BFME2 Map Export Tool

A command-line tool that converts Battle for Middle-earth II (BFME2) .map files into heightmaps and tile position data. These exported files can be used to recreate BFME2 maps in different game engines, with Unity as the primary target.

Features

• Heightmap Export: Extracts terrain elevation data as 16-bit RAW heightmaps

  • Automatic padding to Unity-compatible resolutions (power-of-2 + 1)
  • Configurable height scaling for optimal Unity terrain
  • Generates metadata JSON with map dimensions and settings

• Tilemap Export: Exports texture tile information as JSON

  • Maps terrain tiles to texture files
  • Includes tile positions and texture offsets
  • Optional preview image generation
  • Supports blending. Having visual bugs though.

• Batch Processing: Process multiple .map files at once

• Configurable: All settings controlled via config.ini

• Flexible Paths: Supports both relative and absolute file paths

Requirements

• Java 17 or higher Download
• Maven (for building from source)

Dependencies

The tool uses the following key libraries:

• Kotlin 2.3.0
• bfme2-modding-utils - for reading .map files
• Gson - for JSON export
• TwelveMonkeys ImageIO - for TGA texture support

Installation

Building from Source

mvn clean package

This will create a JAR file in the target/ directory.

Configuration

On first run, the tool will generate a default config.ini file. Edit this file to configure your paths and export settings.

Configuration Options

# Usually you dont need to change that value
tile_size = 32

# Splits image by blocks.
split_image_by_blocks = 1

# Block size for splitting images.
block_size = 16

# Cell size for preview images (smaller = faster)
preview_tile_size = 32


# Export options (0 = disabled, 1 = enabled)

# Will generate a preview image of the heightmap.
# Note: image can be very large for big maps.
generate_preview = 1

# Blend tiles in the preview image using blend masks.
# Note: visual bugs may occur.
blend_tiles = 1

# If not enabled, only heightmap will be generated.
generate_tilemap = 1

# Heightmap export
generate_heightmap = 1

# Directory containing .map files to export
path_to_maps_folder = PortMaps/MapsToExport

# Directory containing terrain texture files (.tga)
path_to_textures_folder = PortMaps/Textures

# Output directory for exported files
path_to_output = PortMaps/Output

# Path to terrain.ini mapping file
path_to_terrain_ini = terrain.ini

Usage

Basic Usage

java -jar bfme2-exporter.jar

The tool will:

1. Process all .map files in the specified maps folder
2. Export heightmaps and/or tilemaps to the output directory
3. Create a separate subfolder for each map

Getting Help

java -jar bfme2-exporter.jar -h

Preparing Files

1. Extract Map Files

• Obtain .map files from BFME2, ROTWK, or mods like AOTR
• Place all .map files in your path_to_maps_folder directory (no subfolders)

2. Extract Textures

• Extract Terrain.big files from your BFME2 installation directory
• Place all .tga texture files in your path_to_textures_folder (no subfolders)

3. Terrain.ini File

• The tool requires a terrain.ini file that maps terrain names to texture files
• A sample from AOTR 9.0 is included
• Update this file to match your game version if needed

4. Blend Masks

• To generate a preview with blending enabled, ensure the blend-masks folder is placed in the same directory as the executable.

Output

For each processed map, the tool creates a subfolder with:

Heightmap Output

• heightmap.raw - 16-bit little-endian RAW heightmap
• heightmap.png - Visual preview of the heightmap
• map.json - Metadata including dimensions and scale

Tilemap Output

• blocks.json - blocks list
• blocks/ - Folder containing individual tile images
• tilemap.png - Visual preview of the tilemap (optional)

Example map.json Structure

{
  "MapName": "Mission",
  "Description": "Description",
  "Width": 190,
  "Height": 160,
  "Border": 30,
  "Format": "RAW 16-bit, Little Endian"
}

Example blocks.json Structure

{
  "WorkDirectory": "WorkDir/Output/Mission",
  "TotalBlocks": 120,
  "SizeInPixels": 512,
  "SizeInTiles": 16,
  "Blocks": [
    {
      "Index": 0,
      "X": 0,
      "Y": 0,
      "RelativeFileNamePath": "blocks/tilemap_block_0_0.png"
    },
    {
      "Index": 1,
      "X": 1,
      "Y": 0,
      "RelativeFileNamePath": "blocks/tilemap_block_1_0.png"
    },
    ...
  ]
}

Using with Unity

See the UnityImporter folder.

Credits

• Special thanks to DarkAtra for maintaining the bfme2-modding-utils library. Without it, this project would not be possible.
• Uses bfme2-modding-utils for BFME2 map file parsing.
• Designed mainly for Unity engine compatibility. But can be used for other engines.