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Creating a New Campaign Map from Scratch

Overview

Creating a brand-new campaign map in CAIME is a two-part process, similar to starting a new painting project.
Part 1 — In Dave (your Assembly Kit database editor): You register your new map in the game's database tables so that CAIME (and eventually the game itself) knows which regions, terrain types, climates, and other game data belong to it.
Part 2 — Inside CAIME: You create an empty canvas — the map file — and give it a name, a target game, and a size. CAIME reads the database the moment the map opens, so by doing Part 1 first, your Swatches panel will be fully populated and ready to paint straight away.

Table of Contents

  1. Before You Begin: Configuring Assembly Kit Paths
  2. Setting Up the Database in Dave
  3. campaign_maps
  4. regions
  5. campaign_map_regions
  6. campaigns
  7. campaign_map_roads
  8. campaign_map_areas_of_interest (Three Kingdoms & Warhammer III only)
  9. Opening the Create New Map Dialog
  10. Filling In the Map Details
  11. Campaign Map Name
  12. Template
  13. Game
  14. Map Size
  15. What CAIME Creates for You
  16. Game-Specific Differences
  17. Rome II
  18. Attila & Thrones of Britannia
  19. Warhammer, Warhammer II & Troy
  20. Three Kingdoms
  21. Warhammer III
  22. Pharaoh & Pharaoh Dynasties
  23. The Big Picture: Order of Operations
  24. Pro-Tips & Troubleshooting

1. Before You Begin: Configuring Assembly Kit Paths

CAIME reads your game's database directly from your Assembly Kit installation. Before you create any map, you must tell CAIME where each game's Assembly Kit is installed on your computer. You only need to do this once per game.

Steps:

  1. In CAIME, go to Settings → Preferences (or press Ctrl+P).

The Preferences window will appear:

┌─ Preferences ────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ │ │ Hex spacing: [ ──●────────────────────── ] 0.00 │ │ ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── │ │ Base game: [ Rome2 ▼ ] │ │ Assembly kit path: [ C:\assembly_kit\... ] [Browse] │ │ ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── │ │ Log to file: ● Enabled ○ Disabled │ │ Auto-save: ● Enabled ○ Disabled │ │ Auto-backup: ● Enabled ○ Disabled │ │ Map data config auto-patch: ○ Enabled ● Disabled │ │ ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── │ │ [ Save ] [ Cancel ] │ └───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

  1. In the Base game dropdown, select the game you want to configure.
  2. Click Browse next to Assembly kit path and navigate to the root folder of that game's Assembly Kit installation (the folder that contains raw_data and working_data sub-folders).
  3. Click Save.
  4. Repeat steps 2–4 for every game you plan to work with.

Important: Each game has its own separate Assembly Kit installation and its own path entry. You must configure the correct path for the game you choose when creating your map, or CAIME will fail to open the map.

2. Setting Up the Database in Dave

Before creating the map file in CAIME, open Dave — the official database editor bundled with the Assembly Kit, specifically designed for editing these tables. The entries must use exactly the same map name you will type in the CAIME dialog in the next step.

The tables you need to open and edit in Dave are the ones that hold records specific to your campaign map name. Other tables (such as campaign_ground_types and climates) are global to the game and already contain all the data CAIME needs — no new rows are required in those.

The tables to edit for a new map are:

Table Why it needs editing
campaign_maps Registers your map so the game and CAIME know it exists
regions Defines any new regions your map introduces, with their RGB colours
campaign_map_regions Links your map name to each of its regions
campaigns Links your campaign name to your map name (needed for road filtering)
campaign_map_roads Road cost entries that reference campaigns using your map
campaign_map_areas_of_interest Three Kingdoms & Warhammer III only — registers Areas of Interest for your map

Each table is described in detail below.

campaign_maps

What it is: The master registry of campaign maps. The game and CAIME both use this to know that your map exists.

What to add: One new record with your map's name. Each game's schema is slightly different, but at minimum you need a field pointing to your map name (often called campaign_map or similar) and a field pointing to the campaign it belongs to.

regions

What it is: The global list of all regions in the game. Each region has a unique name (key), an is_sea flag indicating whether it is a sea region, and an RGB colour. The RGB colour is not what CAIME shows in the Swatches panel — CAIME generates its own display colours for the painting interface automatically. Instead, these RGB values are used when generating the lookup images (the colour-coded map images the game engine reads to identify region boundaries).

What to add: One record per new region your map introduces. If you are reusing regions that already exist in the game (e.g., for a map replacement mod), those entries are already present and no changes are needed here. Fields you must fill for each new region:

Field What to enter
key A unique internal name for this region (e.g., my_map_region_gaul)
is_sea 0 for land regions, 1 for sea regions
r, g, b A unique RGB colour (0–255 each) used in the game's lookup images

Tip: Make sure every region has a unique RGB colour. If two regions share the same colour, the game engine will not be able to tell them apart in the lookup images.

campaign_map_regions

What it is: The link table between your specific map and its regions. Without entries here, CAIME will not load any regions for your map, even if they exist in regions.

What to add: One record per region, for each region that belongs to your map.

Field What to enter
campaign_map The exact name of your map (must match what you will type in CAIME)
region The key of the region from the regions table

Pharaoh & Pharaoh Dynasties only: This table has an extra index field. See Pharaoh & Pharaoh Dynasties below for details.

campaigns

What it is: Lists all the playable campaigns in the game, each one linked to a campaign map.

What to add: If you are creating an entirely new campaign (not replacing an existing one), you will need a new entry that links your campaign name to your map name. If you are modifying or replacing the map of an existing campaign, no changes may be needed here.

CAIME reads this table to figure out which campaigns use your map. This information is then used to filter road costs in the next table.

campaign_map_roads

What it is: Defines how much roads speed up unit movement on each campaign map, broken down per campaign. CAIME reads this to show road cost information in the editor.

What to add: One record per campaign that uses your map and per road type. The key fields are:

Field What to enter
campaign The campaign name (from the campaigns table) that uses your map
key A unique name for this road cost entry
threshold The road density threshold at which this cost applies
movement_cost The movement cost on roads

3. Opening the Create New Map Dialog

Once the database is set up in Dave, switch to CAIME and create the map file.

Go to File → Create new map in the menu bar, or press Ctrl+N.

┌─ Menu Bar ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  File    Edit    Process    Tools    Settings    Help                │
│  ├── Create new map    Ctrl+N   ◄── CLICK THIS                     │
│  ├── Open              Ctrl+O                                        │
│  ├── Reload            Ctrl+R                                        │
│  ├── Save              Ctrl+S                                        │
│  ├── Save as...        Ctrl+Shift+S                                  │
│  ├── Close             Ctrl+X                                        │
│  └── Exit              Ctrl+Q                                        │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

The Create new project dialog will appear.

4. Filling In the Map Details

┌─ Create new project ──────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                                                                    │
│  Campaign map name:  [_____________________________________]       │
│  ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────      │
│  Template:           [ None                               ▼ ]     │
│  Game:               [ Rome2                              ▼ ]     │
│  Map size:           [  1016  ] x [  720  ]                       │
│  ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────      │
│                                      [ Create ]  [ Cancel ]        │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Campaign Map Name

Type the internal name of your map in the Campaign map name field. This name:

  • Must match exactly the name you used in the Dave database tables in Section 2 above.
  • Will become the name of the project folder created on disk (Projects\YourMapName\).
  • Cannot be empty — CAIME will show an error and stop if you try to proceed without one.

Tip: Use only letters, numbers, and underscores (e.g., my_custom_map). Avoid spaces or special characters to prevent issues with the Assembly Kit.

When you click somewhere else after typing, CAIME will automatically clean up any disallowed characters in the name.

Template

The Template dropdown lists any pre-built starting points stored in the Templates folder alongside CAIME.

Choice Meaning
None Start with a completely blank map. You choose the game and size manually.
A named template CAIME copies a pre-configured map from the Templates folder. The game and size are locked to whatever that template was designed for.

If you select a template, the Game and Map size fields below it will be grayed out — the template already contains all that information.

Game

The Game dropdown is only active when Template is set to None. Select the Total War game your map is for.

Option in CAIME Game
Rome2 Total War: Rome II
Attila Total War: Attila
Thrones_Of_Britannia A Total War Saga: Thrones of Britannia
Warhammer Total War: Warhammer
Warhammer2 Total War: Warhammer II
Warhammer3 Total War: Warhammer III
Three_Kingdoms Total War: Three Kingdoms
Troy A Total War Saga: Troy
Pharaoh Total War: Pharaoh
Pharaoh_Dynasties Total War: Pharaoh Dynasties

Important: Your choice here determines the internal binary format of the map file. You cannot change the game for a map after creation without starting over.

Map Size

Enter the width (x) and height (y) of your map in hexes.

  • Default starting values are 1016 × 720 hexes (similar to the standard game maps).
  • Width must be an even number. Entering an odd width will show an error and prevent creation.
  • Width or height cannot be zero.
  • If your total hex count (width × height) exceeds 731,520 hexes, CAIME will show a warning — this is above the recommended maximum. The map can still be created, but performance may suffer.

Tip: If you are making a custom campaign rather than replacing a stock map, starting at 1016 × 720 gives you a canvas the same size as most standard Total War campaigns. You can always resize later using Edit → Resize (Ctrl+Shift+R).

Once you have filled in all fields, click Create.

  • If a project folder with the same name already exists, CAIME will ask if you want to overwrite it. Click Yes to replace it, or No to cancel and pick a different name.

5. What CAIME Creates for You

After you click Create, CAIME automatically does the following:

CAIME creates on your disk:
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 [CAIME install folder]\
 └── Projects\
     └── YourMapName\
         └── map.hex          ◄── Your new (empty) map file
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

CAIME also creates (if they don't exist already) output folders in your
Assembly Kit, ready for when you process the map later:

 [Your Assembly Kit path]\
 └── working_data\
     └── campaign_maps\
         └── YourMapName\     ◄── Where processed files will be exported
             └── debug\       ◄── Where debug images will go
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

The map file (map.hex) is completely empty at this stage. Every hex on the grid has: - No region assigned - No terrain type (ground type) assigned - No climate assigned - No attrition assigned - No roads, bridges, rivers, or other features

CAIME immediately reads the Assembly Kit database after creating the file. Because you already set up the database entries in Dave, the Swatches panel will populate with your regions and terrain types and you can begin painting straight away.

6. Game-Specific Differences

Different games support different subsets of painting layers and have different database requirements. Use the section for your game.

Layer Support at a Glance

The following eleven layers are available in every supported game: Impassable · Roads · Town Slots · Town Sprawl · Bridges · Rivers · Beaches · Regions · Attritions · Climates · Ground Types

The four layers below are not universally available — check the table to see which games include them:

Layer Rome II Attila Thrones Warhammer WH II WH III 3 Kingdoms Troy Pharaoh Pharaoh Dynasties
Trade Routes ✓ ✓ ✓ — — — ✓ — — —
Restrictions — ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Region Borders — ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Areas of Interest — — — — — ✓ ✓ — — —

Rome II

Detail Value
Map format version 13
Layers not available Restrictions, Region Borders, Areas of Interest
Special DB requirement None

Rome II has the simplest format. It is the only game that includes Trade Routes but lacks both Restrictions and Region Borders. No database tables beyond the standard set in Section 2 are required.

Attila & Thrones of Britannia

Detail Value
Map format version 15
Layers not available Areas of Interest
Special DB requirement None

Both games have the full layer set except Areas of Interest. No extra database tables are required beyond the standard set.

Warhammer, Warhammer II & Troy

Detail Value
Map format version 18
Layers not available Trade Routes, Areas of Interest
Special DB requirement None

These three games share the same map format version. Trade Routes is not available — the layer will not appear in the Layers panel at all. No extra database tables are required.

Three Kingdoms

Detail Value
Map format version 19
Layers not available None — all layers are available
Special DB requirement campaign_map_areas_of_interest

Three Kingdoms is the only game that supports every layer simultaneously, including both Trade Routes and Areas of Interest. Because Areas of Interest is active, you must populate one extra table in Dave before opening the map:

campaign_map_areas_of_interest

What it is: Registers special named points on the map (e.g., landmarks, resource nodes) that can be assigned to individual hexes.

What to add: One record per area of interest you want on your map.

Field What to enter
campaign_map The exact name of your map
key A unique internal name for this area of interest

Without entries in this table, the Areas of Interest layer in CAIME will be empty and you will not be able to assign any areas of interest to hexes.

Warhammer III

Detail Value
Map format version 20
Layers not available Trade Routes
Special DB requirement campaign_map_areas_of_interest

Warhammer III supports Areas of Interest but not Trade Routes. As with Three Kingdoms, you must add entries to campaign_map_areas_of_interest in Dave before opening the map (same table structure described in the Three Kingdoms section above).

Pharaoh & Pharaoh Dynasties

Pharaoh Dynasties shares the same map format as Pharaoh and behaves identically in CAIME. Select whichever matches your map in the Game dropdown — Pharaoh or Pharaoh_Dynasties.

Detail Value
Map format version 18 (same as Warhammer group)
Layers not available Trade Routes, Areas of Interest
Special DB requirement Extra index field in campaign_map_regions
Special region handling Combined land+sea index (see below)

Pharaoh uses a unique system for storing regions in the binary map file. Instead of land regions and sea regions being stored separately (as in all other games), all regions are stored together in a single combined list, sorted by a numeric index.

This has two consequences:

1. The campaign_map_regions table for Pharaoh has an extra index field.

When adding your regions in Dave, each entry needs an index value — a whole number starting from 1. The index values must be correct before you open the map in CAIME, because CAIME reads them on load and will refuse to open the map if the index values do not match the order stored in the binary file. The convention is: land regions first, then sea regions, each numbered sequentially with no gaps.

Example Region type index
my_map_region_egypt land 1
my_map_region_nubia land 2
my_map_region_nile land 3
my_map_region_redcoast sea 4
my_map_region_medsea sea 5

2. CAIME only reads these index values — it never writes back to Dave.

If you add, remove, or reorder regions after initial setup, you must update the index values in Dave first, then reload the map in CAIME. CAIME will not correct or repair mismatched indices on its own.

How Pharaoh region order works in CAIME:
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

  campaign_map_regions (Dave)           map.hex binary file
  ───────────────────────────           ────────────────────
  my_map    egypt    index=1            Slot 0: egypt
  my_map    nubia    index=2     ─────► Slot 1: nubia
  my_map    nile     index=3            Slot 2: nile
  my_map    redcoast index=4            Slot 3: redcoast
  my_map    medsea   index=5            Slot 4: medsea

  CAIME reads these indices on load. Dave is the source of truth.

7. The Big Picture: Order of Operations

Here is the complete recommended sequence for creating a brand new map from scratch:

STEP 1: In CAIME
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Settings → Preferences
  └─ For each game: set Assembly kit path → Save


STEP 2: In Dave (Assembly Kit database editor)
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Add your map name to these tables:
  ├── campaign_maps              (register the map)
  ├── campaigns                  (link map to campaign)
  ├── regions                    (define each new region + RGB colour)
  ├── campaign_map_regions       (link regions to your map)
  ├── campaign_map_roads         (road costs per campaign)
  │
  └── IF Three Kingdoms or Warhammer III:
      └── campaign_map_areas_of_interest


STEP 3: In CAIME
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
File → Create new map (Ctrl+N)
  ├── Type your Campaign map name  (MUST match the Dave entries)
  ├── Choose Template: None
  ├── Choose your Game
  ├── Set Map size
  └── Click Create
       │
       ▼
  CAIME creates Projects\YourMapName\map.hex
  CAIME reads the Assembly Kit database
  Swatches panel populates with your regions, terrain types, etc.


STEP 4: Start painting!
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Select a Layer in the Layers panel →
Select a Swatch → Paint on the map canvas

8. Pro-Tips & Troubleshooting

  • The Swatches panel is empty after creating my map. This means CAIME could not find any entries for your map in the Assembly Kit database. Open Dave and confirm that your map name in the campaign_map column of campaign_map_regions exactly matches what you typed in the CAIME dialog (case-sensitive). Then reload the map with File → Reload (Ctrl+R).

  • CAIME shows a "failed to load" error when opening the new map. This usually means one of two things: (a) the Assembly Kit path for your game is not set in Settings → Preferences, or (b) one of the required tables (such as regions or campaign_map_regions) has no valid entries in the Assembly Kit's raw_data\db\ folder. Check both before retrying.

  • I typed an odd number for the map width and got an error. Map widths must be even numbers (e.g., 512, 1016, 1024). This is a technical requirement of the hex grid layout. Simply increase or decrease your width by 1 to make it even.

  • My Pharaoh map will not open — CAIME says the region indices are mismatched. The index values in campaign_map_regions in Dave no longer match the order stored in the map.hex binary file. Open Dave, correct the index values so that land regions are numbered first and sea regions follow, with no gaps, then try opening the map again in CAIME. If you are unsure what order the binary file expects, restore your last working map.hex from the auto-backup folder (Projects\YourMapName\) and compare.

  • I added or removed regions — how do I make CAIME reflect the change? Always make region changes in Dave first: add or remove the rows in regions and campaign_map_regions, then switch to CAIME and reload the map with File → Reload (Ctrl+R). CAIME reads the database on load and will pick up whatever is currently in Dave. It never writes back to the database, so changes made only inside CAIME's interface will be lost on the next reload.

  • I see a warning about exceeding 731,520 hexes. This is a performance advisory, not a hard limit. If your map is very large you may notice slower painting and longer processing times. For most custom campaigns, the default 1016 × 720 canvas is more than enough.

  • Can I change the game type after creating the map? No. The game type is baked into the binary map file at creation time and cannot be changed. If you selected the wrong game, you must create a new project. You can, however, copy individual layer data to the new project using Tools → Import → Layer data. This is a subject to change in future CAIME releases.