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Introducing : MapTools

Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2018 9:20 pm
by FRenzy
// The project :

Hello there !

Since about 2 weeks, I have started a project to develop new mapping tools for OpenRA's editor. The purpose for me was to learn how to code / participate in ORA's code (a github project in general). Mapping was a main point of interest for me, and as I'm into mapmaking, such tools would help me and fellow mapmakers a lot.

The tools will include
- "Append" tool : to add two maps next to each other
- "Copy" tool : to add a maps over another
- "Mirror" tool : mirror half of a map (Left, Top) to create a symetrical map
- "Resize" tool : resize the map, with differentiable X and Y factors

There is an option to choose what the tool will affect : Tiles, Resources, and/or Actors. You could use it for interesting combinations, such as :
- "Copy" only the Tiles / Resources of a map on another. Kind of an update.
- "Resizing" only the Tiles and Actors, while keeping Resources (ore patches) intact
- ...

Of course, the tools will not give a final result, due to the nature of the sprites. But it will give a ready structure for the mapmaker, and help a lot in his workflow.

Finally, I also added support for isometric maps (Tib Sun).
The tools work well for iso maps, except maybe for the Resize tool, due to the structure of an isometric map (no easy straightforward algorithm). I might be improving that last piece of code in the future, but for now it works OK.

// How to :
- Go to https://github.com/FRenzy-OpenRA/OpenRA/tree/MapTools
- Download the .ZIP, extract
Image
- For Windows : Build the project with "make.cmd", and type "all"
(Otherwise, see : https://github.com/OpenRA/OpenRA/wiki/Compiling )
- Run "launch-game.cmd" , choose your mod
- The tools will be then found in the traditional "Map Editor" in-game.
- Have fun ! :)

// Examples :

In RA mod :
The interface :
Image

"Append" tool :
Image

"Copy" tool :
Image

"Resize" tool :
Image

"Mirror Top" tool :
Image

"Mirror Left" tool :
Image

Using options :
Image


In TS mod :

"Append" tool :
Image

"Copy" tool :
Image

"Mirror Left" tool :
Image

Re: Introducing : MapTools

Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2018 2:49 pm
by WhoCares
I made a joke about such a tool when i made a unique map that was a combination of Two existing maps. I did by hand but i made beleive some player that soscared has done a powerfull secret map utility that alllows to copy from a map and import in another.

Very funny and mostly pleasant to see you actually made it for real.

Re: Introducing : MapTools

Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2018 4:31 pm
by FRenzy
Lol ! You are our inspiration WhoCares, that's why ! :p

Hope you'll find this tool useful, and create even crazier maps with it ;)

Re: Introducing : MapTools

Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2018 12:06 am
by Inq
This looks very useful, I’ve not tried it yet but thanks for taking the time to make this! :D

Re: Introducing : MapTools

Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2018 6:46 am
by FRenzy
You're welcome :)

Re: Introducing : MapTools

Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2018 7:38 am
by kyrylo
Nice work! The mirror functionality sounds especially useful. Mirroring by hand is very hard and error prone. It was always the most tedious and boring part of mapmaking for me, so if your tool can at least roughly mirror maps, that's already a huge win.

Re: Introducing : MapTools

Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2018 11:24 am
by FRenzy
Thanks kyrylo ! I indeed hope this will remove the hard / tedious parts of mapmaking, and make it more fun !

Are we going to see new maps from you ... ? ;) haha

(that reminds me, I should add a "Rotate" tool, for antisymetric maps ... hopefully soon)

Re: Introducing : MapTools

Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2018 11:31 am
by FRenzy
Btw what I'd love to see, is creative recreations / messing around with existing maps, to create new ones, just like WhoCares stated and did before ^.

I have a few ideas off my head, I'll try to put them in application when I have time !

Re: Introducing : MapTools

Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2018 9:31 pm
by FRenzy
Playing around with the tools :

- Desert Rats mirroring, two versions :

Image

Image

Re: Introducing : MapTools

Posted: Sat Jun 30, 2018 10:47 am
by Matt
The result looks a bit glitchy.

Re: Introducing : MapTools

Posted: Sat Jun 30, 2018 11:53 am
by FRenzy
Matt, this is because the tools only operate on tile-basis, without taking into account the entire sprite.

It would be theoritically possible to further enhance it, by building a matching table of mirrored tiles, etc ...
However, this wouldn't work on a lot of RA sprites, such as rivers, beaches, many roads, etc ...

The tools only aim, for now, to give a structure of the map for the mapmaker, not the final result.

Re: Introducing : MapTools

Posted: Tue Jun 18, 2019 2:12 pm
by Upps
Did someone extend this project? Or did someone have his own Maptools? I search for everything which helps for easier map creation.
Frenzy did a good job here! To bad he quit RA :(

I search special for diagonal Mirror or functions like rotate parts of a map etc.