[help request] extracting universe map data

[nponoBegHuk]

After rather long inactivity time, I returned to X3TC and currently working on an update to my fast sector selection spreadsheet. There are algorithms that can make the shortcut generation process fully automated and errorproof but they require collecting rather large set of data from the game. This data can be collected manually (which I am actually doing right now) but this method is prone to errors and very tedious.

I am pretty sure there is a way to extract the data I need to work with from the game files, but, unfortunately, I'm not familiarized with X3 scripting so the community help is needed.

The stuff I need to know:

• sector name (obviously)
• sector index (like Kingdom End = 1, Rolk's Drift = 2 and so on). I'm pretty sure that Shareholder's Fortune goes between Saturn and Saturn 2 against all the logic.
• sector coordinates (like in Nicholas Kabourakis sector map I'm not sure if the game uses indexing or coordinate system for the sector priority on the universe map, either will do.
• data on which sector will I get into if I press Left/Right/Up/Down on the universe map while targeting current sector. For instance, you cannot reach Heaven's Assertion from Consecrated Fire even though it's apparently right next to it. If there is no such data there has to be a map exploration algorigthm somewhere which can be easily discovered if there indeed is a coordinate system involved

Any advice on the script commands which will allow me to generate this kind of output will be much appreciated. Maybe some tool to look inside the game files?

Share your thoughts, let's unveil the mysteries of the x3 map navigation!

EDIT: allright, found an information about sector IDs and coordinates inside game files. no sign of arrow navigation data or algorithm though. If there's a gate in the sector you're targeting that corresponds to the direction you're going to move on the universe map, you'll get to the gate destination sector. The things get more complicated when there is no gate link on the direction that you want to go (Consecrated Fire -> Heaven's Assertion transition comes to mind again)