For some reason that I can't figure, the default map is not visible if, and only if, there is no map included with the project at compile time.
Numbered Steps to Reproduce Problem:
Create a client
Code Snippet (if applicable) to Reproduce Problem:
world/icon_size = "30x20"
client
view = 20
New()
..()
var/obj/O = new
O.icon = 'BG.png' //gray image with dimensions of 600x400
O.screen_loc = "1,1"
screen+=O
Expected Results:
The map should be visible and there should be a gray box on the screen.
Actual Results:
The map is not visible. mainvsplit.left is null where it should be "mapwindow".
This problem occurs:
On all of my computers, each with a different version of BYOND (481, 482, 483) and Windows (XP, 7, 7-64.
When does the problem NOT occur?
When I forcibly set mainvsplit.left=mapwindow.
Workarounds:
If I include a custom skin, the map displays just fine.
This is a very annoying issue because I quite often do not use maps and quite often I have found the project to not work and gone back and not been able to locate the issue, until last night. Now I know that there was nothing wrong on my end.
If you set values for world.maxx/y/z, you will have a map to display. But without that, and with no maps compiled in, there is no global map and hence HUDs lose a lot of meaning.