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113 tips to creating maps with the mission editor


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*HmS*Wedge

Wed Aug 25 2004

Captain Slow

Registered Member #3

Joined: Fri Dec 19 2003
Location: Scotland
Posts: 4651

1 Download the latest Mission editor from hardmaps or create a shortcut from the DFLW .exe and place it on your desktop. Right click on it and select �properties�. Where it says �target� there will be some text that shows where the shortcut comes from. It will end it �Dflw.exe� at the end of that put � /showall�. So now it will end in �dflw.exe /showall� this unlocks all the items in the mission editor.

2 Middle click or hold control and right click centres the map anywhere you want.
3 Page up and page down zooms in and out of the map. Also hold shift and your right mouse button and move the mouse sideways zooms in and out.
4 To select all 1 type of object on the map, select 1 then right click and choose �select this type�.
5 Press F1 to get the terrain view.
6 Press F2 to get the height map view, lighter green = higher.
7 Press F2 to get the contour view, black areas means the terrain is flat.
8 Press �insert� to switch between �insert mode� and �select mode�.
9 Right click and use the �view by� options. The default is type, side means red, blue an green sides can be seen, layers is very useful to use for viewing certain sections only, such as a tunnel which goes under a building.
10 Use a minimum resolution of 1024 x 768, otherwise you can�t see the editor screens properly.
11 If you are trying to dissect a custom object or you find the screen too �busy�, select a few items that you don�t need to see, right click and select �hide selected�.
12 To see items that you have hidden, right click and click on �unhide all�.
13 The z value of an item can be changed to alter its height � see heights and z value tutorial.
14 To make parachute spawns, set players spawn height to greater than 100.
15 You can copy / paste objects from one map to another by opening a map on page 1 and another on page 2. Select what you want, right click copy, go to the other map, right click, paste.
16 Use the arrow Keys to make things move 1 pixel at a time for accurate placement. Zoom right in to line up perfectly.
17 Some tunnel pieces have a Z value written on them to help you with placement.
18 If you zoom out far enough from the map, you will see a red line. Anything on the outside of this line will not show up in the game.
19 Maximum number of decorations / buildings is 1024
20 Maximum number of vehicles / objects is 1024
21 Maximum number of markers is 512
22 Maximum number people is 256
23 If you have lots of RAM i.e. more than 128MB, it is useful to run the MED and LW at the same time. Changes can be viewed more quickly if you Alt-Tab between programmes. NB that the mission / map will have to be restarted to see the changes.
24 Having a hard time unselecting a complicated object or multiple items? Use the �unselect all� button at the top to save a lot of time.
25 Save regularly, the MED crashes often for some people.
26 Alter the grid size by clicking on the + and � symbols at the top left. It helps judge distances better.
27 Use the �snap to� feature to line things up easily.
28 Changing fog colour and density, and also water level can add big changes to any map.
29 The maximum fog level is 7.
30 Do not use claymores in multiplayer maps, they cause �sys dumps�.
31 A �sys dump� happens when LW cannot load a map or something goes wrong during game play. The only thing you can do is takeout / change the last thing you did in the map.
32 Altering the pitch of an item can produce interesting effects � experiment!
33 Use the arrow keys on the �num pad� to move across the map in larger steps.
34 On default setting of [0,0] Z value, sandbag wall 1 and 2 look identical. In fact sandbag wall is twice as tall. Change it�s z value to [1,0] for a taller wall.
35 You cannot change any vehicles� Z value of pitch (except the helicopters).
36 The �cargo truck open� is actually the closed one, the �cargo truck closed� is actually the open one!!
37 You cannot place the helicopters on a building / object, it will simply fall through and explode.
38 Don�t put helicopters in multiplayer, not all players can see it.
39 Snow DOES NOT work.
40 Rain does work as long as you select rain and select the weather box in general information.
41 Night can only be selected in sky settings.
42 Selecting the �night� box enables night vision goggles when a player starts a game.
43 If there are more than 125 AI in a game then players are able to walk through walls sometimes!
44 Add sound to maps, it adds atmosphere, but don�t over do it, it can be annoying.
45 Street Lights cannot be shot out.
46 Spotlights cannot move in any way.
47 Think about the number of items you add to a map. The more there is, the more lag people will get.
48 DON�T add 1024 trees to a map.
49 An object put in or on a vehicle will not move if the vehicle, except if it�s a person / AI.
50 The helicopter will fly through terrain!
51 The zodiac will travel across land!
52 Vehicles will not follow waypoints if they are going too fast to turn. Try making a truck do a 180 degree turn when going 100km/h (lol you will not see the truck again)
53 Despite being able to see through the bottom of a building from underneath, you cannot enter from underneath it.
54 Some buildings come in 2 parts. Kbarak / kbaraki, HQ / HQi. The first part is the outside, the part with the �i� is the inside or �guts� of the building.
55 To rotate something, select it, then right click and click on �group rotate�. This is very fast and accurate and a lot easier than fiddling around with degrees.
56 You can change the KOTH zone size by selecting it, and in item attributes, where it says �distance� change the �4� to whatever you want.
57 You can use multiple KOTH zones in a map.
58 If you want a map to be single player only? Don�t select any game type in general information.
59 Look at other peoples� maps to see how things work but DO NOT copy other peoples� maps and say you made them.
60 Put armouries in multiplayer maps.
61 To make a helicopter hover, select the �hover� option in item attributes.
62 A quicker way to view �item attributes� is to click on the text on the left of the screen when an item is selected.
63 People that are �green� are neutral and neither red nor blue will shoot them.
64 The �well� does not show up in the game.
65 AI has infinite ammo with the AT-4.
66 Yetis have about 4 times the health of a soldier!
67 Metal walls are bullet proof.
68 AI can be placed on a .50 cal machine gun or a grenade a grenade launcher, but they will fire the gun they were originally assigned.
69 No voxels will mean the terrain is not rendered. (aka dosen't show)
70 It is not possible to make AI climb ladders.
71 AI with no waypoints will follow gunfire � useful for making unpredictable maps i.e. things are different each time.
72 You can select the camouflage type in general information, green, brown, white and alpha.
73 DO not use �alpha� camouflage, It makes everything invisible!
74 When building tunnels, the entrances must be �parent� type.
75 Always enter a briefing for single player missions. This can be done when you click on edit, briefing.
76 Do not take another persons� signature off a map.
77 Put your own signature on your maps, but make it discrete because it can annoy players.
78 Put AI on �guarding� if you don�t want them to move at all.
79 You can make vehicles change speed in between waypoints, just create an event to do so.
80 The AI�s perception is the distance it can see. If set at 100, it can see you from anywhere as long there are no mountains in the way.
81 Trucks stop moving if they are blown up, but other trucks will drive through it. This looks silly in a map so create an event to stop all of them if one blows up.
82 Check the map carefully for floating buildings or objects due to uneven terrain.
83 Putting an AI on �red alert� and on a waypoint will make them run.
84 If placing a flag on a building or so that it is not at z value [0,0], make its z value at least [0,100] higher than perfect. If you don�t the flag respawns at ground level, possibly making it un collectable.
85 Try making some custom objects, like bunkers made out of sandbags. They make your maps cool and unique.
86 You can change the height that a helicopter files at. Just alter the Z values of its waypoints.
87 Clearly label groups / waypoints / events etc. It makes it easier to understand.
88 Set a ladder�s pitch to �9 to make it vertical.
89 Normal tunnel pieces don�t work very well as tunnel entrances.
90 If you have put something in the map that you want to change, you don�t have to delete it. Go to item attributes and change what it is at the top right pull-down menu.
91 When placing trees and bushes, use different types and sizes for a more realistic look.
92 If adding trees and bushes, do not use the �random� type. They will not show up in the game.
93 When making a multiplayer map, do not use �start primary� spawns only. These only work when players first start the game. If a player dies they will respawn at the spot they just died.
94 When making A&D maps. Make sure all the targets are in either group �red� or �blue� depending on who is attacking. Otherwise they will not be targets.
95 Adding �wind� to a map will affect the accuracy of guns.
96 The first waypoint in a list must be �number 0�
97 Do not use the �flagbay, jred� or �flagbay, jblue� .they will not be visible in game.
98 Setting an item�s pitch to 180, will flip it upside down.
99 In multiplayer maps, put in a �waypoint alpha�. So players don�t get lost and always know where the action is.
100 Both trigger markers for a single area trigger must be the same number.
101 No 2 area trigger �areas� should have the same number.
102 Lowering the z values of some trees can make the appearance of new types of bushes.
103 Lowering the z values of some buildings can make the appearance of new types of buildings.
104 Placing the coloured arrows in a map can be useful for players if the map is complex or has tunnels.
105 Fortified bunkers and concrete towers both have bullet proof sections.
106 If you set a wall piece to pitch 90, it becomes flat, but if you stand on it you start to shake and you will not be able to use the scope on your gun. The same thing happens on the roof on some buildings.
107 If you spot a mistake in your map, so will other people!
108 Ask people to check your map and play on it before you make it available for download or put on a server.
109 If you find something hard, don�t give up, get help!
110 Take your time, a good map may take weeks, especially a single player map.
111 Not all maps have cool looking custom objects, they need to be playable and fun.
112 Submit your maps to a site so that other people can play them. http://www.dfhq.net will always accept your maps.
113 Don�t spend all your time making maps � go play them.

[ Edited ]

Wanabeboss

Fri Jan 06 2006

Registered Member #741

Joined: Tue Aug 02 2005
Location: Salem, Oregon
Posts: 53

very interseting reading,but i tried going to the properties of the exe that i created on my desktop and i am not seeing the same thing that you are, did i do something wrong? this is what it says behind target on my shortcut i made on my desk top "C:\NovaLogic\Delta Force Land Warrior\DFLWMEDFC2.EXE i tried putting show all in there and i come up with an error message please tell me what i am doing wrong, i would greatly appreciate it

wanabeboss


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