How To Map: A Tutorial

[malignus]

Um... sort of. You're saying that the RGB values are not hexidecimal?

[Frymaster]

I think he was talking about the 4th figure in the colour parameters, the one which has been identified as an alpha (transparancy) value

[kuun_drax]

hi

www.newweb.org/kdx/

rubrique maps

370 maps :blink:

[iron_man123]

Originally posted by malignus
Um... sort of. You're saying that the RGB values are not hexidecimal?

Your doc implies that they are between 0 and 1 as a decimal value. I found the color is between 0-255. Hex does not seem to be needed, but I have not put in FF anywhere, but I have used 3 digits such as 100 or 160. It would seem to work the same way color is described in the Paint programs. They use color values the same way. I have not tried to use them in the dustcloud yet, but I will let you know.

So is the fourth value a degree of transparency between 0-1?

[iron_man123]

Originally posted by kuun_drax
hi

www.newweb.org/kdx/

rubrique maps

370 maps :blink:

These are not HomeWorld 2 maps, and the site is in French.

[iron_man123]

Originally posted by Alpha_1
Why is everyone using start pos =1 insteads of 0,1,2,3,4,& 5? Doesn't the start position of the player have to coenside with the player number?

I believe ID controls the player position not start pos. I tried puting in the correct start pos and it crashed.

[iron_man123]

Originally posted by malignus
Um... sort of. You're saying that the RGB values are not hexidecimal?

I have tested some more and found that all the color parameters are 0 - 255 in all settings. The interesting thing is that the colors are compounded when items overlap in the same locations. This intensifies the color effect. If you put two nebula's in the same location with different colors, the resulting color is a combination of the two with double the strength.

As for the 4th parameter, it is 0-1 and can be decimal and is a transparency effect.

Fog Settings:
I finally found out what this does. It will act as a shadow effect on objects in a map. It does not produce any fog effect. This should be used when using a nebula on the whole map. The color setting should be the opposite color of the nebula surrounding the map. This would be true physics effects of colors and visual effects. An example is our sky color is light blue and the sun appears yellow orange. If the sky color were redish the sun would appear cyan in color. To show this in the color numbers using RGB, use {100,0,0} on the nebula and {0,100,100} on the fogSetColour command when FogSetActive(1).

Still, I have no idea what fogSetType("linear") and
fogSetDensity(1) do.

Another interesting note on Nebulas:
The misty fog will only be seen when looking toward the center of the nebula in a 90 degree arch left or right of center. If you look at a object in the nebula, away from the center of the nebula, the misty effect disappears. So this makes populating a map difficult, where all visable directions show a fog effect. You will need to put many nebulas, where the center is on the edge of the map and not in the center of the map.

Hope this helps some map makers.

Iron_Man123.

[Gervahlt]

I wanted to create a map where a tiny advantage might be assigned at random to any of four given players...without having to code everything separately.

Generally, starting positions are fixed and resource amounts are the same to all four players, but I wanted the resource groups to vary in actual configuration (same amounts and types, just moving a bit from player to player) while giving a possible advantage to a random player by moving the starting resource groups to different distances in relation to their starting point. Here's the end result:

function DetermChunk()

for x=0,3,1 do

if x == 0 then
xaxis=-20000
yaxis=0
zaxis=0
Pointname = "StartPos0"
else if x == 1 then
xaxis = 0
yaxis = -20000
zaxis = 0
Pointname = "StartPos1"
else if x == 2 then
xaxis = 20000
yaxis = 0
zaxis = 0
Pointname = "StartPos2"
else
xaxis = 0
yaxis = 20000
zaxis = 0
Pointname = "StartPos3"
end
end
end

addPoint(Pointname, {xaxis, zaxis, yaxis}, {0,90,0})

posnegx = random(1,2)
if posnegx == 1 then posnegx = -1
else posnegx = 1
end
offsetx = posnegx * random(500,4500)

posnegy = random(1,2)
if posnegy == 1 then posnegy = -1
else posnegy = 1
end
offsety = posnegy * random(1000,4500)

posnegz = random(1,2)
if posnegz == 1 then posnegz = -1
else posnegz = 1
end
offsetz = posnegz * random(500,4500)

-- Starting Resource Cluster

addAsteroid("Asteroid_5", {xaxis + offsetx, zaxis + offsetz, yaxis + offsety}, 38.62, 0, 0, 0, 0)
addAsteroid("Asteroid_3", {xaxis + offsetx + random(-1000,1000), zaxis + offsetz + random(-1000,1000), yaxis + offsety + random(-1000,1000)}, 85.4, 0, 0, 0, 0)
addAsteroid("Asteroid_3", {xaxis + offsetx + random(-1000,1000), zaxis + offsetz + random(-1000,1000), yaxis + offsety + random(-1000,1000)}, 60.3, 0, 0, 0, 0)
addAsteroid("Asteroid_4", {xaxis + offsetx + random(-1000,1000), zaxis + offsetz + random(-1000,1000), yaxis + offsety + random(-1000,1000)}, 110.17, 0, 0, 0, 0)
addAsteroid("Asteroid_3", {xaxis + offsetx + random(-1000,1000), zaxis + offsetz + random(-1000,1000), yaxis + offsety + random(-1000,1000)}, 90.9, 0, 0, 0, 0)
addAsteroid("Asteroid_2", {xaxis + offsetx + random(-1000,1000), zaxis + offsetz + random(-1000,1000), yaxis + offsety + random(-1000,1000)}, 100, 0, 0, 0, 0)
addAsteroid("Asteroid_2", {xaxis + offsetx + random(-1000,1000), zaxis + offsetz + random(-1000,1000), yaxis + offsety + random(-1000,1000)}, 100, 0, 0, 0, 0)

end

setWorldBoundsInner({0, 0, 0}, {25000, 25000, 25000})
end

Good luck!

**edit: I just realized that you'll also need to add a variable for ship rotation that will change depending on the player so that all four players will face the center.

By the way...anyone know if a case statement is valid, or does everything need to done with if...then...else? Thanks.

[iron_man123]

Originally posted by Gervahlt

By the way...anyone know if a case statement is valid, or does everything need to done with if...then...else? Thanks.

Unfortunately, there is no CASE statement that I found. Also your random location code is a little lengthly. Try this as some random negative sign coding:

xsign,ysign,zsign = 0,0,0
while xsign == 0 and ysign == 0 and zsign == 0 do
xsign = random(-1,1)
ysign = random(-1,1)
zsign = random(-1,1)
end

And for some big pieces around the map use:

bigcnklg = {"meg_asteroid"," meg_asteroid_nosubs","meg_asteroid_mp"," meg_balcoragate","meg_bentus"}
bigpart = bigchklg[random(5)]
addSquadron(bigpart, bigpart, {x, z, y}, -1, {0, 0, 0}, 0, 0)
x,z,y can be random generated points in your map.
The key here is that you don't need to specify the exact piece being placed.

I tried this with addSalvage, but it did not seem to work.

Good luck programmers!

[LightStar]

"The interesting thing is that the colors are compounded when items overlap in the same locations. This intensifies the color effect. If you put two nebula's in the same location with different colors, the resulting color is a combination of the two with double the strength."

That's the lightening effect you get with RGB colors. Photoshop also has a Lighten feature for layers--and basically what it does is instead of having one layer completely overlap the other, it makes it transparent and able to "lighten" the layer underneath.

Colors that seem to work REALLY well in lighten mode: Red/Blue/Purple, Green/Orange, Blue/Aqua/Green. I've noodled a LOT with Lighten and layers of nebula-like clouds in Photoshop for space-scenery wallpaper, and there's no end to the fun you can have with colors.

Makes me wonder if you can do custom backdrops for maps in programs like Photoshop? The problem is getting the thing to "wrap" when you spin your view around 360 degrees....

And for the Mothership righting itself....That's funny! I'll have to putz to get that.

And thanks for the map editing info...I have DEFINITELY wanted this stuff for a while! (Now, to have enough time this weekend to program it in and test it out along with my new home-made badges.) :devil:

[redknight4]

well the hw2 modding tools have relesed finaly and we can make even cooler maps and/or mods.

awsome

[iron_man123]

Originally posted by redknight4
well the hw2 modding tools have relesed finaly and we can make even cooler maps and/or mods.

awsome

Where are they at??????????????????

[Geritol_OMO]

Ok, I am totally aggravated now. I gave trying to make maps, because the maps would not show up in the list in game. I just played a nice new map online - Tanis Hunt, but I can't find the level file and the map doesn't show in game. I made the folders as follows. Hopefully one of you guys can see where I went wrong.

C:\Program Files\Sierra\Homeworld2\Data\leveldata\multiplayer\deathmatch\

[Gervahlt]

Are there any files in that folder? When you play the game it may not actually create a copy of the map on your computer, but simply load it into RAM...not sure on this.

If it's there but still doesn't show, try changing the "leveldata" part to "LevelData". I don't think it would be case sensitive, but I've seen stranger things in games.

[nickersonm]

Downloaded maps are in the \Release\something dir I believe. Do a search for *.level files.

- nickersonm

[iron_man123]

Originally posted by Geritol_OMO
Ok, I am totally aggravated now. I gave trying to make maps, because the maps would not show up in the list in game. I just played a nice new map online - Tanis Hunt, but I can't find the level file and the map doesn't show in game. I made the folders as follows. Hopefully one of you guys can see where I went wrong.

C:\Program Files\Sierra\Homeworld2\Data\leveldata\multiplayer\deathmatch\

I think data should be in lowercase.

[redknight4]

It can be found at www.relic.com/rdn you have to register in order to get them.

[bobthedog]

one really stupid thing I've found is that the nebulae are only colored on the side that is lit by the local lighsources (i.e. the sun or whatever). so:


(no light)-------(Nebula)-------(Light SOurce)


the nebula will be colored on the Right side and black on the left.

really silly if ya ask me.... or did I miss osmething?

[xksimon]

when i finish my text.level, i put it in the Data\LevelData\multiplayer\deathmatch
but i launch the HW2.exe , 10 seconds after the game was shuntdown itself, it about my map data :

levelDesc = "A"
maxPlayers = 2

player = {}

player[0] = {
id = 0,
name = "Vaygr",
resources = 10000,
raceID = 1,
startPos = 1,
}

player[1] = {
id = 1,
name = "Hiigaran",
resources = 10000,
raceID = 0,
startPos = 1,
}

function DetermChunk()
addPoint("StartPos0", {-6000, 0, 0}, {0, 90, 0})
addPoint("StartPos1", {6000, 0, 0}, {0, 270, 0})

addAsteroid("Asteroid_4", {-7700, 600, 400}, 100, 100, 100, 100, 100)
addAsteroid("Asteroid_4", {-7600, 650, 420}, 100, 100, 100, 100, 100)
addAsteroid("Asteroid_4", {-7500, 625 440}, 100, 100, 100, 100, 100)
addAsteroid("Asteroid_4", {8700, 600, 400}, 100, 100, 100, 100, 100)
addAsteroid("Asteroid_4", {8600, 625, 420}, 100, 100, 100, 100, 100)
addAsteroid("Asteroid_4", {8500, 650, 440}, 100, 100, 100, 100, 100)
addDustCloud("polySurface1", "dustcloud_0", {7000, 0, 525}, {1, 1, 1, 1}, 0, 3)
addDustCloud("polySurface1", "dustcloud_0", {6500, 0, 550}, {1, 1, 1, 1}, 0, 3)
addDustCloud("polySurface1", "dustcloud_0", {1, 0, 6000}, {1, 1, 1, 1}, 0, 3)
addDustCloud("polySurface1", "dustcloud_0", {1, 0, 5500}, {1, 1, 1, 1}, 0, 3)
addDustCloud("polySurface1", "dustcloud_0", {1, 0, 5000}, {1, 1, 1, 1}, 0, 3)
addDustCloud("polySurface1", "dustcloud_0", {1, 0, 4500}, {1, 1, 1, 1}, 0, 3)
addDustCloud("polySurface1", "dustcloud_0", {1, 0, 4000}, {1, 1, 1, 1}, 0, 3)
addDustCloud("polySurface1", "dustcloud_0", {1, 0, 3500}, {1, 1, 1, 1}, 0, 3)
addDustCloud("polySurface1", "dustcloud_0", {1, 0, 3000}, {1, 1, 1, 1}, 0, 3)
addDustCloud("polySurface1", "dustcloud_0", {1, 0, 2500}, {1, 1, 1, 1}, 0, 3)
addDustCloud("polySurface1", "dustcloud_0", {1, 0, 2000}, {1, 1, 1, 1}, 0, 3)
addDustCloud("polySurface1", "dustcloud_0", {1, 0, 1500}, {1, 1, 1, 1}, 0, 3)
addDustCloud("polySurface1", "dustcloud_0", {1, 0, 1000}, {1, 1, 1, 1}, 0, 3)
addDustCloud("polySurface1", "dustcloud_0", {1, 0, 500}, {1, 1, 1, 1}, 0, 3)
addDustCloud("polySurface1", "dustcloud_0", {-1, 0, -500}, {1, 1, 1, 1}, 0, 3)
addDustCloud("polySurface1", "dustcloud_0", {-1, 0, -1000}, {1, 1, 1, 1}, 0, 3)
addDustCloud("polySurface1", "dustcloud_0", {-1, 0, -1500}, {1, 1, 1, 1}, 0, 3)
addDustCloud("polySurface1", "dustcloud_0", {-1, 0, -2000}, {1, 1, 1, 1}, 0, 3)
addDustCloud("polySurface1", "dustcloud_0", {-1, 0, -2500}, {1, 1, 1, 1}, 0, 3)
addDustCloud("polySurface1", "dustcloud_0", {-1, 0, -3000}, {1, 1, 1, 1}, 0, 3)
addDustCloud("polySurface1", "dustcloud_0", {-1, 0, -3500}, {1, 1, 1, 1}, 0, 3)
addDustCloud("polySurface1", "dustcloud_0", {-1, 0, -4000}, {1, 1, 1, 1}, 0, 3)
addDustCloud("polySurface1", "dustcloud_0", {-1, 0, -4500}, {1, 1, 1, 1}, 0, 3)
addDustCloud("polySurface1", "dustcloud_0", {-1, 0, -5000}, {1, 1, 1, 1}, 0, 3)
addDustCloud("polySurface1", "dustcloud_0", {-1, 0, -5500}, {1, 1, 1, 1}, 0, 3)
addDustCloud("polySurface1", "dustcloud_0", {-1, 0, -6000}, {1, 1, 1, 1}, 0, 3)
addDustCloud("polySurface1", "dustcloud_0", {-1, 0, -6500}, {1, 1, 1, 1}, 0, 3)
addDustCloud("polySurface1", "dustcloud_0", {-1, 0, -7000}, {1, 1, 1, 1}, 0, 3)
addPebble("Pebble_0", {1, 0, 0}, 0, 0, 0)

setWorldBoundsInner({0, 0, 0}, {20000, 10000, 20000})
end

function NonDetermChunk()

fogSetActive(0)
setGlareIntensity(0)
setLevelShadowColour(0, 0, 0, 1)
loadBackground("m01")
setSensorsManagerCameraDistances(5000, 20000)
setDefaultMusic("Data:sound/music/battle/battle_01")
end

one more question , when i tried add the ship in the .level file , the map must be error ......... is it right?

[pencil]

i ll have a try..

[iron_man123]

Originally posted by xksimon
when i finish my text.level, i put it in the Data\LevelData\multiplayer\deathmatch
but i launch the HW2.exe , 10 seconds after the game was shuntdown itself, it about my map data :


one more question , when i tried add the ship in the .level file , the map must be error ......... is it right?

the format for asteriod is: addAsteroid("AsteroidType", {X, Z, Y}, RU, ?, ?, ?, ?) .
you have 100 in all ? values, try 0.
Oh and get rid of Pebble_0, try 1 or 2.
You can also comment your line by adding -- to the front of the line. This can help debug a level. Put the -- in all lines in question and run HW until you can startup. Then just remove the -- and test again. This is the only way I found I could debug my typo errors. If you don't have the manual in the first part of this thread, I suggest you get it. Even the wrong font type can cause errors as I found out, so use note pad to mod .level files.

[Mikali]

Can I have your permission to add this to the wiki?

-Mikail

[Mikali]

Originally posted by nickersonm
Downloaded maps are in the \Release\something dir I believe. Do a search for *.level files.

- nickersonm

No, they're in the Bin\Profiles\levels directory.

-Mikail

[Mikali]

Originally posted by kuun_drax
hi

www.newweb.org/kdx/

rubrique maps

370 maps :blink:

Great site!

-Mikail

[justme]

Originally posted by Mikail


Great site!

-Mikail

maybe but it s missing CATA

[iron_man123]

Originally posted by Mikail


Great site!

-Mikail

Yeah, Great if you can read French!! I don't know why it does some in English, but very difficult to understand the site.

[iron_man123]

Originally posted by Mikail
Can I have your permission to add this to the wiki?

-Mikail

Who or What were you refering to?? What is 'wiki'?

[Mikali]

Originally posted by iron_man123


Who or What were you refering to?? What is 'wiki'?

The Homeworld 2 Wiki
http://hw2.tproc.org/wiki/KarosGraveyard

[Mikali]

Pebble_3 and DustCloud_NoCharge seem to crash the game.

And, M05_NebualDustCloud_NoRes, M05_NebualDustCloud_NoRes2, and M05_NebualDustCloud_NoRes3 are actually misspelled that way!

-Mikail

[Mikali]

Originally posted by iron_man123


Yeah, Great if you can read French!! I don't know why it does some in English, but very difficult to understand the site.

Yeah, I can't read French, either. But, they did a posh job. The site is much more of a centralized resource than most HW sites.

-Mikail

[Mikali]

If you would like to add my instructions on how to create basic shapes to your tutorial, go ahead. Here's the url:

http://forums.relicnews.com/showthre...492#post288492

-Mikail

[Mikali]

I can't seem to get the thumbnail image to work. All I get is a blank white image. I'm saving it as a 512x512 uncompressed 24bit TGA. I've tried using three different paint programs...

grrr...

-Mikail

[edit]
Well, I got one of them to wotk accidentaly.
I suggest that people should mark the starting positions on the TGA when making a new map. The Homeworld font could be used.
[/edit]

[iron_man123]

Originally posted by Mikail
Can I have your permission to add this to the wiki?

-Mikail

So who's permission are you asking, and what info are you referring to? Again the same question! Answering half of the question is not a answer.

[iron_man123]

Originally posted by Mikail
I can't seem to get the thumbnail image to work. All I get is a blank white image. I'm saving it as a 512x512 uncompressed 24bit TGA. I've tried using three different paint programs...

grrr...

-Mikail

[edit]
Well, I got one of them to wotk accidentaly.
I suggest that people should mark the starting positions on the TGA when making a new map. The Homeworld font could be used.
[/edit]

I got it to work using 256 x 256 tga from Paint Shop Pro v7. If you still are getting a white background you might have a transparency color set to white. I would get rid of the transparency and make sure it is in the correct directory.
Just suggestions!

[Eiden]

Where are teh maps with teh structures that you can capture for production and whatnot? We should make some...

[malignus]

Originally posted by Mikail
Can I have your permission to add this to the wiki?

-Mikail

If you're talking about my tutorial, the answer is yes. Otherwise, uh, I dunno.

[Mikali]

The tutorial has been copied to the wiki.

http://hw2.tproc.org/wiki/MappingTutorial

I reorganized some of the sections. I also fixed a typo.

-Mikail

[edit]Oh, I took out the DetermChunk stuff because the way I reorganized it made it inconvenient. You might want to add that back in there.

[cjergl]

I know this is kinda "out there".. but I was wondering if there's anyway to delay a player's entry into a game via scripting or whatever....

For example, I have a 2v2 map, but I want player 1 and 3 to enter the arena first, and players 2 and 4 to hyper in at say 3 minutes into the game.

Or better yet, player 1 and 2 begin the map and then a player 3 hypers in at 3 minutes.... :-) etc.

Is this even possible?


I think this kind of thing would add needed depth to HW2 multiplayer games. What do you think? and what do you know?

woolph

[IcePirate]

Originally posted by Mikail
I suggest that people should mark the starting positions on the TGA when making a new map. The Homeworld font could be used.

Best idea I've heard in a while. Trying to remember the wacky even/odd start positions on some of these maps is tough. I keep a set of notes posted by the computer so I can get them right when I host.

Please, please, do this when making your map thumbnails.

[ufo]

this is off topic, but iron_man123 what is your picture from?

[ufo]

ok, when i add the leveldata/multiplayer/deathmatch folders my hw will not start, but when i remove them it starts fine. WTF

[Mikali]

Originally posted by ufo
ok, when i add the leveldata/multiplayer/deathmatch folders my hw will not start, but when i remove them it starts fine. WTF

leveldata is spelled LevelData.

-Mikail

[Mikali]

nvm

[Vapidfire]

*SHameless Plug*

Lathe of Sajuuk is a new map tool that will help you make maps and avoid some of the tedious edition involved. Get it at:

http://www.liscoplus.com/~vapidfire/dls.htm

[malignus]

What does it do?

[bobthedog]

it lets ya specify settings in amap that can either be somewhat random or fairly static.

i.e. you can say maxe a dustcloud that could be 10 to 50 KM wide or you can say make it so it's ONLY 30 KM wide.

but it does more than than. it's an entire level creator...

take a look.

and the randomization is done during the map output so the levels ARE compatible with MP.

[Ethernet]

Can you change the RU values for asteroids?

[JediMaster]

no, but you can change the RU multiplier.

[Nikolaia]

Broken Links!!!

Seems that the links are no longer available..could someone send me the .pdf please
Thanks
AurisLT@gmx.at :sam:

[Locutus]

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh! The horror of the necromancy! Reki, think you could send this thread over to me, got several beginning mappers that could use such a thread. Something related to map-making really belongs in the RDN doesn't it?