Map Editing

To create a map in Glest you will need to download the Glest Tools. Sourceforge Download

File:Mapeditor.jpg

The editor with the map 'The Ruins' loaded

Introduction

Glest Map Editor is the default map editor for Glest - the free, open-source, 3D real-time strategy game.

Glest Map Editor allows users to define:

• Map dimensions
• Surface height
• Surface type
• Object location
• Resource location
• Number of players
• Player and computer faction starting points
• Other significant parameters

Note: the map editor cannot define unit or building placements, the reason for this is that a map can be played with various tech trees with different unit and building types.

Editor Window

Single window properties

• Top: Menu Bar
• Center-Left: Map Display
• Right: Tool Bar
• Bottom: Info Label

Map Display

Map display reflects the current state of the map

The map is divided into cells, each cell has a state: height, surface type, object type and resource type. The way the map reflects the state of the cells is as follows:

• The big 'X' show the location of each player starting point.
• Intensity of color reflects height, the darker the color is, the lower the height of the cell.
• Color reflects the surface type:
  • light green is surface 1
  • dark green is surface 2
  • brown is surface 3
  • gray is surface 4
  • red is surface 5
• An 'X' means that there is a resource on this cell, the color of the 'X' indicates the resource type.
• An inverted 'L' means there is an object on this cell, the color of the inverted 'L', indicates the object type.

Note: Objects and resources cannot share the same cell.

Users may interact with the map as follows:

• Left clicking over the map or to move the mouse while pressing left button modifies the map.
• Moving the mouse while pressing the right mouse button scrolls the users viewing location on the map.
• Moving the mouse while pressing the center button or shift+right mouse button zooms the map view.

Toolbar

The toolbar defines the way the map is modified when left clicking on the map display.

Depending on the selected radio button, users may edit height, surface type, object type, resource type or starting points.

• Radius: The radius combo box is always available and indicates the number of cells modified when editing the map, a radius of one modifies only one cell, a higher radius modified more cells.

• Height: When height radio button is selected, users can alter the map surface height. (radius and height combo boxes modify the surface in different ways)

• Surface: When the surface radio button is selected, users can edit map surface type(s). Surface texture type(s) may change on different tilesets, but the default settings are:
  • surface 1 grass
  • surface 2 secondary grass
  • surface 3 road
  • surface 4 stone
  • surface 5 custom
• Object: When the object radio button is selected, users can place objects on the map cells. Objects depend on the tileset, but the default settings are:
  • object 0 undefined
  • object 1 tree -- walkable(false)-- blocking object -- wood resource type
  • object 2 dead tree -- walkable(false)-- blocking object
  • object 3 stones -- walkable(false)-- blocking object
  • object 4 bush -- walkable(true)
  • object 5 water object -- walkable(true)
  • object 6 dead tree -- walkable(false) -- blocking object
  • object 7 Hanged/impaled/caged gallows --- (random model placement) -- walkable(false) blocking object
  • object 8 obelisk/statue/broken statue ---(random model placement) -- walkable(false) blocking object
  • object 9 large mossy rock/big stone --- walkable(false) blocking object
  • object 10 Invisible object --- walkable(false) blocking object
• Resource: When the resource radio button is selected, users can place resources on a map cell. Resource types depend on the tech tree selected, but the default settings are:
  • custom 0 undefined
  • custom 1 gold
  • custom 2 stone
  • custom 3 undefined
  • custom 4 undefined
  • custom 5 undefined
• Starting Points: Each player requires one starting point, this point is the map location where the initial buildings and units are placed. If there is not enough space near the starting point to place all the units/buildings, an error will occur and the game will not load.

Note: Tech trees can use objects as resources. The difference is that 3d models for objects are defined on the tileset while resource 3d models are defined on the tech tree.

Menu Bar

• File
• Load: loads the selected map file.
• Save and Save as: saves a map file.
• Exit: closes the editor.
• Edit
• Reset: resets the map, users can specify map dimensions, default altitude and surface types.
• Reset Players: changes the number of players on the map and resets starting points.
• Info: here is where users enter the author, title and description of the map.
• Advanced: two parameters can be edited here, altitudeFactor and waterLevel.
  • Altitude factor is a number that divides altitudes when surface is drawn in the game. It defaults to 3, that means that a cell that has an altitude of x, will have a real altitude of x/3 when rendered.
  • Water level is the altitude of the water in the game, note that units can walk over every cell that has a an altitude greater or equal to waterLevel-1.
  • Note: waterLevel is also divided by altitudeFactor.
• Misc
• Reset zoom and pos: resets zoom and position to the default values.
• About: displays the copyright notice.
• Mouse buttons: brief explanation of mouse functionality when interacting with the map.
• Info label: here are displayed some parameters of the map.

Playing

To play on a map created with this map editor just copy the newly created .gbm file to the map folder within the Glest directory. The new map will be displayed in the list of maps on the game setup screen.

Map Design Information

Below is a list of guidelines written for users who are new to the Glest map making process.

• Player Placement
  • Generic four player maps space player and AI faction starting locations equidistantly
  • Multiplayer maps place allies closer together, and those allies may also share gold and stone resource sites.
• Road and Trail Systems
  • Roads geographically connect all player start locations
  • Roads should be at least five tiles (cells) wide
  • Trails and paths connect to roads and usually lead to resource locations. Paths also provide an easy route through dense forests or across large, non descript, plains and deserts.
  • Trails and paths should be three tiles (cells) wide. Paths through dense forests - with a width of only two tiles(cells) - may trap size3 AI faction units and cause unit stacking and grid-locking.
• Rivers, lakes and oceans
• Map Objects
• Resources
  • At least 10 tiles (cells) of gold, stone and wood (trees) at the player starting point locations, and at least one smaller 5 tile(cells) resource area nearby
• Surface texture types
  • surface 1 is normally light-colored green grass with random flower and weed texture patterns.
  • surface 2 is normally dark-colored green grass with no flower and weed texture patterns.
  • surface 3 is normally brown dirt or tan sand with random pebble and weed texture patterns.
  • surface 4 is normally composed of gray cobblestones, bricks, interlocking stone-tile and rock-gravel texture patterns
  • surface texture 5 is normally undefined and is rarely used on maps.
• Surface texture uses
  • surface textures vary greatly between tilesets but in general:
    • surface textures 1,2 are used as the primary surface type for meadows, mountains, plains, hills and valleys
    • surface textures 3 and 4 are used for roads, trails, as ocean and lake shorelines and at player starting locations
    • surface texture 5 is normally undefined and is rarely used on maps.

Maps found on this Wikia

• User Created Maps