Latest revision as of 20:32, 12 September 2017

Map Development

Maps are the fields on which the battles are fought, made with the implicit contract that they shall not alter game mechanics. They are made up of images and text files which describe the environment and its features, such as height, colour, background, details features, atmosphere and lighting etc. These images and text files are then compressed into a 7zip archive for distribution.

In-Game Screenshot
File:Screen00364.jpg

Beginners Tutorial

This beginners tutorial is split into three parts, the basic stuff, the more advanced basic stuff, and how to compile and create a map archive for distribution. It is intended to get you started, when you are comfortable with the concepts, please look over the technical documentation to further your knowledge.

Blueprint

Due to the amount of boiler plate files needed to create a fairly feature complete map, Jk has created a blueprint map to get things started

Link to blueprint zip

Technical Documentation

General

Terrain Shading

Terrain Features

Environment

Scripting

Howto's

Tools

A big list of tools used in developing spring games and assets:

Map,_Game,_And_Unit_Development_Programs

Resources

Metal Spot Resources

Specific to Map Development

Tools vs Platform
Tool	Windows	Linux	MacOS
MapConv	Yes
MapConvNG	Yes	Yes
Mapdeconv	Yes
smf_decompiler	Yes	Yes	Yes
Start Position Editor	Yes
Das Bruce's Mapconv Frontend	Yes
FrostRegen's SpringMapEdit	yes	yes	yes
Enetheru's smf_tools		yes

Spring Add-Ons

Common Problems

Pink Map

Renaming the SMT file and not defining the new name in mapinfo.lua will result in a map with a pink texture. Also don't put any spaces in the name.

Map doesn't show in spring after compressing with 7zip

The most likely cause is that it was compressed using the solid archive option.

FIXME: Add windows and MacOS solutions.

For linux the option -ms=off needs to be given on the command line. eg.

7z a -ms=off myarchivename.sd7 dem files I want to archive

Flipped Images

Heightmap images compiled into map files are inverted. It is necessary to use the -i parameter of Mapconv to vertically flip the image so that it matches the texture.

smt name defined in smf

The SMT file name is hardcoded in the SMF, and renaming the SMT used to cause pink map issues, but the SMT can now be manually defined in mapinfo.lua thereby bypassing the entire issue altogether.

Map Development Wiki

Mapdev Wiki Guide

Deprecated but not Deleted

We plan on integrating any and all useful knowledge from these pages into the rest of the wiki, they are kept here so that they are not hidden away.

Full Guides For Map Making (Outdated)

The guides listed below are outdated and scheduled for archival.

Specific Guides (Extremely Outdated!)

The linked pages below are scheduled for archival.

Spring Map Definition(smd) reference
Everything about Compiling your map
Some things about map balance
Map sizes in pixels and memory information about map sizes
RogerN's height map tutorial
Basic howto: create map texture with Povray

Spring_Features is an Archive which contains Stones, rocks, trees, and can be used for your map.

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 Maps are the fields on which the battles are fought, made with the implicit contract that they shall not alter game mechanics. They are made up of images and text files which describe the environment and its features, such as height, colour, background, details features, atmosphere and lighting etc. These images and text files are then compressed into a 7zip archive for distribution.
-[put some images here]
-I'm thinking a couple of minimaps and perspective views. of the prettiest maps.
+<center>
+{| class="wikitable"
+|+In-Game Screenshot
+|[[File:Screen00364.jpg|640px]]
+|}</center>
 = Beginners Tutorial =
@@ Line 16: / Line 21: @@
 = Technical Documentation =
+; '''General'''
 * [[Mapdev:mapinfo.lua|mapinfo.lua]]
 * [[Mapdev:set.lua|set.lua]] - feature set
 * [[Mapdev:SMT format|SMT format]]
 * [[Mapdev:SMF format|SMF format]]
-* [[Mapdev:height]]
+* [[Gamedev:Archives]]
+* [[Mapdev:sounds]]
+* [[Mapdev:performance]]
+* [[springignore.txt]]
+; '''Terrain Shading'''
 * [[Mapdev:diffuse]]
+* [[Mapdev:detail]]
+* [[Mapdev:splatdetail]]
+* [[Mapdev:splatdetailnormals]]
 * [[Mapdev:specular]]
 * [[Mapdev:normal]]
 * [[Mapdev:parallax]]
-* [[Mapdev:detail]]
+* [[Mapdev:skyreflectmod]]
-* [[Mapdev:minimap]]
+* [[Mapdev:lightemission]]
-* [[Mapdev:skybox]]
+; '''Terrain Features'''
+* [[Mapdev:height]]
 * [[Mapdev:metal]]
 * [[Mapdev:terraintype]]
 * [[Mapdev:grass]]
+* [[Mapdev:features]]
 * [[Mapdev:water]]
+* [[Mapdev:borders]]
+* [[Mapdev:minimap]]
+; '''Environment'''
+* [[Mapdev:skybox]]
 * [[Mapdev:lighting]]
 * [[Mapdev:atmosphere]]
-* [[Mapdev:features]]
-* [[Mapdev:sounds]]
-* [[Mapdev:borders]]
 = Scripting =
 * [[Mapdev:MapOptions]]
 * [[Mapdev:LuaShaders]]
+* [[Mapdev:Mutators]] [http://springrts.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=21808 forum discussion]
 = Howto's =
@@ Line 46: / Line 67: @@
 * [[Mapdev:Howto_spring_features_v1]]
 * [[Mapdev:Howto_skybox]]
+* [[Mapdev:howto_height_blender|Making a height map with Blender]]
 = Tools =
+A big list of tools used in developing spring games and assets:
+* [[Map,_Game,_And_Unit_Development_Programs]]
+= Resources =
+* [https://github.com/eronoobos/spring-metal-spot-resources Metal Spot Resources]
+== Specific to Map Development ==
 {| class="wikitable"
 |+ Tools vs Platform
@@ Line 59: / Line 88: @@
 | style="background:green;text-align:center"|  Yes
 |-
-| [[Mothers_MapConv]]
+| [[Mapdeconv]]
-| colspan=3 style="background:black;text-align:center"|  Deprecated
+| style="background:green;text-align:center"|  Yes
+|-
+| [[smf_decompiler]]
+| style="background:green;text-align:center"|  Yes
+| style="background:green;text-align:center"|  Yes
+| style="background:green;text-align:center"|  Yes
 |-
 | Start Position Editor
@@ Line 72: / Line 106: @@
 | style="background:green;text-align:center"|  yes
 | style="background:green;text-align:center"|  yes
+|-
+| [https://github.com/enetheru/smf_tools/releases Enetheru's smf_tools]
+| style="text-align:center" |
+| style="background:green;text-align:center" | yes
 |}
-== Spring Widgets ==
+== Spring Add-Ons ==
-== Spring "games" ==
 * [[Map_Making:_Feature_Placer|FeaturePlacer]]
-* [[Toolbox]]
+* [http://springfiles.com/spring/tools/spring-features Spring Features V1.0]
+* [http://imolarpg.dyndns.org/stuff/nobiax_spring_dnts/nobiax_spring_dnts.7z Nobiax DNTS pack for Spring]
-== Spring Resources ==
-[http://springfiles.com/spring/tools/spring-features Spring Features V1.0]
 = Common Problems =
 == Pink Map ==
-umm from what i remember it has something to do with the name of the smf/smt files. if you change their name it buggers up the texture thingo.. anyway cant remember exactly. and probably should search it out again.
+Renaming the SMT file and not defining the new name in mapinfo.lua will result in a map with a pink texture. Also don't put any spaces in the name.
 == Map doesn't show in spring after compressing with 7zip==
 The most likely cause is that it was compressed using the solid archive option.
+{{FIXME}}Add windows and MacOS solutions.
 For linux the option <code>-ms=off</code> needs to be given on the command line. eg.
 : <code> 7z a -ms=off myarchivename.sd7 dem files I want to archive</code>
 == Flipped Images ==
-due to images vs spring coordinate space issues.. will have to describe the problem and solutions..like the -i option in mapconv..
+Heightmap images compiled into map files are inverted. It is necessary to use the -i parameter of Mapconv to vertically flip the image so that it matches the texture.
 == smt name defined in smf ==
-One big GOTCHA in mapping is that the SMT's filename is defined in the SMF file at compile-time, so make sure you decide on your filename before you compile your map.
+The SMT file name is hardcoded in the SMF, and renaming the SMT used to cause pink map issues, but the SMT can now be manually defined in mapinfo.lua thereby bypassing the entire issue altogether.
-= Map Devopment Wiki =
+= Map Development Wiki =
 * [[Mapdev:WikiGuide|Mapdev Wiki Guide]]
@@ Line 107: / Line 145: @@
 *[[Map Making Guide|aGorms Ultimate Map Making Guide(unfinished)]]
 *[[IceXuick Map Design Help|IceXuicks Map creating Guide]]
-*[http://taspring.clan-sy.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=3941 Forboding Angel's map creating Tutorial]
+*[http://springrts.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=3941 Forboding Angel's map creating Tutorial]
 *[[Maps:Tutorial|Another tutorial from a designing point of view]]
 *[[A Complete Map Making Tutorial|A Complete Map Making Tutorial (under construction)]]
 *[[Runecrafter|Runecrafter's Map Tutorial]]
 *[http://springrts.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=15390 Beherith's map creating tutorial using the World in Conflict map editor]
 == Specific Guides (Extremely Outdated!) ==
 The linked pages below are scheduled for archival.
-*[[Gras on maps|Gras on maps]]
 *[[Maps:SMD|Spring Map Definition(smd) reference]]
 *[[Maps:Compiling|Everything about Compiling your map]]
@@ Line 121: / Line 159: @@
 *[[Height Map Tutorial|RogerN's height map tutorial]]
 *[[Create map texture with povray|Basic howto: create map texture with Povray]]
-Features. Stones, rocks, trees, for your map can be found at:&nbsp;[http://springrts.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=56&t=25752 http://springrts.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=56&t=25752]
-== Map making: SM3 (Experimental) (DEPRECATED) ==
-SM3 (Spring Mapformat 3) is getting allong nicely and maps using this format can be made. The following is documented so far.
-*[[SM3 Map Format|jcnossen's brief description on how this mapformat works.]]
-*[[SM3 FAQ|The first FAQ for the new mapformat.]]
-*[[Maps:Map Designer|SpringMapDesigner]]
-[[Category:Mapdev]]
+[[Spring_Features]] is an Archive which contains Stones, rocks, trees, and can be used for your map.
-[[Category:Development]]
+[[Category:Map Dev]]