Webwing Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 I did this using some tips I got from Sneaksie. I have finished this map for some time but didn't have the time to finish the mission itself. I made a mission for CM:SF called Crossroads. After that a small campaign with the same name. I quite liked the result so I decided to convert it to TOW. The original mission had a WWII flavor to it anyway. The tools you need are the Builder and a software like Photoshop or any other program where you can edit bitmap images. I decided to post this as an overview of the process to make a map in the new Builder that will soon be released. It's not a tutorial but just an overview of the process So here is how it went: You can start your map in many different ways: - From a drawing. - Modifying an original TOW map - Using a map from an atlas or book. - From a Google image - Or from another game. - - Here you can see an image from Google. The other image is a map I did for CC2 back in 1999. At that time I only had a Mac. CC3 was released only for the PC so I could not play it. So I decide to start making maps for CC2. It was quite tricky to do. Specially the roofs that had to be coded using a HexEditor. I'm thinking of bringing this map to TOW too. - - Here is an image of my Crossroads in CM:SF - - Here is how it is seen in the Scenario Editor. In CM:SF the squares are 8x8m and in TOW they are 1m=1pixel. I took a screenshot of this map. I chose to start not from a white background but use one of the blank maps that comes with the editor. In this case the Clear_Summer_Map. - - As you can see this is just a flat surface with a texture of some grass applied to it. You need to make a copy of the whole folder for this map and rename it before you start. Once that is done you can open the maintex.tga in your graphics program and paste the image of the map the will be used as your guide. - - That's how the texture looks after I finished painting it. There are many ways to do this. I didn't want the map to bee too different in atmosphere from the ones already in TOW. I thought it would look odd. So I used some of the textures in other maps. At this point you need to go to the Builder and add roads, trees, houses, grass, etc. And, of course, the elevations to match the original map. A tutorial on this would be fairly long. I'm not doing one for the time being. - The following images are from the map in both games, side by side. The dimentions are exactly the same and the placements of houses and roads. But I didn't want a desert look like it had in CM:SF, it wouldn't loog good with the houses and other things that are in TOW. Also the lens in the games are different so the screenshots don't really match. The games are very different but I like them both. And this mission is great fun in both of them! -- - - - [ January 13, 2008, 09:47 AM: Message edited by: Webwing ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Webwing Posted January 13, 2008 Author Share Posted January 13, 2008 - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sneaksie Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 Cool map and great entry tutorial! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce90 Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 Is it possible with the Map Editor to make river fords that infantry and vehicles will be able to cross and if so how will this be animated? I mean will the infantry wade through the water which may be knee or waist high and vehicles drive through partially submerged? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sneaksie Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 Yes. Depth must be < 1m. There are special particle effects when vehicle crosses the ford. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce90 Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 Brilliant!! Thanks for the answer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Webwing Posted January 15, 2008 Author Share Posted January 15, 2008 Originally posted by Sneaksie: Cool map and great entry tutorial! Thanks Sneaksie! Mostly to convey some basic info and to wet peoples appetites! -- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manx Posted January 15, 2008 Share Posted January 15, 2008 Nice Webwing! Thanks again for sharing your knowledge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jmayer Posted January 23, 2008 Share Posted January 23, 2008 Very well done Web, I see your very good at map making and I for one am looking forward to you making many more maps for ToW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockinHarry Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 Is there a way to make trees better mold with the background and not to stand out that much like in a park landscape? It´s just a matter of right textures, but I wonder I don´t see any appropiate ones used. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Webwing Posted January 25, 2008 Author Share Posted January 25, 2008 I wish I had more time to make maps for TOW... But I'm sure with the new tools a lot of people will be doing great stuff for the community. -- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Webwing Posted January 25, 2008 Author Share Posted January 25, 2008 Originally posted by RockinHarry: Is there a way to make trees better mold with the background and not to stand out that much like in a park landscape? It´s just a matter of right textures, but I wonder I don´t see any appropiate ones used. In the builder that already is available you can mess quite a bit with the trees. And I'm quite sure you can even go further and change the colors and textures with the mod tools. -- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockinHarry Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 Originally posted by Webwing: </font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by RockinHarry: Is there a way to make trees better mold with the background and not to stand out that much like in a park landscape? It´s just a matter of right textures, but I wonder I don´t see any appropiate ones used. In the builder that already is available you can mess quite a bit with the trees. And I'm quite sure you can even go further and change the colors and textures with the mod tools. -- </font> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egon Posted January 26, 2008 Share Posted January 26, 2008 Thank you very much for your kind assistance, Webwing ! Very helpful, point by point information (as usual). Greetings - Egon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CeltiCid Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 i have tried, but dont know how to paste a map to ToW map editor.... can someone post a mini tutorial for this? I just need put into a plain map, a tga map so i can later edit it adding statics, elevations...., but i dont know how. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Webwing Posted February 12, 2008 Author Share Posted February 12, 2008 CeltiCid, What you have to do is open the maintex of the map you want to use as a base in a graphic editor. There is no way to do that directly in the Editor. Manipulating and painting the map must be done in a graphic program. If you want to use the image from Google as it is then just paste the image you have on top the maintex. Pay attention to make it the same proprotion. In TOW 1 pixel = 1 meter. After that is done just load the maintex in the editor. Enjoy! [ February 12, 2008, 06:06 AM: Message edited by: Webwing ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lele Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 hi, now i would make my first map, can't you me confirm, if i have succes, with map scale? so here i compare it, with a original map! my project make real good size, 2048x2048 pixel! and so if i compare it, with this original map, i can identify that mainroad width have same pixel width, and secondary road have any same width! so my scale factor between original map is correct or should i make any other modification? here i use this map to make draw road, and water! but, here to starting step,can't you me done advice? should i start, with main road,water, or what should i draw to first element?? thank's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyman56 Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 I have a question regarding roads. I am trying to place them with the tool but it has no guidance of how to put the road on the map!?! Any help it must be easyer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Webwing Posted February 12, 2008 Author Share Posted February 12, 2008 Originally posted by lele: hi, now i would make my first map, can't you me confirm, if i have succes, with map scale? so here i compare it, with a original map! my project make real good size, 2048x2048 pixel! and so if i compare it, with this original map, i can identify that mainroad width have same pixel width, and secondary road have any same width! so my scale factor between original map is correct or should i make any other modification? here i use this map to make draw road, and water! but, here to starting step,can't you me done advice? should i start, with main road,water, or what should i draw to first element?? thank's The way you are comparing the maps is far from accurate! Your original map, the one on the left, you need to find its scale. You can only find this in the site where you got it from. It doesn't matter that the size in pixels is right. What matters is to know if in your map 2048 pixels equals 2048 meters. - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lele Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 okey, i have it compare with another map, and result done all is ok! so i can start draw my map!! so map containt just terrain, river and road! (this map) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlapHappy Posted February 17, 2008 Share Posted February 17, 2008 You can get Google Earth maps window size very close to 2 KM's on the horizontal scale, but generally the vertical windows size will only be about 1.5 KM's. So keep in mind if you resize everything to fit exact specifications, you will probably be skewing the proportion of the map........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlapHappy Posted February 17, 2008 Share Posted February 17, 2008 If you want to improve the visual quality of the maps, open the "options" menu in Google Earth and set terrain quality to maximum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts