Zero-K - User contributions [en]

Map Creation

2018-06-04T20:32:48Z

TheMooseIsLoose: correct name of mouse to mexes widget

Maps are 7z archives which, at their most basic, consist of three image files packaged in a particular way. They can be found in <code>Zero-K/Maps</code> and be zipped or unziped with [https://www.7-zip.org/download.html| 7zip]. Maps can contain more than their three image files, including:
* Metal spot layout.
* Start area configuration.
* Tree, rock or any other models to be placed as map features.
* Arbitrary code and units changes that can arbitrarily modify the game. See [[Mod Creation]].

= Creating maps =
Beginner mapping tutorial for SpringRTS is located here: https://springrts.com/wiki/Mapdev:Tutorial_Simple

Ask for help in #zkmap in on the [https://discord.gg/PRv7uy| Zero-K Discord server].

Here are some SpringRTS (the engine) links [https://springrts.com/wiki/Mapdev:Main] [https://springrts.com/wiki/Map,_Game,_And_Unit_Development_Programs#Map_Creation]

== Startboxes ==

Startboxes are loaded from /mapconfig/map_startboxes.lua and can be generated ingame with the Startbox Editor widget included with the game. Alt-F11 to toggle.

Full guide for the startbox editor here: http://zero-k.info/Forum/Thread/20485

== Metal Configuration and Spot Graphics ==

Metal spots on maps are done via Lua configs. They can be generated ingame with the dbg_mouse_to_mex_portable.lua widget, available at [https://github.com/The-Yak/mexes_grounddecal_autoplacer | TheMooseIsLoose's github.]

Download that repo as a zip and extract into your map folder. Load the map in ZK, enable cheats, and then enable Mouse to Mexes in your alt-f11 widget menu. Click to create new metal spots, the values and positions will be automatically saved to your game data directory. Copy and paste the content from MexSpots_YourMap to your /mapconfig/map_metal_layout.lua

= Running maps =
== Local testing ==
To run a map locally put it in <code>Zero-K/Maps</code> then start the game. Untick 'Only featured maps' in <code>Settings -> Lobby</code> and start a singleplayer skirmish game. Select 'Advanced', click 'Change Map' and select your map from the list.

== Multiplayer ==
Upload your map to https://springfiles.com/ to make it downloadable and playable by others. Some admin action to feature/support the map may also be required.

Map Creation

2018-05-26T21:26:52Z

TheMooseIsLoose: /* Metal Configuration and Spot Graphics */

Maps are 7z archives which, at their most basic, consist of three image files packaged in a particular way. They can be found in <code>Zero-K/Maps</code> and be zipped or unziped with [https://www.7-zip.org/download.html| 7zip]. Maps can contain more than their three image files, including:
* Metal spot layout.
* Start area configuration.
* Tree, rock or any other models to be placed as map features.
* Arbitrary code and units changes that can arbitrarily modify the game. See [[Mod Creation]].

= Creating maps =
Beginner mapping tutorial for SpringRTS is located here: https://springrts.com/wiki/Mapdev:Tutorial_Simple

Ask for help in #zkmap in on the [https://discord.gg/PRv7uy| Zero-K Discord server].

Here are some SpringRTS (the engine) links [https://springrts.com/wiki/Mapdev:Main] [https://springrts.com/wiki/Map,_Game,_And_Unit_Development_Programs#Map_Creation]

== Startboxes ==

Startboxes are loaded from /mapconfig/map_startboxes.lua and can be generated ingame with the Startbox Editor widget included with the game. Alt-F11 to toggle.

Full guide for the startbox editor here: http://zero-k.info/Forum/Thread/20485

== Metal Configuration and Spot Graphics ==

Metal spots on maps are done via Lua configs. They can be generated ingame with the dbg_mouse_to_mex_portable.lua widget, available at [https://github.com/The-Yak/mexes_grounddecal_autoplacer | TheMooseIsLoose's github.]

Download that repo as a zip and extract into your map folder. Load the map in ZK, enable cheats, and then enable Debug Mouse to Mex in your alt-f11 widget menu. Click to create new metal spots, the values and positions will be automatically saved to your game data directory. Copy and paste the content from MexSpots_YourMap to your /mapconfig/map_metal_layout.lua

= Running maps =
== Local testing ==
To run a map locally put it in <code>Zero-K/Maps</code> then start the game. Untick 'Only featured maps' in <code>Settings -> Lobby</code> and start a singleplayer skirmish game. Select 'Advanced', click 'Change Map' and select your map from the list.

== Multiplayer ==
Upload your map to https://springfiles.com/ to make it downloadable and playable by others. Some admin action to feature/support the map may also be required.

Map Creation

2018-05-03T19:10:12Z

TheMooseIsLoose: Basic rundown on startboxes and metal spots.

Maps are 7z archives which, at their most basic, consist of three image files packaged in a particular way. They can be found in <code>Zero-K/Maps</code> and be zipped or unziped with [https://www.7-zip.org/download.html| 7zip]. Maps can contain more than their three image files, including:
* Metal spot layout.
* Start area configuration.
* Tree, rock or any other models to be placed as map features.
* Arbitrary code and units changes that can arbitrarily modify the game. See [[Mod Creation]].

= Creating maps =
Beginner mapping tutorial for SpringRTS is located here: https://springrts.com/wiki/Mapdev:Tutorial_Simple

Ask for help in #zkmap in on the [https://discord.gg/PRv7uy| Zero-K Discord server].

Here are some SpringRTS (the engine) links [https://springrts.com/wiki/Mapdev:Main] [https://springrts.com/wiki/Map,_Game,_And_Unit_Development_Programs#Map_Creation]

== Startboxes ==

Startboxes are loaded from /mapconfig/map_startboxes.lua and can be generated ingame with the Startbox Editor widget included with the game. Alt-F11 to toggle.

Full guide for the startbox editor here: http://zero-k.info/Forum/Thread/20485

== Metal Configuration and Spot Graphics ==

Metal spots on maps are done via Lua configs. They can be generated ingame with the dbg_mouse_to_mex_portable.lua widget, available at [https://github.com/The-Yak/mexes_grounddecal_autoplacer | TheMooseIsLoose's github.]

Download that repo as a zip and extract into your map folder. Load the map in ZK, enable cheats, and then enable Debug Mouse to Mex in your alt-f11 widget menu. Alt-M to toggle on and off. Click to create new metal spots, the values and positions will be automatically saved to your game data directory. Copy and paste the content from MexSpots_YourMap to your /mapconfig/map_metal_layout.lua

= Running maps =
== Local testing ==
To run a map locally put it in <code>Zero-K/Maps</code> then start the game. Untick 'Only featured maps' in <code>Settings -> Lobby</code> and start a singleplayer skirmish game. Select 'Advanced', click 'Change Map' and select your map from the list.

== Multiplayer ==
Upload your map to https://springfiles.com/ to make it downloadable and playable by others. Some admin action to feature/support the map may also be required.

Map Creation

2018-05-03T17:30:28Z

TheMooseIsLoose: added beginner tutorial

User:TheMooseIsLoose

2017-09-12T20:58:13Z

TheMooseIsLoose: /* Primer */

== Blue Sky Noise Mapping Tutorial [Part 1/3] ''draft'' ==

-Uses terresculptor for heightmap work and gimp for diffuse texture, relies on SSMF for materializing

-all free! (but not all foss)

== Primer ==

-Springmapedit aeonios version

-JAVA

-Gimp 2.9 unstable

-terresculptor standard

-a good text editor, Notepad++ or better

-blue texes/gimp .pats

-part 2 needs beherith DNTS pack, gimp dds plugin, featureplacer?, that metal spot widget from ZK repo, anarchid mex gfx placer

-you have at least 8gb of ram, right? gimp will become unpleasant to use if you start needing page file

-'''set gimp to single core'''

== Heightmap with terresculptor and GIMP ==

-menu tools/settings/dimensions check power-of-two +1

-settings/rulers and units/ change units to "generic". Set 1 unit = 174 generic. 1 terresculptor height unit = 174 spring height units

-menu file/new project/ pick 1025

-generate noise/ clamp from bottom to make flatland / erosion / etc

-when ready to export, normalize first

-save as 16-bit greyscale png, mirroring either needs to be done with SME or GIMP (or requires premium terresculptor)

-if diagonal mirroring desired must be done with GIMP

-handpainted paths are also best added with gimp

-when ready, save from GIMP as 16-bit png again

-import terrain in terresculptor

-resample to different size if desired, final small erosion pass

-export heightmap

-Set altitude to desired ingame height. remember 174 spring units for every terresculptor unit. Spring height can be seen in the bottom right corner of altitude window.

-extract 3 slope masks at (degrees) 0 - 27.5, 27.5 - 55, 55-90

-optional 4th height mask for underwater, or snowy mountain caps

-save at least 1 colorset overlay, ensure auto-range colorset is checked

-we are now ready to texture in GIMP

==Diffuse texturing with masks in GIMP==

-put .pat files in correct folder

-preferences / increase tile cache size to 5-6gb or so

-create new image in gimp with correct diffuse texture dimensions [springmapsize x 64 x 8]. in this example they should be 8192x8192

-Image / Mode / set as RGB

-open as layers all the masks

-scale all layers to image size (cubic interpolation okay)

-in the layers tab top right shift-leftclick each layer to convert to a mask

-'''Ensure you are editing the layers for the next step, NOT the masks.''' In the layers dialog on the right, the thumbnail displayed on the left is the layer and the thumbnail on the right is the layer mask. Click on the respective icons to edit either the layer or the mask.

-paint bucket, fill whole selection, pattern, pick one of the brushwalker patterns. Use the tabbed dialogue in the lower right corner to filter patterns to only SpringMapping catagory. Do this for each mask layer, may take a while to fill each layer with tiles.

-open as layers the colormap(s)

-scale layer to image size again, then set layer mode on the right as color[LCH]. Adjust transparency on this layer to change amount of colorizing

-diffuse texture complete, export as .bmp with option "write space header" checked

==testing in spring==

-make new map in SpringMapEdit, set as 16x16

-import heightmap, must be correct dimensions or nothing will happen

-import texture, adjust height in map properties if you want to get a preview before compiling

-menu save as, choose name, this will save the 2 core .smf and .smt files

-put in blueprint or something. (expand on this)

-pick correct height you saw earlier in terresculptor

-start spring.exe and pick your map, Zero-K chobby will also work with .sdd directories with correct settings

-check pathing with f2, vehicle and walker boundaries should align with your texture

== Distribution Map ==

-new image 1024x1024, mode greyscale

-set background color to absolute white

-same open as layers, scale to layer size procedure as before. convert layers to masks. You don't need to keep the aspect ratios of the layers, just make them square. This allows them to be stored most efficiently in GPU memory.

-paint bucket color white, whole selection, of each layer

-right click each layer and remove alpha channel

-image / components / compose , choose color model RGBA. Choose the red, green, blue, and alpha layers to be compiled

-image will likely now be invisible, check the channels tab top right to see your 4 chosen layers

-export as .png or .dds (dxt5)

== Specular Map ==

-open diffuse texture .png with gimp

-scale to 1024x1024

-menu colors / levels and reduce output brightness by about 75%

-export as .png or .dds (dxt5)

==Adding Metal spots==

-enable local widgets in Zero-K, restart

-put the metal spot widget in correct directory, check enabled=true

-load ZK again, place metal spots with widget

-export, name map_metal_layout.lua, put in /mapconfig/

-put anarchid mex fgx widget in correct place. [or just pre-pack .sdd into archive and make tutorial reader download and extract it?]

==Custom colormaps in TerreSculptor==

-colormap export doesn't work atm unless autorange colorset is enabled, workaround is as follows:

-uncheck autorange colorset, adjust altitude to shift and constrain colormap. keep an eye on range.

-probably should set directional light to -90deg, or try and make it match ingame lighting (must be eyeballed)

-menu View, click Axis Tripod off

-Set camera to Top on toolbar, set mouse scroll speed to finest sensitivity, and zoom screen until the scene takes up as much space as it can.

-menu Tools, save screenshot

-Import into gimp, crop to content, and resize it up to your diffuse texture

User:TheMooseIsLoose

2017-09-12T20:57:08Z

TheMooseIsLoose: metalmap draft

== Blue Sky Noise Mapping Tutorial [Part 1/3] ''draft'' ==

-Uses terresculptor for heightmap work and gimp for diffuse texture, relies on SSMF for materializing

-all free! (but not all foss)

== Primer ==

-Springmapedit aeonios version

-JAVA

-Gimp 2.9 unstable

-terresculptor standard

-blue texes/gimp .pats

-part 2 needs beherith DNTS pack, gimp dds plugin, featureplacer?, that metal spot widget from ZK repo, anarchid mex gfx placer

-you have at least 8gb of ram, right? gimp will become unpleasant to use if you start needing page file

-'''set gimp to single core'''

== Heightmap with terresculptor and GIMP ==

-menu tools/settings/dimensions check power-of-two +1

-settings/rulers and units/ change units to "generic". Set 1 unit = 174 generic. 1 terresculptor height unit = 174 spring height units

-menu file/new project/ pick 1025

-generate noise/ clamp from bottom to make flatland / erosion / etc

-when ready to export, normalize first

-save as 16-bit greyscale png, mirroring either needs to be done with SME or GIMP (or requires premium terresculptor)

-if diagonal mirroring desired must be done with GIMP

-handpainted paths are also best added with gimp

-when ready, save from GIMP as 16-bit png again

-import terrain in terresculptor

-resample to different size if desired, final small erosion pass

-export heightmap

-Set altitude to desired ingame height. remember 174 spring units for every terresculptor unit. Spring height can be seen in the bottom right corner of altitude window.

-extract 3 slope masks at (degrees) 0 - 27.5, 27.5 - 55, 55-90

-optional 4th height mask for underwater, or snowy mountain caps

-save at least 1 colorset overlay, ensure auto-range colorset is checked

-we are now ready to texture in GIMP

==Diffuse texturing with masks in GIMP==

-put .pat files in correct folder

-preferences / increase tile cache size to 5-6gb or so

-create new image in gimp with correct diffuse texture dimensions [springmapsize x 64 x 8]. in this example they should be 8192x8192

-Image / Mode / set as RGB

-open as layers all the masks

-scale all layers to image size (cubic interpolation okay)

-in the layers tab top right shift-leftclick each layer to convert to a mask

-'''Ensure you are editing the layers for the next step, NOT the masks.''' In the layers dialog on the right, the thumbnail displayed on the left is the layer and the thumbnail on the right is the layer mask. Click on the respective icons to edit either the layer or the mask.

-paint bucket, fill whole selection, pattern, pick one of the brushwalker patterns. Use the tabbed dialogue in the lower right corner to filter patterns to only SpringMapping catagory. Do this for each mask layer, may take a while to fill each layer with tiles.

-open as layers the colormap(s)

-scale layer to image size again, then set layer mode on the right as color[LCH]. Adjust transparency on this layer to change amount of colorizing

-diffuse texture complete, export as .bmp with option "write space header" checked

==testing in spring==

-make new map in SpringMapEdit, set as 16x16

-import heightmap, must be correct dimensions or nothing will happen

-import texture, adjust height in map properties if you want to get a preview before compiling

-menu save as, choose name, this will save the 2 core .smf and .smt files

-put in blueprint or something. (expand on this)

-pick correct height you saw earlier in terresculptor

-start spring.exe and pick your map, Zero-K chobby will also work with .sdd directories with correct settings

-check pathing with f2, vehicle and walker boundaries should align with your texture

== Distribution Map ==

-new image 1024x1024, mode greyscale

-set background color to absolute white

-same open as layers, scale to layer size procedure as before. convert layers to masks. You don't need to keep the aspect ratios of the layers, just make them square. This allows them to be stored most efficiently in GPU memory.

-paint bucket color white, whole selection, of each layer

-right click each layer and remove alpha channel

-image / components / compose , choose color model RGBA. Choose the red, green, blue, and alpha layers to be compiled

-image will likely now be invisible, check the channels tab top right to see your 4 chosen layers

-export as .png or .dds (dxt5)

== Specular Map ==

-open diffuse texture .png with gimp

-scale to 1024x1024

-menu colors / levels and reduce output brightness by about 75%

-export as .png or .dds (dxt5)

==Adding Metal spots==

-enable local widgets in Zero-K, restart

-put the metal spot widget in correct directory, check enabled=true

-load ZK again, place metal spots with widget

-export, name map_metal_layout.lua, put in /mapconfig/

-put anarchid mex fgx widget in correct place. [or just pre-pack .sdd into archive and make tutorial reader download and extract it?]

==Custom colormaps in TerreSculptor==

-colormap export doesn't work atm unless autorange colorset is enabled, workaround is as follows:

-uncheck autorange colorset, adjust altitude to shift and constrain colormap. keep an eye on range.

-probably should set directional light to -90deg, or try and make it match ingame lighting (must be eyeballed)

-menu View, click Axis Tripod off

-Set camera to Top on toolbar, set mouse scroll speed to finest sensitivity, and zoom screen until the scene takes up as much space as it can.

-menu Tools, save screenshot

-Import into gimp, crop to content, and resize it up to your diffuse texture

User:TheMooseIsLoose

2017-09-12T20:00:30Z

TheMooseIsLoose: custom colormaps with lighting

== Blue Sky Noise Mapping Tutorial [Part 1/3] ''draft'' ==

-Uses terresculptor for heightmap work and gimp for diffuse texture, relies on SSMF for materializing

-all free! (but not all foss)

== Primer ==

-Springmapedit aeonios version

-JAVA

-Gimp 2.9 unstable

-terresculptor standard

-blue texes/gimp .pats

-part 2 needs beherith DNTS pack, gimp dds plugin, featureplacer?, that metal spot widget from ZK repo

-you have at least 8gb of ram, right? gimp will become unpleasant to use if you start needing page file

-'''set gimp to single core'''

== Heightmap with terresculptor and GIMP ==

-menu tools/settings/dimensions check power-of-two +1

-settings/rulers and units/ change units to "generic". Set 1 unit = 174 generic. 1 terresculptor height unit = 174 spring height units

-menu file/new project/ pick 1025

-generate noise/ clamp from bottom to make flatland / erosion / etc

-when ready to export, normalize first

-save as 16-bit greyscale png, mirroring either needs to be done with SME or GIMP (or requires premium terresculptor)

-if diagonal mirroring desired must be done with GIMP

-handpainted paths are also best added with gimp

-when ready, save from GIMP as 16-bit png again

-import terrain in terresculptor

-resample to different size if desired, final small erosion pass

-export heightmap

-Set altitude to desired ingame height. remember 174 spring units for every terresculptor unit. Spring height can be seen in the bottom right corner of altitude window.

-extract 3 slope masks at (degrees) 0 - 27.5, 27.5 - 55, 55-90

-optional 4th height mask for underwater, or snowy mountain caps

-save at least 1 colorset overlay, ensure auto-range colorset is checked

-we are now ready to texture in GIMP

==Diffuse texturing with masks in GIMP==

-put .pat files in correct folder

-preferences / increase tile cache size to 5-6gb or so

-create new image in gimp with correct diffuse texture dimensions [springmapsize x 64 x 8]. in this example they should be 8192x8192

-Image / Mode / set as RGB

-open as layers all the masks

-scale all layers to image size (cubic interpolation okay)

-in the layers tab top right shift-leftclick each layer to convert to a mask

-'''Ensure you are editing the layers for the next step, NOT the masks.''' In the layers dialog on the right, the thumbnail displayed on the left is the layer and the thumbnail on the right is the layer mask. Click on the respective icons to edit either the layer or the mask.

-paint bucket, fill whole selection, pattern, pick one of the brushwalker patterns. Use the tabbed dialogue in the lower right corner to filter patterns to only SpringMapping catagory. Do this for each mask layer, may take a while to fill each layer with tiles.

-open as layers the colormap(s)

-scale layer to image size again, then set layer mode on the right as color[LCH]. Adjust transparency on this layer to change amount of colorizing

-diffuse texture complete, export as .bmp with option "write space header" checked

==testing in spring==

-make new map in SpringMapEdit, set as 16x16

-import heightmap, must be correct dimensions or nothing will happen

-import texture, adjust height in map properties if you want to get a preview before compiling

-menu save as, choose name, this will save the 2 core .smf and .smt files

-put in blueprint or something. (expand on this)

-pick correct height you saw earlier in terresculptor

-start spring.exe and pick your map, Zero-K chobby will also work with .sdd directories with correct settings

-check pathing with f2, vehicle and walker boundaries should align with your texture

== Distribution Map ==

-new image 1024x1024, mode greyscale

-set background color to absolute white

-same open as layers, scale to layer size procedure as before. convert layers to masks. You don't need to keep the aspect ratios of the layers, just make them square. This allows them to be stored most efficiently in GPU memory.

-paint bucket color white, whole selection, of each layer

-right click each layer and remove alpha channel

-image / components / compose , choose color model RGBA. Choose the red, green, blue, and alpha layers to be compiled

-image will likely now be invisible, check the channels tab top right to see your 4 chosen layers

-export as .png or .dds (dxt5)

== Specular Map ==

-open diffuse texture .png with gimp

-scale to 1024x1024

-menu colors / levels and reduce output brightness by about 75%

-export as .png or .dds (dxt5)

==Custom colormaps in TerreSculptor==

-colormap export doesn't work atm unless autorange colorset is enabled, workaround is as follows:

-uncheck autorange colorset, adjust altitude to shift and constrain colormap. keep an eye on range.

-probably should set directional light to -90deg, or try and make it match ingame lighting (must be eyeballed)

-menu View, click Axis Tripod off

-Set camera to Top on toolbar, set mouse scroll speed to finest sensitivity, and zoom screen until the scene takes up as much space as it can.

-menu Tools, save screenshot

-Import into gimp, crop to content, and resize it up to your diffuse texture

User:TheMooseIsLoose

2017-09-11T00:53:52Z

TheMooseIsLoose:

== Blue Sky Noise Mapping Tutorial [Part 1/2] ''draft'' ==

-Uses terresculptor for heightmap work and gimp for diffuse texture, relies on SSMF for materializing

-all free! (but not all foss)

== Primer ==

-Springmapedit aeonios version

-JAVA

-Gimp 2.9 unstable

-terresculptor standard

-blue texes/gimp .pats

-part 2 needs beherith DNTS pack, gimp dds plugin, featureplacer?

-you have at least 8gb of ram, right? gimp will become unpleasant to use if you start needing page file

-'''set gimp to single core'''

== Heightmap with terresculptor and GIMP ==

-menu tools/settings/dimensions check power-of-two +1

-settings/rulers and units/ change units to "generic". Set 1 unit = 174 generic. 1 terresculptor height unit = 174 spring height units

-menu file/new project/ pick 1025

-generate noise/ clamp from bottom to make flatland / erosion / etc

-when ready to export, normalize first

-save as 16-bit greyscale png, mirroring either needs to be done with SME or GIMP (or requires premium terresculptor)

-if diagonal mirroring desired must be done with GIMP

-handpainted paths are also best added with gimp

-when ready, save from GIMP as 16-bit png again

-import terrain in terresculptor

-resample to different size if desired, final small erosion pass

-export heightmap

-Set altitude to desired ingame height. remember 174 spring units for every terresculptor unit. Spring height can be seen in the bottom right corner of altitude window.

-extract 3 slope masks at (degrees) 0 - 27.5, 27.5 - 55, 55-90

-optional 4th height mask for underwater, or snowy mountain caps

-save at least 1 colorset overlay, ensure auto-range colorset is checked

-we are now ready to texture in GIMP

==Diffuse texturing with masks in GIMP==

-put .pat files in correct folder

-preferences / increase tile cache size to 5-6gb or so

-create new image in gimp with correct diffuse texture dimensions [springmapsize x 64 x 8]. in this example they should be 8192x8192

-Image / Mode / set as RGB

-open as layers all the masks

-scale all layers to image size (cubic interpolation okay)

-in the layers tab top right shift-leftclick each layer to convert to a mask

-'''Ensure you are editing the layers for the next step, NOT the masks.''' In the layers dialog on the right, the thumbnail displayed on the left is the layer and the thumbnail on the right is the layer mask. Click on the respective icons to edit either the layer or the mask.

-paint bucket, fill whole selection, pattern, pick one of the brushwalker patterns. Use the tabbed dialogue in the lower right corner to filter patterns to only SpringMapping catagory. Do this for each mask layer, may take a while to fill each layer with tiles.

-open as layers the colormap(s)

-scale layer to image size again, then set layer mode on the right as color[LCH]. Adjust transparency on this layer to change amount of colorizing

-diffuse texture complete, export as .bmp with option "write space header" checked

==testing in spring==

-make new map in SpringMapEdit, set as 16x16

-import heightmap, must be correct dimensions or nothing will happen

-import texture, adjust height in map properties if you want to get a preview before compiling

-menu save as, choose name, this will save the 2 core .smf and .smt files

-put in blueprint or something. (expand on this)

-pick correct height you saw earlier in terresculptor

-start spring.exe and pick your map, Zero-K chobby will also work with .sdd directories with correct settings

-check pathing with f2, vehicle and walker boundaries should align with your texture

== Distribution Map ==

-new image 1024x1024, mode greyscale

-set background color to absolute white

-same open as layers, scale to layer size procedure as before. convert layers to masks. You don't need to keep the aspect ratios of the layers, just make them square. This allows them to be stored most efficiently in GPU memory.

-paint bucket color white, whole selection, of each layer

-right click each layer and remove alpha channel

-image / components / compose , choose color model RGBA. Choose the red, green, blue, and alpha layers to be compiled

-image will likely now be invisible, check the channels tab top right to see your 4 chosen layers

-export as .png or .dds (dxt5)

== Specular Map ==

-open diffuse texture .png with gimp

-scale to 1024x1024

-menu colors / levels and reduce output brightness by about 75%

-export as .png or .dds (dxt5)

User:TheMooseIsLoose

2017-09-10T22:52:30Z

TheMooseIsLoose:

User:TheMooseIsLoose

2017-09-10T22:37:47Z

TheMooseIsLoose: /* Heightmap with terresculptor and GIMP */

User:TheMooseIsLoose

2017-09-10T22:35:59Z

TheMooseIsLoose:

User:TheMooseIsLoose

2017-09-10T20:55:23Z

TheMooseIsLoose: /* Diffuse texturing with masks in GIMP */

User:TheMooseIsLoose

2017-09-10T20:52:15Z

TheMooseIsLoose:

User:TheMooseIsLoose

2017-09-10T20:51:01Z

TheMooseIsLoose: a start on mapping tutorial

User:TheMooseIsLoose

2017-09-10T18:58:14Z

TheMooseIsLoose: initial commit

Mapping Guide

2017-03-17T00:46:40Z

TheMooseIsLoose: /* Create Height map */

= Beginners Tutorial Stage 1 =
This beginners tutorial is aimed at getting you from nothing, to something simple which you can build upon.

* We'll start with the height map, defining the structure of the terrain
* Then the metalmap, a resource scheme built into the spring engine
* The diffuse texture, defining the colour of the terrain
* The minimap, for when selecting the map in the game lobby
* The grass map, for that extra flourish of detail
* Finally set up the start positions

= What you will need =
* An image editor, such as [http://www.gimp.org/ GIMP] or [http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop.html Adobe Photoshop], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_raster_graphics_editors#List etc]
* [http://www.7-zip.org/ 7zip]
* A map compiler. This tutorial will use [http://springfiles.com/spring/development/spring-map-edit SpringMapEdit]. There is also [https://springrts.com/wiki/MapConv MapConv] for Windows, and [https://springrts.com/wiki/MapConvNG MapConvNG] for Linux.
* a copy of the map blueprint [https://github.com/jk3064/Map-Blueprint/archive/master.zip archive]

There are a multitude of other tools you can use to make maps, however for the purposes of this beginners tutorial, these are the only ones you will need.

= Download =
* [http://springfiles.com/spring/other/mapdev-stage1-working-files Download] the working files
* [http://springfiles.com/spring/spring-maps/mapdev-stage1 Download] the completed map archive

= Preparation =
<ol>
<li>Extract the mapcontainer.sdd folder from the blueprint archive into your working directory.</li>
Your directory structure should look like this:
<pre>working directory
|-mapcontainer.sdd/
|-LuaGaia/
|-mapconfig/
|-maphelper/
|-maps/
|-mapinfo.lua
|-mapoptions.lua
</pre>
<li>Rename the mapcontainer.sdd folder to the name of your map, eg. mymap.sdd
<li>Edit the following variables in the mapinfo.lua file, ignore the rest for now.
* name
* shortname
* description
* author
* version (just put like v1 or something in here)
</ol>

= Create Height map =
For this tutorial we will be creating a 4x4 size map, which is relatively small. Typically maps will be 8x8 (for a 1v1) or larger, but entirely depends on the game you are targeting.
<ol>
<li>Heightmap dimensions in pixels = Spring Map Size * 64 + 1. In our case a 4x4 map yields a image resolution of 257x257 pixels
<li>Create a 257x257 greyscale image using your image editor
<li>Draw the terrain</li>
<li>Save the image to your working directory, call it heightmap.png
</ol>

{| style="text-align:left;"
!Tips:
|-
|Black represents the lowest elevation on the map, white represents the highest, in between lies all the shades of grey. Hard edges in the image will be cliffs, and smooth gradients will be ramps.
|-
|More info available at https://springrts.com/wiki/Mapdev:height
|}
<center>
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Example
| [[File:Mapdev-height.png]] || [[File:Mapdev-height-example.png]]
|-
! Example Height Map !! Ingame Result
|}</center>
== Edit mapinfo.lua ==
<ol>
<li>Open the mapinfo.lua file in a text editor
<li>Change the <code>minHeight</code> and <code>maxHeight</code> variables to <code>10</code> and <code>256</code> respectively 
These values control the overall height of the terrain, and will be unique to your map. After loading up the map in game you may want to revisit and tweak these values to get the best result. 
The resulting portion of code should appear like this:
<code><pre>local mapinfo = {
...
smf = {
minHeight = 10,
maxHeight = 256,
...
},
...
}</pre></code>
</ol>

= Create Metal Map =
{{Caution|There are several games for Spring which use their own resourcing system. If you are creating a map for one of those games, a metal map may not be necessary, however it is always nice if you can make your maps as compatible with other games as possible, but this is a choice left entirely up to you.}}
<ol>
<li>Check the [[Mapdev:metal|metal]] page to get our image dimensions. In our case a 4x4 map yields an image resolution of 128x128 pixels
<li>Create a 128x128 RGB image using your image editor
<li>Paint the whole image black
<li>Paint full red spots 6 or so pixels in diameter on the places where you want metal to appear in game.
<li>Save the image to your working directory, call it metalmap.png
</ol>
<center>
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Example
| [[File:Mapdev-metal.png]] || [[File:Mapdev-metal-example.png]]
|-
! Example Metal Map !! Ingame Result
|}</center>
== Edit mapinfo.lua ==
<ol>
<li>Open the mapinfo.lua file in a text editor
<li>Change the <code>maxMetal </code> and the <code>extractorRadius</code> variables to <code>6.0</code> and <code>32.0</code> respectively 
These variables control the maximum amount of metal that a metal extractor can extract at full capacity, and the radius that a metal extractor will be able to draw from. 
The resulting portion of code will appear thus:
<code><pre>local mapinfo = {
...
maxMetal = 6.0,
extractorRadius = 32.0,
...
}</pre></code>
</ol>

= Create Diffuse Texture =
<ol>
<li>Check the [[Mapdev:diffuse|diffuse]] page to get our image dimensions. In our case a 4x4 map yields an image resolution of 2048x2048 pixels
<li>Create a 2048x2048 RGB image using your image editor
<li>Paint your ground colour in such a way that it compliments the height of the terrain, and metal spots.
<li>Save the image to your working directory, call it diffuse.png
</ol>
{{Tip|It may be useful to use the heightmap.png and metalmap.png images as a starting points, scaling them up to size, and then painting over the top.}}
{{Caution|The larger the map the greater the file size this texture will be, a 4x4 map at 2048x2048 the diffuse texture image is already at 5.4mb, imagine a 32x32 size map, it would be in the hundreds of megabytes. Working with large textures is difficult, and requires good hardware. }}
<center>
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Example
| [[File:Mapdev-diffuse.jpg]] || [[File:Mapdev-diffuse-example.png]]
|-
! Example Diffuse Map !! Ingame Result
|}</center>

= Create Mini Map =
The [[Mapdev:minimap|mini-map]] is a thumbnail image of the the whole map displayed in lobbies when selecting maps.
<ol>
<li>Load up your diffuse.png image
<li>Scale the image to exactly 1024x1024 pixels
<li>Save the image to your working directory, call it mini.png
</ol>

= Create Grass Map =
Grass adds additional depth to your map, giving it a little bit extra.
# Check the [[Mapdev:grass|grass]] page to get our image dimensions. In our case a 4x4 map yields a image resolution of 64x64 pixels
# Create a 64x64 RGB image using your image editor
# Paint the image fully black to begin with
# Paint varying strengths of blue for where you want the grass to show up.
# Save the image to your working directory, call it grassmap.png
<center>
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Example
| [[File:Mapdev-grass.png]] || [[File:Mapdev-grass-example.png]]
|-
! Grass map !! In Game Result
|}</center>

= Define Start Positions =
considering the small size of the map we will only define two teams
<ol>
<li>Open the mapinfo.lua file in a text editor
<li>Locate the teams subtable and delete the lines for teams 2 and 3
<li>Edit the <code>x</code> and <code>z</code> coordinate for each team to define their start location 
The coordinates for spring relate 1:1 with the pixels in the diffuse map. Starting at the top left of the image at (0,0). <code>x</code> increases horizontally to the right, <code>z</code> increases vertically downwards. 
The code should look similar to this:
<code><pre>local mapinfo = {
...
teams = {
[0] = {startPos = {x = 256, z = 1024}},
[1] = {startPos = {x = 1792, z = 1024}},
},
...
}</pre></code>
</ol>
<center>
{| class="wikitable"
| [[File:Mapdev-coords.png]]
|-
! Coordinates
|}</center>
= Review =
From the tutorial we have learned how to make the:
* Height map
* Diffuse texture
* Metal map
* Mini map
* Grass map
* Start locations

Your directory structure should look similar to this:
<pre>working directory
|-mymapname.sdd/
| |-LuaGaia/
| |-mapconfig/
| |-maphelper/
| |-maps/
| |-mapinfo.lua
| |-mapoptions.lua
|-grassmap.png
|-heightmap.png
|-metalmap.png
|-diffuse.png
|-minimap.png
</pre>

Now we need to get the map loaded into the game

= Finalizing =
Continue to [[Mapdev:Tutorial_Finalizing|this page]] to compile, test and archive your map for distribution.

= I want more =
Continue to [[Mapdev:Tutorial_Intermediate|stage two]]

[[Category:Map Dev]]

Mapping Guide

2017-03-17T00:17:38Z

TheMooseIsLoose: /* What you will need */

= Beginners Tutorial Stage 1 =
This beginners tutorial is aimed at getting you from nothing, to something simple which you can build upon.

* We'll start with the height map, defining the structure of the terrain
* Then the metalmap, a resource scheme built into the spring engine
* The diffuse texture, defining the colour of the terrain
* The minimap, for when selecting the map in the game lobby
* The grass map, for that extra flourish of detail
* Finally set up the start positions

= What you will need =
* An image editor, such as [http://www.gimp.org/ GIMP] or [http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop.html Adobe Photoshop], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_raster_graphics_editors#List etc]
* [http://www.7-zip.org/ 7zip]
* A map compiler. This tutorial will use [http://springfiles.com/spring/development/spring-map-edit SpringMapEdit]. There is also [https://springrts.com/wiki/MapConv MapConv] for Windows, and [https://springrts.com/wiki/MapConvNG MapConvNG] for Linux.
* a copy of the map blueprint [https://github.com/jk3064/Map-Blueprint/archive/master.zip archive]

There are a multitude of other tools you can use to make maps, however for the purposes of this beginners tutorial, these are the only ones you will need.

= Download =
* [http://springfiles.com/spring/other/mapdev-stage1-working-files Download] the working files
* [http://springfiles.com/spring/spring-maps/mapdev-stage1 Download] the completed map archive

= Preparation =
<ol>
<li>Extract the mapcontainer.sdd folder from the blueprint archive into your working directory.</li>
Your directory structure should look like this:
<pre>working directory
|-mapcontainer.sdd/
|-LuaGaia/
|-mapconfig/
|-maphelper/
|-maps/
|-mapinfo.lua
|-mapoptions.lua
</pre>
<li>Rename the mapcontainer.sdd folder to the name of your map, eg. mymap.sdd
<li>Edit the following variables in the mapinfo.lua file, ignore the rest for now.
* name
* shortname
* description
* author
* version (just put like v1 or something in here)
</ol>

= Create Height map =
For this tutorial we will be creating a 4x4 size map, which is relatively small. Typically maps will be 8x8 (for a 1v1) or larger, but entirely depends on the game you are targeting.
<ol>
<li>Check the [[Mapdev:height|height]] page to get our image dimensions. In our case a 4x4 map yields a image resolution of 257x257 pixels
<li>Create a 257x257 greyscale image using your image editor
<li>Draw the terrain</li>
<li>Save the image to your working directory, call it heightmap.png
</ol>
{{Tip|Black represents the lowest elevation on the map, white represents the highest, in between lies all the shades of grey. Hard edges in the image will be cliffs, and smooth gradients will be ramps.}}
<center>
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Example
| [[File:Mapdev-height.png]] || [[File:Mapdev-height-example.png]]
|-
! Example Height Map !! Ingame Result
|}</center>
== Edit mapinfo.lua ==
<ol>
<li>Open the mapinfo.lua file in a text editor
<li>Change the <code>minHeight</code> and <code>maxHeight</code> variables to <code>10</code> and <code>256</code> respectively 
These values control the overall height of the terrain, and will be unique to your map. After loading up the map in game you may want to revisit and tweak these values to get the best result. 
The resulting portion of code should appear like this:
<code><pre>local mapinfo = {
...
smf = {
minHeight = 10,
maxHeight = 256,
...
},
...
}</pre></code>
</ol>

= Create Metal Map =
{{Caution|There are several games for Spring which use their own resourcing system. If you are creating a map for one of those games, a metal map may not be necessary, however it is always nice if you can make your maps as compatible with other games as possible, but this is a choice left entirely up to you.}}
<ol>
<li>Check the [[Mapdev:metal|metal]] page to get our image dimensions. In our case a 4x4 map yields an image resolution of 128x128 pixels
<li>Create a 128x128 RGB image using your image editor
<li>Paint the whole image black
<li>Paint full red spots 6 or so pixels in diameter on the places where you want metal to appear in game.
<li>Save the image to your working directory, call it metalmap.png
</ol>
<center>
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Example
| [[File:Mapdev-metal.png]] || [[File:Mapdev-metal-example.png]]
|-
! Example Metal Map !! Ingame Result
|}</center>
== Edit mapinfo.lua ==
<ol>
<li>Open the mapinfo.lua file in a text editor
<li>Change the <code>maxMetal </code> and the <code>extractorRadius</code> variables to <code>6.0</code> and <code>32.0</code> respectively 
These variables control the maximum amount of metal that a metal extractor can extract at full capacity, and the radius that a metal extractor will be able to draw from. 
The resulting portion of code will appear thus:
<code><pre>local mapinfo = {
...
maxMetal = 6.0,
extractorRadius = 32.0,
...
}</pre></code>
</ol>

= Create Diffuse Texture =
<ol>
<li>Check the [[Mapdev:diffuse|diffuse]] page to get our image dimensions. In our case a 4x4 map yields an image resolution of 2048x2048 pixels
<li>Create a 2048x2048 RGB image using your image editor
<li>Paint your ground colour in such a way that it compliments the height of the terrain, and metal spots.
<li>Save the image to your working directory, call it diffuse.png
</ol>
{{Tip|It may be useful to use the heightmap.png and metalmap.png images as a starting points, scaling them up to size, and then painting over the top.}}
{{Caution|The larger the map the greater the file size this texture will be, a 4x4 map at 2048x2048 the diffuse texture image is already at 5.4mb, imagine a 32x32 size map, it would be in the hundreds of megabytes. Working with large textures is difficult, and requires good hardware. }}
<center>
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Example
| [[File:Mapdev-diffuse.jpg]] || [[File:Mapdev-diffuse-example.png]]
|-
! Example Diffuse Map !! Ingame Result
|}</center>

= Create Mini Map =
The [[Mapdev:minimap|mini-map]] is a thumbnail image of the the whole map displayed in lobbies when selecting maps.
<ol>
<li>Load up your diffuse.png image
<li>Scale the image to exactly 1024x1024 pixels
<li>Save the image to your working directory, call it mini.png
</ol>

= Create Grass Map =
Grass adds additional depth to your map, giving it a little bit extra.
# Check the [[Mapdev:grass|grass]] page to get our image dimensions. In our case a 4x4 map yields a image resolution of 64x64 pixels
# Create a 64x64 RGB image using your image editor
# Paint the image fully black to begin with
# Paint varying strengths of blue for where you want the grass to show up.
# Save the image to your working directory, call it grassmap.png
<center>
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Example
| [[File:Mapdev-grass.png]] || [[File:Mapdev-grass-example.png]]
|-
! Grass map !! In Game Result
|}</center>

= Define Start Positions =
considering the small size of the map we will only define two teams
<ol>
<li>Open the mapinfo.lua file in a text editor
<li>Locate the teams subtable and delete the lines for teams 2 and 3
<li>Edit the <code>x</code> and <code>z</code> coordinate for each team to define their start location 
The coordinates for spring relate 1:1 with the pixels in the diffuse map. Starting at the top left of the image at (0,0). <code>x</code> increases horizontally to the right, <code>z</code> increases vertically downwards. 
The code should look similar to this:
<code><pre>local mapinfo = {
...
teams = {
[0] = {startPos = {x = 256, z = 1024}},
[1] = {startPos = {x = 1792, z = 1024}},
},
...
}</pre></code>
</ol>
<center>
{| class="wikitable"
| [[File:Mapdev-coords.png]]
|-
! Coordinates
|}</center>
= Review =
From the tutorial we have learned how to make the:
* Height map
* Diffuse texture
* Metal map
* Mini map
* Grass map
* Start locations

Your directory structure should look similar to this:
<pre>working directory
|-mymapname.sdd/
| |-LuaGaia/
| |-mapconfig/
| |-maphelper/
| |-maps/
| |-mapinfo.lua
| |-mapoptions.lua
|-grassmap.png
|-heightmap.png
|-metalmap.png
|-diffuse.png
|-minimap.png
</pre>

Now we need to get the map loaded into the game

= Finalizing =
Continue to [[Mapdev:Tutorial_Finalizing|this page]] to compile, test and archive your map for distribution.

= I want more =
Continue to [[Mapdev:Tutorial_Intermediate|stage two]]

[[Category:Map Dev]]

Mapping Guide

2017-03-16T23:58:59Z

TheMooseIsLoose: fix images

= Beginners Tutorial Stage 1 =
This beginners tutorial is aimed at getting you from nothing, to something simple which you can build upon.

* We'll start with the height map, defining the structure of the terrain
* Then the metalmap, a resource scheme built into the spring engine
* The diffuse texture, defining the colour of the terrain
* The minimap, for when selecting the map in the game lobby
* The grass map, for that extra flourish of detail
* Finally set up the start positions

= What you will need =
* An image editor, such as [http://www.gimp.org/ GIMP] or [http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop.html Adobe Photoshop], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_raster_graphics_editors#List etc]
* [http://www.7-zip.org/ 7zip]
* Windows - [[MapConv]], Linux - [[MapConvNG]]
* a copy of the map blueprint [https://github.com/jk3064/Map-Blueprint/archive/master.zip archive]

There are a multitude of other tools you can use to make maps, however for the purposes of this beginners tutorial, these are the only ones you will need. Check the [[Mapdev:Main#Tools|tools]] section for more information.

= Download =
* [http://springfiles.com/spring/other/mapdev-stage1-working-files Download] the working files
* [http://springfiles.com/spring/spring-maps/mapdev-stage1 Download] the completed map archive

= Preparation =
<ol>
<li>Extract the mapcontainer.sdd folder from the blueprint archive into your working directory.</li>
Your directory structure should look like this:
<pre>working directory
|-mapcontainer.sdd/
|-LuaGaia/
|-mapconfig/
|-maphelper/
|-maps/
|-mapinfo.lua
|-mapoptions.lua
</pre>
<li>Rename the mapcontainer.sdd folder to the name of your map, eg. mymap.sdd
<li>Edit the following variables in the mapinfo.lua file, ignore the rest for now.
* name
* shortname
* description
* author
* version (just put like v1 or something in here)
</ol>

= Create Height map =
For this tutorial we will be creating a 4x4 size map, which is relatively small. Typically maps will be 8x8 (for a 1v1) or larger, but entirely depends on the game you are targeting.
<ol>
<li>Check the [[Mapdev:height|height]] page to get our image dimensions. In our case a 4x4 map yields a image resolution of 257x257 pixels
<li>Create a 257x257 greyscale image using your image editor
<li>Draw the terrain</li>
<li>Save the image to your working directory, call it heightmap.png
</ol>
{{Tip|Black represents the lowest elevation on the map, white represents the highest, in between lies all the shades of grey. Hard edges in the image will be cliffs, and smooth gradients will be ramps.}}
<center>
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Example
| [[File:Mapdev-height.png]] || [[File:Mapdev-height-example.png]]
|-
! Example Height Map !! Ingame Result
|}</center>
== Edit mapinfo.lua ==
<ol>
<li>Open the mapinfo.lua file in a text editor
<li>Change the <code>minHeight</code> and <code>maxHeight</code> variables to <code>10</code> and <code>256</code> respectively 
These values control the overall height of the terrain, and will be unique to your map. After loading up the map in game you may want to revisit and tweak these values to get the best result. 
The resulting portion of code should appear like this:
<code><pre>local mapinfo = {
...
smf = {
minHeight = 10,
maxHeight = 256,
...
},
...
}</pre></code>
</ol>

= Create Metal Map =
{{Caution|There are several games for Spring which use their own resourcing system. If you are creating a map for one of those games, a metal map may not be necessary, however it is always nice if you can make your maps as compatible with other games as possible, but this is a choice left entirely up to you.}}
<ol>
<li>Check the [[Mapdev:metal|metal]] page to get our image dimensions. In our case a 4x4 map yields an image resolution of 128x128 pixels
<li>Create a 128x128 RGB image using your image editor
<li>Paint the whole image black
<li>Paint full red spots 6 or so pixels in diameter on the places where you want metal to appear in game.
<li>Save the image to your working directory, call it metalmap.png
</ol>
<center>
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Example
| [[File:Mapdev-metal.png]] || [[File:Mapdev-metal-example.png]]
|-
! Example Metal Map !! Ingame Result
|}</center>
== Edit mapinfo.lua ==
<ol>
<li>Open the mapinfo.lua file in a text editor
<li>Change the <code>maxMetal </code> and the <code>extractorRadius</code> variables to <code>6.0</code> and <code>32.0</code> respectively 
These variables control the maximum amount of metal that a metal extractor can extract at full capacity, and the radius that a metal extractor will be able to draw from. 
The resulting portion of code will appear thus:
<code><pre>local mapinfo = {
...
maxMetal = 6.0,
extractorRadius = 32.0,
...
}</pre></code>
</ol>

= Create Diffuse Texture =
<ol>
<li>Check the [[Mapdev:diffuse|diffuse]] page to get our image dimensions. In our case a 4x4 map yields an image resolution of 2048x2048 pixels
<li>Create a 2048x2048 RGB image using your image editor
<li>Paint your ground colour in such a way that it compliments the height of the terrain, and metal spots.
<li>Save the image to your working directory, call it diffuse.png
</ol>
{{Tip|It may be useful to use the heightmap.png and metalmap.png images as a starting points, scaling them up to size, and then painting over the top.}}
{{Caution|The larger the map the greater the file size this texture will be, a 4x4 map at 2048x2048 the diffuse texture image is already at 5.4mb, imagine a 32x32 size map, it would be in the hundreds of megabytes. Working with large textures is difficult, and requires good hardware. }}
<center>
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Example
| [[File:Mapdev-diffuse.jpg]] || [[File:Mapdev-diffuse-example.png]]
|-
! Example Diffuse Map !! Ingame Result
|}</center>

= Create Mini Map =
The [[Mapdev:minimap|mini-map]] is a thumbnail image of the the whole map displayed in lobbies when selecting maps.
<ol>
<li>Load up your diffuse.png image
<li>Scale the image to exactly 1024x1024 pixels
<li>Save the image to your working directory, call it mini.png
</ol>

= Create Grass Map =
Grass adds additional depth to your map, giving it a little bit extra.
# Check the [[Mapdev:grass|grass]] page to get our image dimensions. In our case a 4x4 map yields a image resolution of 64x64 pixels
# Create a 64x64 RGB image using your image editor
# Paint the image fully black to begin with
# Paint varying strengths of blue for where you want the grass to show up.
# Save the image to your working directory, call it grassmap.png
<center>
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Example
| [[File:Mapdev-grass.png]] || [[File:Mapdev-grass-example.png]]
|-
! Grass map !! In Game Result
|}</center>

= Define Start Positions =
considering the small size of the map we will only define two teams
<ol>
<li>Open the mapinfo.lua file in a text editor
<li>Locate the teams subtable and delete the lines for teams 2 and 3
<li>Edit the <code>x</code> and <code>z</code> coordinate for each team to define their start location 
The coordinates for spring relate 1:1 with the pixels in the diffuse map. Starting at the top left of the image at (0,0). <code>x</code> increases horizontally to the right, <code>z</code> increases vertically downwards. 
The code should look similar to this:
<code><pre>local mapinfo = {
...
teams = {
[0] = {startPos = {x = 256, z = 1024}},
[1] = {startPos = {x = 1792, z = 1024}},
},
...
}</pre></code>
</ol>
<center>
{| class="wikitable"
| [[File:Mapdev-coords.png]]
|-
! Coordinates
|}</center>
= Review =
From the tutorial we have learned how to make the:
* Height map
* Diffuse texture
* Metal map
* Mini map
* Grass map
* Start locations

Your directory structure should look similar to this:
<pre>working directory
|-mymapname.sdd/
| |-LuaGaia/
| |-mapconfig/
| |-maphelper/
| |-maps/
| |-mapinfo.lua
| |-mapoptions.lua
|-grassmap.png
|-heightmap.png
|-metalmap.png
|-diffuse.png
|-minimap.png
</pre>

Now we need to get the map loaded into the game

= Finalizing =
Continue to [[Mapdev:Tutorial_Finalizing|this page]] to compile, test and archive your map for distribution.

= I want more =
Continue to [[Mapdev:Tutorial_Intermediate|stage two]]

[[Category:Map Dev]]

File:Mapdev-coords.png

2017-03-16T23:58:34Z

TheMooseIsLoose: /* Licensing */

== Licensing ==
{{Freeware/Free}}

File:Mapdev-coords.png

2017-03-16T23:58:12Z

TheMooseIsLoose:

== Licensing ==
{{Non-free image}}

File:Mapdev-grass-example.png

2017-03-16T23:57:10Z

TheMooseIsLoose: /* Licensing */

== Licensing ==
{{Freeware/Free}}

File:Mapdev-grass-example.png

2017-03-16T23:56:51Z

TheMooseIsLoose: TheMooseIsLoose uploaded a new version of File:Mapdev-grass-example.png

== Licensing ==
{{Non-free image}}

File:Mapdev-metal-example.png

2017-03-16T23:49:38Z

TheMooseIsLoose:

== Licensing ==
{{Non-free image}}

File:Mapdev-grass-example.png

2017-03-16T23:34:32Z

TheMooseIsLoose: TheMooseIsLoose uploaded a new version of File:Mapdev-grass-example.png

== Licensing ==
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File:Mapdev-grass-example.png

2017-03-16T23:34:15Z

TheMooseIsLoose: TheMooseIsLoose uploaded a new version of File:Mapdev-grass-example.png

== Licensing ==
{{Non-free image}}

File:Mapdev-grass-example.png

2017-03-16T23:32:55Z

TheMooseIsLoose:

== Licensing ==
{{Non-free image}}

File:Mapdev-grass.png

2017-03-16T23:31:59Z

TheMooseIsLoose: /* Licensing */

== Licensing ==
{{Freeware/Free}}

File:Mapdev-grass.png

2017-03-16T23:31:32Z

TheMooseIsLoose:

== Licensing ==
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File:Mapdev-diffuse-example.png

2017-03-16T23:31:06Z

TheMooseIsLoose: /* Licensing */

== Licensing ==
{{Freeware/Free}}

File:Mapdev-diffuse-example.png

2017-03-16T23:30:51Z

TheMooseIsLoose:

== Licensing ==
{{Non-free image}}

File:Mapdev-diffuse.jpg

2017-03-16T23:30:21Z

TheMooseIsLoose: /* Licensing */

== Licensing ==
{{Freeware/Free}}

File:Mapdev-diffuse.jpg

2017-03-16T23:30:14Z

TheMooseIsLoose:

== Licensing ==
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File:Mapdev-metal.png

2017-03-16T23:28:44Z

TheMooseIsLoose: /* Licensing */

== Licensing ==
{{Freeware/Free}}

File:Mapdev-metal.png

2017-03-16T23:28:34Z

TheMooseIsLoose:

== Licensing ==
{{PD}}

File:Mapdev-height-example.png

2017-03-16T23:26:50Z

TheMooseIsLoose:

File:Mapdev-height.png

2017-03-16T23:25:09Z

TheMooseIsLoose: /* Licensing */

== Licensing ==
{{Freeware/Free}}

File:Mapdev-height.png

2017-03-16T23:22:06Z

TheMooseIsLoose:

== Licensing ==
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Mapping Guide

2017-03-16T23:07:25Z

TheMooseIsLoose: bringing enetheru's beginners tutorial to Zero-K and replacing some steps with ZK specific methods

= Beginners Tutorial Stage 1 =
This beginners tutorial is aimed at getting you from nothing, to something simple which you can build upon.

* We'll start with the height map, defining the structure of the terrain
* Then the metalmap, a resource scheme built into the spring engine
* The diffuse texture, defining the colour of the terrain
* The minimap, for when selecting the map in the game lobby
* The grass map, for that extra flourish of detail
* Finally set up the start positions

= What you will need =
* An image editor, such as [http://www.gimp.org/ GIMP] or [http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop.html Adobe Photoshop], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_raster_graphics_editors#List etc]
* [http://www.7-zip.org/ 7zip]
* Windows - [[MapConv]], Linux - [[MapConvNG]]
* a copy of the map blueprint [https://github.com/jk3064/Map-Blueprint/archive/master.zip archive]

There are a multitude of other tools you can use to make maps, however for the purposes of this beginners tutorial, these are the only ones you will need. Check the [[Mapdev:Main#Tools|tools]] section for more information.

= Download =
* [http://springfiles.com/spring/other/mapdev-stage1-working-files Download] the working files
* [http://springfiles.com/spring/spring-maps/mapdev-stage1 Download] the completed map archive

= Preparation =
<ol>
<li>Extract the mapcontainer.sdd folder from the blueprint archive into your working directory.</li>
Your directory structure should look like this:
<pre>working directory
|-mapcontainer.sdd/
|-LuaGaia/
|-mapconfig/
|-maphelper/
|-maps/
|-mapinfo.lua
|-mapoptions.lua
</pre>
<li>Rename the mapcontainer.sdd folder to the name of your map, eg. mymap.sdd
<li>Edit the following variables in the mapinfo.lua file, ignore the rest for now.
* name
* shortname
* description
* author
* version (just put like v1 or something in here)
</ol>

= Create Height map =
For this tutorial we will be creating a 4x4 size map, which is relatively small. Typically maps will be 8x8 (for a 1v1) or larger, but entirely depends on the game you are targeting.
<ol>
<li>Check the [[Mapdev:height|height]] page to get our image dimensions. In our case a 4x4 map yields a image resolution of 257x257 pixels
<li>Create a 257x257 greyscale image using your image editor
<li>Draw the terrain</li>
<li>Save the image to your working directory, call it heightmap.png
</ol>
{{Tip|Black represents the lowest elevation on the map, white represents the highest, in between lies all the shades of grey. Hard edges in the image will be cliffs, and smooth gradients will be ramps.}}
<center>
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Example
| [[File:Mapdev-height.png|256px]] || [[File:Mapdev-height-example.png]]
|-
! Example Height Map !! Ingame Result
|}</center>
== Edit mapinfo.lua ==
<ol>
<li>Open the mapinfo.lua file in a text editor
<li>Change the <code>minHeight</code> and <code>maxHeight</code> variables to <code>10</code> and <code>256</code> respectively 
These values control the overall height of the terrain, and will be unique to your map. After loading up the map in game you may want to revisit and tweak these values to get the best result. 
The resulting portion of code should appear like this:
<code><pre>local mapinfo = {
...
smf = {
minHeight = 10,
maxHeight = 256,
...
},
...
}</pre></code>
</ol>

= Create Metal Map =
{{Caution|There are several games for Spring which use their own resourcing system. If you are creating a map for one of those games, a metal map may not be necessary, however it is always nice if you can make your maps as compatible with other games as possible, but this is a choice left entirely up to you.}}
<ol>
<li>Check the [[Mapdev:metal|metal]] page to get our image dimensions. In our case a 4x4 map yields an image resolution of 128x128 pixels
<li>Create a 128x128 RGB image using your image editor
<li>Paint the whole image black
<li>Paint full red spots 6 or so pixels in diameter on the places where you want metal to appear in game.
<li>Save the image to your working directory, call it metalmap.png
</ol>
<center>
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Example
| [[File:Mapdev-metal.png|256px]] || [[File:Mapdev-metal-example.png]]
|-
! Example Metal Map !! Ingame Result
|}</center>
== Edit mapinfo.lua ==
<ol>
<li>Open the mapinfo.lua file in a text editor
<li>Change the <code>maxMetal </code> and the <code>extractorRadius</code> variables to <code>6.0</code> and <code>32.0</code> respectively 
These variables control the maximum amount of metal that a metal extractor can extract at full capacity, and the radius that a metal extractor will be able to draw from. 
The resulting portion of code will appear thus:
<code><pre>local mapinfo = {
...
maxMetal = 6.0,
extractorRadius = 32.0,
...
}</pre></code>
</ol>

= Create Diffuse Texture =
<ol>
<li>Check the [[Mapdev:diffuse|diffuse]] page to get our image dimensions. In our case a 4x4 map yields an image resolution of 2048x2048 pixels
<li>Create a 2048x2048 RGB image using your image editor
<li>Paint your ground colour in such a way that it compliments the height of the terrain, and metal spots.
<li>Save the image to your working directory, call it diffuse.png
</ol>
{{Tip|It may be useful to use the heightmap.png and metalmap.png images as a starting points, scaling them up to size, and then painting over the top.}}
{{Caution|The larger the map the greater the file size this texture will be, a 4x4 map at 2048x2048 the diffuse texture image is already at 5.4mb, imagine a 32x32 size map, it would be in the hundreds of megabytes. Working with large textures is difficult, and requires good hardware. }}
<center>
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Example
| [[File:Mapdev-diffuse.jpg]] || [[File:Mapdev-diffuse-example.png]]
|-
! Example Diffuse Map !! Ingame Result
|}</center>

= Create Mini Map =
The [[Mapdev:minimap|mini-map]] is a thumbnail image of the the whole map displayed in lobbies when selecting maps.
<ol>
<li>Load up your diffuse.png image
<li>Scale the image to exactly 1024x1024 pixels
<li>Save the image to your working directory, call it mini.png
</ol>

= Create Grass Map =
Grass adds additional depth to your map, giving it a little bit extra.
# Check the [[Mapdev:grass|grass]] page to get our image dimensions. In our case a 4x4 map yields a image resolution of 64x64 pixels
# Create a 64x64 RGB image using your image editor
# Paint the image fully black to begin with
# Paint varying strengths of blue for where you want the grass to show up.
# Save the image to your working directory, call it grassmap.png
<center>
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Example
| [[File:Mapdev-grass.png]] || [[File:Mapdev-grass-example.png|455px]]
|-
! Grass map !! In Game Result
|}</center>

= Define Start Positions =
considering the small size of the map we will only define two teams
<ol>
<li>Open the mapinfo.lua file in a text editor
<li>Locate the teams subtable and delete the lines for teams 2 and 3
<li>Edit the <code>x</code> and <code>z</code> coordinate for each team to define their start location 
The coordinates for spring relate 1:1 with the pixels in the diffuse map. Starting at the top left of the image at (0,0). <code>x</code> increases horizontally to the right, <code>z</code> increases vertically downwards. 
The code should look similar to this:
<code><pre>local mapinfo = {
...
teams = {
[0] = {startPos = {x = 256, z = 1024}},
[1] = {startPos = {x = 1792, z = 1024}},
},
...
}</pre></code>
</ol>
<center>
{| class="wikitable"
| [[File:Mapdev-coords.png]]
|-
! Coordinates
|}</center>
= Review =
From the tutorial we have learned how to make the:
* Height map
* Diffuse texture
* Metal map
* Mini map
* Grass map
* Start locations

Your directory structure should look similar to this:
<pre>working directory
|-mymapname.sdd/
| |-LuaGaia/
| |-mapconfig/
| |-maphelper/
| |-maps/
| |-mapinfo.lua
| |-mapoptions.lua
|-grassmap.png
|-heightmap.png
|-metalmap.png
|-diffuse.png
|-minimap.png
</pre>

Now we need to get the map loaded into the game

= Finalizing =
Continue to [[Mapdev:Tutorial_Finalizing|this page]] to compile, test and archive your map for distribution.

= I want more =
Continue to [[Mapdev:Tutorial_Intermediate|stage two]]

[[Category:Map Dev]]

Mapping Guide

2017-03-16T23:04:17Z

TheMooseIsLoose: Initiate

Hello