Forum :: Client Editing :: A Guide: Map Creating and Editing

Intro
Okay, since I see so may people asking about how to make maps, make chair 'sittable' and all those goodies, I felt I should make a guide...

Layers
Base Tile:
Not technically a 'layer' for editing, but this is the tile that will show when no ground tiles are in a spot. (If you set it to 1, a grass tile, all tiles that don't have a different predefined ground tile, will show as the grass tile.)

Ground Tile:
Like the base tile, but you place them one at a time on locations of your choosing. (If your base tile is the grass tile stated above, and you set a tile, say 78, on the map, that tile will show instead of the base tile on that location[x and y].)

Blended Layer:
This layer is also known as the 'shadow layer', being that all the shadows are made on this layer.

Specification Layer:
This layer defines everything about how the map functions, including, blocking tiles, adding chairs/town boards/vaults, and so on.

Object Layer:
This layer contains all the objects on the map, not including things such as walls. This includes: Trees, boards, props, chests, and more.

Mask Layer:
A mask layer, is an object that would be decorated, after you have laid out a ground tile, for example.. if you chose basic grass, and wanted to add to it you would use the mask layer. The mask layer places a series of transparent bitmap tiles on top of the ground files, to startdevelopingamapwithmore than just one bitmap per tile

South Wall:
This layer contains all the tiles for the walls facing south. That would be length-wise.

East Wall:
Pretty self-explanatory. Same as above, but facing east. (Vertical)

Roof Layer:
The roof layer is also partially self explanatory, it can be used for roofs, making it show half of you when used, giving the illusion you are behind the object you use it on.

Guide
So you want to make your own map? Basically, your first task when making/editing a map should be to choose the base tile, read above to know why you should use one. Unless you want to just use the ground layer with no background, I would use it. Okay, after you select a base tile, you need tochoosethe map's x/y width.

Now, after you select the base tile, I personally like to go straight to the ground layer. After going to the ground layer editor, you can choose the tile ID, X and Y positions of the tile you are placing. Place all the tile you want, and remember the first tile (very top) is 0,0, soeachtilethatisat the edge on the top would be either 0 Y or 0 X. Now, you can also add objects, which work in basically the same way, ID, X, Y, same goes for about all layers. So you placed all the tiles you want, so you are done, right?

"Halp! My players can walk anywhere, and can't sit on the chairs!!"
Well, as is, the player can walk through anything. You didn't set the specification layer. So lets go on to do that. :P Find all the X/Y coordinates of all the tiles you want to be blocked. Go into the map editor, and enter in those coordinates with the specification ID "1", and save. Youcanalsoset all the chair's and noticeboards and all those goodies to the correct specification layer here.

"Ugh, my player can't exit!"
Find the coordinates of the tiles you want as warps, and find the coordinates and map id of the tile you want to warp to. Now, go into the warp editor, and add the warp, using the first set of coordinates as the location, and the second set and the map ID as the location you arewarpingto.Viola.

"I have no monsters to fight..."
Okay, this one is a little tougher, but still pretty easy to explain. Listen closely. Open up Rena's editPub, or PubEdit, depending on your version, and open the ENF file in your server folder. Find the ID of the NPC you want to spawn on your map. Lets use crow (ID 1) as an example. Now, golookatthe map again, and find the coordinates you want the npc to spawn NEAR. Not at, but near. Got 'em? Good, now count how far you want to NPC to be able to spawn from that location max. Let us use 2 tiles away for this example, then, you need to figure out the param and count for thespawn(s).Theparam is the INCOMPLETE, and the count is the INCOMPLETE.

"I saved, but my map didn't update!!"
Silly mapper, just saving the map isn't good enough for the your players clients to notice anything. Go back into the map editor, and find something called the "revision number", and change it. Yup, just change it, that easy. Though you could techically change it to anything, Irecommendjustaddinga1 to it. ;)

Save, and log on! All done. Now go away, I am thirsty.

Notes
Something to keep in mind, occasionally when editing old maps, you might have something go horribly wrong. So, keep backups. ;)

Here are Rena's notes on the Specification Layer from ye olden times (don't know if they need updating):
0 = Wall
1 = Chair (Bottom)
2 = Chair (Left)
3 = Chair (Right)
4 = Chair (Up)
5 = Chair (Bottom + Right)
6 = Chair (Up + Left)
7 = Chair (Any)
8 = Jammed Door?
9 = Chest
10 = Fake [!]
11 = [!]?
12 = Fake [!]
13 = [!]?
14 = [!]?
15 = [!]?
16 = Bank vault
17 = NPC Boundary
18 = Map Edge
19 = Fake wall
20-27 = Town Board
28 = Jukebox
29 = Stepping Stone
30 = Water
32 = Arena/Arena Queue
33 = Ambient Sound source
34 = Spikes
35 = Spikes
36 = Spikes

Now, if anything is incorrect, or needs updating, just post here, and I'll get to it. :)

Credits
Me, for writing this up.
Bankhead, for helping me with he layer descriptions.
Rena, for the copy-paste-able specification ID's, and her GREAT applications.

P.S. Help me complete the INCOMPLETE spots, they should be easy to spot. ;)

Wow brilliant guide ardvarks!

But erm...i think you got the X and Y coordinates mixed up in the picture.

They should be the other way round.

But other than that its an amazing guide.

Well done! 0.0

I did? I'll remove that for now. But I will add it back when I am sure that they are correct.

Good job man, glad i could help you.

Hope we expand this a bit more tbh!

Yes, I am waiting for someone to comment on the things that are missing. ;P

Ill do a brief overview, and let you know.

Ardvarks posted: (31st Jul 2009 03:45 am)

I did? I'll remove that for now. But I will add it back when I am sure that they are correct.

haha im too lazy to get it. Id get it if i needed it to code but other than thatt nope :p

Good guide.

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http://www.addipop.com

Thank you Addison, I still look up to you. xD

i thing to add when u 1st make a map save it then reopen it in editor befor u try to use it for the stuff u add gets all messed up

Also, if you want to add, say a lake or beach somewhere, and you want to put in water, you can use add region to supply the tiles to a mass area, and then check overwrite to replace the pre-existing tiles there. You can do the same with tile specs. 33 is the tile spec for water with the sound effect.

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May he now rest under aegis of mirage -
As the sands slowly turn to Elysian fields

Michael, you mean making a backup of your map? That should be a given, but I will add it into the notes section. :)

Syran, you have to keep in mind, this is a general map editing guide, not a guide for Rena's map editor.

no i mean when u create a map dont edit change or add anything to it till you reopen it in the editor theres a small bug if u add anything thing on the 1st time after u make it its adds info to wrong place and when u try to use map its all messed up

easy fix make map save then reopen it then do all your editing..

it pissed me off map always crashing when makeing it before i figered out the prob

..