Viewable mapz for several Gruntz CLz

[GooRoo]

I have created a "to do list" of Gruntz Custom Levelz that do not have a viewable map (or that have a 2-column original post, instead of the current 3-column format) and have 2009 releasez almost complete. I have created about a dozen such map imagez in the past few dayz, and will work backwardz in time toward year 2000 releasez. (Some mapz give me fitz ... the onez that have something happening automatically, such as one grunt attacking another ... or Gauntletz/TimeBomber gruntz breaking Rockz ... or Shovel gruntz digging up Moundz ... since I am trying to display the mapz before anything happenz to change them.) And I am leaving Battlez CLz until the last ... because there is so much of those automatic thingz going on ... with the gruntz that do not belong to the (human) player on the move as soon as a mouse button or key is pressed! I will probably move on to 2008 releasez even before I do a Battlez map ... so if someone wantz to submit a map for their own (or a favorite) Battlez CL ... feel free to do so and submit them to me.

[GooRoo]

I have worked my way forward from Year 2000 releasez through Year 2006 releasez, and am now on Year 2007. There were 95 Custom Levelz released that year, and the majority of them did not (32 still do not!) have mapz. I came to the conclusion that there is simply no sense at all of trying to create an actual map for Battlez ... enemy gruntz start doing thingz immediately ... at random. If I do anything at all for Battlez, it will be simply a Gruntz Level Editor map, possibly with object logic boxez ... probably nothing but tilez.

I update the historical Gruntz Custom Level listz several timez a day, as I provide viewable mapz for those CLz without them. The current year (2007) list has the map sizez for those CLz without mapz ... and I work through the list from smallest mapz toward largest mapz. (Just in case anyone wantz to assist in the task of creating viewable mapz. )

[GooRoo]

When a question was posted in the Standard Level "Gruntz In Space, Stage 3" I became aware that the screen shotz were all partialz, 1024X768 pixelz in size, and centered on the opening screen. So far, I have replaced "Rocky Roadz" through "Honey, I Shrunk The Gruntz" (as well as the GIS3 that started this) with full size imagez. I plan to finish the mini-project after lunch today.

I noticed for the first time that each graphicz set in the Standard Levelz slightly increasez in size over the previous set ... and all within a graphicz set have the same size (except for "High Rollerz, Stage 4 ... smaller than the rest). I guess I am just not very observant.

[GooRoo]

"The Miniature Masterz" also has one Stage of a different size than the other three. But all four Stagez were more difficult to work with than the other six completed graphicz setz, so I probably will not finish "Gruntz In Space" until tomorrow. (Those Jumping Golf Ballz just seemed to be set at the borderz of my screen resolution, requiring additional screen grabz, additional pasting, et cetera ... and tiring this old man out!)

BTW, I use Paint.Net (shareware program) to combine 800X600 screen imagez into the full size map imagez. (And, yes, I did donate to their cause!)

[GooRoo]

First off, my laptop has Vista on it. Secondly, the screen resolution patchez (all three of them!) do not allow me to play Gruntz in 1024X768 screen resolution ... but I can use that screen resolution to do screen grabz for creating full-sized viewable mapz for Gruntz Custom Levelz ... one (or sometimez two) screenz at a time before Gruntz closez down. So I am now searching out CLz without viewable mapz with widthz of 60 tilez (or less) and heightz of about 45 tilez (or less) that I can capture in four screen grabz. Of course, all CLz of a size of 32 tilez wide by 24 tilez high are grabbable in a single screen ... so are my first choice (but very few of these exist without mapz already).

At first, I was re-registering the 1024X768 screen resolution every time Gruntz closed, but then I tried simply re-starting Gruntz ... and it remained in the highest resolution ... that has sped up my effortz considerably.

After the four screen CLz have mapz, I will move on to those in the 60 tilez wide by 60 tilez high range (six screen grabz). Any CLz larger than that, and I would probably spend more time re-starting Gruntz after those obnoxious closez than I would gain by grabbing more pixelz per screen ... so will go back to the stable 800X600 screen resolution for the larger mapz.

Believe it or not, there is some logic to my selectionz of Custom levelz to do screen grabz for. Whenever I have an index (page) that is nearly complete, I check to see if creating a viewable map for the CL currently showing a Thumbs Up instead of a ThumbNail is easy ... or a twenty screen hassle. If it is easy, I do it ... and complete the page. Sometimez, that leadz me to a Designer with only one or two CLz without a ThumbNail, and I finish that list off. Another thing that putz a high priority for me to provide a viewable map, is a great looking map! (Now you know why I chose 'Legend' for the ThumbNail example!)

Which remindz me: ThumbNail is a restricted name for any Gruntz Custom Level!
Similarly, StatzThumb is a "no-no".

The reason? Those are the 'standard' namez I use for the imagez seen in the indicez. Eventually, every Custom Level will have a file "ThumbNail.jpg" and a file "StatzThumb.jpg" in its folder ... and the viewable image is the Custom Level name + .jpg, as "Legend.jpg". So I would be very confused with how to handle a ThumbNail for a CL named ThumbNail!