Where to start to learn mapping?

[fscii]

Hi,
I've read the few docs and took a regular map from the game (user made) and was able to do noob stuff like drop a health pack or grenade etc.

What I want to do is make one of those air conditioners on a wall so you can shoot out of it but I can't figure out how. It seems pretty difficult.

I saw this thread:
http://forum.cubers.net/post-27282.html

and tried /newent 107 (to get the air conditioner) but nothing happens except "unknown entity type 107" :(

I don't seem to be able to select the wall itself just cubes on the floor?! Even if I can get the a/c to work how do I click it onto the wall?

(I see it has a matching ent # 60, one for inside and one for outside).

Can someone please give me a "walk through" on how to do such a simple task? Is there a noob-walkthrough on how to do this stuff anywhere?

Thanks in advance folks.

[V-Man]

/newent mapmodel 107
and don't make it so people can shoot out of it, for your own sake.

And yes, AC's mapping system is 2D-based, meaning each entity is located on a specific floor tile, but contains its own "height" information.
Select the tile (corner) where you want the air conditioner to be centered on, and place the mapmodel there. You can then edit its height and orientation to your satisfaction using the "entproperty" command (default keys I forgot, somebody help me out here).

[Robtics]

I know this is a whole lot of text but it will help you for sure! http://www.akimbo.in/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=554

[fscii]

/newent mapmodel 107
and don't make it so people can shoot out of it, for your own sake.

And yes, AC's mapping system is 2D-based, meaning each entity is located on a specific floor tile, but contains its own "height" information.
Select the tile (corner) where you want the air conditioner to be centered on, and place the mapmodel there. You can then edit its height and orientation to your satisfaction using the "entproperty" command (default keys I forgot, somebody help me out here).

Thank you that 'mapmodel' keyword was the missing piece. lol I do have to ask you the obvious, how do I make it so on the other side of the wall one can see thru the A/C and shoot thru it :)

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on a separate note I don't seem to be able to do anything with walls except hit home/end to change texture - how do I make a window cutout when I cant select the wall and do anything to it?

I'm assuming I have to make a window, then sit the air conditioner on it and somehow make it clipped so the a/c can let bullets pass thru from the inside (also from outside or only one direction?) seems like a lot of steps!

Mod edit: huge repeated quote excised

[ExodusS]

More you map, more you make better maps.

[Cleaner]

Rome wasn't build in a day, as Robtics mentioned that link is to be read thoroughly in order to really grab what is going to make of you a decent mapper for a start, the rest comes with creativity.

May the cube force be with you.

[Frogulis]

You can then edit its height and orientation to your satisfaction using the "entproperty" command (default keys I forgot, somebody help me out here).

Semicolon (;)
;)
:P

[fscii]

Hey I figured it out. I had to unjoin the wall (floor and ceiling joined w/f and g) and then make a window cut out (individually raising/lowering cube columns) and then drop in the a/c. very cool. Thanks for the help guys.

I don't expect to be a mapmaker thats way out of my league but I do want to be able to tweak existing maps where you say "I wish it had..." now it will have lol.

[Cleaner]

I do want to be able to tweak existing maps

Please don't, mappers hates when one messes around with their work, there are often readme.txt files telling you that you are not allowed to edit the map.

[*Champion]

I do want to be able to tweak existing maps

Please don't, mappers hates when one messes around with their work, there are often readme.txt files telling you that you are not allowed to edit the map.

For sure - I'm the one who likely rages most when an unknown person modifies my map without authorization, depending on whether he/she does a noob work or a great work. But I always leave a "readme" on the map's .cfg (commented, of course), so just open one of my maps' .cfg and you might see some.

And I agree with Exodus, more time spent on "mapping", more improved your skills get. I learned mapping this way, and made a series of nice maps (about 15 or 16).

Come map with me if you want - I have skills but lack ideas, lol. I can also teach you some techniques for "fun maps" (unrealistic ones).

Also, one thing that new mappers should do before start mapping, is read the AssaultCube Documentation about mapping - it contains a series of "tricks" and is the most detailed mapping guide for AC I've ever seen. The first step is here. /me read it entirely before mapping :D

And this goes for anyone wishing to help me with the mapping contest: I have an almost complete map but I feel there's something missing there (except snow, I acknowledge).

[kleinkariert]

feel free to search me too ingame, so i can show you some basic stuff :)

[V-Man]

It is also important to mention, you could get banned for modifying official maps.

[ExodusS]

When i started i made stairs on Ezjemvill (the first thing i made ever).



After that , i choose to make my first own map.
When i shared this , there were any light cause i didn't know how to save the fullbright. (lol)



I decided to make more serious map (by myself) so i tried to make like some oficial maps , i made ac_little_town (it was lagging i didn't know the "F" command in coopedit) I was really happy to make maps and have fun on with my mates (@DaylixX Spako...)



I tried to make better maps like aw_warfare , with a better gameplay , more fair bases , any secret passages etc...(coop with DaylixX and Spako AW)



We all decided to make a huger map with a lot of details on the desert theme and we made ac_sylang .(more expressive , better lights etc...)



After that , i made a map alone , more detailled , mode work and a new theme , ac_warfare. The gameplay was an epic fail , huge only 2 ways etc.



I started mapping with Undead and we made ac_swamp , a lot of details , a little map but we worked a lot on the gameplay. Good lights and good use of mapmodels.



My last map , alone but with a lot of experience , ac_palenque , aztec-mayas theme , custom mapmodels from cube , cutom textures good lights (etc...) this map won the mapping contest.



And now, this is ac_cavern with Undead, this is for me a "masterpiece", all my knowledge and all my mapping experience his into this map, same for Undead.



Keep working, that's all. :)

[Frogulis]

I don't expect to be a mapmaker thats way out of my league

That's one of the perks of having a real-time map editor: mapmaking is not out of anyone's league.

[V-Man]

But many of the critics are in a league of their own. :-P

[Cemer]

Oh Irony, we love you.

[fscii]

Hey guys I see some mappers get their feathers ruffled but I'm not modifying official maps and just now learned there are some maps with the cfg files that I don't fully understand. For example why put in lines like this:

mapmodel 1 8 0 0 "fencegate_closed" // 16

Whats the point if you've already placed the model somewhere in the game, whats this line REALLY doing in the cfg?

I just did this to fool around and add some pickups (and a kill box air conditioner) to an old map I liked that didn't have a .cfg

I have been looking through the command reference and just started looking at the mapping guide too. I'm not convinced I am interested in really making maps from scratch but if I do, I will definitely look you guys up. There are things I don't get (like the cfg file) and heightfields, slopes and arches. I guess the best thing to do is muck around in a blank map?

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...

Dude, I seriously want to see and play on cavern and (whats the name of) the one prior to it that won a contest they look AWESOME. Where can I find them? Every map I've ever seen was a chance encounter server surfing to play!

Mod edit: please don't quote such long posts entirely :)

[V-Man]

The command "mapmodel" is defferent from "newent mapmodel".
"mapmodel" is used in map config files to announce to the engine that a specific mapmodel (path/filename) is to be used in a map, assigning it to a mapmodel slot number (16, in the above example). Then, in editing, the mapmodel is placed using "newent mapmodel 16 0"

When a map doesn't have an accompanying config file, it uses the "default_map_settings.cfg" file located in your config folder. If you read through that file, you'll get a really good idea of what sort of things to preload in the map config file, such as mapmodels, textures, a skymap, and sounds.

But keep reading those docs!

[Frogulis]

Get ac_palenque and the other maps from that contest here.
EDIT: OOPS :D

[ExodusS]

ac_palenue XD

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I've never read the docs

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The .cfg is only to load mapmodels/textures/skymaps/mapsounds and to change the basic fog/fogcolour.
Watercolour can be changed in-game (and in-game you can test all colours values so...).
Reset commands (mapmodelreset, texturereset, mapsoundreset and loadnotexture) mmh, don't touch, you will have some problems.

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The default_map_setting.cfg is for maps who don't have their own .cfg file.
The textures list you can put in the .cfg is very limited, care about it (256 max i think) cause the list is already long.

mapmodel 3 2 0 0 "bench" // 9

mapmodel it's a mapmodel (XD)

3 2 0 0 it's the cfg clip of the mapmodel (if you want to re-clip it, just change all the values to 0, then clip it in in-game, you also can change the values to what you want directly in the .cfg)

"bench" it's the mapmodel name (sometimes mapmodels are in more specific files (for exemple "signs") so the mapmodel name can be "filename/mapmodelname")

[Cleaner]

It's so easy to read docs though...

Config files - Mapmodels

[ExodusS]

It's so easy to read docs though...

I don't speak English fluently, and all i know in English comes from AssaultCube. I wasn't able to translate it at all 3 years ago.

[V-Man]

Dude.
You learned English from AssaultCube?!
That is so frickin' awesome!

[ExodusS]

[offtopic]Where to start to learn English?[/offtopic]

Dude.
You learned English from AssaultCube?!
That is so frickin' awesome!

And i know that i'm not the only one.
You can take DaylixX and SaXzE as exemple! (and maybe PERROS :D)

[Frogulis]

I probably learnt more German from playing Runescape than I did from school.
It's not AC, but it emphasises how good an internet game can be for learning a language :P
I've forgotten it all now, though :(