Help with Emperor map editor

[Xano]

I'm trying to make some maps with the map editor but I have three questions to do:

First - How can I make two level buildable areas? One above the other, they always appear at the same level on the ground.

Second - If I want to make an Ice buidable area in Arrakis, the computer always fills that area on top with rock texture and not ice... How can I select ice texture?

Third - Everytime I build map and come back to Map editor and make a change, when I go view map again it doesn't make changes. Why is that?

Thanks

[Xano]

Ok, I've figured out how to change the textures, I read the dustbowl post, its the same way. The build map thing it just happens sometimes so, not a problem anymore. To make two level areas I guess you just have to create a short area and inside that area make a tall one right? I' ll try later...

Now I have another problem: Im using hk_wall_tall in one area, now i dont know what texture to use on top and the other thing is there is no ramp to such wall texture so im using object hk_ramp_tall like in some scenarios it appeared (the last one before the harkonnen homeworld - Harkonnen citadel) but, the sides of the ramp are awful like there is a triangle missing...so I used a tower each side like they use in the game, problem is that it doesnt adjust to the top area (the joining to the ramp is fine) and have the same triangle texture missing there each side.

Another thing: The Shadow maker creates shadows and makes a script for the map -dawn,late evening...- but it only works when I use it. When I load the map in the game, it doesn

[rigel6669]

First - How can I make two level buildable areas? One above the other, they always appear at the same level on the ground.

It all depends what rock you are choosing ( medium or high ), if you want to mix them up you will have to connect both via a ramp or bridge. Untill now i did not succeed yet combining 2 rocks of different height together without having a error when building

I'm trying to make some maps with the map editor but I have three questions to do:

Third - Everytime I build map and come back to Map editor and make a change, when I go view map again it doesn't make changes. Why is that?

First adapt your map and afterwards press start building which will include the changes you made.

When that is done you press view map and all changes will be included

Im using hk_wall_tall in one area, now i dont know what texture to use on top and the other thing is there is no ramp to such wall texture so im using object hk_ramp_tall like in some scenarios it appeared (the last one before the harkonnen homeworld - Harkonnen citadel) but, the sides of the ramp are awful like there is a triangle missing...so I used a tower each side like they use in the game, problem is that it doesnt adjust to the top area (the joining to the ramp is fine) and have the same triangle texture missing there each side.

For each ramp you can find a matching texture or rock, you will have to experiment a bit.

The missing textures occur regulary after building, fix it by rebuilding the map untill the problem is resolved.

The Shadow maker creates shadows and makes a script for the map -dawn,late evening...- but it only works when I use it. When I load the map in the game, it doesn

[Xano]

Thanks for the reply.

The only problem that persists is the harkonne area but it isnt much noticed, ill try to use different ramps, I havent found the right one for sure.

The shadow maker works fine, I had not noticed the changes when playing but they are there... the thing is that when you use ths Shadow maker and view the immediate results, these are much more noticed than when playing the map.

Do I need to use Photoshop to make better textures or the other fan made maps are also simple?

Now I just need to convert the contents paste to a format that I can send to the fan made maps zone...how can I turn that paste to cmf format or whatever format?

[rigel6669]

You have to convert your map in the compressed cmf format ( by using mappacker ) if you want to submit it http://dune2k.com/download.php?id=48

7 files are needed to covert your map to cmf:

- Pressing build map will create: test file ( * ) and test.xbf file ( 1 )

- Make a readme file with all particulars of your map ( 2 )

- After building, click on view map and press T which will create a MapDump0.tga file in your mapeditor folder and rename the file into !05%thumb  ( 3 )

- Use Shadowmaker supplied with the map editor to create test.lit ( 4 ) and texture file ( 5 )

- Use WashCompressor to convert the test file ( * ) into test.cpt ( 6 ) and test.cpf ( 7 )

Delete the original test file ( 16 mb ) file and use the pack application of mappacker to convert your map in the cmf format

Do I need to use Photoshop

Photoshop is only needed to make the preview pic ( 3 ) format of your map smaller as Gob wants the submitted cmf file to be as compact as possible

[Xano]

Thanks rigel, thank you for your patience!

My map is almost done, its a 8 player map set in Arrakis. Some rock areas are bigger than others but i think they are all even because smaller ones are more protected and have resource nearer.

Just need to work the textures better and its done! Then i'll convert it to cmf file.

One thing I didn't understand is this:

- Make a readme file with all particulars of your map ( 2 )

what do I have to put in this readme file? description of the map?

There is still one more question I have to make:

In my map there is an Ix refinery and a SMS Starport (smuggler straport), haw can I make them available to be engineered?

Do I have to change the rules? What is more strange is that in the rules it is written - Can be engineered? TRUE for the Ix refinery...

[rigel6669]

Place neutral buildings on your map, that way any player can engineer it after first attacking the neutral building ( use force fire ) to bring down the health below 100 pct.

If i remember correctly: an ix refinery can only hold 1 harvester at a time as it cant be upgraded

I attached the readme file of my latest map, you can use that as template and adapt it for your map

Gob uses that info for the map details in the fan made maps section

[Xano]

Ok, now I have another problem...

A part of the building areas in the map are ice... but there seems to be a problem with the texture of these ice cliff walls. There are two basic types of ice cliffs to be set in arrakis:  Arricecliff and Arrsnowcliff. These two have the same image in the Profile.

- When I use Arrsnowcliff the texture is different from the one we see in the map editor, seems more like a normal cliff with the upper area with some snow. When played in the game, these cliffs have this texture, not the texture seen in the map editor.

- When I use Arricecliff and build the map, the cliffs are alright, like the image i see in Mapeditor. But when I load the game and play it the cliffs are different and become like the ones supposed to be Arrsnowcliff.

The problem is I would like to use Arricecliff not Arrsnowcliff but they always end the same texture...What can I do?

Does anyone had this problem?

Any ideas?

[rigel6669]

The shape of the icecliffs and the vertical wall color can only be changed by choosing another profile ( Arr XXX or Ice XXX ).

Preview the map after building to get an impression on how it will look ingame, the only advise i can give you is try and test it out. I know that this is time consuming, but it is necessary to get a high quality map.

You could change the surface texture to create more diversity by selecting the zone layer and pressing T. Above you will get a tab with select a texture to use ( all available textures can be found in the mapeditor/data/textures directory ). Select a new texture with ice XXX, press open and build map again.

[Xano]

Tnanks, but that is not the problem, I changed the top textures as I wanted. The problem are the cliffs I want to use - Arricecliff - these end up like Arrsnowcliff in the game. But in the viewer they are different...

It must be a bug or something...

The weird thing is that they are the same in the Map editor profile (the textures are equal but like Arricecliff is suposed to be...)