Hi there,

i'd like to start mapping again.

Last time i mapped should be version 0.71 or something.

So:
Does it pay out to start mapping now or will you change the way it works sooner or later?
Whats new? Is there already a complete Guide?

Thanks in advance for any help!

_________________
Open Red Alert:
http://openra.res0l.net/

Can't think of anything that would dramatically change for 1.0 regarding mapping anymore. All the required mapping elements are in place and all the feasible optimization tricks and the related support is there. Something might be expanded still but compatibility shouldn't break, I dare say.

E.g. surface sounds are still referred to by indices, that might eventually evolve to support custom wav filenames, but indices will continue to work anyhow.

I don't think there ever will be...

Hi Petrenko,

nice to see you again, it has been a while!
As pasik said, if there'll be a few things added until 1.0, those will probably be only a few entries in material objects or some new parameters in the templates, etc.
Nothing big anyway and those could be easily added afterwards.



I wouldn't bet. bwc123's knowledge about mapping isn't bad and as far as I remember, he was not antipathetic with that idea but he might have changed his mind?
I would contribute to the tutorial of course. First I need to make a new action video for the early access submission on Steam, which might take a while to capture the right scenes and editing the video but afterwards I could set the first milestone for a map making tutorial.

A map making tutorial might consist in 2 parts:

part 1:

A quick introduction into inkscape as it IS the map editor after all
* how to make a heightmap and how to make the other terrain layers (dirt, sand, grass, etc)
* basic things like placing a tileable building and his parameters like height, roof_type, etc
* how to use the object templates

part 2:

A more advance insight into mapmaking consisting in:
* using texture atlases, especially for building textures.
* material settings in general (day/nighttime colors, splat_effect colors/sounds)
* init_match

etc.