Overview - [EBPEdit Help Contents]

Here is an overview of the steps we recommend in EBPEdit to create your own game map that works in EB Pronto (EBP). Modifying an existing map is even easier. By the way, save your work often (File, Save), and periodically make separate backups, or include a version number in the name.

In a nutshell, to build a new map you set the milepost types (normal, mountain, etc.), position cities, draw rivers, create "cards" (demand contracts and event cards), and then test play your map. More details below.

1) Select a geographic area on which to base your map. If you wish to create a realistic game map, obtain paper maps of the area, preferably ones that include transportation routes.

2) From on online source or via scanner copy a .JPG (or .GIF or .BMP) background image file from a map that covers the area you wish. Into the directory in which you will be saving your game map (such as the same directory into which you installed the EBPEdit program) save this map as a picture and name it XXXbgnd.jpg, where XXX are the three letters you plan to employ as the name of your map. EBPEdit lets you display this image while you are editing, so you can use it to help you correctly position borders, cities, etc. This XXXbgnd.jpg file need not be perfect or even attractive. Its only purpose is to act as a guide while you are drawing the elements of your map. When you are done, you can replace the XXXbgnd.jpg with another, more attractive image to distribute to end users. Even though EBPEdit will automatically scale your background image to fit in the window, for best results we recommend an image size of 1200 x 800 pixels or roughly a 3:2 ratio.

3) Decide the maximum number of mileposts across and up/down on your map. The board games often have about 70 mileposts across and 50 vertically. Once you know these values for your map, you can begin to actually employ the EBPEdit program. In the program, choose the File, New Map pull-down menu. When prompted, enter the three-character base name for your map. EBPEdit will save your map into a file named XXXmap.ebm where XXX are the three letters of the name you chose.

4) In the Map Info window that automatically appears, fill in the milepost values from the previous step, as well as the other information requested. Important: choose a milepost orientation carefully because once selected it cannot be changed without erasing all content of your map. If, at game time, your map's mileposts can be connected by track via a straight vertical line (i.e. no zigzags) choose vertical orientation, else choose horizontal. Examples: the USA+Mexico map employs a vertical orientation, while Europe employs a horizontal one.

5) After you click OK in the Map Info window, EBPEdit will initialize the map's mileposts and display them on top of the background image you supplied (if any). If you wish, edit the Map Info again to tweak the number of mileposts so they align better with the background.

6) Hide the mileposts you don't want visible, such as those in ocean areas. Do this by 1) selecting a rectangular area of the map (point to one corner of the area, click and hold down the left mouse button, drag the mouse to the opposite corner, and release the button), then 2) pressing the h key to hide the selected mileposts. Repeat as needed. You can zoom closer via controls at the bottom right corner of the map, or by clicking on the map then turning the mouse wheel, or by pressing the letter z. To hide individual mileposts, skip the rectangular selection step and instead point the mouse to each desired milepost and press h. To make a hidden milepost visible again, press Shift+H instead.

7) Next, set milepost terrain features, such as mountains and alpines. Use the same approach as you did to hide mileposts, except press m for mountain and a for alpine. See the Milepost pull-down menu for additional terrain features and their corresponding keypresses. Click near the edge of the map to scroll it.

8) To create a city, point the mouse to a visible milepost and press c. EBPEdit automatically opens the Edit City window, where you can fill in the city's name, choose its size, select the loads it supplies, etc. When there, click Help for more info.

9) Draw rivers, ocean coastlines and other items. This is done by repeatedly pointing between mileposts and pressing r for river, o for ocean coastline, etc. EBPEdit will automatically draw a connection between adjacent dots. To clear a drawing, point and press Shift+(letter). To clear a large area, 1) select a rectangular area of the map (point to one corner of the area, click and hold down the left mouse button, drag the mouse to the opposite corner, and release the button), 2) press Shift+(letter), for example Shift+R to clear all rivers in the area.

10) Employ the Cards pull-down menu to enter demand and event cards one-by-one. Demand contracts can also be edited as a group by choosing "Edit All Demands"; if you already have demand card information typed as text (such as in a word processor), you can copy and paste it into the box below the map. The data format is: card#;city1;load1;payoff1;city2;load2;payoff2;city3;load3;payoff3 on separate lines for each card.

11) Try the items of the Info pull-down menu to get details and statistics about the map you have created.

12) Scan the map for errors by choosing the File, Check Map pull-down menu. EBPEdit checks for many types of common errors, and displays a list of them. EBPEdit does not detect every problem imaginable, so don't assume your map is perfect if EBPEdit reports no problems. Fix any problems that are found.

13) You are ready to test your map (i.e. play a game on it) via the EBP software, or print it onto paper. To make it accessible by EBP, first copy your XXXmap.ebn, where XXX are the three letters of the name you chose, into the directory containing the EBP.EXE program.

This is just an overview. Please scan the individual help topics linked above for details and information about the many additional features available.