Map Making for Dummies [Guide]

[DANK]

Hello Everyone,

Last week I decided to create my first map... Although I had some troubles in the process I figured it all out, and have successfully created (I think there good) maps. So I thought I would share the process broken simply down.

To get started you need.
   Notepad ++ http://notepad-plus-plus.org/download - You want to download and install the Current Version (If you have more questions about how to install this stop now turn off your computer and walk away.)
   And um... A computer with M&B:Warband and cRPG installed

Alright now that we got that out of the way
  1. Start up Mount & Blade: Warband
  2. Click configure - On the first screen that pops up
  3. Click the Video Tab and Select "Start Windowed"
  4. Now click the Advanced Tab and Select "Enable Edit Mode"
  5. Click OK
Now
  6. Click Play Mount & Blade: Warband
  7. Click the Scene Editor
  8. You start with an array of editable maps select one
  9. Once you have selected a map it will load
  10. Press Ctl+E to open the Edit Mode Toolbox (Pressing Ctl+E again will ask if you want to save and give you a person to run around with)
  11. Pressing the Help button will display the following
     

(click to show/hide)

Common Keys
-----------------
Left Mouse Button: While pressed, mouse movements rotate
the camera.
H: Hides/unhides the highlights and user interface objects
(Good for taking a screenshot).
CTRL + Any movement key: Speeds up the camera
movements, slows down the object movements.

Edit Objects Mode
----------------------
Right Mouse Button: Selects objects.
CTRL + Right Mouse Button: Selects multiple objects.
Double Click on Scene Objects list: Selects the clicked
object and moves the camera towards it.
A,S,D,W: Moves the camera.
C,E: Increases/decreases the height of the camera.
G: While pressed, mouse movements move the selected
object(s) parallel to the ground.
T: While pressed, mouse movements increase/decrease the
height of the selected object(s).
X,Y,Z: While pressed, mouse movements rotate the selected
object(s) with respect to the object's X, Y and Z axis.
U: While pressed, mouse movements rotate the selected
object(s) with respect to the "Up" axis of the world.
R: Resets the selected object's rotation.
B: Scale selected object.
B + X: Scale selected object along X axis.
B + Y: Scale selected object along Y axis.
B + Z: Scale selected object along Z axis.
Alt + B: Resets the selected object's scale.
Delete: Deletes selected object(s).
Space: Enables add object mode.

Add Object Mode
-------------------
Right Mouse Button: Adds current object to scene.
Space: Disables add object mode.
T, U, X, Y, Z, R and B can also be used in this mode.

Ground Elevate and Ground Paint Mode
-----------------------------------------------
Right Mouse Button: Elevates the ground up or down in
"Ground Elevate" mode and paints the ground in "Ground
Paint" mode.
Midle Mouse Button: Clears the elevation in "Ground Elevate"
mode and clears the paints in "Ground Paint" mode.

Edit AI Mesh Mode
---------------------
Right Mouse Button: Selects AI mesh objects.
CTRL + Right Mouse Button: Selects multiple AI mesh objects.
1: Activates Vertex Editing Mode
2: Activates Edge Editing Mode
3: Activates Face Editing Mode
G, T, X, Y, Z, B and Delete can also be used in this mode.

Additional Help
------------------
- You can save your changes only when you leave the edit
mode.

- You can not undo your works, you can only discard changes
while leaving the edit mode. So you should save your work
occasionally by leaving the edit mode and re-entering it.

- Scene files are located under [Current Module]\SceneObj
foler. When you save your changes, the related scene file
under this folder will be updated.

- Create AI Mesh button works only on outdoor scenes.

  If are having issues with objects not working as intended, or invisible/deleted items getting in your way try saving and reloading the map. (This will fix 95% of the problems you encounter when creating your maps.)

You may test your map by hosting a server yourself and changing it to the map you were editing (Blank 87, Multi Scene 1, etc...)

Spawn Points

To add spawns you have to place entrypoints.
After you have have added them you can change their "number"
We defnitly need a full list of Entry points.

Here is a small list :

Battle:
0 faction 1
32 faction 2

Master of the Field: 67, 68, 69 (Be sure to place these in your battle maps)

Siege:
Defenders: 0 - 31
Attackers: 32-63
Flag: 66
Siege engine 1: 110 - 119
Siege engine 2: 120 - 129
Siege engine 3: 130 - 139
Ladders: 100-109


DTV:
80: Players (Defenders)
81-84: NPCs

How to test the Spawnpoints:
Host the map and add 63 bots, splited to the teams.
So you can see if your spawnpoints work correct.



Things to keep in mind when creating DTV maps:

1. Avoid small places with only 1 entrance (you can have positions like that, but they shouldn't be the default "camping spots"
2. Avoid places bots can't (or not easy) reach (only vor dtv)
3. Add the AI meshes when you finished your scene/"map" (ONLY for dtv, never for siege or battle, causes a MUCH bigger filesize)
4. Take care of the terrain code(don't make a desert map with a forrest terrain code)
5. Remove the grasses created by the Terraincode (in the terrain edit-mode at start)
6. Make Backups when you want change "huge" things

Get your map on a server
You need to find 2 files on your computer.
   1. The first will be in your cRPG folder under SceneObj... Mine is located at the following location C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\mountblade warband\Modules\cRPG\SceneObj.
       Find the name of the file you were editing. (Such as Black 87 = scn_blank_87, Multi Scene 1 = scn_multi_scene_1, etc...)
   2. The second file you need is a snippit of the scenes.txt file located in the cRPG folder C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\mountblade warband\Modules\cRPG
       Right click the Scenes.txt file and scroll down to Open With Notepad++ (as you downloaded previously)
       Find the map you were working on in the file. (Pressing ctl+f will bring up a search box type the name of the scn_file you found in your SceneObj folder and search.)
       Copy these 4 lines of codes that correspond to your map and save them in regular notepad. You may see an example below

(click to show/hide)

scn_blank_87 blank_87 256 none none 0.000000 0.000000 100.000000 100.000000 -100.000000 0x00000001394018dd000649920004406900002920000056d7
  0
  0
 outer_terrain_plain

Once you have these 2 files you (scn_file, and scenes.txt file for you map which you saved in notepad.)
You may send them to an admin to be uploaded to our/a server.

[Tears of Destiny]

Could someone sticky this? This is a rather nice addition for new map makers, like the crahs course on keys and such.

[Cohen]

in general a good idea.

but   :
"CTRL + Any movement key: Speeds up the camera
movements, slows down the object movements."

this doesn't work, you can delete that.


i think it's really important to add the content of this post here. without that information you can't finish a proper map. (i've edited some things)

To add spawns you have to place entrypoints.
After you have have added them you can change their "number"
We defnitly need a full list of Entrypoints.
Here is a small list :

Battle:
0 faction 1
32 faction 2

Siege:
Defenders: 0 - 31
Attackers: 32-63
Flag: 66
Siege engine 1: 110 - 119
Siege engine 2: 120 - 129
Siege engine 3: 130 - 139
Ladders: 100-109


DTV:
80: Players (Defenders)
81-84: NPCs

How to test the Spawnpoints:
Host the map and add 63 bots, splited to the teams.
So you can see if your spawnpoints work correct.



Keep in mind:

1. Avoid small places with only 1 entrance (you can have positions like that, but they shouldn't be the default "camping spots"
2. Avoid places bots can't (or not easy) reach (only vor dtv)
3. Add the AI meshes when you finished your scene/"map" (ONLY for dtv, never for siege or battle, causes a MUCH bigger filesize)
4. Take care of the terrain code(don't make a desert map with a forrest terrain code)
5. Remove the grasses created by the Terraincode (in the terrain edit-mode at start)
6. Make Backups when you want change "huge" things

[Tears of Destiny]

And add a reminder to always place a master of the field, or players will despise your map for it poofing in weird places.

[Blaint]

a good guide for starting scene editing

some things you could add (to get a full mapping guide) :

- basic AI meshes
- change the formation of the text
- look for Typos


good luck
Blaint

[Peasant_Woman]

Great guide, another thing you could perhaps touch on briefly is that you can flip an object along any of the three axis x,y,z by clicking 'invert' next to the xyz of the object or by simply entering a negative number. This information aided me greatly in map making, I felt so stupid for overlooking that...

[DANK]

Updated

[Tears of Destiny]

Updated

Fantastic! You deserve a cookie.

[DANK]

Could someone sticky this? This is a rather nice addition for new map makers, like the crahs course on keys and such.

[DANK]

Bumpity Bump

[Voodoox]

Ladders  (place a ladder with _move after it) how you want it in final position then put an entry point 100-109 on the ground where u want it to lay

GATES


Put the porticlus down where it is in closed then add a Winch nearby should autolink if it doesn't make sure port is touching gatehouse chains and that the winch is on the mount should work then if still doesn't restart map (must be in host server not editor to see things work)

[Cohen]

GATES


Put the porticlus down where it is in closed then add a Winch nearby should autolink if it doesn't make sure port is touching gatehouse chains and that the winch is on the mount should work then if still doesn't restart map (must be in host server not editor to see things work)

that's not entirely true.
you don't need to place a portcullis in a gatehouse at all. same with the winch. you only have to place them near enough together, so they work.
 be sure to use winch_b otherwise it doesn't work.

you can see what i'm talking about in this 2 screens.
i build the case of the winch with a box-item i think:

(click to show/hide)

visitors can't see pics , please register or login


visitors can't see pics , please register or login

[DANK]

Please let me know what type of information you would like added to this guide.

Also I am a server admin on cRPG_OotL_NA, and we are always looking for cool/unique Battle maps. If you have made a map, and would like to get it up on an Active Battle server feel free to PM me.

[lerty37]

so how would i get the map i made to be added to my maps to play MP on?

[Mustikki]

Posting these little tips in here:

So your map is ready? Don't forget to check these things before releasing your map.

#1 Check the Spawns.
- Make sure there is enough room for a full line to spawn (test with bots).
- Make sure there is enough room for the amount of people to spawn, what you have though this map could be for (test with bots).
- Test siege spawn points multiple times with bots, so attacking team won't spawn inside etc.
- Getting stuck in spawn is really really annoying, check the possibilities.

#2 Check the Man of the Field Flags
- Entry points 67,68 & 69. Place them to prevent draw.
- Try to make them for fair places for both teams and every class.

#3 Check the textures.
- There is countless maps where textures are placed in the air! Don't make one of those maps. Always double check textures you have placed from close.

#4 Smooth the corners of the hills.
- Not everything needs to be smoothed, but the pointing corners and too straight walls might need editing.

#5 Paint the map.
- Roads are in mud, fields are in mud, don't forget to paint a bit of your map.