New mapster tricks/techniques

Started by Micky C, 16 December 2011, 14:27:34

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Micky C

This thread can be used to discuss new (and maybe old) techniques to either map faster, or make higher quality material.

I just discovered a way to easily make some great looking pits, valleys, and mounds. I'm not 100% sure if anybody else does this, but it's really neat so I thought I'd tell people about it. I think it's slightly faster, and saves a lot more walls than Helixhorned's mapster script. Also unlike his mapster script,this can be done several times in the same valley/hill so the slope can ease off gently towards the bottom and top.

1. Make the outline of the valley/hill.
2. Highlight the sector with right-alt.
3. Make a copy with the insert button, keep the copy highlighted.
3. Bring up the special functions menu with ' and F
4. Select the option "resize selection", give the value of the percentage you wish to change the size of the sector (e.g 50 for half the size, 200 for twice the size).
5. Drag the smaller copy into roughly the middle of the big sector (although it doesn't really matter where, as long as it's within the big one). And paste it.
6. Connect the corresponding verticies (I hope people know what I mean by that. Two sides of each sector should be parallel, the walls of the bigger and smaller sector.)
7. Make the inside of what was originally the big sector the first walls for all the sectors.
8. Adjust the height of the smaller sector to the bottom of the valley/top of the hill.
9. Auto-adjust the slopes one by one to match the height of the smaller sector.

A small warning though: When you resize the sector, it's going to change it's position on the grid. If you make it smaller, it moves towards the centre, and if you make it bigger, it moves away from the centre, possibly even outside the grid, so be careful. It also adjusts the height of the floor and ceiling in a similar manner, but both of these should only take a second to fix.

I hope people find this useful :)

Wall whore.

Forge

Didn't you have a quick mapping guide over at Duke4? You should post it here
Take it down to the beach with a hammer and pound sand up your ass

Micky C

#2
Ok. This is a guide I've written using all I know about eduke's new or lesser known features that can really help people, especially beginners, increase their mapping speed. This in turn helps their motivation since they can do more in less time. A lot of things in the guide could already be known to a veteran mapper, but a lot of things might not be, so it's worth at least a skim.

This google docs link will always be the latest version: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vII1ILXvNjCYhdo-As7ndoKUbeXnHW8elS4ieZWWWTw/edit

Edit: I wanted to attach an example map and an image to my original post, but it appears I can't edit it for some reason  ???
So I'll post them here:


[attachment moved to "Utilities"]
Wall whore.

Micky C

#3
I've got here an example map, and a rough method in a text file explaining "TROR scissoring", which allows you to use TROR locally (you don't have to extend the entire area). This can be useful for adding TROR to some areas of maps which were initially designed without TROR, or if you only want add TROR to one or two buildings/platforms etc.. without interfering with the heights of other structures in your maps.



[attachment moved to "Utilities"]
Wall whore.

Merlijn

That trick to make great looking canyons looks pretty damn cool! I've made so many outdoor maps and I never thought of doing it like that.. Good stuff.

Arghantyl

Good job,man  :)

So you mean we can make everything with this ?
Is it limited to 2 levels ?

Continue because you"re feeding the brain of  a future Micky-C fan  ;D
Another day,another challenge.

Micky C

#6
Nope, it's not limited to 2 levels  ;) I've used 3D (2-layer) TROR scissoring to pull something off in the TROR CBP. But if you're going to do anything large scale, I'd definitely recommend regular TROR. Lol, 'regular'... I should make more of an effort not to take TROR for granted. Also, the TROR CBP is 4 layers of regular TROR in the outdoor sections.

Edit: I should have said the map I posted above is more than an example map, it actually has a different example of the house for each stage of construction, so you can see how it was built, and have a look at each step individually. There are arrows to show progression.
Wall whore.

Arghantyl

Gonna check it this week-end and bomb you with a lot questions if it's necessary.
Another day,another challenge.

Puritan

Thank you Micky, for sharing :)
Appreciated!
Bitter words mean little to me. Autumn winds will blow right through me
And someday in the mist of time, when they asked me if I knew you
I'd smile and say you were a friend of mine, and the sadness would be lifted from my eyes
Oh when I'm old and wise