Investigating full-map screenshots

[Zetnus]

As you may or may not know CTRL+F12 lets you take full map screenshots in AoC. However, this feature has never worked in the HD Edition due to the new terrain rendering system.

Now, I was testing out various hotkeys (like the Function keys) for a guide I’m writing, and I decided to try a full map screenshot. As usual, all kinds of objects flashed across the screen. However, when I checked my screenshots folder I found this: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/48628193/MAP000.BMP
It may not look very impressive – it’s reduced by a factor of 8 and I hadn’t used macro polo or explored any of the map yet. However, the fact is that the HD Edition spewed out a working full-map screenshot!

Naturally I tried to replicate this finding, but I was not able to. However, using windowed mode, I was able to observe something very interesting. Once I started taking a full map screenshot, a file called AoCMap001.bmp appeared in my screenshots folder. I was not able to open this file while the game is working on it though and upon completion of the full map screenshot, this file is automatically deleted. Clicking cancel during the screenshot process prevents it from being deleted and leaves the unfinished file in the screenshots folder. Something like this: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/48628193/AoCMap002.BMP

A couple interesting things can be noted:
1) In the partial screenshot, all the objects are present, however the trees are off-color (they look like they do if you open the slps in turtle pack).
2) A cliff mod I have is displayed correctly in this screenshot.
3) Notice the difference in naming schemes between the two shots linked above. The original AoC used the MAPxxx.bmp naming scheme. Presumably, anything with the new naming scheme is deleted upon completion, and that is why my MAP000 survived – no idea where it came from though.

Concluding thoughts:
The game somehow managed to produce a full-map screenshot that even shows terrains. Thus the argument that the new terrain rendering system interferes with full map screenshots isn’t fully valid. However, it seems that anything called AoCMapxxx.bmp is deleted upon completion. I will investigate further.

IMPORTANT – I did this in patch 4.2; it seems that in 4.3 ctrl+F12 pauses the game and no longer attempts to take a full-map screenshot. :/
EDIT: as an aside, it seems that printscreen - for taking normal (non-steam) screenshots - has been disabled as well.

[Forcewizard]

Man map screenshots would be so cool.

[gagman]

change the F12 key in your steam settings or ingame becaue afaik its the screenshot key for the steam overlay and the save key ingame.
it seems the cliffs are displayed correct because they use a different palette, afaik there are a few new slps (in the SLP folder) that using a different plette - that also turtle pack can not display.

[Zetnus]

I already have my Steam seettings to use F3 for Steam screenshots. I've also changed the F12 for savegame but it doesn't help. Game screenshots were removed in 4.3 I think.

About the cliffs: If I don't use any cliff mods, the default cliffs look like this: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/48628193/AoCMap003.BMP

[gagman]

yeah thats what i sayd, the new cliffs and some new tres (also the flames) have a different palette i think they are 32 bit colors

[MaTLeR]

Zetnus !! please continue your invetigation !! :D

[Zetnus]

I just realized that the screenshot that I showed which worked is in fact an older file that dates back from when I used the "AoE II HD Compatibility Patch" to take a full-map screenshot. This compatibility patch was already buggy at the time and no longer works at all with the new data structure.

[MaTLeR]

:(

[Darq_Amin]

Another one of the fine new changes of this expansion I see, that is losing a basic game feature that has been around since 2001.

[Zetnus]

Originally posted by Darq_Amin:

Another one of the fine new changes of this expansion I see, that is losing a basic game feature that has been around since 2001.

Fun fact:
Apparently it wasn't originally planned as a feature; it was something they added so that they could produce images to promote the campaigns and the game in general. That being said, it became an excellent feature, and I'm sad it doesn't work in this rerelease on Steam.

Unfortunately, this is probably rather low down on the priority list of things that need fixing, below multiplayer restore, desynchs, performance issues, campaigns bugs, rebalancing, co-op bug, dat mod support, etc.