More Lenses - Now compatible with Gathering Storm 5.0

[astog]

More Lenses
Compatible with Rise and Fall expansion
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The goal of this mod is to add more lenses to the game, that help with empire management and in general quality of life improvements. Currently there are 9 new lenses, but you are welcome to suggest new ones and I can add them.

Track active development here.

New lenses:

Builder Lens:

This lens highlights unimproved resources, hills and removable features. This lens auto applies when a builder is selected (can be disabled in the file. See FAQ).

Spoiler Image :

Red = Improved / Mountains / Sea with no resource
White = Generic Tile
Light Green = Removable Feature
Green = Hill
Purple = Resource / UA / Pillaged

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Archaeologist Lens:

Highlights artifacts and shipwrecks. No longer do you need to hunt around the map for antiquity sites. Automatically applies when a archaeologist is selected (can be disabled in the file. See FAQ).

Spoiler Image :

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City Overlap 6 or 9:

Shows how many cities a particular hex overlaps with. Range 6 or 9. This lens will help you find that sweet spot where the maximum amount of cities overlap so you can build that district / wonder.

Spoiler Image :

The image below is with range 6. Note the teal spot in the center, that is where you want to place the OP Colosseum.

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Barbarian Lens:

Highlights barbarian encampments on the map

Spoiler Image :

The encampment is on the top left of the map.

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Resource Lens:

Highlights resources on the map based on their category (Bonus vs Strategic vs Luxury) and if they are connected or not.

Spoiler Image :

A little information overload here.

Green = Bonus Resource
Red = Strategic Resource
Purple = Luxury Resource

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Wonder Lens:

Highlights natural and player made wonders.

Spoiler Image :

The wonder on top is Mt. Everest, and below in Delhi are the Pyramids.

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Adjacency Yield Lens:

One of the best parts about Civ 6 is the city / district placement. This lens shows the various adjacency bonuses in a gradient, allowing you to relish in your pristine city planning skills.

Spoiler Image :

Simple Hansa and Commercial hub combo. Look at those Hansa bonuses!

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Scout Lens:

Highlights goody huts on the map. Automatically applies when a scout / ranger is selected (can be disabled in the file. See FAQ)

Spoiler Image :

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Installation:

• Get the latest version from this page or here if you prefer GitHub.
• Extract the file to your Mods folder. For me this is in Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Civilization VI\Mods
• Activate the Mod in Additional Content inside Civilization VI.

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Compatibility:
If you are using CQUI, this mod is already included in the latest nightly and requires no extra installation.

If you are running any other mod that changes the following files, my mod will not be compatible.
MinimapPanel.lua
MinimapPanel.xml
ModalLensPanel.lua
ModalLensPanel.xml


FAQ:

How did you add lenses?

Spoiler :

There isn't a built-in functionality to add lenses. I went around that by making the game think it is displaying Appeal Lens, but change the hexes being highlighted.

Can I change what color is being used?

Spoiler :

You can find the colors in MoreLenses_Colors.sql. I used the following websites to find the values: website1, website2. Fair warning, colors on the map will look different from these websites mainly because on a civ 6 map the background to a lens'ed hex is usually a green plot or a blue sea. That mean blue starts to look like purple and all other issues. This was the main reason why I could only get the gradient to 8 distinguishable colors.

Can I disable a lens being auto-applied, like the builder lens, archaeologist lens, scout lens?

Spoiler :

On top of MinimapPanel.lua you should find the following lines of code:

-- Should the builder lens auto apply, when a builder is selected.
local AUTO_APPLY_BUILDER_LENS:boolean = true;

-- Should the archeologist lens auto apply, when a archeologist is selected.
local AUTO_APPLY_ARCHEOLOGIST_LENS:boolean = true

-- Should the scout lens auto apply, when a scout/ranger is selected.
local AUTO_APPLY_SCOUT_LENS:boolean = true;

change the respective line to false

Can you dim the hexes to highlight the tile?

Spoiler :

Previously I posted a image of a lens where hexes irrelevant to the lens were dimmed to help the highlighted plots pop. Unfortunately during my play testing there is an upper limit to the amount of hexes NOT being dimmed (around 63). After this the lens would break and the map would turn black. I have it disabled currently but you can find the commented sections of the code and change that around.

Does this mod work with CQUI?

Spoiler :

CQUI already incorporates this mod, and requires no extra installation.

Current Issues:

• If you encounter issues on reloading (like text not showing up correctly), quit the application (to desktop) and restart. This is a Firaxis bug.
• For China's UA, the lens does not update until the next turn. This happens because the plot info does not update until the turn change.
• The way modded lenses are handled (explained below) there could be bugs. If you find one please report them, and I will try to fix them.

Credits:

• Quill18 for the idea of the mod and the builder lens.
• @sp00n for fixing the builder lens bug with wonders
• @notque for finding the builder lens bug of highlighting rivers.
• @bladex for the suggestion to highlight hills
• @Laurana Kanan, @FaerunPlayer for suggesting the city overlap lens
• @Zyxpsilon for suggesting the resource lens.
• @CoccoBill for suggesting Wonder lens
• @weregamer for suggesting Barbarian lens
• @bostonbongrips for suggesting the Adjacency Yield lens

Changelog:

Spoiler v0.1-v0.1.1 :

• Added Builder Lens
• Fixed issue with the builder lens remaining active after using all of his charges.
• Fixed issue when playing as China, all wonders would show as Dark Green, and not just Ancient and Classical Wonders.
• Fixed issue when playing in multiplayer, when the builder is captured, the builder lens would remain active.

Spoiler v1.0 :

This is a major update so stick with me

• Changed logic how the modded lenses were being displayed to make it less buggy when switching between various lenses.
• Fixed issue with builder lens not working when building a wonder with no prereq tech.
• Changed the appearance of builder lens.
  • No longer paints red all over the map. Fixes issue of rivers being visible in undiscovered territory.
  • Highlights with light green removable features (jungle, forest)
  • Highlights hills with dark green
  • Highlights unimproved resources with purple.
• Fixed issue with builder lens remaining active after a builder is deleted

Now the good stuff:

• Added Archaeologist Lens: Highlights artifacts and shipwrecks. Auto applies when a archeologist is selected.
• Added City Overlap 6/9 Lens: Shows how many cities a particular hex overlaps with. Range 6 or 9.
• Resource Lens: Highlights resources on the map based on their category (Bonus vs Strategic vs Luxury) and if they are connected or not.
• Wonder Lens: Highlights natural and player made wonders.
• Barbarian Lens: Highlights barbarian encampments.
• Adjacency Yield Lens: Shows the different adjacency yields for districts in a gradient.
• Scout Lens: Highlights goody huts on the map. Auto applies when selecting a scout or a ranger.

Spoiler v1.1 :

• Builder lens tracks technologies and civics. Nothing to do should properly apply. Example: Flat desert should appear red, unless you have an improvement that can be built on it. (ex: Great Wall)
• Fixed Government lens not applying
• Added Recommended Feature hex to builder lens that highlights flood plains, forest next to rivers, and plots next to wonders that give bonus yields.
• Scout lens updates on movement of scout.
• Fixed issue with the lens not deselecting the radio button when closing the lens legend.
• Changed color for Archaeologist lens. Red for artifact, Green for Shipwrecks.

 

[AndrewN]

This looks great and just what I needed. I'll give it a go in a bit.

 

[Penry]

Nice idea astog! Would it be possible to make pins added only viewable with this lense on? I like to use pins to plan my districts etc, but the main map soon gets over cluttered using this technique. If they only showed when a lense was selected that would be awesome!

 

[astog]

Nice idea astog! Would it be possible to make pins added only viewable with this lense on? I like to use pins to plan my districts etc, but the main map soon gets over cluttered using this technique. If they only showed when a lense was selected that would be awesome!

The map pins are managed by a different file, but that is an excellent idea for another mod.

 

[notque]

On a builder's last charge, the lens gets stuck on. Wonderful mod, I like it very much.

 

[astog]

On a builder's last charge, the lens gets stuck on. Wonderful mod, I like it very much.

Ah, yes. Didn't handle for that case. I'll patch it as soon as possible.

 

[astog]

astog updated More Lenses with a new update entry:

Small bugfix update

Fixed the following issues:

• When the builder had used all his charges, the builder lens would remain active.
• For China, all wonders would show up as green, not just the Ancient and Classical wonders.

Read the rest of this update entry...

 

[notque]

Thanks, any issues if I add it to NQMod? Credited of course.

 

[Laurana Kanan]

@astog It might be too complicated, but how about a lense that shows the regional ranges of factories, stadiums, Colosseum, etc.?

 

[astog]

Thanks, any issues if I add it to NQMod? Credited of course.

Of course, you are free to include it.

@astog It might be too complicated, but how about a lense that shows the regional ranges of factories, stadiums, Colosseum, etc.?

I will have to look into it, but I feel it is doable. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[RealAntithesis]

Thanks for this. A lens for the archaeological dig sites would also be good.

In general though, I find that lenses cover too much of the map with blocks of solid colour - particularly with red, so it becomes hard to decipher the terrain which is particularly important when it turns on when selecting a unit.

For something like the builder (and archaeologist), perhaps just the unimproved tiles highlighting would be easier on the eyes rather than the entire map turning colourful (if that's possible)?

 

[Onii-chan]

Sooo just me or does this mod disable the Appeal lens altogether? Nothing happens when I try to use it at least

You said:

There isn't a built-in functionality to add lenses. I went around that by making the game think it is displaying Appeal Lens, but change the hexes being highlighted.

which seemingly also makes the actual Appeal lens non-functional in the process

 

[astog]

Sooo just me or does this mod disable the Appeal lens altogether? Nothing happens when I try to use it at least

You said:which seemingly also makes the actual Appeal lens non-functional in the process

Appeal lens should still work. Currently there is a bug where the key and the label on the top does update. Fixed that for the next version.

 

[Zyxpsilon]

This would (also) offer the essential coding infrastructure to devise a generic "Resource Tile_S" lense that could pinpoint at whatever locations where specific types (or categories like Luxury, Strategic) are, right?
Cuz, sometimes... it's hard to remember (searching becomes very cumbersome, specially on larger maps) where we saw any one of the last two or three Aluminum (Iron, Niter, Oil, etc) still available in the entire world!

 

[weregamer]

I'm so glad to see work on more lenses, and the Builder lens sounds nice enough to try.

Please, please work next on a Barbarian lens, which makes barb camps highly visible and maybe also highlights barbarian units that you can see. I often have to play with sound off, and even with it on that drumming just means I need to spend many seconds trying to find the new camp in the sepia-on-sepia FOW.

 

[astog]

This would (also) offer the essential coding infrastructure to devise a generic "Resource Tile_S" lense that could pinpoint at whatever locations where specific types (or categories like Luxury, Strategic) are, right?
Cuz, sometimes... it's hard to remember (searching becomes very cumbersome, specially on larger maps) where we saw any one of the last two or three Aluminum (Iron, Niter, Oil, etc) still available in the entire world!

I'm so glad to see work on more lenses, and the Builder lens sounds nice enough to try.

Please, please work next on a Barbarian lens, which makes barb camps highly visible and maybe also highlights barbarian units that you can see. I often have to play with sound off, and even with it on that drumming just means I need to spend many seconds trying to find the new camp in the sepia-on-sepia FOW.

Both are excellent suggestions. I will try to get them done, over this weekend.

 

[Chiya]

Strange ..

When I installed this mod originally it worked fine, both in single and multiplayer. After updating, it stops working in middle of a game. Not sure if it's conflicting with other mods we're using but seeing as it used to work before ..

I just played a singleplayer game and maybe 50+ turns in I suddenly noticed the builder lenses don't activate anymore when selecting a builder, and clicking on the lenses option in the menu doesn't do anything (it never has, even when it was working). I thought it might be conflicting with "Make all resources harvestable mod" but just now when I tried it, the lenses remained available even after harvesting a resource that otherwise wouldn't be harvestable ..

 

[Zyxpsilon]

Both are excellent suggestions. I will try to get them done, over this weekend.

Thanks.. while you're inside there please do your best to also introduce an extra "Archeology" version while focusing on some optional Resources by individual types for my suggestion.

 

[YuenHsiaoTieng]

Thanks for this. A lens for the archaeological dig sites would also be good.

In general though, I find that lenses cover too much of the map with blocks of solid colour - particularly with red, so it becomes hard to decipher the terrain which is particularly important when it turns on when selecting a unit.

For something like the builder (and archaeologist), perhaps just the unimproved tiles highlighting would be easier on the eyes rather than the entire map turning colourful (if that's possible)?

Agreed and agreed. Archaeologists is the only lens I desperately need. For builders, I'm not a fan of the massive amounts of red. I'd rather have the lens ignore tiles outside my territory.

I'm very happy to see this mod.

 

[CoccoBill]

A natural wonder lens would be bomb also.