BW1 Mapping FAQ

Kays

Kays

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Gremxula made a couple of statements on that other thread which got me to thinking to try to put together some form of easy yet comrehensive guide to mapping to try to encourage mapping.
I'm starting a second thread on which this can be put together. I'll get it started and set up the rough framework for it and try to add some info. What I think we basicaly need is a rough guide that answers most of the common questions.

All input is welcome.  :)[br][br]Added: Feb 22, 2004, 12:30 AMA guide to mapping: a work in progress

Resources:
B&W mapping list
CI mapping list

Tools:
Map editors:

Black and White Express Map Editor
Pros and cons etc......

Black & White World Modifier
Pros and cons etc......

Landscape Editors:

BW Surveyor
Pros and cons etc......

Sculpt Ed
Pros and cons etc......

Other tools:

Rotation Calculator
This handy program can calculate the rotation variables used by Black and White from their degree values! Handy for people who hate maths.

BW Town Creator
Very quick way to write in a village and it's inhabitants.

Coordinate Generator
A simple program made to calculate a number of coordinates in random parts of a circle
Getting started,

How to:

Add or change creatures in a map.
CREATE_CREATURE_FROM_FILE("PLAYER_TWO", 4, "COMPUTERCONTROLLEDCREATURE", "X,Y")
SET_COMPUTER_PLAYER_CREATURE_LIKE("PLAYER_TWO", "PLAYER_ONE")
These are the lines used to set up an other god’s creature in a map. “X, Y” being replaced by the coordinates of that map.

Changing the Existing mind file with an other
In most maps the other god’s creature is the “ComputerControlledCreature” that is found in your CreatureMind folder. The simplest thing to do would be to find the line that contains ComputerControlledCreature and to change that name, to the name of the mind file that you wish to use.

Adding a “neutral creature to a map”
CREATE_CREATURE_FROM_FILE("NEUTRAL", 6, "Eville", "2174.61, 2574.82")
This is the line used to place my creature, Eville, on a map.
Note: The SET_COMPUTER_PLAYER_CREATURE_LIKE command doesn’t work on a neutral creature and he will only be the size that he was originally.

To Make a map all night:
Find:
SET_NIGHTTIME(1700.000000, 0.083000, 0.07000)
Change it to:
SET_NIGHTTIME(1700.000000,  1.00, 0.07000)

1700= length of the day in secs.
.083= % night.
.070= % twilight.


Rotation
Size
Objects
Creating a Village (BW Village creator)

These are just a few thought on subjects to cover.</font>



 
Sounds like it will be a good guide...too bad i can't help cause i don't know a thing about map making...wait a minute..i can ask loads of nooby map making questions for a faq to go with the tut:-P
 
More Tools:

Rotation Calculator
This handy program can calculate the rotation variables used by Black and White from their degree values! Handy for people who hate maths.

Wood Creator
Trees. The most annoying scripts to make because there are so many of them. This german tool will help you create trees, forests and even jungles just by entering in a couple of variables
 
I've added a few items from what I've manged to dig up. As well as Nauge's contribution.

For some reason I can't find the original mapping guide that I posted. :(
 
Making Custom Landscapes
At the moment we dont have an "All in one" Landscape editor, so we will have to make the most of what we have.


First, Making the coastline... We'll use Bw Surveyor for this

Make sure the Land editor table is open, Click Edit - Mode land editor
Make the outline of the coast using Volcano " Times 1 " using whatever radius you want
( Weird i know, but it seems to work the best ) right click a selected block and click "add brush" ,
Next we need to make bumps, hills, mountains, etc. We will use SculptEd for that, This program will give us a nice and smooth landscape. Persionally i dont like using Bw Surveyor for this as it makes the landscape look Square and Blocky .
Get used to the controls of SculptEd, and start sculpting.

To navigate the using ScultpED you need to hold CONTROL while pressing:

Right MouseButton to pan
Middle MouseButton to Rotate
Left and Right MouseButton while dragging mouse eighter up or down to zoom

More Controls in the readme


Sounds like it will be a good guide...too bad i can't help cause i don't know a thing about map making...wait a minute..i can ask loads of nooby map making questions for a faq to go with the tut:-P
Click to expand...


Yea sure... we will try our best to answer them
 
I've just started to map, I'm using Sculpted and I've tried to use BWSurveyor Candidate Release 1.0 and I have one question....

How do you create coatline\ocean?  I don't understand the surveyor help and Sculpted doesn't seem to go below sea level.  I'm finding surveyor very difficult to use and any tips would be GREATLY appriciated  :)

EDIT**
I've just tried Nauges previous post but I still can't get it to work, it just creates a doughnut on the side of my island i'm designing  :cry</font>



 
OK so Im the last one to give advice but if you can avoid the coasts!!!
When you mess up  inland it is fairly unimportant but every body notices the coasts.
If you look at 99% of custom landscapes thats where the obvious errors will be.
Surveyer is the best Landscape tool we have but try to get a finished landscape in as few sessions as possible the more you load & save the more the landscape corrupts.

Mahu--you set the size to big.
You have to do it in very small sections thats why I can't do it. I don't have the time.</font>



 
Is that the same for SculptED? I seem to be using that far more, I just can't get the hang of Surveyor  ???
 
Surveyor is the best there is. Dont bother with the other 2 as they both save obviously corrupted lands from the first save.
Do a test if you like. Do a quick edit on a land and save it. Do a simple map using the landsape and zoom out.
Then you will see what I mean.  :(
 
I use SculptEd for everything but the coasts.
About the donut ring coast, You will have to fill the donut rings in with SculptEd.

coasts.jpg
</font>



 
OK Im pants at coastline. Could you tidy one up for me. Full criedit will be given. :D
 
Thanks to you both, Nauge, is it true what Grem said about the corrupted landscape?
 
Not  close in  its when you zoom out. Its the hi res bitmaps that are a problem. But don't believe me .. the only reason  Surveyer was done is because Sculpted or Eden project didn't work properly. :(
 
Hmmm, mine seems fine when I zoom out though ???, what exactly am I looking for?
 
You are quite right, and also the map won't save changes now, well it does kind of.  I guess I'll have to try and learn surveyor  :down

Got any handy tips?
 
I have a little problem :(

I've got an island and a continent and I've put in Negatus, Negatus II and Negatus 2000 just to test it and stuff but instead of walking around the island the 3 crts just dissapear then re-apear on the continent.  I'm completely baffled by this, they're not using teleport or anything like that,

Any ideas?  :(
 
Yea, thats something wrong with the black and white engine. You will have to link the island to the continent... Its annoying but i dont think that can be fixed :(
 
hmmm, ok thanks Nauge.

Another question while I'm here....

When I start the map the villagers just stand around and their stats say created, then after about 5 - 10 seconds they act like villagers.

Is this normal?
 
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