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Introducction
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.The Panzer General Editor Page is designed to document the scenario editing utilities, the techniques and the editing recommendations accumulated by the Tortoise Page contributors.  As you read, you are encouraged to think of your own helpful editing tips and techniques.  Your fellow authors are interested in reading your viewpoints and suggestions.  Take the time to down load the MS Word text file provided below and, "in the color red", submit your additions, recommendations and corrections.  Return the marked up text file to the Tortoise Page Web Master and, as appropriate, your material will be incorporated in the next update.  This is an open invitation to all users of the Panzer General (and Allied General) editor utilities.
WORD DOCUMENT
Date of last update:  03 April, 1999
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Tyson´s Scenario Editor

Things Which Can Be Done And Special Features:

Things Which Can Not Be Done Or Have Limitations
 
 

Scenario Parameter Values Which Can Be Edited

        Ten of the basic scenario parameters can be selected and edited from the editor´s Scenario screen. The so called S and U values are listed below with a brief explanation of their purpose:

S+12  Selects the direction, which the Axis troops face:

1 = Axis troops face to the right (East Front, North Africa)

-1 = Axis troops face to the left (West Front)

S+14 Determines whether the defensive side gets the per turn prestige allotment. If this number is different from the value assigned to S+15 (0 and 1 are the valid entries) then the Defensive side gets the per turn prestige allotment. The per turn allotment is based on the starting number of defensive units.

0 = Prestige allotted per turn based on the starting number of units. The Allied troops play offensively.

1 = Prestige allotted based on the prestige pool and turns between prestige settings. The Allied troops play defensively.

S+15 Determines whether the Axis side is on Offense or Defense:

0 = Axis plays Offensively

1 = Axis plays Defensively

S+16 Starting weather conditions:

1 = Initial weather is clear and ground is dry

0 = Initial weather can be bad with the ground muddy or frozen on the first turn.

S+17 Weather regions:

0 = Desert (weather is always good)
1 = Mediterranean
2 = Northern Europe
3 = Eastern Europe
As a general rule, values 1 thru 3 indicate increasingly worse weather probabilities.
 
 

S+25 Turns per day:

0 = 1 turn/day

2 = 2 turns/day
 
 

U - 8 Determines whether Axis Air Transport is available:

0 = No Axis Air Transport

29 = German Air Transport is available

30 = Italian Air Transport is available

U - 6 Determines whether Allied Air Transport is available:

0 = No Allied Air Transport is available

178 = British Air Transport is available

354 = US Air Transport is available

U - 4 Determines whether Axis Sea Transport is available:

0 = No Axis Sea Transport is available

299 = Sea Transport is available

U - 2 Determines whether Allied Sea Transport is available:

0 = No Allied Sea Transport is available

291 = Sea Transport is available
 

Observations, Editing Tips And Things I´ve Learned Along The Way
 

1- In order to work, this editor requires loading of five support files; the three files comprising the dos scenario, the equipment file and the Mapnames file. If the Mapnames and/or equipment file is not compatible with the three dos scenario files, the editor will give an Out Of Limits error message and then crash. Therefore, every name and unit which appears in a scenario must have a corresponding name or unit in the Mapnames.str and Panzequp.eqp file.

2- I find this editor very useful when placing terrain features. . . and especially good when placing terrain features which have unique names. As an example, paste a river graphic of the Swan River on a new map. Copy and paste the river graphic (along with the name you have given it) everywhere you want the river to go. The actual graphic you use does not matter since you will later use one of the utilities designed for graphics to pretty up the map. By first using this editor to name, and block in the river, you have quickly accomplished the hard part. The same technique can be done with mountains, deserts, oceans, forests, etc.

3- Be careful when placing units which have organic transports. The transport selected for a unit tends to remain active when you progress to the next unit. After you place the next new unit that you have made (not copied), check the new unit to make sure that it does not have an unwanted transport.

4- Here is an easy way to count the total number of units you have placed on a map. First, set the number of Core, Axis Aux and Allied Aux units to zero. Second, save the scenario and quit PzGMapEd. Third, re-open the scenario and view the Core/Aux unit screen. The total number of units placed on the map will be displayed. What has happened, is that the editor has not accept the zero values and is now displaying the actual number of units deployed. The editor counts the units and displays the true number of units as the default value.

5- I often use this editor, and Smid´s terrain editor, at the same time. With the strategic map from Smid´s editor displayed in one corner, and Tyson´s editor displayed in the opposite corner, I find that it is easier to see how the small patch of terrain displayed in Tyson´s editor fits into the overall big picture. This is most useful when placing units on the map.

6- This program deletes “neutral hex” designators, i.e. the neutral hexes are defaulted to their normal terrain values.  To restore, add or changed the hexes which are to be neutral, use the SetEdit utility.
 
 

     This is a terrain graphics editor featuring an easy to use interface, full color graphics and click & paste terrain editing. The editor automatically changes the terrain parameters when a new type of terrain is pasted on a map, i.e. pasting a marsh graphic over a mountain graphic changes the movement /defense /name characteristics of the hex from mountain to marsh.
 
 

Observations, Editing Tips And Things I´ve Learned Along The Way

1- I find this editor to be the best editor for quickly and easily putting in roads. After editing roads, you will need to reopen the scenario with Tyson´s editor and verify that all of the roads are properly connected. The editor inserts default road connections (the red road lines as shown in Tyson´s editor), however, sometimes the default road lines do not connect properly. This adds an extra step to editing roads, but certainly does not detract from the overall value of the editor.

2- This editor is adequate for editing open terrain, rivers, forests, cities, airfields, swamps, ports, bocage and roughs. For these types of terrain it does not appear to have any advantage over Smid´s Terrain Editor, therefore, the use of this editor for these editing functions is purely up to the author´s preference.

3-  I do not advise the use of this editor for working on mountains or shore/coast lines. Using a combination of Tyson and Smid editors is better suited for these types of changes.

4- A word of caution when using this editor: If you have created a map which has special place names (such as river, forest, mountain, city or port names) this editor will overwrite your special names. The editor uses the generic terrain names for the graphics, therefore, any special names you have placed on the map will be overwritten as you paste in new terrain.

 
   This is a terrain graphics editor featuring an easy to use interface, full color graphics and click & paste terrain editing. This editor is strictly used for changing the terrain graphics and not terrain parameters, i.e. a hex with a marsh (which was placed with Tyson´s or Reiner´s editor) will retain the movement/defense/name characteristics of a marsh not matter what type of graphic is pasted over it with this editor. .
(D. Smid’s comments: This is not quite true. There are two quite important features - Generate Terrain and Generate Names. Generate Terrain will generate common terrain values and write them into *editedfile*.stm. Generate names will generate common names and write them to stm file as well. All you need to do in Tyson's editor is to add scenario specific names and roads.)
Except for editing roads, this is my graphics editor of choice.
 

Observations, Editing Tips And Things I´ve Learned Along The Way

1- As noted under the Tyson Editor notes, I suggest that strategic map function of this editor be used to see the big picture when placing units. This editor is also very useful for seeing the effect terrain changes (made with Tyson´s editor) have on a strategic scale. As an example, open a scenario with both the Tyson and Smid editors. Place a mountain chain and some forest areas on a new map, then use the Reload function on the Smid editor to get a strategic view of the terrain changes.

2- If it is desired to make terrain graphic changes, make certain to first Save and then Quit the Tyson editor. If you don´t save and quit the Tyson editor first you run the risk of losing and graphics changes that you will be making with the Smid editor.

3- This editor can be used to make objectives out of terrain features which can not normally be objectives. (I do not know is this is important is the dos world, but in the Mac/Windows world only Ports and Cities can be designated as objectives). As an example, suppose it is desired to have a river bridge as an objective. Use Tyson´s editor to place an objective city where the bridge should be and then use Smid´s editor to paste the appropriate river/bridge graphic over the objective city. What you end up with is actually a city objective which looks like a bridge. This is a work around, however, it does enable the author to expand the possibilities. This paragraph uses a bridge as an example but the objective could easily be a road crossing, mountain top, a fortification or a beachhead. I have not yet found a way to make an airfield an objective (looking for some help with this).
4-  This editor is used to change, add and delete neutral hexes. To make a hex neutral, hold down the shift key while right clicking on the hex.  Repeat the process in reverse to delete a neutral hex.  Note that opening a scn with the Tyson editor deletes all neutral hexes.  It is recommended that neutral hexes be edited as a last step after editing with the Tyson editor has been completed
(D. Smid’s comments: This is true but there is a menu otion that prevents such loss of neutral hexes. When you turn Use Neutral Hexes Backup on, editor will create .nhb backup file each time you save the map and search for it and when you open a map. It is important to uncheck this option before you save the last "release" version of map. ( *.set could have been damaged by Tyson's editor meanwhile and you won't realize it because neutral hexes are loaded from *.nhb )).

Introduction

FPGE is a full featured scenario editor for Panzer General. With it, scenarios can be modified or produced from scratch. The map and units are displayed much as they are in the game. Almost anything that you could change with a hex editor can be modified with FPGE. Like the original Panzer General, it is a DOS program (although it should work under various flavors of Microsoft Windows).

It will take several megabytes of memory to run, since most data is stored internally, and you must have a mouse installed.

To install the program, place it in a directory with the PG files: mapnames.str, tacmap.shp, tacicons.shp, flags.shp, panzequp.eqp and the complete set of scenario files that you want to edit i.e. Gamexxx.scn, Mapxx.set and Mapxx.stm. FPGE only writes files numbered 0 which prevents inadvertent overwriting of scenario files that should not be changed, therefore, this editor program can be safely installed in your PG DAT directory.
FPGE is primarily a scenario editor although it has some very limited map editing capability.

Principal features in FPGE

1. You can view the maps and units in a screen that looks much like Panzer General.

2. Units on the map can easily be copied or moved. Their experience, entrenchment and strength can be edited. New units and their appropriate transport can be picked from the equipment file (that can show all units or only the disponibility by data) and placed on the map.

3. Most of the scenario variables including weather, turns and prestige can be edited.

4. Deployment, objective, and neutral hexes can be changed.

5. The tile bitmap and underlying terrain features can be changed.

FPGE gives you a view of the PG battlefield much as you would see in the game (with spotting all units on). Above and on the right side of the map are sliders and arrows that will let you move around the map (this can show your movements in large maps since there is no strategic map view).
Above the top slider are radio buttons which will alternately let you view the air or ground units, core, auxiliary and allied units. This is the only (little) fault that I have found: because you cannot see the colored square (for axis/allied-core/auxiliary units), if you don't have great attention you can place units as core instead of auxiliary or, a very damn thing, as allied instead axis and vice versa).
In the upper left corner is a very exhaustive information box. You can directly edit the name for river, city, etc. if you know the identification number of the name in the mapnames file.
In the upper right corner is a Status box which will usually give some information about the current editing operation.
Editing functions of Fred Chlandla’s FPGE are very intuitive and complete. I use many times this program and I find that it is very good to place units on the map and editing scenarios data (to make map features I suggest to use others editors).

Important Note

If you use a homebuilt tacicon file which contains over 300 icons, the program will not start (it has a maximum limit of 300 icons).
I suggest this trick:

1) Employ the original PG tacicons file (instead you can normally use homebuilt panzequp file) then start FPGE (the program don't crash)

2) Place the units on the map (units without icon are invisible in the map but the information box on the upper left give you a correct position of the unit)

3) Next save the scenario and start normally PG with homebuilt tacicons
file.

I don't find problems and the scenario work fine (NOTE: remember to start PG with the correct tacicons file !!).

A copy of this editor may be downloaded at:

FPGE

X2PGMap and PG2Xmap Conversion Utilities
*XWG Map is a full featured map editor able to make maps for Panzer General, Panzer General 2 and People's General.  These two DOS programs will convert Panzer General maps to XWG* format and XWG format maps to Panzer General compatible maps.
Not all of the information is retained between the two formats (ownership, victory hexes, names etc. are lost).  Nevertheless, pg2xmap is a good map editor with these advantages:
1) You can enlarge or reduce the map columns and rows "en route".
2) You can save and print the map as bitmap file. The vision is stylized but clear.
3) A spray function consent you to place randomly together three types of different tiles (very useful for forest and mountains).

Other editor features are similar to Reinier's map editor.

A copy of this editor may be downloaded at:

XWG

Win95 Scenario Editor
(Haering´s DOS/WIN Conversion Utility)

          The AG/PG Scenario Editor is normally provided as a package containing both Tyson Editor and Haering´s DOS/Windows conversion utility. Tyson´s Editor is described in a separate paragraph. This paragraph describes the use of Haerings conversion utility.

         The utility is used to build the three dos scenario files (Game0xx.scn, Mapxx.set and Mapxx.stm) into the single Game0xx.scn file used by Windows and Macintosh. Conversely, the single Windows/Macintosh Game0xx.scn can be broken down to the three dos component parts. This allows Windows formatted scenarios to be edited using the dos scenario editors. Both Panzer and Allied General scenario files can be manipulated using this utility, therefore, this utility can be usefully employed by both Windows/Macintosh and dos users.

           The ability to hex edit the dos scenario files provides a valuable tool to the PG/AG author. Since there are many good hex editors, and they all work about the same,this section does not make a specific recommendation. This section should be regarded as generic information for all hex editing.

           The Tyson scenario editor is designed to enter default values for several of the game values. This is an excellent feature since this helps us to avoid self-inflicted problems. There are, however, times and conditions when it becomes desirable to break the rules and use values other than the default value. Hex editing of the completed Game0XX.scn file (the dos scn version is used in this example) permits us to work around the default values.

          The values I have found necessary to hex edit are the starting year, number of days per game turn, maximum Axis core/auxiliary units, maximum Allied auxiliary units, turns between Axis prestige allotment and turns between Allied prestige allotment. Below I have identified the location of these values in the hex edit screen and provided some rational for using values which are outside of the default limits. All of these values can be found on the two scenario data and detail editing screens of the Tyson editor.

        All of these values are found in the first three rows of the Game0XX.scn hex file:

XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX S12 S12 S14 S15

S16 S17 AxC AxA AlA Tr Day Mo Yr XX Dt XX XX XX XX AxP

AlP XX XX XX XX . . . (the rest of the file contains the objective
locations, city/airfield locations and unit data)
 

S12 thru S17 Ð these are the initial condition settings edited on the first of the scenario data and detail pages. No hex editing needed for these values.
 

AxC Ð total number of allowable Axis core units. If a number smaller than the actual number of core units existing on the map is enter, the Tyson editor will default (increase) the number to the actual number of core units on the map. The editor uses the number of core units on the map as the minimum number acceptable. With a hex editor you may enter a value lower than the actual number of core units. Use of a smaller number simulates the situation where core units can be lost but are not replaceable, i.e. attrition. This requires the player to preserve core units and repair damage by the use of reinforcements and not unit replacement.

AxA Ð total number of allowable Axis auxiliary units. If a number smaller than the actual number of auxiliary units existing on the map is enter, the Tyson editor will default the number to the actual number of auxiliary units on the map. The editor uses the number of auxiliary units on the map as the minimum number acceptable. With a hex editor you may enter a value lower than the actual number of auxiliary units. Use of a smaller number simulate the situation where auxiliary units can be lost but are not replaceable, i.e. attrition. This requires the player to preserve auxiliary units and repair damage by the use of reinforcements and not unit replacement. I have found this type of editing to be useful when designing scenarios where there is no (or little) outside help. The battle is fought and decided using the troops already present on the battlefield. This prevents an opponent for surrounding the last objective with endless quantities of inexpensive infantry, anti-tank guns and tanks, and places a higher value in preserving the original forces by use of reinforcements. Restricting the allocation of prestige places limits on the number of reinforcements available.

AlA Ð total number of allowable Allied auxiliary units. If a number smaller than the actual number of auxiliary units existing on the map is enter, the Tyson editor will default the number to the actual number of auxiliary units on the map. The editor uses the number of auxiliary units on the map as the minimum number acceptable. This follows the same rational as that given for AxA.

Tr Ð number of turns in a scenario. No hex editing needed for this value.

Day Ð day of the month the scenario starts. No hex editing needed for this value.

Mo Ð month of the year the scenario starts. No hex editing needed for this value.

Yr Ð last two digits of the year the scenario starts. The minimum value allowed is 38. I haven´t tried, but I presume there is a maximum value, possibly 99. For all scenarios starting earlier than 1938 the designer will need to hex edit the starting year, otherwise, the editor will default the value to 38.

Dt Ð days per turn. The maximum editor default value appears to be 10 days per turn (a bit of uncertainty on this point). There also appears to be an upper limit acceptable to the game engine. I once tried to make a scenario of 20 turns for the five years 1940 thru 1945 and the game engine crashed when I made each turn equal to 90 days. There is an upper limit but I do not know what it is.

AxP Ð the number of turns between Axis allotments of prestige. The maximum default value is 10 days. The most important reason for editing this value to a number greater than 10 is to prevent the game from crashing. If a scenario is designed where one side starts the scenario without owning an objective and the game subsequently tries to calculate the prestige earned at the start of a turn, the computer will attempt the prestige calculation using the number 0 (since 0 is the number of objectives owned) resulting in a crashed game. To prevent the game engine from attempting the prestige calculation it is necessary to set AxP to a value greater the number of turns in the scenario. If the scenario is 20 turns long then AxP needs to be 21 turns. A second reason, in a situation where both sides own objectives) is to put a restriction on the number of times, or point in the scenario, where the game engine allocates prestige. It is possible that in a 22 turn scenario the designer would like to have the scenario end with one last, big battle. In this case the scenario could be set to provide a large prestige dump on turn 18 ensuring that both sides can ramp up for the final conflict.

AlP - the number of turns between Allied allotments of prestige. Same rational as above.
 

   Please note that after the Game0XX.scn file has been hex edited for values which are outside the limits of the Tyson editor, opening that file with the Tyson editor will cause the editor to assign the default values in place of the values entered with the hex editor. Hex editing needs to be done after all Tyson editing has been completed.

   It is certain that the items I have described above apply only to special situations. The only reason I investigated hex editing was so I could make my scenarios start in 1914, otherwise, I would have little use for hex editing. I can see some value in hex editing for those making Spanish Civil War and China scenarios, especially since a great deal of the action occurred prior to 1938.

Mountains: There is an easy way to make mountains. . . you steal them. Use Smid´s Terrain Editor to open a scenario map which has mountains. Find some mountain groups which look good and write down the graphic hex codes which make up the mountain group. I have several pages of graph paper notes on various mountain groups. Mountain groups can be used individually or combined into mountain ranges. When placing mountains you may want to keep in mind that some (most) mountain groups are arranged in either a vertical or diagonal alignments. You will need to mix and match mountain groups in order to produce the visual effects you want for your scenario.

Mountain Building Sequence. Building mountains requires the combined use of the Tyson and Smid editors. 1) Open the scenario map with both the Tyson and Smid editors. Arrange the window so that both the Tyson editor and Smid´s strategic map are visible. 2) Paste a mountain on the map using the Tyson editor. I recommend using mountain graphic 66. If the mountains have a specific name, paste the mountain with it´s name on the map. 3) Highlight the mountain you just pasted on the map, copy it and continue by pasting the copied mountain for the remainder of the mountains. 4) Use the Reload function on the Smid editor to bring up the modified map. At this point your concern is whether the mountains are in the correct places, not necessarily what the mountains look like. 5) Repeat steps 3 and 4 until you are satisfied with the placement of the mountains. Save the Tyson editor scenario and then quit the Tyson program. It is important that you quit the program. 6) Use the Smid Terrain Editor, the mountain groups you copied earlier and any combination of custom mountains you find necessary to complete the building process. The reason I suggest using mountain graphic number 66, is that it is a standalone mountain graphic and looks acceptable even if you do not care to complete the mountain painting process.

River Building Sequence (2)

If you are developping a single scenario (not for a campaign) and use a small mapnames file which contain only the  neccesary names for the scenario.
then using Reiniers Editor can be very useful as it lets you drawing quickly Rivers thanks to the program feature "Quick selection by right Clicking on mouse" so you can drawing quickly a river seeing what you are drawing on the map. to rename the river hex becomes easier if you open the scenario in C.Tyson editor with the small mapnames.str file and if you have added the rivers name just to the top of the file

1) Create a sketch of the intended map and list the important parameters. All of the initial plans and designs can change and evolve as the scenario is developed; it is just important that you establish the starting point and concept for the scenario. Sketching includes the basic map and also defining the forces involved, time frame, victory conditions and prestige/reinforcement allotments.
2) Create the basic map using the Tyson editor. I normally make a new map using the Clear Terrain as the starting terrain, but this is strictly a preference of the author. 3) Place cities and ports.
3) Draw in the coastline and shore.
4) Draw in the rivers.
5) Draw in the roads and bridges.
6) In any order, draw in the forests, swamps, mountains, roughs, forts and bocage.
7) Draw in the airfields.
8) Place the military forces. Easy . . . anyone can do it!

Credits and Contributors:
Silvio Nacucchi
RhinoBones
S.Vidal
Tortoise Page 1999-2000