Creating a Map - Revision history

Michaelz: /* Moving on to Scenario Design */

2012-06-04T20:15:51Z

Moving on to Scenario Design

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:15, 4 June 2012
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	== Moving on to Scenario Design ==		== Moving on to Scenario Design ==

	Once you've created the map and built the LOS file, you can move on to [[~~#Creating_a_Scenario\|creating~~ a ~~scenario~~]].		Once you've created the map and built the LOS file, you can move on to [[Creating a Scenario]].

Michaelz at 20:15, 4 June 2012

2012-06-04T20:15:22Z

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	'''Important''': the LOS file '''must''' be built before linking a map to a scenario.		'''Important''': the LOS file '''must''' be built before linking a map to a scenario.

			== Moving on to Scenario Design ==

			Once you've created the map and built the LOS file, you can move on to [[#Creating_a_Scenario\|creating a scenario]].

Michaelz at 20:13, 4 June 2012

2012-06-04T20:13:58Z

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	Any and all terrain, and any map tile, can be assigned using the map editor.		Any and all terrain, and any map tile, can be assigned using the map editor.

	~~[[Image:mapguide7.jpg\|center\|border\|thumb\|750px\|]]~~

	For example, heights can be added using the terrain sculpting controls:		For example, heights can be added using the terrain sculpting controls:
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	== Adding Obstacles, Units, and Other Map Features ==		== Adding Obstacles, Units, and Other Map Features ==

			You can add other terrain features as desired--bunkers, for example:

			[[Image:mapguide7.jpg\|center\|border\|thumb\|750px\|]]

	Place bunkers and other directional types by clicking on the map and dragging.		Place bunkers and other directional types by clicking on the map and dragging.

Michaelz at 20:13, 4 June 2012

2012-06-04T20:13:01Z

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	[[Image:mapguide2.jpg\|center\|border\|thumb\|750px]]		[[Image:mapguide2.jpg\|center\|border\|thumb\|750px]]

	It can take a minute or two to parse the Input Map. When it's done it turns the empty canvas into an almost fully-stocked map:		It can take a minute or two to parse the Input Map. When it's done it turns the empty canvas into an almost fully-stocked map. A few of the fussier elements can't be added through the input map mechanism. You'll have to go through and add things like walls, bunkers, barbed wire, and so forth in the map editor after parsing an input map.

	[[Image:~~mapguide3~~.jpg\|center\|border\|thumb\|750px]]		The map creation process goes fairly quickly once you get all the mechanics sorted out. I did the map above in about 1.5 hours.

			== Building Terrain in the Map Editor ==

			Any and all terrain, and any map tile, can be assigned using the map editor.

			[[Image:mapguide7.jpg\|center\|border\|thumb\|750px\|]]

	~~A few of the fussier elements~~ can't be added ~~through the input map mechanism. You'll have to go through and add things like walls, bunkers, barbed wire, and so forth in~~ the ~~map editor after parsing an input map.~~		For example, heights can be added using the terrain sculpting controls:

	~~The map creation process goes fairly quickly once you get all~~ the ~~mechanics sorted out~~. ~~I did~~ the ~~map above~~ in ~~about 1~~.~~5 hours~~.		*Enter "sculpting mode" using the Terrain --> Sculpting Mode button.
			*Use the left mouse button to raise terrain in an individual hex, and use the right mouse button to lower terrain in an individual hex.
			*You can also use keyboard commands instead: the [>] key raises terrain for an individual hex, and the [<] key lowers terrain for an individual hex.
			*When you're done raising and lowering terrain, the Editor --> Rebuild Height button smooths the terrain heights.

	~~== Manual Placement of Map Tiles ==~~		For example, the following map was created using the input process, but this map could also be created entirely within the editor:

	~~The editor can place any map tile~~.		[[Image:mapguide3.jpg\|center\|border\|thumb\|750px]]

	~~[[Image:mapguide7.jpg\|center\|border\|thumb\|750px\|]]~~		== Adding Obstacles, Units, and Other Map Features ==

	Place bunkers and other directional types by clicking on the map and dragging.		Place bunkers and other directional types by clicking on the map and dragging.

Michaelz: /* Manual Placement of Map Tiles */

2012-06-04T20:06:21Z

Manual Placement of Map Tiles

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:06, 4 June 2012
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	[[Image:mapguide9.jpg\|center\|border\|thumb\|650px\|]]		[[Image:mapguide9.jpg\|center\|border\|thumb\|650px\|]]

	~~Note that~~ if parsing an input map, some map tiles can be placed during the input process, but some cannot, and must be placed by hand.		Again, if parsing an input map, some map tiles can be placed during the input process, but some cannot, and must be placed by hand.

	== Building the LOS File ==		== Building the LOS File ==

Michaelz: /* Manual Placement of Map Tiles */

2012-06-04T20:05:25Z

Manual Placement of Map Tiles

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:05, 4 June 2012
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	== Manual Placement of Map Tiles ==		== Manual Placement of Map Tiles ==

	~~Some~~ map tile ~~types cannot be placed using the input map and must be placed by hand~~.		The editor can place any map tile.

	[[Image:mapguide7.jpg\|center\|border\|thumb\|750px\|]]		[[Image:mapguide7.jpg\|center\|border\|thumb\|750px\|]]
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	[[Image:mapguide9.jpg\|center\|border\|thumb\|650px\|]]		[[Image:mapguide9.jpg\|center\|border\|thumb\|650px\|]]

			Note that if parsing an input map, some map tiles can be placed during the input process, but some cannot, and must be placed by hand.

	== Building the LOS File ==		== Building the LOS File ==

Michaelz at 20:03, 4 June 2012

2012-06-04T20:03:07Z

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	[[Image:mapguide6.jpg\|center\|border\|thumb\|300px]]		[[Image:mapguide6.jpg\|center\|border\|thumb\|300px]]

			== Avoid Anti-Aliasing ==

			With any tools you use to make input maps, it's important to avoid anti-aliasing or smoothing the pixels in your image. As much as possible, you want to make sure that every pixel in your image is exactly one of the colors in the COH Palette Guide. The importer will do its best to figure out what you meant by pixels that aren't exactly the right color (it'll match them to the closest colors or ignore them). However, it's possible to introduce all sorts of stray features if you use too many pixel-smoothing tools.

			[[Image:mapguide10.jpg\|center\|border\|thumb\|500px\|]]

	== Parsing the Input Map ==		== Parsing the Input Map ==
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	[[Image:mapguide9.jpg\|center\|border\|thumb\|650px\|]]		[[Image:mapguide9.jpg\|center\|border\|thumb\|650px\|]]

	~~== Avoid Anti-Aliasing ==~~

	With any tools you use to make input maps, it's important to avoid anti-aliasing or smoothing the pixels in your image. As much as possible, you want to make sure that every pixel in your image is exactly one of the colors in the COH Palette Guide. The importer will do its best to figure out what you meant by pixels that aren't exactly the right color (it'll match them to the closest colors or ignore them). However, it's possible to introduce all sorts of stray features if you use too many pixel-smoothing tools.

	~~[[Image:mapguide10.jpg\|center\|border\|thumb\|500px\|]]~~

	== Building the LOS File ==		== Building the LOS File ==

Michaelz: /* In-Editor Maps */

2012-06-04T20:02:25Z

In-Editor Maps

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:02, 4 June 2012
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	====In-Editor Maps====		====In-Editor Maps====

	In-editor maps are created entirely within the game editor; just start the COH Editor program, and begin designing your map. You can pick from the pre-selected map sizes to size your map (Small, Medium, Large, Wide, and Huge). To design maps in-editor, you can skip to [[Manual Placement of Map Tiles]] below.		In-editor maps are created entirely within the game editor; just start the COH Editor program, and begin designing your map. You can pick from the pre-selected map sizes to size your map (Small, Medium, Large, Wide, and Huge). To design maps in-editor, you can skip to [[#Manual Placement of Map Tiles\|Manual Placement of Map Tiles]] below.

	====Input Maps====		====Input Maps====

Michaelz at 20:00, 4 June 2012

2012-06-04T20:00:39Z

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	The shades of brown show elevation. Purples are houses / stone houses. Greens are forests. Reds are roads. Blue is water. White is clear. Note that you can have forests with roads running through them on heights by ensuring that a given hex contains all three colors.		The shades of brown show elevation. Purples are houses / stone houses. Greens are forests. Reds are roads. Blue is water. White is clear. Note that you can have forests with roads running through them on heights by ensuring that a given hex contains all three colors.

	Input Maps can be created in any reasonably sophisticated paint program. Creating an input map with reference to the underlying hex-grid allows the developer much more refined control over the map elements, and it's easiest to do this in a paint program that supports multiple layers, such as Photoshop or the free program GIMP. To do this, take the hex ~~map~~ we provide, and input it into a layer in your paint program:		Input Maps can be created in any reasonably sophisticated paint program. Creating an input map with reference to the underlying hex-grid allows the developer much more refined control over the map elements, and it's easiest to do this in a paint program that supports multiple layers, such as Photoshop or the free program GIMP. To do this, take the input map hex template we provide, and input it into a layer in your paint program.

	== Input Map Template ==		== Input Map Hex Template ==

	Included in the /manuals sub-folder of your installation directory is a full-size template for creating input maps.		Included in the /manuals sub-folder of your installation directory is a full-size template for creating input maps.
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	You will find a full-size copy of the above template in the /manuals sub-folder of your		You will find a full-size copy of the above template in the /manuals sub-folder of your
	installation directory.		installation directory.

			You'll need to make the hex template transparent, except for the hex grid, in whatever program you're using.

	== Map Palette Guide ==		== Map Palette Guide ==
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	== Building the LOS File ==		== Building the LOS File ==

	~~You~~'ll ~~also~~ have to build your LOS file; this can be found on the Editor menu drop-down. This must be done before a map can be used for a scenario. Building the LOS file may take some time for the editor to complete; you'll see a progress screen while the LOS file is building. If you interrupt this process, you'll need to re-build the entire LOS file.		When you're done with your map, you'll have to build your LOS file before continuing on to scenario design: this can be found on the Editor menu drop-down. This must be done before a map can be used for a scenario. Building the LOS file may take some time for the editor to complete; you'll see a progress screen while the LOS file is building. If you interrupt this process, you'll need to re-build the entire LOS file.

	'''Important''': the LOS file '''must''' be built before linking a map to a scenario.		'''Important''': the LOS file '''must''' be built before linking a map to a scenario.

Michaelz at 19:58, 4 June 2012

2012-06-04T19:58:04Z

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 == Map Creation ==
-There are two ways to create a COH map: input maps, and in-editor maps.
+There are two ways to create a COH map: in-editor maps, and input maps.
 ====Input Maps====
@@ Line 16: / Line 20: @@
 Input Maps can be created in any reasonably sophisticated paint program. Creating an input map with reference to the underlying hex-grid allows the developer much more refined control over the map elements, and it's easiest to do this in a paint program that supports multiple layers, such as Photoshop or the free program GIMP.  To do this, take the hex map we provide, and input it into a layer in your paint program:
 == Input Map Template ==
@@ Line 63: / Line 47: @@
 [[Image:mapguide6.jpg|center|border|thumb|300px]]
 == Manual Placement of Map Tiles ==