A new World Editor?

As you all know "many" people at Wc3c is into hacking the good old World Editor to make it more usefull and add new options, but what if we create the whole thing? I already got JassCraft that works pretty much like a Trigger Editor. My first plan of action is to make JassCraft work on maps instead of files. Add a trigger editor, a WTS editor, a variable editor and unicode (UTF-8) support. For the terrain I think a simple 2d or 3d map to place units and get cordinates would be enought. (Unless someone want to recreate the terrain editor)

My problem is that I don't really know how to design this program. Should it behave like the orginal WE, with many windows and mutiple maps. Should I make it a SDI program where you'd have to run two instances to open multiple maps. I also want it to be able to open single files as TGA/BLP and J files.

So I'd like some help to figure out how the application should behave. If you have some ideas for anything on this "new WE" please post it below.

Could you rahter incorporate JassCraft right into WE? That would be an awesome addition! You could also work out that precompiler that Vex wanted to do in there! Those combined with WE would be too good to be true

Keep each tool separate and small. Keep the MPQ portion out of them, so that there is only a final compilation tool that assembles the map at the end (like widgetizer). This way you can easily have each thing modify the map simultaneously, as no more than one tool will need write access on a specific file. It also grossly simplifies the interactions between developers.

What's wrong with Zepir's?

I like tools combined and small. I like one press buttons.

Me too, a means I don't have to have 6 windows open just to slightly modify and import some icon or some such thing

JassCraft already IS my World Editor ;)

Nah, that's an overstatement. However, I personally have no need for incoorporating them: The world editor does world editing things perfectly, which is what I use it for. Widgetizer+JassCraft+Preprocessor let's me edit all the JASS of the map with the greatest ease.

I agree with PipeDream that a powerful editor that does its own thing by itself is most useful, at least for advanced modders.

Still, your idea of taking over more of the WE's work can of course be beneficial. For example, how about creating an object editor that is easier to use and more powerful than the WE object editor and add it to JassCraft? That seems to me like the perfect start to a project like this, and it will be extremely useful to everyone regardless of whether you later wish to replace more WE functionality or not.

An easy to use object editor is on my todo list.

Another problem is that this tool might act as a map unprotector. So I'm wondering what to do with maps that is not supposed to be open in a editor?

Well after being optimized and all that the gui are jassed up so no noobs that would use it for steal would understand anything anyways + you could leave out stuff such as loadingscreen changing and map name changing so people cannot just change the name either making them the creator.

I think that I'd just make it use World Editior data. So it can't open "protected" maps.

Added a screenie of the Trigger Editor.

wow looks really nice zoxc though the TRIG_STRs have to go.

Pretty nice. Altough at this moment mimics a little too much the regular WE trigger window. How about finding a way to make it work simpler or something. I have not much clue as to what could such thing be, but as soon as I have it, I will not doubt post it ;)

those icons make me scream

I like it very much

btw what is trigger editor for, remove it and add JassCraft :)

When I first see your post, I thought your plan was bold and don't have much faith in you... But when I saw that picture of your "trigger editor", I'm sure you'll come to success!
Keep it up! You'll always have fans.

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However... A specific look at the picture lets me find a problem: You didn't convert TRIGSTR's into real strings. Dunno if your editor supports *.wts now, but you should correct it as soon as possible.
Anyway golden plan ^_^

btw Zoxc, you should look at Zepir's map editor, I won't bother to link to it just do a search. It has source available and all. The best things would be adding this to Zepir's in my opinion that would save you work.