How to create custom maps - Page 3

Xevious · 08-10-2010, 01:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SnowBrigade

Hello Xevious,

Yes that's possible if you know how to model. I can create a small tutorial over the next few days if you want, no problem.

Sweet, thanks.

08-12-2010, 04:42 PM

I'm also keen on as many tutorials as possible. I've been itching for a new project and love anything zombie! Match made in heaven.

WaZzUp115 · 08-12-2010, 05:48 PM

Really hoping there will be new maps now that we've got a bunch of new players

ciarlo2006 · 08-14-2010, 06:12 PM

Is it possible to go up and down ramps and stairs and so on?

From what I gather, all it is is a simple flat plane with a bounding box and a texture.

I'm a bit baffled by this.

I am quite fond of the diversity between modelling programs though.

Edit:

An example of ramps:

http://u4ealounge.com/modules/Script...apexample.jpeg

Also, is it wrong to have fun on a map like this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_w3T6cmD3FY

RedSe7en · 08-14-2010, 10:23 PM

Just started work on an urban map that is going to be like a city block. Gonna be fun.

Hey question: Can the terrain be anything but flat? (oops someone already asked)

WaZzUp115 · 08-15-2010, 06:14 AM

Haha, ciarlo2006 that looks surreal..

I'd love a hell map or a map on a large wheat field where you can barely see the crouching zombies :P

Also, having collide-able objects would be really nice, I hope it gets included in the future, apparently it is possible in barricade mode, although you can always fire above them.
Something like this only with wrecked cars and such on the map would be really cool..

Ramps would probably mess up shooting so you'd shoot above the heads of zombies, if they can fix that I'd love to see ramps.

ciarlo2006 · 08-15-2010, 11:49 AM

http://u4ealounge.com/modules/Script...ges/25map.jpeg

A basic example of a map that could be made with ramps.

At the moment, not sure if it's getting change or not, but the soldiers in barricade just stand there still, and I was thinking that maybe, they could have less health, but after say, 5 mins or so, they respawned out of the barracks on the right and moved to the red positions.

The zombies could maybe slow down or something when they move through the water, but since I'm not a developer, I don't know how it would work with shooting up and down in this game.

Just a thought.

ciarlo2006 · 08-15-2010, 06:00 PM

So, apparently, every time I try to load a map into the game, it crashes.

This Gile[s] program, it will take other formats and export them, but the only one that will work with the game is when I import a .3DS file.

I have even tried getting the .3DS importer plugin for Maya to see if I could maybe use that one, but even unedited, I exported it into .OBJ and imported it into Gile, then exported it for the game and it still crashed.

I am talking about your template files.

08-20-2010, 03:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ciarlo2006

Also, is it wrong to have fun on a map like this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_w3T6cmD3FY

I tried to export the example map and i have the same problem i put a directionnal light and assigned a non lighted materials on the textures but i don't see my map.

SnowBrigade · 08-20-2010, 04:13 AM

Hello ciarlo2006,

How you get the geomtery into Gile[s] doesn't matter since Gile[s] will always export it into the same format.

If the game doesn't accept a Gile[s] map, it will likely be down to one of the following:

- Make sure you are using version 1 of Gile[s] (version 1.36)

- When you have loaded the map into Gile[s], make sure you can see everything's textured

- When you start lightmapping (meaning you select: Windows->Lighting Wizard), make sure all geometry is lightmapped. Do not use options like Vertex Lighting and No Lighting (they should all be off, see sticky)

- Make sure you have lightmapped the map. The game will expect lightmaps, don't just import and export without lighting it.
Place the light(s), then choose Render

- After Gile[s] creates the lightmapped version, save it in the custom directory of the game. Make sure ALL textures used by that map are also included in that same directory in .tga (Targa) format. You can, but are not required to include bumpmapped textures as well.

For speed, make sure you don't create more than 1 or a few lightmaps (set the lightmap size to something like 1024x1024)

If you follow the above, you should be able to load your level into the game

In any case let me know.

SnowBrigade · 08-20-2010, 04:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ciarlo2006

Is it possible to go up and down ramps and stairs and so on?

Hello ciarlo2006,

We could add such funtionality but it will strongly affect the gameplay.

For instance, if you're standing on a ramp, do you hit the zombies below you or are you shooting over their heads?

Also, remember this is an arena shooter, if you can go onto stairs, can zombies get to you from all sides or can they only approach from small openings (stairs themselves?). Because then you'll be creating areas where you're much safer than in an open area, and you may be able to hold out for a long time in certain locations.

Basically, the more obstacles you add to a map, the easier it will get for the player. Small walls, etc. can work but narrow staircases, etc. will greatly affect gameplay..

SnowBrigade · 08-20-2010, 04:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WaZzUp115

Haha, ciarlo2006 that looks surreal..

I'd love a hell map or a map on a large wheat field where you can barely see the crouching zombies :P

Hello WaZzUp115, agreed, that would work well since the gameplay stays the same but you're upping the difficulty by making zombies harder to spot (think foggy levels in PvZ

Quote:

Something like this only with wrecked cars and such on the map would be really cool..

Cars would also work well. They would provide some cover but not too much that you can work out exactly where to stand on a map to get a highscore. The more open, the more equal action you'll get.

08-20-2010, 04:31 AM

Thank you for sharing the good news with us , i will try it according to what you have said .

ciarlo2006 · 08-20-2010, 07:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SnowBrigade

Hello ciarlo2006,

How you get the geomtery into Gile[s] doesn't matter since Gile[s] will always export it into the same format.

If the game doesn't accept a Gile[s] map, it will likely be down to one of the following:

- Make sure you are using version 1 of Gile[s] (version 1.36)

- When you have loaded the map into Gile[s], make sure you can see everything's textured

- When you start lightmapping (meaning you select: Windows->Lighting Wizard), make sure all geometry is lightmapped. Do not use options like Vertex Lighting and No Lighting (they should all be off, see sticky)

- Make sure you have lightmapped the map. The game will expect lightmaps, don't just import and export without lighting it.
Place the light(s), then choose Render

- After Gile[s] creates the lightmapped version, save it in the custom directory of the game. Make sure ALL textures used by that map are also included in that same directory in .tga (Targa) format. You can, but are not required to include bumpmapped textures as well.

For speed, make sure you don't create more than 1 or a few lightmaps (set the lightmap size to something like 1024x1024)

If you follow the above, you should be able to load your level into the game

In any case let me know.

I'll explain what I have just done now.

I opened the test map I made in Maya.
Exported the test map as .OBJ.
Imported the .OBJ into gile[s] version 1.36.
In gile, I can see the map layout.
In gile, I go to Windows > Light Wizard and input the same as you have in the tutorial.
In gile, I then click Render > Render and render the map.
In gile, I can see that the map was lighted, shaded and all that other stuff.
I then save the map from gile as .gls and move it into the custom folder of Nation Red.
I then change the maps file extension to .map.
I load the map in the game, and it crashes.

SnowBrigade · 08-20-2010, 08:01 AM

Hello ciarlo2006, all those steps look fine, so that means there's probably just a small issue. Are you using .tga's for all your textures?

If you'd like, you can upload the map somewhere (with textures, it's ok to make them small since that won't matter) and pm me with a link. That way I can find out quick and let you know.

08-14-2010, 06:12 PM	#34
ciarlo2006 Join Date: Aug 2008 Reputation: 16 Posts: 74	Is it possible to go up and down ramps and stairs and so on? From what I gather, all it is is a simple flat plane with a bounding box and a texture. I'm a bit baffled by this. I am quite fond of the diversity between modelling programs though. Edit: An example of ramps: http://u4ealounge.com/modules/Script...apexample.jpeg Also, is it wrong to have fun on a map like this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_w3T6cmD3FY Last edited by ciarlo2006: 08-14-2010 at 06:41 PM.

08-15-2010, 06:14 AM	#36
WaZzUp115 Join Date: Sep 2007 Reputation: 69 Posts: 1,261	Haha, ciarlo2006 that looks surreal.. I'd love a hell map or a map on a large wheat field where you can barely see the crouching zombies :P Also, having collide-able objects would be really nice, I hope it gets included in the future, apparently it is possible in barricade mode, although you can always fire above them. Something like this only with wrecked cars and such on the map would be really cool.. Ramps would probably mess up shooting so you'd shoot above the heads of zombies, if they can fix that I'd love to see ramps. Last edited by WaZzUp115: 08-15-2010 at 06:17 AM.

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08-12-2010, 04:42 PM	#32
stevekt Guest Posts: n/a	I'm also keen on as many tutorials as possible. I've been itching for a new project and love anything zombie! Match made in heaven.

08-12-2010, 05:48 PM	#33
WaZzUp115 Join Date: Sep 2007 Reputation: 69 Posts: 1,261	Really hoping there will be new maps now that we've got a bunch of new players

08-14-2010, 10:23 PM	#35
RedSe7en Join Date: Nov 2009 Reputation: 52 Posts: 701	Just started work on an urban map that is going to be like a city block. Gonna be fun. Hey question: Can the terrain be anything but flat? (oops someone already asked)

08-15-2010, 11:49 AM	#37
ciarlo2006 Join Date: Aug 2008 Reputation: 16 Posts: 74	http://u4ealounge.com/modules/Script...ges/25map.jpeg A basic example of a map that could be made with ramps. At the moment, not sure if it's getting change or not, but the soldiers in barricade just stand there still, and I was thinking that maybe, they could have less health, but after say, 5 mins or so, they respawned out of the barracks on the right and moved to the red positions. The zombies could maybe slow down or something when they move through the water, but since I'm not a developer, I don't know how it would work with shooting up and down in this game. Just a thought.

08-15-2010, 06:00 PM	#38
ciarlo2006 Join Date: Aug 2008 Reputation: 16 Posts: 74	So, apparently, every time I try to load a map into the game, it crashes. This Gile[s] program, it will take other formats and export them, but the only one that will work with the game is when I import a .3DS file. I have even tried getting the .3DS importer plugin for Maya to see if I could maybe use that one, but even unedited, I exported it into .OBJ and imported it into Gile, then exported it for the game and it still crashed. I am talking about your template files.

08-20-2010, 04:13 AM	#40
SnowBrigade DiezelPower Join Date: Sep 2009 Reputation: 735 Posts: 2,983	Hello ciarlo2006, How you get the geomtery into Gile[s] doesn't matter since Gile[s] will always export it into the same format. If the game doesn't accept a Gile[s] map, it will likely be down to one of the following: - Make sure you are using version 1 of Gile[s] (version 1.36) - When you have loaded the map into Gile[s], make sure you can see everything's textured - When you start lightmapping (meaning you select: Windows->Lighting Wizard), make sure all geometry is lightmapped. Do not use options like Vertex Lighting and No Lighting (they should all be off, see sticky) - Make sure you have lightmapped the map. The game will expect lightmaps, don't just import and export without lighting it. Place the light(s), then choose Render - After Gile[s] creates the lightmapped version, save it in the custom directory of the game. Make sure ALL textures used by that map are also included in that same directory in .tga (Targa) format. You can, but are not required to include bumpmapped textures as well. For speed, make sure you don't create more than 1 or a few lightmaps (set the lightmap size to something like 1024x1024) If you follow the above, you should be able to load your level into the game In any case let me know.

08-20-2010, 04:31 AM	#43
goodscoolxh Guest Posts: n/a	Thank you for sharing the good news with us , i will try it according to what you have said .

08-20-2010, 08:01 AM	#45
SnowBrigade DiezelPower Join Date: Sep 2009 Reputation: 735 Posts: 2,983	Hello ciarlo2006, all those steps look fine, so that means there's probably just a small issue. Are you using .tga's for all your textures? If you'd like, you can upload the map somewhere (with textures, it's ok to make them small since that won't matter) and pm me with a link. That way I can find out quick and let you know.