IMporting sector data into Universe

[Lord_Gryff]

Just got the Universe software today and slowly getting the hang of it (could seriously do with some better documentation ) but for the life of me can not get it to import some sector files (all .sec) I have lying around, nor any from travellermap.com (http://www.travellermap.com/MSEC.aspx?sector=ley for example)

I have registered the various iel files in the Universe Manager and tried all the ones that refer to .sec files but not had any joy.

If anyone has managed to adjust their .iel file to read the travellermap.com format would you mind including the details below please.

Many Thanks.

Edit: noticed my link above was incorrect, I actually meant http://www.travellermap.com/SEC.aspx?sector=ley

 

[jfetters]

WHy not just use the sample data that is included with the product? That will get you pretty close to what is on the map site (which is, admittedly more recently updated).

And welcome, BTW!

 

[jrmapes]

The data that comes with it is... well...

Lets just say there is a good reason that BITS has been in the process of "cleaning up" the data. Most all of the data floating around the web is identical or semi-cleaned versions of the ancient Genie data - which has so many errors and problems with it, it really isn't worth a crud for use unless you just don't care if your UWPs are even close to being correct. Now how much of the Universe data is from Genie, I don't know but it still has a lot of errors.

To get better data your own data in there there are only two ways since most sec files around the web are not in the Universe sec format (its hard enough to find two sec files anywhere that are the same format for that matter) -

Any way, you have to either enter it by hand or you will need to get the Universe sec format and convert your sec file to that format. You can change the iel but I have yet to get that to work since there always seems to be hidden spaces and characters hidden in the sec files. So if you have to go to all the trouble of cleaning up a sec file, you might as well just format it to the program standard.

Thats my two bits and I'll toss in a bit more - I have a friend of mine that is working on getting the best available sec data organized. He is supposed to be getting it into both H&E format and Universe format (Universe is supposed to read H&E as we know - but it doesn't always do it as we know). I will be making both formats available on my website as soon as it's available.

In the mean time if you are looking for solid UWP data for the Marches then the best we have been able to gather and agree on as the best is the 1112 UWPs from the(TNE) Regency Source Book then modify the allegiance code with the 1105 data (if you are doing classic or starting a mega game in the early days)

This data from the RSB also has the corrected stellar data!

Jerry

 

[Lord_Gryff]

Thanks Jfetters, but I am preparing to run a game based around the gateway domain, and the sample data in Universe for that region doesn't even come close to what my books have for that region

Thank you for the info Jrmapes, I had bought this software to avoid me having to heaps of manual work preparing for my campaign. From some other threads I have read the author seemed to suggest that it was a simple manner to import data.

Guess I will just go back to printing my maps manually and using notebooks. If your friend does manage to get the data for Milliu 1000 usable for Universe I will give it another go then.

Thanks for the prompt responses guys.

 

[Andrew Boulton]

Universe is *very* fussy about the format of input data, especially the header info, and not all .sec files are the same. Try exporting a sector and compare the header with that of the one you want to import, and change it if it doesn't match.

 

[Hemdian]

Just got the Universe software today and slowly getting the hang of it (could seriously do with some better documentation ) but for the life of me can not get it to import some sector files (all .sec) I have lying around, nor any from travellermap.com

Sorry to hear you've been having problems with Universe. While travellermap.com is a great site you have to remember it was launched in 2005 and its API was release in 2007. In contrast Universe was released much earlier, in 2003. For whatever reason, Joshua Bell created his own output format in the API for which none of Universe's pre-supplied IELs can translate. The good news is that Universe was written with just such a situation in mind: you just need to create a new IEL (I admit the documentation is poor in this area). Here's one:

; This IEL is for ...
;
;   www.travellermap.com generated SEC files
;   version ?
;   by ?
;
; IEL created 30-Mar-2008 by Peter Trevor

Header=<SECTORNAME>
Header=<SECTORNAME>
Header=""
Header=<SECTORNAME>
Header=<SECTORNAME>
Header=<SECTORNAME>
Header=""
Header=<SECTORNAME>
Header=<SECTORNAME>
Header=<SECTORNAME>
Header=""
Header=<SECTORNAME>
Header=<SECTORNAME>
Header=<SECTORNAME>
Header=<SECTORNAME>
Header=<SECTORNAME>
Header=<SECTORNAME>
Header=<SECTORNAME>
Header=<SECTORNAME>
Header=<SECTORNAME>
Header=<SECTORNAME>
Header=<SECTORNAME>
Header=<SECTORNAME>
Header=<SECTORNAME>
Header=<SECTORNAME>
Header=<SECTORNAME>
Header=<SECTORNAME>
Header=""

DetailLine="                                      -                                      "

Field=system_name,1,25
Field=sector_hex,27,4
Field=starport_code,32,1
Field=size_code,33,1
Field=atmos_code,34,1
Field=hydro_code,35,1
Field=pop_code,36,1
Field=gov_code,37,1
Field=law_code,38,1
Field=tl_code,40,1
Field=base_code,42,1
Field=remarks,44,26
Field=tas_zone,70,1
Field=pop_digit,72,1
Field=belts_digit,73,1
Field=giants_digit,74,1
Field=allegiance,76,2

Translation=tas_zone,"","G"
Translation=base_code,"","-"
Translation=allegiance,"Ve","DV"

Sorted=sector
Stars=compact
Remarks=5

I've cheated a little bit on the header so this IEL works fine for importing but not exporting. I was able to import the Ley sector with it but haven't tested any others yet. Once loaded you have to manually enter the subsector names, empty hex allegiances (so borders draw properly), and x-boat links. Also note that the travellermap.com format contains no stellar data therefore Universe will try to render systems with generic white circles rather than use the BeRKA icon system.

Hope that helps.

 

[jrmapes]

We are almost finished with the Spinward Marches SEC data for Universe and H&E. I have the data in a format that after some minor edits it can be imported into Universe.

Thus far I have done what was suggested and I obviously agreed with, that being,

Take the 1117 Sector Data (I inadvertently called it 1112 earlier) from the TNE Regency Source Book. Why? It is the most complete and most accurate SM Sector data available with the most accurate stellar data. Then take the Allegiance Codes from Supp 3.

There are a few worlds where there were dramatic changes, a couple with minor changes between Sup3 and RSB. These worlds can be kept as is or changed to fit your preference. I checked them against Sup3, RSB, and SMC. Since we play strictly in the early classic setting in my personal data was changed in those few cases to reflect the Sup3 data.

It seems my webhost is on the fritz but as soon as it is back up and I can access my website I will make the raw (unedited) 1117 SM Sec data available in "ready to import" format. I will also make the unedited Universe and H&E SEC files available as well as MY current edited versions. As Hemdian said, "Once loaded you have to manually enter the subsector names, empty hex allegiances (so borders draw properly), and x-boat links." Also remember that all my allegiances are NOT YET correct as per Sup3 - although they are accurate as per SMC. I plan on finishing the allegiances as soon as I can and as soon as that is finished I will make those available.

Also for Universe, You will need to make sure the "Standard" IEL file is registered so you can select it for the import.

If someone here is an excel guru and can instruct me on how to export from excel to a standard sector ready file format or how just how to copy data from an excel file into a txt file and keep column spacing I would really appreciate the help. I am pretty excell stupid it seems.

Jerry

 

[Lord_Gryff]

Thanks Hemdian, with that I was able to import the data from travellermap.com and I also gained the insight from how you did it to determine what was wrong with the standard.iel file and corrected that.