Many people use the IMTS file format because we use IMTS or some variant of it. The text files are your best bet, as they're what's used to "compile" the maps into the binary version, anyhow. MudBot is a proxy, and that's how the mapper module gets the text and parses out the room titles and exits so well.

The pathfinding algorithm is probably the best you'll find anywhere for an IRE game. It works across multiple areas, you can turn certain areas off (so you don't run through enemy territory), and it even dynamically adjusts where you move based on other factors, such as random movement along the way.

So, my question to you now is: why are you parsing the maps yourself and building shims rather than just using IMTS/LMTS/whatever instead?

I'm writing a GUI (Gnome based) one. I wanted to break out the mapping part from the main screen. What IMTS etc does was fine, I just didn't like the look as it confused me.

Theoretically, however, you could alter the IMTS/LMTS mapper module to communicate with your GUI display. Depending on how you implemented your GUI, you could use triggers in your client or Lua script in the ILua module. I update my zMUD mapper when I'm speedwalking with LMTS. It's not 100% perfect, but it suits my needs.

Which is the way I will be heading with it. I've tried the latest LMTS and its working quite well (with that block message fix)