Digital Paint Discussion Board
Development => Mapping => Topic started by: jitspoe on August 15, 2006, 03:25:03 PM
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We've had a lot of new mappers recently, and I keep seeing the same mistakes over and over again. You need to learn the tools before you make a map. Before you even attempt to start on your great mapping adventure, you need to make 5-10 test maps just to figure out how the tools work.
You need to master the following basics before you even start making your main design:
- Compiling. Don't go trying to build some masterpiece when you can't even figure out how to compile your map. All you need to start out is a box with an info_player_start.
- Light-emitting surfaces. These provide the easiest and most natural looking way to light your map. You should never release a map or screenshots without lighting, even if they're previews/beta/whatever. Lighting is essential.
- Finding and fixing leaks (or avoiding them entirely). If you see "*** LEAKED ***" in the compile window, stop everything and go fix it.
- Texture alignment. This is extremely important. Learn to use the surface dialog ("S" key in BSP) to scale and transform textures. Learn how to lock textures (alt-l) to keep textures aligned on things like crates.
- Clipping planes. Map brushes are made up of planes. Learning how to think and edit using planes will not only help you make maps faster, but it will make your maps more efficient. Once you've mastered clipping planes, you've mastered brush editing.
- Clip brushes. These are invisible brushes to help players from getting stuck on lights, posts, and other details. Use them everywhere. Nobody wants to be in the middle of an intense battle, then get caught on something and killed because the mapper was too lazy to put clip brushes in.
- Arghrad's sun lighting. If you're making an outdoor map, this is essential.
- Entity placement. Before you go making a big map, learn how to create team spawn points, flags, bases, etc. Test out the different game modes. There's an outdated entity list here that you can use for reference: http://digitalpaint.planetquake.gamespy.com/v2/docs/ents.html
- Anything else you plan to use in your map. Test things before using them. Compiling small test maps is a lot faster than trying implement things you've never used before in a full-sized map, then waiting for it to compile, finding out it doesn't work, and having to compile the full map again.
Some tips:
- Use a common prefix for your test maps, so you can easily delete them to remove the clutter. I just use _ at the beginning, _testlighting.map, _testplat.map, etc. That way they're all together and I can just select and delete them when I'm done.
- See how other people have done things. The entity data is in plain text at the end of .bsp files. You can open them in wordpad or other text editors. Just search for "worldspawn" and that will bring you to the beginning of the entity data.
- Create map layouts so that there's an average of 2 players per path, with at least 2 paths available to/from any given location.
- r_speeds. Type r_speeds 1 at the console. Try to keep wpoly below 1000. Design your map so that it's detailed, but not too much detail is visible at any one time.
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STICKY!
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okay....
i guess this helped.
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thtaks for the tips jitspoe I have a great idea for a map but i can't make it because i only brought my MAC to my beach house :(
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stop posting then
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i can't make the map because i don't have my PC here stupid donkey!!!!
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Then... stop posting.
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Also, use DETAIL brushes (mark the detail content flag) where the brushes do not block too much visibility: IE wall supports, light fixtures, etc. DO NOT USE detail on brushes that make up the outer hull of the map.
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You should avoid using detail brushes unless you absolutely have to. All they do is make the map compile faster/reduce portals.
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Okay.
is there a faster/descent light compile that I could use that doesnt take a long time like ArghRad does?
I would like to use a really fast one that works and looks nice.
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Radiosity just takes a lot of processing power to calculate, and it doesn't help that you have like a 10 year old computer.
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I just got a brand spanking new computer, and it STILL takes a long time. Even with a gig of ram and a 3800+ processor.
Having a dual core model (or even two processors) can help.
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try adding the option -threads 2 and see what happens.
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It won't help unless he has either multiple CPU's or a multi-core CPU.
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i didn't think this was worth starting a whole topic for, but is there any way to change the direction a brush with the "flowing" flag flows in? By the way, thanks for the tips jits. i think my next map will turn out better.
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Yes. Just rotate the texture. The reflective water doesn't work with this yet, though.
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ya i don't know how to make a map so I was asking u guys if u could tell me what to do
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http://www.dp.arena-zone.com/tutorials/worldcraftt_tutorial_01.htm
worldcraft one
=]
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jitspoes words of wisdom are good.
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um..ive tried to download the bsp file from this site and it says the page cant be found?? did the file get moved to another site or something
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a7x: Try this one http://dpball.com/files/mapmaking/bsp_pb2_build016a.zip (http://dpball.com/files/mapmaking/bsp_pb2_build016a.zip)
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spook, it says that link is wrong or outdated...so if it works for everyone else it must be my server
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well sorry about that, it was loading for me so i figured it worked. now i can see i was oblivious to the fact that it doesn't
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lol...thats merry i really wanted to make a map :'(
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try again tomorrow, it won't, or shouldn't, be down for long.
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Check out this: http://dpball.com/files/mapmaking/bsp_pb2_build016b.zip
It's the latest version.
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that's the one i posted in the other topic, and it was down yesterday. seems to be working fine as of now, so enjoy
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bitmates link is working for me ... i made a map and dont know how to test it...yes i know, im a newb
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Under the export menu choose qbsp.bat, this should correctly compile and run paintball2 with your new map, unless your have paintball installed in another directory other than default c:\games\paintball2, or you haven't correctly installed BSP + PB2 (which is unlikely). So, to change the directory if thats the case, go to C:\bsp\pball2\quake2\pball\compilers\runmap.bat (or a different drive if you installed it) and change the directory to wherever your DP2 is located.
***this will run your map at full brightness, it will take only a moment to compile, of course...when your final is ready use the Final Compile option, under export as well
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has anyone heard of getic 3d? well if you have can you help me figure out how to put guns,ammo ect. on the map your making? i've been using bsp for a long time but switched to getic.
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i've been using bsp for a long time but switched to getic.
For the love of Pete and all that is good! WHY?!
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Hey i know this is totaly a noob question but is there any paying involved??????? By the way none of the links our working some say 404 not found others say cannot display webpage or something to that effect whats wrong?
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Try this one:
ftp://85.214.56.218/pub/BSP%20-%20Map%20Editor/bsp_pb2_build016c.zip (ftp://85.214.56.218/pub/BSP%20-%20Map%20Editor/bsp_pb2_build016c.zip)
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Ty Chef it appears to be working it opened fine but I still have to unzip so thanks. But still one more question is there any paying in volved. By the way anubis is sweet i hope it gets out of beta soon. ;D
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Its free, no paying.
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Kool thanks blaa i didn't think you had to but i wasn't sure.
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Spook I am opening the link I'm opening the Bsp part and it says Unknown pakfile and stuff then i have to set them what is a qc file??? Because if I dont it just comes up all grey.
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it IS from november 12... that may be a problem ;P
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so what should i do then where can i get a newre one spook?
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no clue =[ sorry
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What is the difference between detail brushes and normal brushes?
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All i know is that the detail brushes can dramatically decrease your numportals for a faster compile.
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Detail brushes are brushes that the VIS system ignores- so anything that doesn't block VIS all that much (a single barrel, for example) should be detailed. If you detail correctly, your VIS time could be a tenth or less of what it would be.
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I have tried the link that P!nk sent me but the website is like no the right one :-\
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Maybe a more complete guide on BSP could ehelp new mappers about how to compile... Because most of options are for Quake...
At least mine is...
Examples: I was looking in Help Guide about how to do teleports.... I didn't find anything.
Why i need teleport though ?...
-Flamer
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Maybe a more complete guide on BSP could ehelp new mappers about how to compile... Because most of options are for Quake...
At least mine is...
Examples: I was looking in Help Guide about how to do teleports.... I didn't find anything.
Why i need teleport though ?...
-Flamer
erm.. There is a more complete guide on bsp, just pick one of the stickies on the mapping forum page.
Also, please search the forums for the teleport thing
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I think about make a map of Chernobyl
This is cool
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I think about make a map of Chernobyl
This is cool
You're not the only one :D :D :D
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Do you make this?
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Yes, but not for paintball any more - it was/is going to be a singleplayer standalone game, with a couple more levels than what I had planned.
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Beta version?
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i need a list of entities
http://digitalpaint.planetquake.gamespy.com/v2/docs/ents.html this one don't work
i think server problems
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http://digitalpaint.org/testwiki1/pb2wiki.php?word=entities
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http://www.digitalpaint.org/v2/docs/ents.html
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Could it be possible, that the group key doesn't work correct for ammo and co2? Tested it a few weeks ago, but it doesn't work for all items.
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does anybody know how to make a jump map
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Digital Paint: Paintball2 is not a jump mod..
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Here is the jump community, they know how to make it: http://q2jump.wireplay.co.uk/
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Where do I download Arghrad's sun lighting? How do I create skies with those mountains in the horizon?
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Your bsp should come with arghrad. It not, you can use this bsp: ftp://otb-server.de/pub/BSP%20-%20Map%20Editor/BSP_setup.exe
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How do I create skies with those mountains in the horizon?
Add "sky" "###" to the worldspawn and create sky brushes (there're a few sky textures with default sky settings). ### options:
unit1_ = Orange sunset sky
pbsky1 = cloudy sky
pbsky2 = sky with sun
pbsky3 = starry sky
pbsky4 = bright sunrise by hills
riverscape1 = mountains & river
arctic1 = snowy mountains and ocean
sand = desert
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Add "sky" "###" to the worldspawn and create sky brushes (there're a few sky textures with default sky settings). ### options:
unit1_ = Orange sunset sky
pbsky1 = cloudy sky
pbsky2 = sky with sun
pbsky3 = starry sky
pbsky4 = bright sunrise by hills
riverscape1 = mountains & river
arctic1 = snowy mountains and ocean
sand = desert
How do I do that? I try but it says "no subdierectories in pak [No subdierectories in pack[]...
When ever I try to delete the characters in the quotes, asks me to unload a texture directory, I unload two dirrectories, then the 3rd time it shows up, it says "no textures loaded". What am I doing wrong?
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Your bsp should come with arghrad. It not, you can use this bsp: ftp://otb-server.de/pub/BSP%20-%20Map%20Editor/BSP_setup.exe
How do I know if I have arghrad?
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Make a final compile. If it makes the light, you have it.
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Make a final compile. If it makes the light, you have it.
I did the normal quality one and it was all black. I did the high quality one and I could see clearly.
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Press esc, press e, select worldspawn, klick +, add sky for key and riverscape1 (e.g.) for value (like "sky" "riverscape1").
Now the second step, it has nothing to do with the first one. Load your pball textures, choose a sky texture and make your wanted skybrush with it.
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i need help i am done with me map but i don't know what to do.... and how to get a server Please Help Me..
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When you're done, do a final compile (you can do the high quality one if your computer can handle it).
To get the map on a server, make a thread about it. If server admins like it, they'll put it up on their beta servers until you relese a complete version of the map.
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The entity website is down. I found a list of entities here: http://www.digitalpaint.org/v2/docs/ents.html#worldspawn
And if I make a huge box for my sky brush, won't that mess up my leaks? I don't really understand what I'm supposed to do, am I supposed to just make a big box and slap a texture on it for my sky? I can't download Aghrads sun lighting because the website is down.
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1. Entity website: http://digitalpaint.org/v2/docs/ents.html
2. Use never a big box around the map to fix a leak.
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I know that but I'm wondering what do I use for a skybox if I'm not allowed to use a big box. Plus if I use a big box for a skybox that makes everything dark.
I added this key to worldspawn but it doesn't do anything. I did make a convex box and applied a skybox texture which worked, but I don't know how to make a large concave box that doesnt darken everything.
(http://i41.tinypic.com/a1lgsj.png)
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Oh, you do sorta make a box for the sky, use sky textures (or set sky and light flags manually) to fix it being dark, but just use the brushes to make a ceiling/high walls on your map, not a big box around your map. Basically, put the lid on the box that is your map, instead of putting your map inside a bigger box. The actual "skybox" shows through the brushes. Once you see it in-game it will make more sense :)
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How would I add light flags to it? So basically I just make 4 walls and 2 floors to make a custom box?
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Well, hopefully your map has floors and walls. You just make the ceiling out of sky. Don't worry about how close it is to the player. Forget what I said about light flags, just chose the "sky1" texture from the textures menu.
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Wow, it worked like a charm! Thanks!
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How are you doing on my map twilight?