Spring - User contributions [en]

Changelog

2018-10-12T18:52:13Z

The yak: replaced outdated changelog with github links

===Changelog===

;https://github.com/spring/spring/blob/develop/doc/changelog.txt : Documented changes to Spring can be viewed here.

;https://github.com/spring/spring/commits/ : Technical log containing most recent commits.

[[category:Development]]

Mapdev:lightemission

2017-09-13T20:23:52Z

The yak: Added light emission texture example image

= Light Emission Texture =
Adds colour to a fragment (pixel). The colour added is the RGB colour of the emission texture, while the alpha of the emission texture determines the amount of the original colour that remains.

Can be used for accentuation. For example, metal spots in shadowed regions
<center>
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Example
|
[[File:Map without light emission.jpg|frameless|Map without light emission]]
||
[[File:Map with light emission.jpg|frameless|Map with light emission]]
|-
! Without Light Emission Texture!! With Light Emission Texture
|}</center>

= Specification =
== mapinfo.lua ==
The relevant sections of the [[Mapdev:mapinfo.lua|mapinfo.lua]]
<code><pre>
local mapinfo = {
...
resources = {
...
lightEmissionTex = "light_emission.png",
...
},
...
}</pre></code>
== Image File==
{| class="wikitable" width="100%"
! width="15%" | File Location
| ./maps/
|-
! File Format
| PNG, TGA
|-
! Colour Depth
| 8bpp
|-
! Channels
| RGBA
|-
! Resolution
| Any, recommended powers of two, will be stretched over the terrain. Should be the same size as the [[Mapdev:specular]] image
|}
<pre>
Modifies the fragment color as follows

fragmentColor.rgb = fragmentColor.rgb * (1 - lightEmissionTex.a) + lightEmissionTex.rgb
</pre>

[[Category:Map Dev]]

File:Map with light emission.jpg

2017-09-13T20:22:24Z

The yak:

Map with light emission

File:Map without light emission.jpg

2017-09-13T20:20:46Z

The yak:

Map without light emission

Mapdev:Main

2017-09-12T20:32:57Z

The yak: Added beherith DNTS pack to mapping add ons, removed outdated Toolbox

= 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.

<center>
{| class="wikitable"
|+In-Game Screenshot
|[[File:Screen00364.jpg|640px]]
|}</center>

= 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.
* [[Mapdev:Tutorial_Simple|Stage 1]]
* [[Mapdev:Tutorial_Intermediate|Stage 2]]
* [[Mapdev:Tutorial_Finalizing|Finalizing]]

= Blueprint =
Due to the amount of boiler plate files needed to create a fairly feature complete map, [[User:Jk|Jk]] has created a blueprint map to get things started
* [https://github.com/jk3064/Map-Blueprint/archive/master.zip Link to blueprint zip]

= 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]]
* [[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:skyreflectmod]]
* [[Mapdev:lightemission]]

; '''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]]

= Scripting =
* [[Mapdev:MapOptions]]
* [[Mapdev:LuaShaders]]
* [[Mapdev:Mutators]] [http://springrts.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=21808 forum discussion]

= Howto's =
* [[Mapdev:Howto_voidwater/space]]
* [[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
! Tool !! Windows !! Linux !! MacOS
|-
| [[MapConv]]
| style="background:green;text-align:center"| Yes
|-
| [[MapConvNG]]
| style="background:green;text-align:center"| Yes
| style="background:green;text-align:center"| Yes
|-
| [[Mapdeconv]]
| 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
| style="background:green;text-align:center"| [http://springfiles.com/spring/tools/mapping-tools Yes]
|-
| Das Bruce's Mapconv Frontend
| style="background:green;text-align:center"| [http://springfiles.com/spring/tools/mapping-tools Yes]
|-
| FrostRegen's [[Maps:SpringMapEdit|SpringMapEdit]]
| style="background:green;text-align:center"| yes
| 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 Add-Ons ==
* [[Map_Making:_Feature_Placer|FeaturePlacer]]
* [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]

= 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 <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 ==
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:WikiGuide|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.
*[[Create maps|aGorm's map creating Guide]]
*[[Map Making Guide|aGorms Ultimate Map Making Guide(unfinished)]]
*[[IceXuick Map Design Help|IceXuicks Map creating Guide]]
*[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.
*[[Maps:SMD|Spring Map Definition(smd) reference]]
*[[Maps:Compiling|Everything about Compiling your map]]
*[[MapsBalance|Some things about map balance]]
*[[MapSizes|Map sizes in pixels]] and memory information about map sizes
*[[Height Map Tutorial|RogerN's height map tutorial]]
*[[Create map texture with povray|Basic howto: create map texture with Povray]]

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

[[Category:Map Dev]]

Mapdev:splatdetailnormals

2015-12-20T19:55:42Z

The yak: Made changes based upon this post: https://springrts.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=33788&start=20#p574843

= Detail Normal Texture Splatting (DNTS) =

This extends the existing functionality of SSMF splatted detail textures [[Mapdev:splatdetail]], with the option of specifying 4 different (normal map + greyscale diffuse map) detail textures.

Splatted detail textures only allowed grayscale textures to be overlayed on the map, while DNTS also allows normal maps as well.

Instead of creating a combined detail texture of 4 different single-channel diffuse detail textures stored in a single RGBA image, it uses four separate normal textures.

The textures must contain the normal maps in the RGB channel (standard normal maps), with a diffuse luminance in the alpha channel.

The system uses the same splatDistributionTexture as regular SSMF.

Example result:

[[File:dnts_example.jpg|960px]]
== Distribution Image ==
{| class="wikitable" width="100%"
! width="15%" | File Location
| ./maps/
|-
! File Format
| PNG, TGA, DDS
|-
! Colour Depth
| 8bpp
|-
! Channels
| RGBA
|-
! Resolution
| Any, recommended powers of two, will be stretched over the terrain.
|}

The RGBA Channels are individual greyscale distribution maps which define which detail textures to splat onto the ground. The intensity of the splatted textures is multipled by the pixel values for the corresponding channels.
<center>
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Example
| [[File:Mapdev-ddist.gif]] || [[File:Mapdev-ddist.png]]
|-
! Detail Distribution maps !! Combined Result
|}</center>

== Detail Normal Textures ==
{| class="wikitable" width="100%"
! width="15%" | File Location
| ./maps/
|-
! File Format
| PNG, TGA, DDS
|-
! Colour Depth
| 8bpp
|-
! Channels
| RGB for normal maps only, RGBA for normal map + diffuse map in alpha channel
|-
! Resolution
| Any, recommended powers of two, will be tiled over the terrain.
|}

<center>
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Detail Normal Texture Example
| [[File:Mapdev-dnts-normal.jpg|400px]] || [[File:Mapdev-dnts-diffuse-alpha.jpg|400px]]
|-
! Normal texture in RGB channel !! greyscale diffuse in ALPHA channel
|}</center>

= Specification =

Specify splatDetailNormalTex1 .. splatDetailNormalTex4 in the MAP resources section. splatDetailTex will be unused if and of splatDetailNormalTex[1-4] are present.

Specify splatDetailNormalDiffuseAlpha=1 to enable diffuse textures stored in alpha channels.

splatDetailNormalDiffuseAlpha=0 is the default value, and will ignore all and any alpha channels in the splatDetailNormalTex's, resulting in a purely normal mapped surface, with no extra diffuse texturing.

texScales and texMults work identically to [[Mapdev:splatdetail]]

== mapinfo.lua ==
<code><pre>
local mapinfo = {
...
resources = {
...
splatDistrTex = "splatDistributionTex.tga",
splatDetailNormalDiffuseAlpha = 1,
splatDetailNormalTex = {
"sandpebbles_NORM.tga",
"crystal_245_dnts.dds",
"grass_91_dnts.dds",
"pebbles_250_dnts_u8888.dds",
alpha = true,
},
...
},
...
splats = {
texScales = {0.02, 0.02, 0.02, 0.02},
texMults = {1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 1.0},
},
...
}</pre></code>

Mapdev:Tutorial Simple

2013-10-21T18:51:32Z

The yak: /* Create Metal Map */ white spots to red spots

= Beginners Tutorial Stage 1 =
This beginners tutorial is aimed at getting you from nothing, to something simple which you can build upon.

* We'll start with the height map, defining the structure of the terrain
* Then the metalmap, a resource scheme built into the spring engine
* The diffuse texture, defining the colour of the terrain
* The minimap, for when selecting the map in the game lobby
* The grass map, for that extra flourish of detail
* Finally set up the start positions

= What you will need =
* An image editor, such as [http://www.gimp.org/ GIMP] or [http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop.html Adobe Photoshop], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_raster_graphics_editors#List etc]
* [http://www.7-zip.org/ 7zip]
* Windows - [[MapConv]], Linux - [[MapConvNG]]
* a copy of the map blueprint [https://github.com/jk3064/Map-Blueprint/archive/master.zip archive]

There are a multitude of other tools you can use to make maps, however for the purposes of this beginners tutorial, these are the only ones you will need. Check the [[Mapdev:Main#Tools|tools]] section for more information.

= Download =
* [http://springfiles.com/spring/other/mapdev-stage1-working-files Download] the working files
* [http://springfiles.com/spring/spring-maps/mapdev-stage1 Download] the completed map archive

= Preparation =
<ol>
<li>Extract the mapcontainer.sdd folder from the blueprint archive into your working directory.</li>
Your directory structure should look like this:
<pre>working directory
|-mapcontainer.sdd/
|-LuaGaia/
|-mapconfig/
|-maphelper/
|-maps/
|-mapinfo.lua
|-mapoptions.lua
</pre>
<li>Rename the mapcontainer.sdd folder to the name of your map, eg. mymap.sdd
<li>Edit the following variables in the mapinfo.lua file, ignore the rest for now.
* name
* shortname
* description
* author
* version (just put like v1 or something in here)
</ol>

= Create Height map =
For this tutorial we will be creating a 4x4 size map, which is relatively small. Typically maps will be 8x8 (for a 1v1) or larger, but entirely depends on the game you are targeting.
<ol>
<li>Check the [[Mapdev:height|height]] page to get our image dimensions. In our case a 4x4 map yields a image resolution of 257x257 pixels
<li>Create a 257x257 greyscale image using your image editor
<li>Draw the terrain</li>
<li>Save the image to your working directory, call it heightmap.png
</ol>
{{infobox|title=Tip|icon=icon-tip.png|icon-size=48|color=rgba(255,255,0,0.1)
|body=Black represents the lowest elevation on the map, white represents the highest, in between lies all the shades of grey. Hard edges in the image will be cliffs, and smooth gradients will be ramps.}}
<center>
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Example
| [[File:Mapdev-height.png|256px]] || [[File:Mapdev-height-example.png]]
|-
! Example Height Map !! Ingame Result
|}</center>
== Edit mapinfo.lua ==
<ol>
<li>Open the mapinfo.lua file in a text editor
<li>Change the <code>minHeight</code> and <code>maxHeight</code> variables to <code>10</code> and <code>256</code> respectively 
These values control the overall height of the terrain, and will be unique to your map. After loading up the map in game you may want to revisit and tweak these values to get the best result. 
The resulting portion of code should appear like this:
<code><pre>local mapinfo = {
...
smf = {
minHeight = 10,
maxHeight = 256,
...
},
...
}</pre></code>
</ol>

= Create Metal Map =
{{infobox|title=Caution|icon=icon-caution.png|icon-size=48|color=rgba(255,0,0,0.1)
|body=There are several games for Spring which use their own resourcing system. If you are creating a map for one of those games, a metal map may not be necessary, however it is always nice if you can make your maps as compatible with other games as possible, but this is a choice left entirely up to you.}}
<ol>
<li>Check the [[Mapdev:metal|metal]] page to get our image dimensions. In our case a 4x4 map yields an image resolution of 257x257 pixels
<li>Create a 257x257 greyscale image using your image editor
<li>Paint the whole image black
<li>Paint full red spots 6 or so pixels in diameter on the places where you want metal to appear in game.
<li>Save the image to your working directory, call it metalmap.png
</ol>
<center>
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Example
| [[File:Mapdev-metal.png|256px]] || [[File:Mapdev-metal-example.png]]
|-
! Example Metal Map !! Ingame Result
|}</center>
== Edit mapinfo.lua ==
<ol>
<li>Open the mapinfo.lua file in a text editor
<li>Change the <code>maxMetal </code> and the <code>extractorRadius</code> variables to <code>6.0</code> and <code>32.0</code> respectively 
These variables control the maximum amount of metal that a metal extractor can extract at full capacity, and the radius that a metal extractor will be able to draw from. 
The resulting portion of code will appear thus:
<code><pre>local mapinfo = {
...
maxMetal = 6.0,
extractorRadius = 32.0,
...
}</pre></code>
</ol>

= Create Diffuse Texture =
<ol>
<li>Check the [[Mapdev:diffuse|diffuse]] page to get our image dimensions. In our case a 4x4 map yields an image resolution of 2048x2048 pixels
<li>Create a 2048x2048 RGB image using your image editor
<li>Paint your ground colour in such a way that it compliments the height of the terrain, and metal spots.
<li>Save the image to your working directory, call it diffuse.png
</ol>
{{infobox|title=Tip|icon=icon-tip.png|icon-size=48|color=rgba(255,255,0,0.1)
|body=It may be useful to use the heightmap.png and metalmap.png images as a starting points, scaling them up to size, and then painting over the top.}}
{{infobox|title=Caution|icon=icon-caution.png|color=rgba(255,0,0,0.1)
|body=The larger the map the greater the file size this texture will be, a 4x4 map at 2048x2048 the diffuse texture image is already at 5.4mb, imagine a 32x32 size map, it would be in the hundreds of megabytes. Working with large textures is difficult, and requires good hardware. }}
<center>
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Example
| [[File:Mapdev-diffuse.jpg]] || [[File:Mapdev-diffuse-example.png]]
|-
! Example Diffuse Map !! Ingame Result
|}</center>

= Create Mini Map =
The [[Mapdev:minimap|mini-map]] is a thumbnail image of the the whole map displayed in lobbies when selecting maps.
<ol>
<li>Load up your diffuse.png image
<li>Scale the image to exactly 1024x1024 pixels
<li>Save the image to your working directory, call it mini.bmp
</ol>

= Create Grass Map =
Grass adds additional depth to your map, giving it a little bit extra.
# Check the [[Mapdev:grass|grass]] page to get our image dimensions. In our case a 4x4 map yields a image resolution of 256x256 pixels
# Create a 256x256 RGB image using your image editor
# Paint the image fully black to begin with
# Paint varying strengths of blue for where you want the grass to show up.
# Save the image to your working directory, call it grassmap.png
<center>
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Example
| [[File:Mapdev-grass.png]] || [[File:Mapdev-grass-example.png|455px]]
|-
! Grass map !! In Game Result
|}</center>

= Define Start Positions =
considering the small size of the map we will only define two teams
<ol>
<li>Open the mapinfo.lua file in a text editor
<li>Locate the teams subtable and delete the lines for teams 2 and 3
<li>Edit the <code>x</code> and <code>z</code> coordinate for each team to define their start location 
The coordinates for spring relate 1:1 with the pixels in the diffuse map. Starting at the top left of the image at (0,0). <code>x</code> increases horizontally to the right, <code>z</code> increases vertically downwards. 
The code should look similar to this:
<code><pre>local mapinfo = {
...
teams = {
[0] = {startPos = {x = 256, z = 1024}},
[1] = {startPos = {x = 1792, z = 1024}},
},
...
}</pre></code>
</ol>
<center>
{| class="wikitable"
| [[File:Mapdev-coords.png]]
|-
! Coordinates
|}</center>
= Review =
From the tutorial we have learned how to make the:
* Height map
* Diffuse texture
* Metal map
* Mini map
* Grass map
* Start locations

Your directory structure should look similar to this:
<pre>working directory
|-mymapname.sdd/
| |-LuaGaia/
| |-mapconfig/
| |-maphelper/
| |-maps/
| |-mapinfo.lua
| |-mapoptions.lua
|-grassmap.png
|-heightmap.png
|-metalmap.png
|-diffuse.png
|-minimap.png
</pre>

Now we need to get the map loaded into the game

= Finalizing =
Continue to [[Mapdev:Tutorial_Finalizing|this page]] to compile, test and archive your map for distribution.

= I want more =
Continue to [[Mapdev:Tutorial_Intermediate|stage two]]

[[Category:Map Dev]]

Mapdev:Tutorial Finalizing

2013-06-21T03:57:27Z

The yak: /* Compiling the smf and smt files */

= Finalizing =
This page describes how to compile some of the texture files into the smf smt files, test your map, archive the map using 7zip and upload to springfiles.com

= Review =
Following stage one of the beginners tutorial you will have some intermediary files ready to convert into the SMF and SMT map format:
* heightmap.png
* metalmap.png
* diffuse.png
* mini.bmp
* grassmap.png

There is also the [[Mapdev:terraintype|terrain type]] map but thats not covered in these tutorials

= Compiling the smf and smt files =
{| class="wikitable"
! Linux
| <ol>
<li>Open up the terminal and navigate to your working directory
<li>Generate the mymapname.smf and mymapname.smt files by runing mapconv with these options:
<code><pre>springMapConvNG -t diffuse.png -h heightmap.png -m metalmap.png
-v grassmap.png -minimap mini.bmp -ct 1 -o mymapname</pre></code>
<li>Copy the smf and smt files to the ./mymapname.sdd/maps/ directory (Do not rename!)
</ol>
|-
! Windows
| <ol>
<li>In mapconv directory: right click, new file, mymapname.bat
<li>Edit in text editor, put in these options:
<code><pre>MapConv -i -c 0 -x 256 -n 10 -o mymapname.smf -t diffuse.png -a
heightmap.png -m metalmap.png -v grassmap.png</pre></code>
<li>Depending on the desired quality add:
<code><pre>Fastest compile, lowest quality:

-z "nvdxt.exe -dxt1a -nmips 4 -quick -file"

Medium speed, good quality: (CUDA version, requires nvidia 8 or higher series gfx card)

-q

Slow, great quality: (Nothing)

Slower, best possible quality:

-z "nvdxt.exe -dxt1a -nmips 4 -Sinc -quality_highest -file"</pre></code>

<li>Make sure mini.bmp is in the same directory as the mymapname.bat
<li>Generate the mymapname.smf and mymapname.smt files by executing mymapname.bat file
<li>Copy the smf and smt files to the ./mymapname.sdd/maps/ directory (Do not rename!)
</ol>
|-
! Mac
|{{FIXME}}
|}

= Testing the map =
Copying the sdd directory to your spring maps folder will allow spring to recognise it as a map, this way you can tweak parameters and test things before archiving it for distribution.

= Archiving =
Archiving the map creates a single file with smaller overall size for easy distribution.
<ol>
<li>Create a new 7zip archive containing the contents of the sdd folder.(see below for platform specific instructions)
<li>Copy the archive to maps folder to test
</ol>
{{infobox|title=Caution|icon=icon-caution.png|color=rgba(255,0,0,0.1)
|body=Make sure that you have not created the archive with the "solid archive" option, or spring will not recognise it.}}
{| class="wikitable" width="100%"
! Linux
|
# Open a terminal and navigate to your sdd directory
# Run the following command:
: <code>7z a -ms=off mymapname.sd7 *</code>
|-
!Windows
|[[File:Examplearchivewith7zip.jpg|512px]]
|-
!Mac
|{{FIXME}}
|}

= Uploading to springfiles.com =
<ol>
<li>Head on over to [http://www.springfiles.com springfiles.com] and create an account
<li>Select upload from the main horizontal menu
<li>Fill out as much as you can
<li>Post to [http://springrts.com/phpbb/viewforum.php?f=13 map creation] subforum with something like "[new map]" in the subject line so as to increase visibiity.
</ol>
= Congratulations =
Your map is set free into the wilds of the internet. We sincerely hope its well loved.

Please browse the [[Mapdev:Main|Map Development]] wiki pages for more ways to make awesome maps. Please help us make this wiki as comprehensive as possible, if you see something missing don't hesitate to jump in and add it.

Additionally, now you have gotten into maps, perhaps other areas of spring development may interest you. Check out the [[Game_and_Unit_development|Game development]] pages.

For help and discussions please visit the [http://springrts.com/phpbb/viewforum.php?f=13 forums]

Good Luck.

[[Category:Map Dev]]

Mapdev:Tutorial Simple

2013-06-21T01:42:30Z

The yak: Changed minimap.png to mini.bmp for windows compatibility, grass.png should be grassmap.png

= Beginners Tutorial Stage 1 =
This beginners tutorial is aimed at getting you from nothing, to something simple which you can build upon.

* We'll start with the height map, defining the structure of the terrain
* Then the metalmap, a resource scheme built into the spring engine
* The diffuse texture, defining the colour of the terrain
* The minimap, for when selecting the map in the game lobby
* The grass map, for that extra flourish of detail
* Finally set up the start positions

= What you will need =
* An image editor, such as [http://www.gimp.org/ GIMP] or [http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop.html Adobe Photoshop], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_raster_graphics_editors#List etc]
* [http://www.7-zip.org/ 7zip]
* Windows - [[MapConv]], Linux - [[MapConvNG]]
* a copy of the map blueprint [https://github.com/jk3064/Map-Blueprint/archive/master.zip archive]

There are a multitude of other tools you can use to make maps, however for the purposes of this beginners tutorial, these are the only ones you will need. Check the [[Mapdev:Main#Tools|tools]] section for more information.

= Download =
* [http://springfiles.com/spring/other/mapdev-stage1-working-files Download] the working files
* [http://springfiles.com/spring/spring-maps/mapdev-stage1 Download] the completed map archive

= Preparation =
<ol>
<li>Extract the mapcontainer.sdd folder from the blueprint archive into your working directory.</li>
Your directory structure should look like this:
<pre>working directory
|-mapcontainer.sdd/
|-LuaGaia/
|-mapconfig/
|-maphelper/
|-maps/
|-mapinfo.lua
|-mapoptions.lua
</pre>
<li>Rename the mapcontainer.sdd folder to the name of your map, eg. mymap.sdd
<li>Edit the following variables in the mapinfo.lua file, ignore the rest for now.
* name
* shortname
* description
* author
* version (just put like v1 or something in here)
</ol>

= Create Height map =
For this tutorial we will be creating a 4x4 size map, which is relatively small. Typically maps will be 8x8 (for a 1v1) or larger, but entirely depends on the game you are targeting.
<ol>
<li>Check the [[Mapdev:height|height]] page to get our image dimensions. In our case a 4x4 map yields a image resolution of 257x257 pixels
<li>Create a 257x257 greyscale image using your image editor
<li>Draw the terrain</li>
<li>Save the image to your working directory, call it heightmap.png
</ol>
{{infobox|title=Tip|icon=icon-tip.png|icon-size=48|color=rgba(255,255,0,0.1)
|body=Black represents the lowest elevation on the map, white represents the highest, in between lies all the shades of grey. Hard edges in the image will be cliffs, and smooth gradients will be ramps.}}
<center>
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Example
| [[File:Mapdev-height.png|256px]] || [[File:Mapdev-height-example.png]]
|-
! Example Height Map !! Ingame Result
|}</center>
== Edit mapinfo.lua ==
<ol>
<li>Open the mapinfo.lua file in a text editor
<li>Change the <code>minHeight</code> and <code>maxHeight</code> variables to <code>10</code> and <code>256</code> respectively 
These values control the overall height of the terrain, and will be unique to your map. After loading up the map in game you may want to revisit and tweak these values to get the best result. 
The resulting portion of code should appear like this:
<code><pre>local mapinfo = {
...
smf = {
minHeight = 10,
maxHeight = 256,
...
},
...
}</pre></code>
</ol>

= Create Metal Map =
{{infobox|title=Caution|icon=icon-caution.png|icon-size=48|color=rgba(255,0,0,0.1)
|body=There are several games for Spring which use their own resourcing system. If you are creating a map for one of those games, a metal map may not be necessary, however it is always nice if you can make your maps as compatible with other games as possible, but this is a choice left entirely up to you.}}
<ol>
<li>Check the [[Mapdev:metal|metal]] page to get our image dimensions. In our case a 4x4 map yields an image resolution of 257x257 pixels
<li>Create a 257x257 greyscale image using your image editor
<li>Paint the whole image black
<li>Paint full white spots 6 or so pixels in diameter on the places where you want metal to appear in game.
<li>Save the image to your working directory, call it metalmap.png
</ol>
<center>
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Example
| [[File:Mapdev-metal.png|256px]] || [[File:Mapdev-metal-example.png]]
|-
! Example Metal Map !! Ingame Result
|}</center>
== Edit mapinfo.lua ==
<ol>
<li>Open the mapinfo.lua file in a text editor
<li>Change the <code>maxMetal </code> and the <code>extractorRadius</code> variables to <code>6.0</code> and <code>32.0</code> respectively 
These variables control the maximum amount of metal that a metal extractor can extract at full capacity, and the radius that a metal extractor will be able to draw from. 
The resulting portion of code will appear thus:
<code><pre>local mapinfo = {
...
maxMetal = 6.0,
extractorRadius = 32.0,
...
}</pre></code>
</ol>

= Create Diffuse Texture =
<ol>
<li>Check the [[Mapdev:diffuse|diffuse]] page to get our image dimensions. In our case a 4x4 map yields an image resolution of 2048x2048 pixels
<li>Create a 2048x2048 RGB image using your image editor
<li>Paint your ground colour in such a way that it compliments the height of the terrain, and metal spots.
<li>Save the image to your working directory, call it diffuse.png
</ol>
{{infobox|title=Tip|icon=icon-tip.png|icon-size=48|color=rgba(255,255,0,0.1)
|body=It may be useful to use the heightmap.png and metalmap.png images as a starting points, scaling them up to size, and then painting over the top.}}
{{infobox|title=Caution|icon=icon-caution.png|color=rgba(255,0,0,0.1)
|body=The larger the map the greater the file size this texture will be, a 4x4 map at 2048x2048 the diffuse texture image is already at 5.4mb, imagine a 32x32 size map, it would be in the hundreds of megabytes. Working with large textures is difficult, and requires good hardware. }}
<center>
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Example
| [[File:Mapdev-diffuse.jpg]] || [[File:Mapdev-diffuse-example.png]]
|-
! Example Diffuse Map !! Ingame Result
|}</center>

= Create Mini Map =
The [[Mapdev:minimap|mini-map]] is a thumbnail image of the the whole map displayed in lobbies when selecting maps.
<ol>
<li>Load up your diffuse.png image
<li>Scale the image to exactly 1024x1024 pixels
<li>Save the image to your working directory, call it mini.bmp
</ol>

= Create Grass Map =
Grass adds additional depth to your map, giving it a little bit extra.
# Check the [[Mapdev:grass|grass]] page to get our image dimensions. In our case a 4x4 map yields a image resolution of 256x256 pixels
# Create a 256x256 RGB image using your image editor
# Paint the image fully black to begin with
# Paint varying strengths of blue for where you want the grass to show up.
# Save the image to your working directory, call it grassmap.png
<center>
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Example
| [[File:Mapdev-grass.png]] || [[File:Mapdev-grass-example.png|455px]]
|-
! Grass map !! In Game Result
|}</center>

= Define Start Positions =
considering the small size of the map we will only define two teams
<ol>
<li>Open the mapinfo.lua file in a text editor
<li>Locate the teams subtable and delete the lines for teams 2 and 3
<li>Edit the <code>x</code> and <code>z</code> coordinate for each team to define their start location 
The coordinates for spring relate 1:1 with the pixels in the diffuse map. Starting at the top left of the image at (0,0). <code>x</code> increases horizontally to the right, <code>z</code> increases vertically downwards. 
The code should look similar to this:
<code><pre>local mapinfo = {
...
teams = {
[0] = {startPos = {x = 256, z = 1024}},
[1] = {startPos = {x = 1792, z = 1024}},
},
...
}</pre></code>
</ol>
<center>
{| class="wikitable"
| [[File:Mapdev-coords.png]]
|-
! Coordinates
|}</center>
= Review =
From the tutorial we have learned how to make the:
* Height map
* Diffuse texture
* Metal map
* Mini map
* Grass map
* Start locations

Your directory structure should look similar to this:
<pre>working directory
|-mymapname.sdd/
| |-LuaGaia/
| |-mapconfig/
| |-maphelper/
| |-maps/
| |-mapinfo.lua
| |-mapoptions.lua
|-grassmap.png
|-heightmap.png
|-metalmap.png
|-diffuse.png
|-minimap.png
</pre>

Now we need to get the map loaded into the game

= Finalizing =
Continue to [[Mapdev:Tutorial_Finalizing|this page]] to compile, test and archive your map for distribution.

= I want more =
Continue to [[Mapdev:Tutorial_Intermediate|stage two]]

[[Category:Map Dev]]

Mapdev:Tutorial Finalizing

2013-06-21T01:39:23Z

The yak: /* Compiling the smf and smt files */

= Finalizing =
This page describes how to compile some of the texture files into the smf smt files, test your map, archive the map using 7zip and upload to springfiles.com

= Review =
Following stage one of the beginners tutorial you will have some intermediary files ready to convert into the SMF and SMT map format:
* heightmap.png
* metalmap.png
* diffuse.png
* mini.bmp
* grassmap.png

There is also the [[Mapdev:terraintype|terrain type]] map but thats not covered in these tutorials

= Compiling the smf and smt files =
{| class="wikitable"
! Linux
| <ol>
<li>Open up the terminal and navigate to your working directory
<li>Generate the mymapname.smf and mymapname.smt files by runing mapconv with these options:
<code><pre>springMapConvNG -t diffuse.png -h heightmap.png -m metalmap.png
-v grassmap.png -minimap mini.bmp -ct 1 -o mymapname</pre></code>
<li>Copy the smf and smt files to the ./mymapname.sdd/maps/ directory (Do not rename!)
</ol>
|-
! Windows
| <ol>
<li>In mapconv directory: right click, new file, mymapname.bat
<li>Edit in text editor, put in these options:
<code><pre>MapConv -i -c 0 -x 256 -n 10 -o mymapname.smf -t diffuse.png -a
heightmap.png -m metalmap.png -v grassmap.png</pre></code>
<li>Depending on the desired quality add:
<code><pre>Fastest compile, lowest quality:

-z "nvdxt.exe -dxt1a -nmips 4 -quick -file"

Medium speed, good quality: (CUDA version, requires nvidia 8 or higher series gfx card)

-q

Slow, great quality:

<Nothing>

Slower, best possible quality:

-z "nvdxt.exe -dxt1a -nmips 4 -Sinc -quality_highest -file"</pre></code>

<li>Make sure mini.bmp is in the same directory as the mymapname.bat
<li>Generate the mymapname.smf and mymapname.smt files by executing mymapname.bat file
<li>Copy the smf and smt files to the ./mymapname.sdd/maps/ directory (Do not rename!)
</ol>
|-
! Mac
|{{FIXME}}
|}

= Testing the map =
Copying the sdd directory to your spring maps folder will allow spring to recognise it as a map, this way you can tweak parameters and test things before archiving it for distribution.

= Archiving =
Archiving the map creates a single file with smaller overall size for easy distribution.
<ol>
<li>Create a new 7zip archive containing the contents of the sdd folder.(see below for platform specific instructions)
<li>Copy the archive to maps folder to test
</ol>
{{infobox|title=Caution|icon=icon-caution.png|color=rgba(255,0,0,0.1)
|body=Make sure that you have not created the archive with the "solid archive" option, or spring will not recognise it.}}
{| class="wikitable" width="100%"
! Linux
|
# Open a terminal and navigate to your sdd directory
# Run the following command:
: <code>7z a -ms=off mymapname.sd7 *</code>
|-
!Windows
|[[File:Examplearchivewith7zip.jpg|512px]]
|-
!Mac
|{{FIXME}}
|}

= Uploading to springfiles.com =
<ol>
<li>Head on over to [http://www.springfiles.com springfiles.com] and create an account
<li>Select upload from the main horizontal menu
<li>Fill out as much as you can
<li>Post to [http://springrts.com/phpbb/viewforum.php?f=13 map creation] subforum with something like "[new map]" in the subject line so as to increase visibiity.
</ol>
= Congratulations =
Your map is set free into the wilds of the internet. We sincerely hope its well loved.

Please browse the [[Mapdev:Main|Map Development]] wiki pages for more ways to make awesome maps. Please help us make this wiki as comprehensive as possible, if you see something missing don't hesitate to jump in and add it.

Additionally, now you have gotten into maps, perhaps other areas of spring development may interest you. Check out the [[Game_and_Unit_development|Game development]] pages.

For help and discussions please visit the [http://springrts.com/phpbb/viewforum.php?f=13 forums]

Good Luck.

[[Category:Map Dev]]

Mapdev:Tutorial Finalizing

2013-06-21T01:38:38Z

The yak: fixes

= Finalizing =
This page describes how to compile some of the texture files into the smf smt files, test your map, archive the map using 7zip and upload to springfiles.com

= Review =
Following stage one of the beginners tutorial you will have some intermediary files ready to convert into the SMF and SMT map format:
* heightmap.png
* metalmap.png
* diffuse.png
* mini.bmp
* grassmap.png

There is also the [[Mapdev:terraintype|terrain type]] map but thats not covered in these tutorials

= Compiling the smf and smt files =
{| class="wikitable"
! Linux
| <ol>
<li>Open up the terminal and navigate to your working directory
<li>Generate the mymapname.smf and mymapname.smt files by runing mapconv with these options:
<code><pre>springMapConvNG -t diffuse.png -h heightmap.png -m metalmap.png
-v grassmap.png -minimap minimap.png -ct 1 -o mymapname</pre></code>
<li>Copy the smf and smt files to the ./mymapname.sdd/maps/ directory (Do not rename!)
</ol>
|-
! Windows
| <ol>
<li>In mapconv directory: right click, new file, mymapname.bat
<li>Edit in text editor, put in these options:
<code><pre>MapConv -i -c 0 -x 256 -n 10 -o mymapname.smf -t diffuse.png -a
heightmap.png -m metalmap.png -v grassmap.png</pre></code>
<li>Depending on the desired quality add:
<code><pre>Fastest compile, lowest quality:

-z "nvdxt.exe -dxt1a -nmips 4 -quick -file"

Medium speed, good quality: (CUDA version, requires nvidia 8 or higher series gfx card)

-q

Slow, great quality:

<Nothing>

Slower, best possible quality:

-z "nvdxt.exe -dxt1a -nmips 4 -Sinc -quality_highest -file"</pre></code>

<li>Make sure mini.bmp is in the same directory as the mymapname.bat
<li>Generate the mymapname.smf and mymapname.smt files by executing mymapname.bat file
<li>Copy the smf and smt files to the ./mymapname.sdd/maps/ directory (Do not rename!)
</ol>
|-
! Mac
|{{FIXME}}
|}

= Testing the map =
Copying the sdd directory to your spring maps folder will allow spring to recognise it as a map, this way you can tweak parameters and test things before archiving it for distribution.

= Archiving =
Archiving the map creates a single file with smaller overall size for easy distribution.
<ol>
<li>Create a new 7zip archive containing the contents of the sdd folder.(see below for platform specific instructions)
<li>Copy the archive to maps folder to test
</ol>
{{infobox|title=Caution|icon=icon-caution.png|color=rgba(255,0,0,0.1)
|body=Make sure that you have not created the archive with the "solid archive" option, or spring will not recognise it.}}
{| class="wikitable" width="100%"
! Linux
|
# Open a terminal and navigate to your sdd directory
# Run the following command:
: <code>7z a -ms=off mymapname.sd7 *</code>
|-
!Windows
|[[File:Examplearchivewith7zip.jpg|512px]]
|-
!Mac
|{{FIXME}}
|}

= Uploading to springfiles.com =
<ol>
<li>Head on over to [http://www.springfiles.com springfiles.com] and create an account
<li>Select upload from the main horizontal menu
<li>Fill out as much as you can
<li>Post to [http://springrts.com/phpbb/viewforum.php?f=13 map creation] subforum with something like "[new map]" in the subject line so as to increase visibiity.
</ol>
= Congratulations =
Your map is set free into the wilds of the internet. We sincerely hope its well loved.

Please browse the [[Mapdev:Main|Map Development]] wiki pages for more ways to make awesome maps. Please help us make this wiki as comprehensive as possible, if you see something missing don't hesitate to jump in and add it.

Additionally, now you have gotten into maps, perhaps other areas of spring development may interest you. Check out the [[Game_and_Unit_development|Game development]] pages.

For help and discussions please visit the [http://springrts.com/phpbb/viewforum.php?f=13 forums]

Good Luck.

[[Category:Map Dev]]

Mapdev:Tutorial Finalizing

2013-06-21T01:33:20Z

The yak: added compile info for windows, changed minimap.png to mini.bmp for windows mapconv compatibility (I don't think there's a way to specify a name}

= Finalizing =
This page describes how to compile some of the texture files into the smf smt files, test your map, archive the map using 7zip and upload to springfiles.com

= Review =
Following stage one of the beginners tutorial you will have some intermediary files ready to convert into the SMF and SMT map format:
* heightmap.png
* metalmap.png
* diffuse.png
* mini.bmp
* grassmap.png

There is also the [[Mapdev:terraintype|terrain type]] map but thats not covered in these tutorials

= Compiling the smf and smt files =
{| class="wikitable"
! Linux
| <ol>
<li>Open up the terminal and navigate to your working directory
<li>Generate the mymapname.smf and mymapname.smt files by runing mapconv with these options:
<code><pre>mapconv -i [-z
<texcompress program>] [-c <compression>] -x <max height> -n
<min height> [-o <output .smf>] [-e <tile file>] [-g <Geovent
image>] [-y <typemap image>] -m metalmap.png -a heightmap.png -t diffuse.png [--] -v grassmap.png [-h]</pre></code>
<li>Copy the smf and smt files to the ./mymapname.sdd/maps/ directory (Do not rename!)
</ol>
|-
! Windows
| <ol>
<li>In mapconv directory: right click, new file, mymapname.bat
<li>Edit in text editor, put in these options:
<code><pre>MapConv -i -c 0 -x 256 -n 10 -o mymapname.smf -t diffuse.png -a heightmap.png -m metalmap.png -v grassmap.png</pre></code>
<li>Depending on the desired quality add:
<code><pre>Fastest compile, lowest quality:

-z "nvdxt.exe -dxt1a -nmips 4 -quick -file"

Medium speed, good quality: (CUDA version, requires nvidia 8 or higher series gfx card)

-q

Slow, great quality:

<Nothing>

Slower, best possible quality:

-z "nvdxt.exe -dxt1a -nmips 4 -Sinc -quality_highest -file"</pre></code>

<li>Make sure mini.bmp is in the same directory as the mymapname.bat
<li>Generate the mymapname.smf and mymapname.smt files by executing mymapname.bat file
<li>Copy the smf and smt files to the ./mymapname.sdd/maps/ directory (Do not rename!)
</ol>
|-
! Mac
|{{FIXME}}
|}

= Testing the map =
Copying the sdd directory to your spring maps folder will allow spring to recognise it as a map, this way you can tweak parameters and test things before archiving it for distribution.

= Archiving =
Archiving the map creates a single file with smaller overall size for easy distribution.
<ol>
<li>Create a new 7zip archive containing the contents of the sdd folder.(see below for platform specific instructions)
<li>Copy the archive to maps folder to test
</ol>
{{infobox|title=Caution|icon=icon-caution.png|color=rgba(255,0,0,0.1)
|body=Make sure that you have not created the archive with the "solid archive" option, or spring will not recognise it.}}
{| class="wikitable" width="100%"
! Linux
|
# Open a terminal and navigate to your sdd directory
# Run the following command:
: <code>7z a -ms=off mymapname.sd7 *</code>
|-
!Windows
|[[File:Examplearchivewith7zip.jpg|512px]]
|-
!Mac
|{{FIXME}}
|}

= Uploading to springfiles.com =
<ol>
<li>Head on over to [http://www.springfiles.com springfiles.com] and create an account
<li>Select upload from the main horizontal menu
<li>Fill out as much as you can
<li>Post to [http://springrts.com/phpbb/viewforum.php?f=13 map creation] subforum with something like "[new map]" in the subject line so as to increase visibiity.
</ol>
= Congratulations =
Your map is set free into the wilds of the internet. We sincerely hope its well loved.

Please browse the [[Mapdev:Main|Map Development]] wiki pages for more ways to make awesome maps. Please help us make this wiki as comprehensive as possible, if you see something missing don't hesitate to jump in and add it.

Additionally, now you have gotten into maps, perhaps other areas of spring development may interest you. Check out the [[Game_and_Unit_development|Game development]] pages.

For help and discussions please visit the [http://springrts.com/phpbb/viewforum.php?f=13 forums]

Good Luck.

[[Category:Map Dev]]