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Overview of a few mappers resources

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Overview of a few mappers resources

Postby TheGrandmaster » Tue Dec 27, 2011 4:18 pm

There are two main ways of map making currently, one is by use of 'heightmaps+colour maps' and then there's actual block placement.

Heightmapping
Bildramer's Bitmap Converter
Download.
  • Create a heightmap by a method (black is lowest, and gets higher as you move towards white) and save it as a 24-bit bitmap
  • Create a colourmap for it, by a method, also saving as a 24-bit bitmap
  • Create and run a .bat file (or edit example.bat) to include your two bmp files rather than the example moon.bmp and moonh.bmp
  • example: converth.exe pinpoint2c.bmp pinpoint2h.bmp
Common bugs will occur if the two images are not 24-bit bitmaps (try finding advanced bitmap saving options, I know GIMP allows for it), or if the colourmap and heightmap are the wrong way round in the batch file.

Ways to create heightmaps
Some tools to help easily create heightmaps.
The average graphics program
Anything that can make 24-bit bitmaps can be used for mapping! Knowing that black is the lowest (z-level 0) and white is highest (z-level 63) you can work out the gradient of each block up as the scale moves from black to white.
0 - is the water and 63 is the highest level that can't be reached with Bitmap converter. Only 62.

JoJoeStinky's Blender Solution
JoJoeStinky took the time to create a template/plugin for the well used 3D modelling software Blender.
First off, the Blender main download.
After that, there's the JoeJoeTerrain and Colormap template.

TUTORIAL for JoJoeTerrain - https://dl.dropbox.com/u/1660874/Download/tutorial.jpg

Normal Tools:
There are a few other programs that are helpful that I know of.

VOXED
Comes default with the Ace of Spades download.
Read the VOXEDhlp.txt that also comes with it, explaining all the controls (there are lots of them).
[Dead link]
A few highlighted commands I've found useful personally:
  • 'w' - After placing numbered cursors (space to insert, backspace to delete), press w to create a wall, and then page up/down to raise/lower a wall between the points
  • 'u' - Importing external prefabs. After using SLAB6 to make trees, I often just use 'u' to insert the saved trees into my maps

SLAB6
Download SLAB6.
By using insert/delete (similar controls to VOXED) one can create models to be imported into VOXED (mentioned above). It is also the program used to edit the .kv6 files (guns, player models).
A help file can be accessed from within SLAB6 itself.

pyspades map editor
pyspades download page - find the latest 'map_editor' from the list.
Basic help file is found here.

The idea behind it is quite simple - it's a slice editor. There's a little set of arrows in lower right to choose to move up/down a layer, 0 being the water colour (must set) and 63 being the upper limit.
Two basic tools: Brush and Texture. Brush simply applies whatever colour you have selected onto the canvas (right-click to erase), while the Texture tool applies an image onto the current layer.

Quibicle:
Although it's a paid piece of software, it has had some amazing uses and showcases in JoJoeStinky's maps.
It has ease of use to create some very well crafted maps/map items such as buildings.
Website| JoJoeStinky's Video Tutorial for Quibicle

Other:
A couple of more miscellaneous items:

JoJoeStinky's castle maker
Qubicle Constructor version: This is where I made the pieces, and the example castle. Simply piece together your castle, and export the pieces, Or join them together, and export the entire castle.
For added Spice use the Shadow baker, or add a small amount of noise so your models do not all look like the are made of plastic.
Slab 6 version: Great way to change all the colors very fast. Chopped into 4 small files for easy viewing and editing. save as KVX s oyou can use it in Voxed.
Voxed version: Edit the piece you want to use, and export it to KV6 format by hovering your mouse over the matrix and pressing f7.
Thread & Downloads: here
Last edited by PXYC on Wed Aug 08, 2012 2:53 pm, edited 7 times in total.
Reason: Added updated JoJoe template
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Re: Overview of a few mappers resources

Postby Anthony » Tue Dec 27, 2011 4:19 pm

Thanks a lot! :)
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Re: Overview of a few mappers resources

Postby Yourself » Sun Jan 15, 2012 10:40 pm

The pyspades map editor now has support for additive and subtractive heightmaps, and exporting heightmaps and colormaps. It also can now rotate and mirror maps.
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Re: Overview of a few mappers resources

Postby Cyanyde » Fri Jan 20, 2012 5:14 pm

Is there a collection of prefab models anywhere around?
Stuff like trees, roads, buildings etc. would be nice..
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Re: Overview of a few mappers resources

Postby Sandcrawler » Fri Jan 20, 2012 11:59 pm

I put together a pack of trees and a few other foliage a while back.

http://umh.sandcrawler.net/index.php?pa ... iew&id=231
Unreal Modders Haven Mapping Tutorials for Ace of Spades, as well as free map hosting.

Add your map to the downloads section on the website, and I will add it to the sandcrawler.net server.
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Re: Overview of a few mappers resources

Postby DarkDXZ » Sun Feb 05, 2012 3:53 pm

Ace of Spades..
Y U NO HAVE MCEDIT?

That is, VOXED is hard as hell, unintuitive and generally useless for me.
SLAB6 isn't too useful on its own, also unintuitive.

Pyspades map editor - theoretically good, but painful.

The only good choice seems to be Quibicle, but it's of course a paid software.
Not that I have anything against paid software, but...There are no good choices for someone that simply wants to make one, simple map...(ok, maybe not so simple...)


I really think that MCEdit (a famous Minecraft map editor) should be ported to work with Ace of Spades somehow...
That can't be TOO hard...
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Re: Overview of a few mappers resources

Postby ChaosTLW » Sun Feb 05, 2012 6:29 pm

There are some Minecraft to AoS converters.
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Re: Overview of a few mappers resources

Postby ThisFrickinSite » Wed Feb 08, 2012 2:22 am

the cubicle thingy in combination with the .vox converter (idk if it is still around) makes the paid part of cubicle no longer needed :D
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Re: Overview of a few mappers resources

Postby Dany0 » Fri Feb 17, 2012 8:03 pm

Yeah but it's really hard to convert it like that.
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Re: Overview of a few mappers resources

Postby LASTofS » Mon Mar 26, 2012 2:02 am

Well-written guide. I plan on giving mapping a try.

On a side note, his video on "Using the heightmap/colourmap creator" is private and I don't think majority of the forum users can view it.
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Re: Overview of a few mappers resources

Postby BuffetOfLies » Fri Mar 30, 2012 1:02 pm

Another utility I find really useful is Voxed_Companion by Grapist. It simply remaps the keys to something that a normal human being would be a little more comfortable with.

Description:
Rebinds certain keys and buttons to make it easy to create simple maps in VOXED.
It's currently just a small AutoHotKey script.

Initial Feature Set:
*WASD movement (similar to in game, hold alt to access original features)
*Esc to minimize the editor, hold it down to exit
*Spray blocks with right click, hold shift at the same time to remove

Usage:
Run VOXED (Voxel Editor) and VOXED Companion at the same time and its features will be active.


It does have the drawback of making some of the keys inaccessible but you can turn the remapping off temporarily by right clicking on the icon for it in the taskbar.

download: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/62148/VOXED_Companion.zip
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Re: Overview of a few mappers resources

Postby Nanners » Wed Apr 11, 2012 12:43 pm

I'll be getting that BuffetOfLies, especially to try making maps easier :)
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Re: Overview of a few mappers resources

Postby MegaDeuce » Thu Apr 12, 2012 1:17 am

It'd be really damn cool if we had the ability to grab texture and height bitmaps from a vxl file. Together with Bildramer's converter we could go back and forth between the .vxl and bitmaps, making little terrain tweaks or even adding basic buildings by editing bitmaps in paint or photoshop.
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Re: Overview of a few mappers resources

Postby Yourself » Thu Apr 12, 2012 2:56 am

MegaDeuce wrote:It'd be really damn cool if we had the ability to grab texture and height bitmaps from a vxl file. Together with Bildramer's converter we could go back and forth between the .vxl and bitmaps, making little terrain tweaks or even adding basic buildings by editing bitmaps in paint or photoshop.


This has been in the pyspades map editor for ages. Go to File > Export
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Re: Overview of a few mappers resources

Postby MegaDeuce » Thu Apr 12, 2012 3:13 am

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