Cross-Platform Civ3 Editor 1.51

Version 1.51 focuses on some UI improvements to the map tab, but also adds a couple bug fixes.

Map tab:

- Brush size now affects Fog of War. No more painting one tile at a time if that's not what you want.
- Entering Fog-of-War painting mode automatically turns on the Fog of War layer
- Customize the cursor on the map tab, to make it easier to tell which mode you are in. "Select" mode has its own icon, and there are two others.
- The top five buttons on the map tab now have selected states, also to make it easier to tell what mode you are in
- Remove never-functional "Add Unit" button, add tooltips to remaining map buttons, including what their single-key shortcuts are
- Adding missing label for "AI Strategy" on the window where you can set unit names and strategies

Elsewhere:

- Add a readme.txt file that provides potential workarounds to problems, primarily related to if the editor does not start for some reason
- Fix the dialog to select Civ's install directory not showing up in some cases, notably on my Mac and perhaps on ThesaurusRex's PC
- The tech blurb preview is now two lines long, so they all fit (unless you have a really long one that won't fit in-game)

Additional improvements to modern Java/Mac compatibility remain pending, but this should address a few more tripping points with getting the editor up and running, and I'm left wondering why I didn't think of those map improvements years ago.

Changes:

- Fix the map pane freezing up if you scroll down too quickly (new bug in 1.49)
- Warn you if you attempt to add a 33rd civilization

You can still add a 33rd civ, in case you wish to add a replacement civ but still have the old one around for reference for a while before returning to the limit. But you'll no longer accidentally wind up with 33 civs and an unplayable BIQ.

The scroll bug was the remains of an unsuccessful optimization. With its removal, the map now behaves identically to 1.48.

While firing up the editor to do some editing tonight, I realized that the old version of the launcher had slipped into the final 1.49 version .zip file. Thus, it's time to post it again, with the correct, updated launcher version that really does work with Java 17 and 21.

No changes to the editor, just the launcher. The time stamp of the launcher should be 8/27/2024 (or so, depending on your time zone), rather than 8/10/2024.

Version 1.49 has now been released! Changes:

• The editor can now be run on Java 17 and later, not just Java 8 and 11, so long as it is launched with the launcher.
• Adding nameless items is no longer permitted, as they were causing BIQ issues.

Note that the launcher now is recommended. It improves compatibility with Java 8, makes no difference on Java 11, and is required for Java 17, 21, and 22.

Please see the thread for full details on steps taken to improve compatibility with newer Java versions.

Version 1.48 focuses on defeating pesky editor-launching issues, which have re-emerged in recent years.

To this point, version 1.48:

- Adds back the venerable launcher.jar program that launches the editor with a set amount of memory
- Adds a batch script, Editor_Launcher.bat, that launches the launcher for Windows users whose Java installation isn't set as the default .jar file handled
- Adds a warning if you try to open a file with insufficient memory and graphics enabled, suggesting you launch via the launcher instead
- Adds a Startup Widget that informs you of the low memory situation and advises you to use the launch when applicable
- Attempts to notify you if the editor has become unresponsive due to running out of memory. This is challenging, due to the lack of memory, and usually the best it can manage is updating its titlebar to inform you of the unfortunate situation.

Some modest improvements to the graphics-loading process have also been made; please post here if you notice any graphical oddities as a result. In theory, these should slightly reduce both running time and memory use when the program is loading the graphics, but most of the savings are ephemeral enough that they are difficult to measure.

I should note that using the launcher is not recommended unless you are having issues without the launcher. The recommended Liberica Java version gives the editor 14 GB of maximum memory on my system, versus 889 MB that is provided when the launcher is used. I cannot fathom a way that the editor could use 10+ GB, but if you zoom out enough on a large enough map, it may go over a gigabyte.

Some Java distributions, however, have in recent years returned to the stingy 128 MB to 256 MB maximums that were common circa 2009, and that is what this update is intended to address. The graphics themselves have a hard minimum of 110 MB just to store the uncompressed versions of the PCX texture files, so running within a 128 MB maximum is not plausible.

The official editor requirements remain the same as always - 256 MB required for map graphics (which will now trigger the warnings), and 384 MB recommended (which will not). Sadly, we are unlikely to ever meet the 128 MB that Conquests requires for the game itself, nor the 32 MB (!) that my Civ3 Vanilla box tells me is sufficient for the smallest map size.

Version 1.47 has the following new features:

- The 256 building type limit is now enforced if the BLDG safety level is at least Minimal
- There is now a Map safety level
- The 512 city limit is now optionally enforced (via a warning dialog that lets you continue or cancel adding a new city) if the Map safety level is at least Safe
- Barbarians can now own cities if the Map safety level is Exploratory or lower (via Civilization ownership) or Minimal or lower (directly via the radio button)

Please report back on your success with barbarian cities in particular!

Version 1.46 is now available!

This update focuses on modifying Civ Colors, following a post by @AnthonyBoscia on the subject yesterday.

Civ Colors

With this update, it is now possible to set monotone civ colors by setting a single value that will be used for all known civ colors (40 used on units, plus several more used elsewhere). This speeds up that process greatly.

In addition, an "Undo" button has been added to the Civ Colors area, which allows you to undo any Hue/Saturation/Balance/Monotone change that didn't turn out the way you were hoping.

Please note that only one step back with undo is supported at this time! If you have a color you like, it's still advisable to store a backup copy before making additional modifications to it.

Bug Fix

PediaIcon paths are now adjusted to use forward-slashes automatically. This should allow them to load on Linux/Mac, while continuing to work on Windows.

Note that there is not yet automatic case-detection on case-sensitive file systems, so you still may need to make sure your PediaIcons paths and your file system paths match in terms of capitalization if you aren't on Windows.

Version 1.45 is now available! This version adds one new feature and fixes several issues that have been reported.

Feature

You can now use the shortcut Ctrl+Shift+G to turn on tile coordinates over each tile. Compared to the Firaxis editor, the background for these coordinates is partially transparent, allowing more of the tiles to be visible, and having the grid enabled is optional when having tile coordinates turned on.

Fixes

• The marketplace effect and +50% lux tax check boxes being swapped has now been fixed.
• The stealth target list for units is now properly updated when a unit is deleted
• The BIQ length limit of 23 characters for a city name is now enforced.
• Some recent releases of Java 8 (namely OpenJDK) no longer include the graphics libraries the editor requires. You will now be notified if you try to run the editor on these systems instead of being left to wonder why it won't run.

Version 1.44 contains three bug fixes:

• Units assigned to tiles that already have a "hard" owner (city, colony, or other unit on that tile) will now have that same owner.
• The Unit Statistics window now works properly if player-owned units are present.
• You will no longer get an "Open multiple files?" warning if the first file you tried to open did not exist.

Thanks to @Arcangelus for reporting all of these issues! You are the current leader for the "Tester of the Year" award!

Version 1.43 includes the following updates:

• Added the Ctrl+G shortcut to toggle displaying the grid quickly, without having to go through the Options dialog.
• Add new Unit Statistics and City Statistics. These are under the Map -> Statistics menu (as is the existing Terrain Statistics).
• River deltas will now be displayed.
• 0-turn terraforming is now allowed with the "Safe" safety level.
• The update checker will now follow HTTP redirects, and thus should start working again.
• Various improvements to compatibility with old BIX and BIC files.
• The CSV Export functionality will no longer fail if a tech has the "None" era.

Version 1.42 includes a few fixes:

• Civilizations with fewer than two starting units will no longer have starting units added
• Characters such as Š and Ž will now be properly preserved on a save, improving compatibility with languages such as Czech, Serbian, and Sorbian
• Selecting the Off setting for government corruption will now properly stick

Version 1.41 is a minor update that fixes a couple of bugs and adds one minor feature:

• Starting locations built from the "Add Overlay" menu are now removable
• Starting locations previously added in a saved BIQ from that same menu are now removable
• Units downloaded where there is a nested folder in the .rar/.7z file, and where the default unit name are used, are now properly copied over without errors.
• The unit download area is now better about reporting errors rather than acting like everything went well
• You can now click on a large GOOD PCX icon to open it in your system-default PCX editor.

Version 1.40 is a small update that includes:

• Read-only science advisor blurbs on the TECH page
• The editor will no longer complain about being on Java 11+ if it can find all the dependencies it needs
• The tip of the day will now show up on all high contrast themes, not just high contrast white
• Improved logging of rendering errors, particularly for units_32.pcx issues

Version 1.39 has the following changes:

• You can now enable custom player data with the editor (shortcut: Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+P)
• Long upgrade loops are now split into multiple lines so they don't run off the screen.
• The size of capital city graphics is now bumped up by one level, to match Firaxis behavior.
• Civ-specific settings on the PLYR tab are only modifiable if "Civilization Defaults" is unchecked (also included messaging making that clear), as they have no effect otherwise.
• The player-based owner dropdown on the Map tab will now indicate when the player is assigned to Any or Random civ, in addition to specific civs
• Numerous small fixes to the PLYR tab when there was custom player data, but no custom map, or the custom map had been added after the scenario was opened.

Version 1.38 contains the following improvements:

• If the Civilopedia entries cannot be read, the editor will let you know, but will still open the BIQ file, just without the icons that it loads from Civilopedia files.
• The editor is now slightly more lenient in its reading Civilopedia entries, increasing the chance it can read them.
• The "Scenario Description" field in Scenario Properties is now properly limited to the 639-character BIQ limit. This prevents creating un-openable BIQs by having too long of descriptions.

Version 1.37 re-enables the "Apply Rule Changes" option without opening a SAV first, and also adds the ability to change the CTZN and TERR sections of SAV files, adding new possibilities.

Version 1.36 offers a grab-bag of features and bug fixes, with a slight focus on improvements related to graphics. Changes:

Feature

- You can now set which tribe owns barbarian camps (138)
- The editor auto-fills the current name of an item when renaming to make edits easier
- The forest/jungle hill/mountain/volcano PCX files are now used to make the map more complete and close to the in-game map. (168)
- The editor now supports BIQs with a custom map that has units on it, and no custom rules. (172)

Bug Fix

- The map no longer errors out when a scenario starts in the Future Era and there are forts or barricades on the map. (165)
- If you add/remove a Wall (or equivalent) building to a city, it now properly appears/disappears on the map right away. (164)
- When you add a barbarian camp, the tribe ownership is properly set to random
- The tile preview in the right-side pane of the map tab is now tall enough for mountains and hills to be displayed.
- An error is no longer thrown when menus are enabled and the zoom is changed
- Fixed UI issues when menus are disabled (169)
- The SAV Actions menu is now only enabled when a SAV has been opened

Miscellaneous

- Significant revamp of the graphics subsystem
- Add benchmark of graphics performance
- Add automated tests to ensure that the editor UI can open various scenarios (notably the custom map with units, but no custom rules) in all future releases.

This version introduces the ability to set all the units available to a civilization, in addition to the traditional method of setting all the civilizations that can build a unit.

Version 1.34 increases the availability of Civilopedia Icons in the editor, adding a bit of visual panache and letting you see the progress of the artistic side of your scenario more easily.

Version 1.33 focuses on making the GOOD tab better, in particular allowing reordering of resources and filtering of them.