Heroes 3 Map Reader

A modern, cross-platform utility for reading, analyzing, and visualizing Heroes of Might and Magic III map files (.h3m). Built with .NET 8 and Avalonia UI.

Currently supports all vanilla maps as well as HotA maps up to version 1.8 (Bulwark).

Features

• Map Parsing: Reads detailed metadata from .h3m files including:
  • Map Name and Description
  • Difficulty, Size, and Format (RoE, AB, SoD, HotA)
  • Player counts and specific player details
  • Victory and Loss conditions
  • Teams and Alliances
  • Playable Factions
  • Banned Spells
• Minimap Generation: Renders visual previews of maps including terrain and underground levels.
• Map Browser:
  • Scan directories for map files recursively.
  • Filter maps by Size, Player Count, Difficulty, Victory Condition, and Format.
  • Filter by Playable Factions and Available Spells.
  • Sort and view map details in a responsive grid.
• Performance: Multi-threaded loading for handling large collections of maps efficiently.

Technologies

• Core: .NET 8.0
• UI Framework: Avalonia UI (Cross-platform)
• MVVM: CommunityToolkit.Mvvm
• Imaging: SixLabors.ImageSharp

Getting Started

Build Prerequisites

• .NET 8.0 SDK

Building the Application

1. Clone the repository

   git clone https://github.com/CactusPie/Heroes3MapReader.git
   cd Heroes3MapReader

2. Build the solution

   dotnet build

3. Run the UI application

   cd Heroes3MapReader.UI
   dotnet run

Usage

1. Launch the application.
2. Click "Select Map Directory" to choose a folder containing .h3m files (e.g., your Heroes 3 Maps directory).
3. Click "Load Maps" to scan the directory.
4. Use the filters at the top (including Factions and Spells) to narrow down the list of maps.
5. Select a map from the list to view its generated minimap and detailed information.

Project Structure

• Heroes3MapReader.Logic: The core class library containing the map parsing logic, GZIP decompression, and data models.
• Heroes3MapReader.UI: The Avalonia-based desktop application providing the graphical interface.

Acknowledgments

• The H3M file reading used in this project was based entirely on VCMI implementation.