Vortex's Map Making Guide (Also Sky & Weather)

[VortexAlive]

===== Vortex's Map Making Guide =====
Note: This is just my way of making maps. There are many other ways!

--- First Time Creation ---

> Open the Map Maker.
> The "Map Name" text field is the name used by the game to save & load your map: type something similar to "yourmapname" in this, keep it simple and try not to use symbols or spaces.
> The "Map Display Name" text field is the name the game uses to tell people what map they are in: You can literally type "Whatever Name You Want!!" into it and everything will work just fine without interfering with anything.
> Click the Save button.
> Close the game.
> DONE!

Images for Reference

--- Making the Heightmap & Mask ---

Warning/Note: This is the hardest part of the creation process for me to explain...
Note: For this you will need a paint program similar to GIMP; I will explain this part as if using GIMP!!!
<The Terrain>
> Open GIMP.
> Click "File > New".
> Change "Width" to be 513.
> Change "Height" to be 513.
> Make sure it is set to "pixels".
> Click on "Advanced Options".
> Change "Color Space" to "Grayscale".
> Change "Fill With" to "Foreground color".
> Click OK! You should now have a Black, 513x513 image.
> In the "Toolbox" on the left, click on your primary color(The black.) and change it using ONLY the "Value" slider!
Note: [0,0,0]Black=Floor and [255,255,255]White=cieling/roof of the map.
Warning: Do not use [255,255,255]White(100 Value) for the terrain! Max Value should be 95!
> You may now paint what you want your Terrain to look like.
> Once done, Click "File > Save as".
> Navigate to FeralHeart > media > terrains > yourmapname.
> Save it as "yourmapnameTerrain" and make sure it is a PNG/JPG by clicking on "Select File Type" at the bottom and choosing the one you want!
> Do NOT close it yet! Go to The Mask now.

Images for Reference

<The Mask>
> Set the Value slider back to 0.
> Click on "Image > Mode > RGB".
> In the Layers box on the right, Right Click and Click "Add Alpha Channel".
> Now Right Click again and Click "New Layer", Just Click OK.
> Make sure the New Layer is selected so that you only paint on it, use it to paint your Mask.
> Now use [255,0,0]RED(Ground), [0,255,0]GREEN(Mountain) and [0,0,255]BLUE(WaterFloor) to paint where you want certain textures to appear.
> Once you have painted your Mask, Click on "Image > Flatten Image".
> Now Click "File > Save as" and save it as "yourmapnameMask.png" in the same place you saved the Terrain.
> Close GIMP.
> DONE!

Images for Reference

<The 2nd Mask> (For 6 Layers/Ground Textures)
> Open your Terrain image.
> Open your Mask image.
> In your Terrain image, Click on "Image > Mode > RGB".
> Copy your Mask image.
> Paste your Mask image into your Terrain image as a New Layer.
> Make sure the Mask layer is the selected layer.
> Now use [255,255,0]YELLOW, [255,0,255]PINK, and [0,255,255]TEAL to paint 3 extra ground texture areas, don't cover 100% of your previous Mask.
> Once you have your 3 extra colors painted in, click on Select and choose "By Color".
> Right click on the Red, Green, and Blue colors and choose "Cut".
> Click "Select > None".
> Is your first Mask image still open? Good.
> In your Mask2 image, click "Select > All".
> Now click "Edit > Copy Visible".
> Paste that into your first Mask image as a New Layer.
> In the "Layers" toolbar of your first Mask image, usually a giant bar on the right of the screen, right click on the new layer and choose "Merge Down".
> Click "Select > By Color".
> Remove the YELLOW, PINK, and TEAL from the first Mask image.
> Save your first Mask image.
> Now, change the remaining colors in your Mask2 to RED(yellow), GREEN(pink), and BLUE(teal).
> Click "File > Save as".
> Save it as "yourmapnameMask2.png".
> Now change ALL the transparency in BOTH of your Masks to [0,0,0]BLACK.
> Save both of your Mask images.
> YOU SHOULD NOW BE ABLE TO SET SIX DIFFERENT LAYERS WITHOUT SUPER GLOW! YAAY!

Images for Reference

--- Making a Sky ---

> Open the Sky Maker.
> In the "File Name" text field, enter a name for your sky similar to "yourskynameSky".
> Click the Save button.
> Find your sky in the list of sky files just below the "Start Test" button.
> Load your sky.
> Edit the options ("Dawn, Day, Dusk, Night, etc") until the sky is how you want it to look.
> Click the Save button; Click OK when it asks to overwrite.
> DONE!

Images for Reference

--- Making Weather ---

<Weather Clip>
> Open the Sky Maker.
> Click on the "Weather" tab.
> In the "File Name" text field, type somthing similar to "yourweathernameWeather".
> Click the Save button.
> Load your Weather.
> Edit the ("Sky Top Color, etc") options.
> In the "Particle" text field, type "Weather/Rain" to get rain.
> In the "Rate" text field, type a number to specify how strong the weather should be.
> Click the Save button.

<Weather Cycle>
> Now in the Sky Maker, click on the "Cycle" tab.
>1 In the "Weather" box, find which weather you want to use and click on it.
>2 In the "Duration" text field, type a number to specify how long it will last. (Max Duration == 7000)
>3 The "Fade In" and "Fade Out" check boxes specify if the Weather should be a "fade in slowly" or "fade out slowly" block of weather.
>4 Click on the "New Weather" button.
> Repeat ">1-4" until you have a Cycle that you like.
> In the "File Name" text field, type something similar to "yourcyclenameCycle".
> Click the Save button.
> DONE!

Images for Reference

--- Map Creation Continued ---

Note: All the previous sections prepare you for this section.
> Open the Map Maker again.
> Load your Map.
> Click on the "World" tab.
> In the "Terrain Height Map" text field, type the name of your Heightmap.
> In the "Terrain Alpha Map" text field, type the name of your Mask.
> In the "Terrain Texture" section, switch between land, mountain and water with the Arrow button and choose a texure for each one in the box with a list of textures.
> In the "Width" text field, type a number to set how large the map will be.
> In the "Height" text field, type a number to set how tall the map will be.
> In the "Boundary" text field, type a number to set how much of an impassable border there should be around the map.
> Use the "Sky" checkbox to set if there should be a sky or not.
> In the "Sky File" and "Weather Cycle File" type the Sky(yourskynameSky) and Cycle(yourcyclenameCycle) file names you made earlier. (If you did.)
> Use the "Ocean" checkbox to toggle the standard water on & off.
> In the "Ocean Height" text field, type a number to set how high/low the water should be.
> Go back to the "Map" tab.
> Find out where you want your entrance portal to be and hover your mouse over the location; Look in the bottom right corner of your screen to see the coordinates.
> In the "Destination Position" Coordinate fields, type the coordinates you saw in the previous step like so: x y+1 z yaw(direction you face when spawning).
> Click the Save button; Click OK.
> DONE!
Note: The basics of your map should now be set up, the rest is placing objects all over the place and saving again to make the map complete.

Images for Reference

Border is supposed to be Boundary. xD

mediafire.com/file/x1tdqy0mudcnnkr/TestHeightmap.png
For those of you that would like the Height-map to already be set up to get you started, feel free to use/edit/modify it. ^.^

Let me know what you think of this and if you think anything should be added/changed!

[Hakumi]

Oh lookie you, back at it again with the helpfulness :>

This is a lovely tutorial that you have set up here ^^ So simple and the images are pretty straightforward as well. o:

Something to add thought when making the terrain part of le map, there shouldn't be ANY white spaces. There can be colours similar but it can't be flat out white ( for those that wish for their maps to have a border ). The map won't work and I think it causes the game to crash. ( I had to learn this the hard way when I couldn't understand why my game kept crashing. Lol.

Other than that, this is nicely done c:

- Pandeer Sticker to le Snout -

[VortexAlive]

Thank you, Hakumi, for spotting that little mistake! I have added a warning there since having max Value for the Terrain would also mean the Terrain would hit the roof of the map and you would not be able to jump at/above that height!

[Hakumi]

Thank you, Hakumi, for spotting that little mistake! I have added a warning there since having max Value for the Terrain would also mean the Terrain would hit the roof of the map and you would not be able to jump at/above that height!

Nej problem and good add there o:

[VortexAlive]

And i know people who've created 6 layers masks.  I'm not entirely sure how though. VortexAlive might  know, he's done it.

Ahh yes, the last 3 tertiary layers:
I went ahead and tested creating a six layer mask to see if I still remembered it.
I have added a <The 2nd Mask> guide in the ---Making the Heightmap & Mask--- section for you all.

[Ame88]

You are a God send. Thank you and I will be taking this tutorial into many mps- muhaha. Excellent work on this Vortex, thank you again~

[LadySigyn]

Thank you for this tutorial, Vortex! I'm going to be getting into map making, never really tried it so this'll be a good start and a wonderful tutorial to follow. <3

[SpicyDirt]

Very lovely guide and great for beginners!