Generic mapper tutorial - Revision history

Zooka: /* Fixing Prompt Not Found Errors */

2025-05-04T07:57:57Z

Fixing Prompt Not Found Errors

Zooka: /* Exits not found */

2025-04-24T19:16:50Z

Exits not found

Zooka: /* Fixing Prompt Not Found Errors */

2025-04-24T19:14:19Z

Fixing Prompt Not Found Errors

Zooka: /* map basics */

2025-04-24T19:12:21Z

map basics

Zooka: /* What is generic_mapper? */

2025-04-24T19:04:47Z

What is generic_mapper?

Zooka: initial creation

2025-04-24T11:16:56Z

initial creation

New page

= What is generic_mapper? =

generic_mapper is a package that comes preinstalled on all Mudlet profiles. It tries to draw a map by guessing most of the information from your game. Even if generic_mapper does not 100% grasp your specific game details, you can likely tweak a few triggers and have a fully function mapper.

generic_mapper does not keep information about objects in room, monsters or room descriptions. Although this information can be stored later once you become more familiar with the basics.

Related topics:
* general information about the Mudlet mapper, usage and capabilities: [[Manual:Mapper]]
* list of generic_mapper commands: [[Generic mapper package]]
* walk throughs of generic_mapper additions for specific MUDs: [[Generic Mapper Additions]]

== Getting Started ==

Ensure you have the latest version of generic_mapper package. generic_mapper will prompt whenever it finds a new version though.

map update

To see a list of generic_mapper commands:

map help

There are a lot; the mapper is very customisable but we only need to be concerned with a few commands highlighted later to get started.

Importantly, generic_mapper needs three key pieces of information to map your game correctly.

* room name,
* room exits,
* mud prompt.

Find out below how to get generic_mapper looking for those lines.

== map basics ==

<code>map basics</code> is the first command you should run to get generic_mapper working. It will show you which pieces of key information the script is missing to work correctly. These are marked with a red X.

[[File:Generic mapper tutorial map basics.png|600px|frameless|center|example map basics output]]

In this case above, generic_mapper could not find the room name nor the room exits. It probably didn't find the prompt either. Knowing this, let's continue on and get these parts working.

== Find Prompt ==

Check to see if your prompt is being captured. generic_mapper can find some standard prompts automatically.

find prompt

[[File:Generic mapper tutorial find prompt.png|600px|frameless|center|prompt not found]]

Unfortunately the first prompt wasn't found automatically, but the one below was.

[[File:Generic mapper tutorial find prompt successful.png|600px|frameless|center|prompt found successfully!]]

=== Fixing Prompt Not Found Errors ===

<code>map prompt</code> can be used to supply a [https://www.lua.org/pil/20.2.html Lua pattern] to generic_mapper that it uses to see if an incoming line from the game is actually your prompt. Lua patterns are similar to Regex patterns (used extensively elsewhere in Mudlet) but with a few minor differences.

To match the failing prompt above, you would issue the following command.

The prompt is

20hp 100mn 100mv>

so the Lua pattern to match is

map prompt %d+hp %d+mn %d+mv>

Further examples;

20/20hp 100/100mn night>
%d+/%d+hp %w+>

And the prompt will be set.

[[File:Generic mapper tutorial map prompt.png|600px|frameless|center]]

If you are still unsure how to match your prompt, get help on our [https://mudlet.com/chat Discord or forums] channels. Even an AI assistant might be able to create one for you.

== Map Debug ==

Using <code>find prompt</code> only does exactly that; it just tries to match the prompt. To see if your new <code>map prompt</code> setting is working turn on <code>map debug</code>. This will show you some useful informational messages on what generic_mapper is doing. Here we can see after entering the correct <code>map prompt</code> command, generic_mapper notifies us that the game prompt was found.

[[File:Generic mapper tutorial map debug.png|600px|frameless|center]]

Now after issuing another <code>look</code> command to the game, we can see from map debug information that generic_mapper found the room name and the exits as well.

[[File:Generic mapper tutorial map debug more information.png|600px|frameless|center]]

== Exits not found ==

generic_mapper searches for exits just like it searches for game prompts. It uses a list of commonly used formats that exits are displayed in games and tries to come up with a match. In the above example the game matched with what generic_mapper was looking for, but had it not found them we would need to supply generic_mapper with the format in which our exits are displayed. This list is held in the trigger section of Mudlet. There are two types of exit triggers; one where all exits are on the same line, and another where a single exit is on another (consecutive) line.

Single line exits might look like this;

[Exits: north east south west]

Multi-line exits might look like this;

Obvious exits;
North - The Baker
South - The Butcher
East - Main Street

You need to edit the correct trigger section for the exit detection to work properly.

Here you can see the single line exits displayed in the trigger editor.

[[File:Generic mapper tutorial single line trigger exits.png|600px|frameless|center]]

{{note}} To is best practice to copy this trigger and paste it into another one outside of the generic_package script area. Otherwise when generic_mapper performs an update, it will override any custom changes you have made.

Write your new regex pattern into the trigger lines so that it matches the format in which your game displays the room exits. There are some [[Generic Mapper Additions|game examples found here]] with both single and multi-line exits for further guidance.

Turn on map debug and perform a movement command or look, the game should find your exits. Perform a <code>map basics</code> once again to check.

[[File:Generic mapper tutorial map basics working.png|600px|frameless|center]]

== Start Mapping ==

Once the three key pieces of information are found you are ready to start drawing your map. Display the mapper window from the toolbox (or Alt+M, it will likely be blank to start. Find the name of the area your player is in, or make something up if you're not sure, you can always rename it later. Now issue the <code>start mapping</code> command along with that area name.

start mapping Mud School

[[File:Generic mapper tutorial start mapping.png|600px|frameless|center]]

Slowly start walking around the area, generic_mapper will attempt to create new rooms and follow you as you move. <code>stop mapping</code> to turn off new room creation.

[[File:Generic mapper tutorial mapper working .png|600px|frameless|center]]

At this point you can turn off <code>map debug</code> and enjoy exploring and mapping your MUD!

== Further Tweaks ==

You may notice generic_mapper gets confused sometimes. Like when you get hungry right after performing a move command and the new room name becomes <code>You are hungry.</code> This is because generic_mapper gets the first incoming line after performing a move command and sets it as the room name. See <code>map help ignore</code> for details on how to prevent this and make your mapper more resilient.

← Older revision		Revision as of 07:57, 4 May 2025
Line 72:		Line 72:

	[[File:Generic mapper tutorial map prompt.png\|600px\|frameless\|center]]		[[File:Generic mapper tutorial map prompt.png\|600px\|frameless\|center]]
		+
		+	{{note}} A <code>^</code> character gets prepended to your pattern automatically. This character means match the start of a line.

	If you are still unsure how to match your prompt, get help on our [https://mudlet.com/chat Discord or forums] channels. Even an AI assistant might be able to create one for you.		If you are still unsure how to match your prompt, get help on our [https://mudlet.com/chat Discord or forums] channels. Even an AI assistant might be able to create one for you.

@@ Line 106: / Line 106: @@
 [[File:Generic mapper tutorial single line trigger exits.png|600px|frameless|center]]
-{{note}} To is best practice to copy this trigger and paste it into another one outside of the generic_package script area.  Otherwise when generic_mapper performs an update, it will override any custom changes you have made.
+{{note}} It is best practice to copy this trigger and paste it into another one outside of the generic_package script area.  Otherwise when generic_mapper performs an update, it will override any custom changes you have made.
 Write your new regex pattern into the trigger lines so that it matches the format in which your game displays the room exits.  There are some [[Generic Mapper Additions|game examples found here]] with both single and multi-line exits for further guidance.

@@ Line 60: / Line 60: @@
 hp 100mn 100mv>
-so the Lua pattern to match is
+so the command to match is
     map prompt %d+hp %d+mn %d+mv>

@@ Line 36: / Line 36: @@
 [[File:Generic mapper tutorial map basics.png|600px|frameless|center|example map basics output]]
-In this case above, generic_mapper could not find the room name nor the room exits.  It probably didn't find the prompt either.  Knowing this, let's continue on and get these parts working.
+In this case above, generic_mapper could not find the room name nor the room exits.  It probably didn't find the prompt either.  generic_mapper uses your prompt to know when to segment room information into separate blocks, thus allowing it to search for the key information within that block of room data.  Knowing this, let's continue on and get these parts working.
 == Find Prompt ==

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 = What is generic_mapper? =
-generic_mapper is a package that comes preinstalled on all Mudlet profiles.  It tries to draw a map by guessing most of the information from your game. Even if generic_mapper does not 100% grasp your specific game details, you can likely tweak a few triggers and have a fully function mapper.
+generic_mapper is a package that comes preinstalled on all Mudlet profiles.  It tries to draw a map by guessing most of the information from your game. Even if generic_mapper does not 100% grasp your specific game details, you can likely tweak a few triggers and have a fully functioning mapper.
 generic_mapper does not keep information about objects in room, monsters or room descriptions.  Although this information can be stored later once you become more familiar with the basics.