graphics modding help anyone?

[Strela]

The screenshot below shows a part of the map from Kharkov 43. To the left is version 1.02, to the right is the new 1.03 update, but using the features files Strela kindly provided to remove the hex edges that come in the stock 1.03 update. What I'm looking for is the most natural looking map I can get, no hexes, no hex edges, but all the new contour colours in, new trees in, but NOT the new PB style houses, villages, rivers and streams). I've been messing around in Paint trying to cut and paste various bits of the 2dFeatures100 and 50 files (in the map folder - but I'm using the ones Strela provided without hex sides) but it doesn't seem to work. I get black lines and cut off edges and villages in the wrong place. I'm obviously doing something wrong. I was wondering if anyone (more expert at manipulating the game graphics than I) could advise me how I can do the following:
Basically, I would like the 1.03 graphics (using the no hex edges files) but with the rivers, streams, villages, towns from 1.02 (NOT the trees from 1.02). That would look most like a normal real life map, for me. Is anyone able to help? Is there a reason why I cannot identify (this I have found difficult) the relevant features in the 1.02 Features file that I would like and cut and paste them onto the 1.03 Features files, replacing those 1.03 features that I don't want? This is what I have tried, but it doesn't seem to work.

The problem is that between Kharkov '43 1.02 & Kharkov '43 1.03 the graphics system changed.

This is what broke Jison's Mapmod.

Essentially the standard width for the 2DFeatures 100 file became 228 bytes across instead of the original 219 bytes. These extra 9 bytes screws up the alignment for everything.

Here is a visual example. The top line is the original village graphics, the below the new, wider graphics. The black area is the difference of 9 bytes.





To fix Mapmod, I had to move each graphic individually into the correct location. It can be done - it's just time consuming. It has to be done in the features files and the hexsides files.

This is one fix I definitely don't have time for currently...!

David