AWS Map Editor Format Specifications.txt

AW Map Editor file format specifications.
 - by João Pedro S. Francese (Roma_emu) [joaofrancese@gmail.com]
 - last updated on February 04, 2008

Please inform me before using this file format in your project - but please DO use it,
if it involves AW maps! A standard file format is good for everyone, because it makes sure
the files are compatible between different programs. If you use it, please credit Kamek
(the file format's creator) and me (the map editor's creator) somewhere. :)
Personally I would prefer if you didn't try to make another editor...
But it's not really up to me, is it?

Note: The latest editor, as of today, is the AW Series Map Editor version 1.0.
Version 2.0 is planned, which will include Advance Wars: Days of Ruin units and terrains.
I also plan to introduce some form of compression (such as run-length encoding) and/or a change
from unit 2D arrays to a list of units, so the file size is reduced. The file extension will be
kept as .aws, so make sure your program checks the header for the appropriate version before
trying to parse the file, instead of checking just the extension.

The latest editor version can always be found at https://github.com/joaofrancese/awsmaped

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.awm/.aw2/.awd/.aws(v1) format specifications:

First, the header, with 10 bytes. It consists of the map editor version (6 bytes),
then the format version number (3 bytes), then a blank byte. Map editor version:
'AWMap ' (AW1 Map Editor), 'AW2Map' (AW2 Map Editor), 'AWDMap' (AWDS Map Editor),
'AWSMap' (AWS Map Editor). The only format version number used for these is '001'.

Next are (in .aws files only) one byte for the map height and one for the width.
(This limits the width and height to 255x255).

Following, in .aws and .awd files, is a byte containing the tileset number.
For .awd maps, add 1 to the numbers below.
0 = Normal (AWDS)
1 = Snow (AWDS)
2 = Desert
3 = Wasteland
4 = AW1
5 = AW2

Then the terrain tiles - from top to bottom, left to right. Two bytes each tile.
(Terrain tiles may be from the Terrain kind, the Base kind or the Extra kind.)
After the terrain tiles, the unit tiles, organized the same way.

Here's how to find the meaning of the values for each tile:
(numbers below are in decimal notation)


In the spritesheets (http://www.advancewarsnet.com/downloads/awsmaped_v1_spritesheets.zip),
a tile's value is given by the X and Y position of the picture in the spritesheet
(origin is 0, 0 in the top-left corner). In the Base spritesheet, a tile's height is 32px;
in the others, it is 16px. The formulas for finding the values are below.

Terrain tab items: [0000 to 0299]  value = 000 + x + (y * 30)
                                   x = (value - 000) rem 30   y = (value - 000) div 30

Base tab items:    [0300 to 0499]  value = 300 + x + (y * 10)
                                   x = (value - 300) rem 10   y = (value - 300) div 10

Extra tab items:   [0900 to 1299]  value = 900 + x + (y * 20)
                                   x = (value - 900) rem 20   y = (value - 900) div 20

Unit tab items:    [0500 to 0899]  value = 000 + x + (y * 20)
                                   x = (value - 500) rem 20   y = (value - 500) div 20

[rem = remainder of the division; div = integer part of the division result]


After the units, the length of the Name field, then the map Name,
then the length of the Author field, then the map's Author,
then the length of the Description field, then the Description.