[Reguest] Map Tool

[RavcioPL]

Hi, is it possible to make a map tool that will be user friendly (because i dont know how to edit or make maps from ingame tool). I have quie a few ideas for maps, but i just dont know how to run the Map Editor in game.

Can someone at least answer me saying "Sorry, but it is not possible" (if it is not possibe) or something like that. Because i want to know.

Happy Engineering!
Matthew

[kovarex]

Hi, is it possible to make a map tool that will be user friendly (because i dont know how to edit or make maps from ingame tool). I have quie a few ideas for maps, but i just dont know how to run the Map Editor in game.

Can someone at least answer me saying "Sorry, but it is not possible" (if it is not possibe) or something like that. Because i want to know.

Happy Engineering!
Matthew

Hello and welcome to the forums.
Could you specify what exactly is the problem with the map editor?
I know it is not as user friendly as it could be, but basic stuff should be doable.
If you need some special logic in the map, it is written in lua, and needs to be edited externally.

[ssilk]

Hm. Could not speak for RavcioPL, but from my point of view I think most important are "pencils", because currently it is very time-consuming to edit every tile if you want to make a bigger map. I have very special ideas about the map, so the map-generator is useless. With pencil I mean that you can edit many tiles at once. A forest is made within seconds not minutes, a resource-fields should need also only some seconds. Some items are also placeable in masses.

Also some kind of lasso would be cool. Making lakes easier.
Also some exact forms of lassos: circles, rectangles etc.
Copy/Paste.

The next point is the scrolling. I don't like scrolling with the WASD-keys - it's so slow. I would like to scroll with the mouse. I liked the scrolling with the RMB like in Rollercoaster Tycoon or some other games.

Then the overview. When you zoom out too much, the display gets very slow. I would like to have a reduced zoom out, e.g. ground gets brownish plus the tile-main-color and items gets very light plus their main-color. Only simple blocks are displayed, no details.

And I would like to have signs/markers to help me editing, like "here the furnaces", because I don't have time yet to build all.

[Phantasm]

It should be easy to make generic resource field of wanted size, richness and also be able to control the distribution of richness. Currently it is insane pain to make a large and rich field with all new tiles being not worth much and each having to be manually adjusted.

Also would be nice to be able to set unlimited resources. Perhaps very small unlimited field while large but poor fields around?

[ssilk]

It should be easy to make generic resource field of wanted size, richness and also be able to control the distribution of richness. Currently it is insane pain to make a large and rich field with all new tiles being not worth much and each having to be manually adjusted.

good idea! I want a requester with type, size and amount of a ressources field. I want that I can set the exact amount of it.

Also would be nice to be able to set unlimited resources. Perhaps very small unlimited field while large but poor fields around?

? Hu?

[slpwnd]

@ssilk: Those are fair points.

To be honest we are aware that map editor is sort of lacking at the moment. Actually it has been written like a year ago and never got a bigger update since than. But that will change soonish.

1) The brushes (pencils) are a must and they will be implemented. Not sure about the lasso.
2) The scrolling is possible. Though I personally don't mind the keys.
3) The overview could be solved with the map (the map is coming in 0.6.x), however it will need to be accustomed for the map editor.
4) The markers are there already. Again not really friendly but yeah. If you point at entity and click T then the Tag menu opens and you can set some properties or edit the entity tag.
The entity tag is then displayed next to the entity. Actually the entity tag can be accessed in the scripts as well (check for instance the level2 demo lua).

[n9103]

It should be easy to make generic resource field of wanted size, richness and also be able to control the distribution of richness. Currently it is insane pain to make a large and rich field with all new tiles being not worth much and each having to be manually adjusted.

Also would be nice to be able to set unlimited resources. Perhaps very small unlimited field while large but poor fields around?

These are the the two biggest features I'm waiting for to make maps, instead of relying on the mapgen.
(#3 is an adjustable paintbrush)

[ssilk]

Sorry, but I don't get it, why the second (unlimited resources) is really needed so much? Something like a test-map or what?

[n9103]

Something like a single unlimited coal tile to start a base around. it would provide a reliable but very slow trickle.
Too many games have I run out of coal/iron/copper long before I was at a point I could effectively expand, due to quirks in the mapgen that caused it to make micro fields near the starting position. Even setting the options to Large and Very Rich for the resources still often results in micro fields.

Personally, I need two decent fields, or one large one, for me to get to a point where I can expand and not end up losing shortly after.

[Phantasm]

Sorry, but I don't get it, why the second (unlimited resources) is really needed so much? Something like a test-map or what?

Some people like sandbox style and such. And the mentioned unlimited resource at very slow rate. One could perhaps optimize a base that uses as little resources as possible with as little waste products sitting on belts and such. Also one can easily store raw materials to wait for production on demand at higher rates periodically.

It is extremely easy to add unlimited (or insanely high and effectively unlimited) resource support for those who like to use it.

[n9103]

Something as simple as adding Resource Amount to the tag/properties window in the editor would be a big step.

[slpwnd]

Actually I am really not happy with how the extended entity info works now. For instance when I want to change couple of entities to undestroyable I need to open the gui for every single of these and tick a checkbox. For this I have in mind something like an "undestroyability brush" that you select and simply "paint" over the entities you want to be indestructible.

[zer0t3ch]

Actually I am really not happy with how the extended entity info works now. For instance when I want to change couple of entities to undestroyable I need to open the gui for every single of these and tick a checkbox. For this I have in mind something like an "undestroyability brush" that you select and simply "paint" over the entities you want to be indestructible.

Things like that would be a huge step for map-makers.

Also, that reminds me: Is there going to be a scenario/map section added to the "Contributions" forum?

[ssilk]

Actually I am really not happy with how the extended entity info works now. For instance when I want to change couple of entities to undestroyable I need to open the gui for every single of these and tick a checkbox. For this I have in mind something like an "undestroyability brush" that you select and simply "paint" over the entities you want to be indestructible.

Yes, some operations on selected tiles.
A brush is useful to add, subtract, set or do other mathematical operations with one value of an object.
The other way around is also useful: select all tiles, where this condition is true, to create an own brush or do the above operations on it.

[slpwnd]

Also, that reminds me: Is there going to be a scenario/map section added to the "Contributions" forum?

Just added it.

[zer0t3ch]

Also, that reminds me: Is there going to be a scenario/map section added to the "Contributions" forum?

Just added it.

Awesome, thanks. I personally don't plan on making any, but I'm sure someone will!