Help needed with Data Structure

[blindcoder]

Hi people

[SpoonMeiser]

I don't understand what you're trying to say... are the *s in the hexagons different to the *s at the corners?

If you're just laying out a map, then each hexagon should contain (weighted?) connections to each of the hexagons it touches, this allows you to easily implement route finding algorithms... they don't even need to know where they, or the hexagons they touch are.

If that's what you're trying to do.

you can then have a 2D array of hexagon objects, and render it just like a map made of squares, except that every other column is ofset vertically by height/2.

There is a Battle Isle clone for Linux, if this is for something similar, you might try looking at their code, it's called Advanced Strategic Command (I believe).

[johannesprix]

Also Gnocatan *must* be using similar structures, since the game also deals with inside of hexagons and the six margin lines of the hexagon and stores similar information like building in one of the corners or street between two corners and type of the inside of the hexagon. (Hope you're doing a GPL'd program, or otherwise copy-and-paste from there is not allowed...hehe)

[blindcoder]

Actually I'm writeng a Settlers/SerfCity/Die Siedler 1 type of game.
Since I don't yet know which license I will use, I won't have a look ot Gnocatan (yet), but thanks for pointing it out to me.

Actually I've now developed a possible layout htat wauld also allow me ease of use with scrolling:

[trick]

That seems to be wasting a lot of space to me, if i understand this correctly - os are unused ?

Remember that the cells doesn't have to look like hexagons in memory - as long as they have six edges, you're fine. So something like this...

[SpoonMeiser]

wasn't Settlers layed out as rows of triangles, ie. every point had 6 neighbours, ne, nw, e, w, se and sw. A building could have been built on one of these points and a road could connect 2 points. Again, this could be organised in memory as a 2D array, but rendered with every other row offset somewhat.

[blindcoder]

SpoonMeiser: yes, that's exactly what I'm currently trying to do.The problem is that a map made of hexagons (6 points) cannot be handled as easily as a map made of quadrats (4 Points) which could be put into memory easily.

trick: Looks interesting, I'll give it a try.


I have the structure with my first approach now implemented but it really _does_ toke up a huge amount of memory (even with a very small map). Let's see what trick's approach brings :)
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[SpoonMeiser]

My point is that you're confusing yourself by thinking of it as a map of hexagons.

[blindcoder]

*argh*

that's so obvious that it hurts...
I have to draw the hexes as several triangles _anyway_ so why didn't I notice it myself >_<

Thanks for pointing this out to my blind self. I'll give it a try asap but that will probably not be before weekend.


blindy
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[blindcoder]

Okay, it's finally done :-)

I've set up a little page to let everyone who is interested (that would me only me :) what's going on.

http://www.crash-override.net/freeserf/
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[trick]

Love the screenshot =)

[SpoonMeiser]

possibly an easier data structure to use would be if the map wrapped around on one axis, then the representation of the map could look like this:

[Guest]

If I could recommend Isometric Game Programming for DirectX (ignore that part.. it works for any system)

It'll detail some very good examples on how to do hexes and the like.