Map Console Basics
Map Console Basics
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This chapter is part of our “the hunter call of the wild cheats” guide. The tool provides read-only save analysis and does not offer cheats or modify game data.
Page Objective
The map console brings the following data together on one reserve map:
- The population of the current reserve and species;
- Need zones discovered in the save;
- Full DECA need-zone data;
- Spawn zones for the current species;
- Harvest locations with coordinates;
- The profile's last saved position;
- Fixed landmarks and player-deployed structures.
1. Open the Map Console
- Start the desktop app and open its main interface.
- Click Map at the top.
- Wait for the reserve and species lists on the left and the map in the center to load.
Main page areas:
| Position | Content |
|---|---|
| Left | Reserve selection, species search, and species list |
| Center left | Reserve overview, population changes, species summary, distribution charts, and individual records |
| Center right | Map, layers, landmarks, zoom, and animal schedule |
| Right | Animal records, filters, sorting, and pagination |
2. Select a Reserve
- Click the Reserve dropdown on the left.
- Select the target reserve.
- Wait for the species list and map to switch.
- Check the total animal count and statistics in the reserve overview.
The reserve list comes from the current save and mapping. When a reserve has no population data, its species list may be empty or show only content that can be parsed.
3. Select and Search for a Species
Select from the list
- Find the target animal in the Species list on the left.
- Click the species entry.
- Wait for the animal records on the right, statistics in the center, and map data to refresh.
Search for a species
- Click the species search field.
- Enter part of a local alias or species hash.
- Select the target species from the filtered results.
- Clear the search field to restore the full list.
Set a local alias
If the mapping has no name in your language or you prefer a custom name:
- Select the target species.
- Click the pencil button next to the “Species” heading.
- Enter a local alias and confirm.
- Use the alias to search for or identify the species.
Aliases are stored only on the local computer. They do not modify the save or shared mapping package.
4. Switch the Main Map Layer
The top-right corner of the map has three mutually exclusive main layers.
Need Zones
Shows feeding, drinking, and resting areas. This layer also lets you switch between the Full DECA and Discovered in Save sources.
Spawn Zones
Shows the spawn-area grid for the current species in the game resources. After you select an animal, its active unit's exact spawn zone can be highlighted.
Harvest Locations
Shows harvest records that include reserve and coordinate information. A location can come from a trophy, saved harvest, or the latest complete harvest.
After switching layers, check:
- The map title;
- The location or area count at the top left;
- The legend at the bottom left;
- The current-layer explanation below the map.
5. Zoom and Pan the Map
Zoom in or out
- Click
+to zoom in; - Click
−to zoom out; - Use the mouse wheel for continuous zooming;
- Check the percentage at the bottom right for the current zoom level.
Pan the view
- Hold the left mouse button over an empty part of the map.
- Drag in the desired direction.
- Release the mouse button to finish moving.
Restore the default view
Click the circular-arrow Reset button to restore the default zoom and map position.
6. Inspect Map Locations
- Move the pointer over a map point, area marker, or landmark.
- Wait for the tooltip to appear.
- Depending on the current layer, inspect:
- Need-zone type and time;
- Species or active unit;
- Spawn-zone number and grid information;
- Harvest summary;
- World coordinates;
- Landmark type.
When multiple need-zone records share the same coordinates, the interface combines them into a compound point and lists multiple entries in the tooltip.
7. Use Map Landmark Layers
Click the layers button at the edge of the map to expand the landmark switches.
| Switch | Content shown |
|---|---|
| Fast Travel Points | Outposts or fixed fast-travel points |
| Lookout Points | Reserve lookout points |
| Hunter Notes | Text, knowledge, or collectible points of interest |
| Hunting Structures | Fixed hunting structures |
| Landmarks | Map landmarks |
| Other | Points of interest outside the main categories |
| Deployed Structures | Player structures from the save, such as tents and hunting stands |
Recommendations
- Enable Fast Travel Points and Deployed Structures when planning a route;
- Enable Lookout Points and Landmarks when assessing accessibility;
- When locations are too dense, retain only the categories you currently need;
- Click an enabled category again to hide its locations.
Fixed landmarks come from public game resources bundled with the app. They do not indicate that the current profile has discovered or unlocked them. Deployed structures come from the local save; equipment hashes without a mapping may display only a generic name.
8. Understand Map Colors and Lines
Common need-zone colors:
| Type | Typical color |
|---|---|
| Feeding | Orange-yellow |
| Drinking | Cyan |
| Resting | Yellow-green |
| Profile position | Red |
| Area for the current time period | Gold highlight |
After you select an animal, the app may draw a line from the profile's last position to the exact associated area and show the straight-line distance between the X/Z world coordinates.
The line represents the distance from the profile's last position to the associated area. It is not the animal's travel path or the length of a navigation route.
9. Map Background and Data Status
The desktop app uses built-in real reserve maps and streamlined DECA data generated at packaging time. The map may show these states:
- Real Terrain: the current reserve map has loaded;
- Loading Map: resources are still being read;
- Analysis Background: no real background map is available for the current reserve;
- Spawn Zone Data Error / DECA Load Failed: bundled data is missing or cannot be parsed.
Lists and statistics remain available when the real background map is unavailable.
10. Confirm Basic Operation
Complete these steps to confirm that the map is working:
- Switch reserves;
- Select a species that has animal data;
- Confirm that animal records appear on the right;
- Switch among Need Zones, Spawn Zones, and Harvest Locations;
- Zoom, pan, and reset the map;
- Enable at least one landmark category;
- Hover over a location and confirm that its tooltip appears.
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