first mapping attempt - the +mansion map thread

[MCR]

You can download the latest development version (nightly build) here: http://ufoai.ninex.info/snapshots/ufoai-latest-win32.exe

If you are brave and want to compile for yourself I recommend using Mutons tool:

http://ufoai.ninex.info/wiki/index.php/MinGW_Win32_(guided_with_GUI)

[ShipIt]

You can download the latest development version (nightly build) here: http://ufoai.ninex.info/snapshots/ufoai-latest-win32.exe

If you are brave and want to compile for yourself I recommend using Mutons tool:

http://ufoai.ninex.info/wiki/index.php/MinGW_Win32_(guided_with_GUI)

One look at this "getting-the-source-and-compiling" was enough to take all bravery off my heart. So I am very very grateful for fhis advice. Will try to get it running going with this.

Thanks.

[Mattn]

current progress looks very good, nice job.

[ShipIt]

Question on Radiant 1.6

Is it possible, to set the colors (in the x/y-, y/z-, x/z-view) the same way like it was in 1.5? Particularly to set the lines (of brushes) to black?

[Mattn]

yes. there are several themes in the settings and you can modify each color in the settings as you like.

[ShipIt]

I checked of course the /views/colours settings. There are 4 themes with 19 colors (from Active_View_Name down to XYView_Crosshairs) each. But none of those changes the color I want. It always draws the lines of brushes in white. In 1.5 white lines were used for grouped brushes. I am missing something? 

[ShipIt]

Update.

ufo2map fails to compile it because

and I have no idea what this means. Maybe someone can help me with this. Is it just getting too big?

Thanks.

[MCR]

Update.

ufo2map fails to compile it because

and I have no idea what this means. Maybe someone can help me with this. Is it just getting too big?

Thanks.

It means the max lightmap size is reached.
IMHO we should increase this limit at least a bit to allow bigger lightmaps especially for complex maps like yours, but this also means bigger bsp files...
mattn ?

ShipIt, try to decrease the scaling of some of your textures (like the grass for example) to fix this problem.

WOW 
Your map looks really good already. It is getting complex now
Very good strategic possibilities. Top work !

BTW, good to see you using v2.4dev now and all the new and upgraded textures from there.

[ShipIt]

@MCR
Thank you for quick answer.

I decreased some of the textures and finally was able to compile it. But this would look absurd ingame. Also the .bsp has something like 40MB already.

What is the `lightmap´? The main-building part of the map does not have any lights yet.

I think what I now have is like 2/3 of what I want to have in a final version. So the question is if this is technically possible at all. And also if such a map is wanted/useful for the game.

Thanks.

[Mattn]

you can also put this into several maps and make an rma theme. scaling down some textures will make the lightmap smaller. every map has ambient lighting, and thus a lightmap too.

[MCR]

The lightmap is more or less a big, compiled texture containing the lighting info for all surfaces on a map.

AFAIK there is an ongoing effort to detach the lightmap from texture scale, I do not exactly know how far the code is already. (sizeless textures branch)

I like your map & the idea & complexity behind it, and as mattn said - it would be no problem to split your map in 4 parts for example and use the RMA code to assemble it back (without actually making the assembly random, just putting the parts back together in the correct order).

This will completely eliminate the lightmap problem and you can keep up the good work on details, without worrying too much about complexity and scaling...
Take a look at alienbase, and how H-Hour used the RMA code to assemble it.

[ShipIt]

Thank you very much, guys.

The map basically consists of ​​four parts already, for better clarity and workability. So making this an rma-theme should be not too much additional work. Although I was hoping it would not be necessary for me to have to work through even more walls of cryptic text. 

@MCR Special thanks for patiently explaining.

[H-Hour]

The map basically consists of ​​four parts already, for better clarity and workability. So making this an rma-theme should be not too much additional work. Although I was hoping it would not be necessary for me to have to work through even more walls of cryptic text.

Yes, it's a bit annoying, but in the end you may come to prefer partitioning your maps: reduced compile times to check fixes, etc.

One thing that may not be explained in the wiki on RMA is fixed tiles. You will probably want to use this if your map has a particular layout and won't actually have any random elements. It will make the tile definitions easier since they are (basically) discarded. If no info is in the wiki on this, check out the new alien base RMA. I know I used them there. It just allows you to tell the RMA system to place (this exact tile) in (this exact location), rather than forcing it to try to match up the edges in the tile definitions.

[ShipIt]

Making the map rma is well explained in the wiki, as is the whole mapping, in my opinion. And having all these examples (like alienbase  ) helps, too. And if it is not in the wiki, there is always somebody to help here in the forum.

The real challenge was to snap my existing map parts into the 256 grid while only moving it within the 32 grid. This does not always work, so it will take some additional time because of I will have to change some pieces. But it gives also some additional opportunities with the map. I have done most of this already, so hopefully I can improve the map itself within the next days.

Thanks.

[H-Hour]

Just had a look at the map in the editor. Coming along very well. I like your eye for architecture and your use of vertical space.

I like the rock wall on the northern edge of the map. The way you have done it will likely cause a lot of unnecessary brush splitting (resulting in more polys and slower performance). Check out the attached map for an example of another way to create terrain using triangular faces. You can create natural shapes with this method and because all the vertices are attached you will end up creating fewer brush splits. Use it if you'd like.