galaxy/Galaxy_Ovoid_C"

"Prefabs/Environment/Galaxy/Galaxy_TwinElliptical_B"

"Prefabs/Environment/Galaxy/Galaxy_TwinElliptical_D"[/code]



Assumed that missing variants are not included, although they could be available and unused. Eg. "Prefabs/Environment/Galaxy/Galaxy_TwinElliptical_A"

Edit:

It appears that this value is actually not read from the XML, and appears to be hard coded. I cannot get the twin-eliptical style to load in any other prefab environment.



You MUST replace an existing galaxy definition, and then use that in the dropdown, as the XML file does not populate the shape dropdown in any fashion.



SUCCESS







Happy modding!

Awesome, gonna try it. Thanks!

Draco18s, I don't understand

Well now. That explains why the red region at the top had a wormhole connecting it to the cyan region at the bottom. Check out the third line. ink RegionA="#FF0000" RegionB="#FF00FF"/>

Isn't RegionB="#FF00FF"/> pink.

How about that. Regions are defined by the PNGs,their star density should be defined by another grayscale image (but is not at current, although there is a mod to enable it) and the wormhole links are defined in this XML!

The star density is defined by a gray scale image in the "Density" folder just above the "Regions" folder with your coloured png's in it. If you didn't make 1 to correspond to the GalaxyDisk_Regions.png file you created it will use the default original segmented pie shaped GalaxyDisk_Density.png



I also believe that wormholes need black or 0 colour value between regions or makes them more likely to occur. I could be wrong about that, but from an experiment png I created with white between regions I had no worm holes at all. Try these and see how you go, but please save the originals somewhere to put them back after.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/24068635/ES%20saves/GalaxySpiral8_Density.png

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/24068635/ES%20saves/GalaxySpiral8_Regions.png

Edit; Upon further trials, I think I might be wrong. hmm! black or white does it matter?

Edit 2; Nope the wormhole amount is dictated by how many constellations you set. Many = many wormholes, few = few wormholes but generally bigger constellations, as you have mentioned.



So what does the white in the default region maps do? Could it be something to do with resources or diplomacy or something?

Code:

















At a glance this appears to define some layout behavior for placing the empires onto the map, such that they are laid out symetrically around the center of the galaxy.

I think this may have something to do with the random seed and how your constellations are orientated. The clearest way to see how it works is to play large map with few constellations. Play as Ameoba so you can see the map straight up with the Disk map. Quit the game and start another with the same settings and the maps symmetry, or where the constellations & wormholes are in general will be differently orientated.

SABA wrote:
Draco18s, I don't understand



Isn't RegionB="#FF00FF"/> pink.

Good catch. The magenta ("pink") region was adjacent to the cyan ("teal") region in my wacky region map, so they were pretty indistinguishable in the constellations.

The star density is defined by a gray scale image in the "Density" folder just above the "Regions" folder with your coloured png's in it. If you didn't make 1 to correspond to the GalaxyDisk_Regions.png file you created it will use the default original segmented pie shaped GalaxyDisk_Density.png

They're unused:

/#/endless-space/forum/37-modding/thread/15599-galaxy-density-map-mod

I also believe that wormholes need black or 0 colour value between regions or makes them more likely to occur. I could be wrong about that, but from an experiment png I created with white between regions I had no worm holes at all. Try these and see how you go, but please save the originals somewhere to put them back after.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/24068635/ES%20saves/GalaxySpiral8_Density.png

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/24068635/ES%20saves/GalaxySpiral8_Regions.png

Edit; Upon further trials, I think I might be wrong. hmm! black or white does it matter?

Edit 2; Nope the wormhole amount is dictated by how many constellations you set. Many = many wormholes, few = few wormholes but generally bigger constellations, as you have mentioned.

The black areas simply help separate regions from each other better. Connections between regions are either wormholes (breaking the galaxy into 2 or more constellations) or normal strings (connecting two or more regions into a single constellation).

So what does the white in the default region maps do? Could it be something to do with resources or diplomacy or something?

It's a region that doesn't allow an empire to start there. That insures that the center of the map is open for expansion by all parties. I'm almost certain that white is not allowed to join with other regions to form a constellation, but I'm not 100% sure on that.

SABA wrote:
I think this may have something to do with the random seed and how your constellations are orientated. The clearest way to see how it works is to play large map with few constellations. Play as Ameoba so you can see the map straight up with the Disk map. Quit the game and start another with the same settings and the maps symmetry, or where the constellations & wormholes are in general will be differently orientated.

Could be.

The star density is defined by a gray scale image in the "Density" folder just above the "Regions" folder with your coloured png's in it. If you didn't make 1 to correspond to the GalaxyDisk_Regions.png file you created it will use the default original segmented pie shaped GalaxyDisk_Density.png

They're unused:

http://forums.amplitude-studios.com/...ensity-Map-Mod

In his last post He mentions that his mod is no longer necessary, as the Dev's have implemented it.

So what does the white in the default region maps do? Could it be something to do with resources or diplomacy or something?

It's a region that doesn't allow an empire to start there. That insures that the center of the map is open for expansion by all parties. I'm almost certain that white is not allowed to join with other regions to form a constellation, but I'm not 100% sure on that.

That makes sense and most likely your right, though I'm not sure that's all it does. I created another set of maps with a lot of white and it makes crazy maps with star connection across almost the width of the galaxy and all over the place, wormholes also, Its like the constellations are somewhat overlapping.

Try them out if you like, Note; - remove the (2) from their file names before putting them in.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/24068635/ES%20saves/GalaxySpiral8_Regions%20%282%29.png

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/24068635/ES%20saves/GalaxySpiral8_Density%20%282%29.png

SABA wrote:
In his last post He mentions that his mod is no longer necessary, as the Dev's have implemented it.

Did not see that.

That makes sense and most likely your right, though I'm not sure that's all it does. I created another set of maps with a lot of white and it makes crazy maps with star connection across almost the width of the galaxy and all over the place, wormholes also, Its like the constellations are somewhat overlapping.

Try them out if you like, Note; - remove the (2) from their file names before putting them in.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/24068635/ES%20saves/GalaxySpiral8_Regions%20%282%29.png

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/24068635/ES%20saves/GalaxySpiral8_Density%20%282%29.png

Not sure. It could be because you have some disconnected areas of white (that is, more than one region with the same color).



Also...you should have hard edges on your region boundaries. Your edges have gotten feathered, and that may be throwing things out of whack.

Super Amazing Job, i love HUGE maps but i dont have the game so i wont be able to try it out but it looks GReat

Draco18s wrote:




This last line I assume defines which background galaxy rendering we get.



Happy modding!

Is it possible to select "no background galaxy rendering?" I'd prefer to have no background stars.