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Ravenod

Map Editor Tutorial

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I made a map tutorial for anyone who needs it.

 

It's a begginer's course that let's you follow along as I explain things.

 

And IT HAS PICTURES! :angry:

 

http://www.geocities.com/aworldwithoutwind/maptutorial.html

 

 

 

Just post here if you find any problems. DO NOT EMAIL ME WITH QUESTIONS PLEASE. Post them here.

 

Thanks

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Ravenod, you are a GENIUS! ;) (Not to mention a very helpful person...)

 

The major roadblock for map-making has always been people not knowing how to use the mapeditor correctly. This should fix that. :o (Moonie, better expect more test maps soon...) Okay, the writing style is a bit weird - but that's just you. :angry::huh:

 

Great job!

 

-Lyn

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Hehe yeah it is really great.

But now i will not accept any testmaps looking like that anymore :angry:

 

Great job though! :huh:

 

 

edit: A suggestion, don't use bmp images - they take ages to load. Use jpg instead.

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its good but there are some crucial things it could use...

 

1. Browser list explanation. We finally have it!!! So for people to be taught how to make maps without it is.... just making things harder ;D

 

2. no particle editor explanation, but roja asked me to write one (although i dont QUITE understand all of it))

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I left out the browser list on purpose. I wanted them to learn the old fashion way first, before getting all comfortable on the "easy street". I wanted them to learn what they were doing, instead of accepting the editor was doing it for them.

 

But for all you people who have read the tutorial...There is a much easier, quicker way to place 3Dobjects on the map. . . Cntrl+B. But I want you to do the tutorial my way. It will help you understand better exactly what you are doing. Please.

 

Thanks

 

 

Moonshadow : They are now jpg's :)

Edited by Ravenod

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He means when somebody sends him a test map, it better not remotely resemble that island :unsure: But even before the tutorial, if you had sent him an island map, I'm sure you would have failed the test. Because on the main site it asks for specific things to be on your test map...which alot of those things are not on this island map.

 

And Moonshadow, if you approve of this tutorial...could you make it a sticky?

 

Thanks

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this was brilliant and it brought thing up a lot clearer and made me understand how 2 do thing which the map editor file just didnt speek about (sry 2 whoever made this but ravenod's is a lot better, btw there r still a few things in the map editor file which rnt metioned in ravenods =D) but this did improve my map a lot :unsure:

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btw ty raven for making this. Guys i have made several scenarios quest and maps for other games i will not name here. I did have a little diffuculty on these instructions so i asked raven to make a help page.. well he did and it kicks ass.. I have already made what looks a workable map but i accidently saved it wrong so poof it went lol.. Well i have a great idea for my new sample map and a new map for el it is gonna rock not gonna be one where ya can just walk in and everything is so easily accessible woot now just gotta figure out some other details i wont be online much till i got it perfect.. ravenod u kick ass!! from the lil bitty green guy ty

Edited by Rya

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That's really a fine tutorial, I just finished my tropical Island :(

 

The only problem I had is that my grid seems to be stuck somewhere in the ground and I didn't find a way to ajust the grids hight <_<

 

whatever, thank you

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Press TAB to switch between the 3d mode, in which you can see the real height of the heightmap, and the 2d mode, in which everything is at one level.

Maybe that helps.

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We should include this in the next EL distribution.

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Perhaps i missing something, but i can't see the thumbs when i use ctl-b. Did i miss something in the tutorial?

 

I type Ctrl-b and the box displays, but nothing inside of it. Same with the particle editor. Am i posting in the right place?

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first make a browser.txt file and cut and paste everything here browser list into it

154496[/snapback]

 

I did that, but the box is still empty....

the browser.txt is about 37 kb btw. And I put it in the el main directory (same as the map_editor.exe)

 

EDIT: the file has to go into your EL directory, and should be named browser.lst

Edited by Derin

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How do you make doors that you can go through? As in, puts you in a shop or something like that when you click on it.

157638[/snapback]

 

You have to write a .def file showing where you want a certain 'door' (you'd have to make the house a whole object though I believe) to lead to.

 

 

*EDIT Included the entire help section on .def from the map manual.. enjoy.

 

In order to be able to enter & exit houses, go to other maps, use ships, etc., a .def file must be written. A .def file has the x,y coordinate areas, object id's for the objects you click on, and other necessary information to make it work. 

Some VERY IMPORTANT information before you start writing your .def file! 1. You cannot delete any 3d objects after you started making your .def file. Make sure you are FINISHED with your map BEFORE you start! The reason is because all of the object ID's get saved in numerical order, and if you delete one, they will all shift downward and have new object ID's, so you'll have to check all the objects and rewrite your .def file. 
2. The .def file must have the same name as your map name. 
3. The map #'s in the .def files(on lines like this: teleport_map:1) do not correspond to your map #. Those numbers will be assigned to you by Roja or Moonshadow. 
4. The .def file is just a text file, and can be written in any text editor(even notepad). Save the file with .def as the extension. 
5. You can get the coordinates by hovering a height map tile over the square you want to use. X pos and Y pos are the x,y coordinates you'll need and they are listed at the bottom of the screen. 
6. You can get the map object ID number by clicking on the 3d object. Object ID is listed on the bottom of the screen. Or alternative, if you do not want to move the object, press ctrl+e and ALT+left click on the object to get it's info. 

Contents of a .def file:
*Note: this is not an actual .def file, but shows all the parts that can be used in one, and examples of usage. Also, everything inside these "quote marks" are names that can be changed and set by you, they are there so that we can keep track of things easier.

map_name: `Desert Pines`

allow_combat: 1
allow_rain: 1
allow_multicombat: 1
allow_harvesting: 0

location_info
min_x: 12
min_y: 114
max_x: 95
max_y: 149
text: `- Mynadar`

text_area
min_x: 561
min_y: 0
max_x: 570
max_y: 22
text: `Warning! This leads into a PK(player killing) map.`

"Text object sign1-grahm's"
use_area
min_x: 186
min_y: 137
max_x: 196
max_y: 152
teleport_x: -1
teleport_y:
teleport_map:
map_object_id: 5795
inv_object_id: -1
send_sparks: 0
too_far_text: `You can't read the sign from THAT far away!`
use_text: `North-Whitestone City, East-Lakeside village`
wrong_object_text: `Nothing happens.`

"Teleporter, lakeside->city"
teleport_point
teleport_src_x: 509
teleport_src_y: 147
teleport_dst_x: 84
teleport_dst_y: 528
type: 1
teleport_map: 1

"Ship-to-Isla Prima, banner1"
use_area
min_x: 702
min_y: 152
max_x: 712
max_y: 166
teleport_x: 26
teleport_y: 23
teleport_map: 0
map_object_id: 1015
inv_object_id: -1
send_sparks: 1
too_far_text: `You're not close enough`
use_text: `Welcome to Isla Prima!`
wrong_object_text: `Nothing happens.`

"Exit grocer"
use_area
min_x: 55
min_y: 43
max_x: 58
max_y: 44
teleport_x: 330
teleport_y: 337
teleport_map: 4
map_object_id: 324
inv_object_id: -1
send_sparks: 0
too_far_text: `Go to the doorstep and then click on the door to get outside`
use_text: ``
wrong_object_text: `Nothing happens.`

"Exit tavern1"
use_area
min_x: 19
min_y: 13
max_x: 22
max_y: 14
teleport_x: 308
teleport_y: 338
teleport_map: 4
map_object_id: 323
inv_object_id: -1
send_sparks: 0
too_far_text: `Go to the doorstep and then click on the door to get outside`
use_text: ``
wrong_object_text: `Nothing happens.`

"staircase->hallway"
use_area
min_x: 28
min_y: 28
max_x: 28
max_y: 29
teleport_x: 55
teleport_y: 14
teleport_map: 5
map_object_id: 1
inv_object_id: -1
send_sparks: 0
too_far_text: `Go to the doorstep and then click on the door to get upstairs`
use_text: ``
wrong_object_text: `Nothing happens.`

"hallway->staircase"
use_area
min_x: 55
min_y: 14
max_x: 56
max_y: 15
teleport_x: 28
teleport_y: 29
teleport_map: 5
map_object_id: 287
inv_object_id: -1
send_sparks: 0
too_far_text: `Go to the doorstep and then click on the door to get downstairs`
use_text: ``
wrong_object_text: `Nothing happens.`

"hallway->room1"
use_area
min_x: 60
min_y: 16
max_x: 63
max_y: 16
teleport_x: 18
teleport_y: 55
teleport_map: 5
map_object_id: 95
inv_object_id: -1
send_sparks: 0
too_far_text: `Go to the doorstep and then click on the door to get inside the room`
use_text: ``
wrong_object_text: `Nothing happens.`

"room1->hallway"
use_area
min_x: 17
min_y: 55
max_x: 19
max_y: 55
teleport_x: 61
teleport_y: 16
teleport_map: 5
map_object_id: 331
inv_object_id: -1
send_sparks: 0
too_far_text: `Go to the doorstep and then click on the door to get inside the hallway`
use_text: ``
wrong_object_text: `Nothing happens.`




Explaination of the .def file:
*Everything inside [brackets] are my notes, and are NOT to be used in the actual file!


map_name: `Desert Pines` [You must name your map. This name will show when you click on the compass in the game]

[For these next ones, 0=off, 1=on.]
allow_combat: 1 [makes the map allow player killing]
allow_rain: 1 [This should be on for outdoor maps only.]
allow_multicombat: 1 [makes the map allow multicombat.]
allow_harvesting: 0 [this should be off for inside maps.]

location_info [If you want to have different place names in your map, that you can see when you click on the compass, you need to define them here. The next 4 lines are the coordinates that you need to define, that is the area the player will need to be in to see the location info.]
min_x: 12
min_y: 114
max_x: 95
max_y: 149
text: `You're in a mysterious town` [This is where you put the text, it must be inside these marks: `...`]

text_area [Text areas show up if the player steps inside of the certain area.]
min_x: 561
min_y: 0
max_x: 570
max_y: 22
text: `Warning! This leads into a PK(player killing) map.`

"Text object sign1-grahm's" [Text objects give text when the player clicks on them.]
use_area
min_x: 186
min_y: 137
max_x: 196
max_y: 152
teleport_x: -1 [These next three lines you should not touch, but do not remove them.]
teleport_y:
teleport_map:
map_object_id: 5795 [This is the object's ID number. This is what is used so that the client & server know that the player is clicking on the right object.]
inv_object_id: -1 [Do not touch the next 2 lines.]
send_sparks: 0
too_far_text: `You can't read the sign from THAT far away!` [You get this message if you're too far from the target object.]
use_text: `North-Whitestone City, East-Lakeside village` [This is the text that comes up when you successfully use the object.]
wrong_object_text: `Nothing happens.` [Do not touch this line either.]

"Teleporter, lakeside->city" [This is how you set a teleporter.]
teleport_point
teleport_src_x: 509 [src=source, dst=destination.]
teleport_src_y: 147
teleport_dst_x: 84
teleport_dst_y: 528
type: 1 [Do not touch this line]
teleport_map: 1 [This is the map number that you will be teleported to. Even if you are teleporting inside your own map, you still need a number here. Remember, this number will be assigned to you.]

"Ship-to-Isla Prima, banner1" [Using a ship, entering/exiting a house, or clicking on a sign to a new map are all done the same way as explained here.]
use_area [Here is where you'll define the area(coordinates) in which you have to be standing in in order to go to the new map, or new place on the same map.]
min_x: 702
min_y: 152
max_x: 712
max_y: 166
teleport_x: 26 [These are the coordinates to where you'll be sent.]
teleport_y: 23
teleport_map: 0 [This is the map number of the map you'll be sent to.]
map_object_id: 1015 [The ID number of the object you have to click on.]
inv_object_id: -1
send_sparks: 1
too_far_text: `You're not close enough`
use_text: `Welcome to Isla Prima!`
wrong_object_text: `Nothing happens.`

Edited by Daxon

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