Known errors and solutions - Mapping

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This is a list of commonly asked questions, and general knowledge, regarding World in Conflict level design/custom map creation.

Contents

Before You Begin

Everyone should begin their adventure in World in Conflict level design by reading the following guide provided by Massive Entertainment's level design team: http://wiki.massgate.net/Map_Design_Guidelines


Developer Question and Answer

Massive Entertainment's level designers have been very helpful in answering a large and growing series of community questions, most of which are not addressed here. To see this post, or ask your own questions, visit the link provided below:


General Tips

Wiki Tutorial Links

These are detailed tutorials that will help you with many important areas of WiC level design. To see all available Level Editing tutorials, click here: http://wiki.massgate.net/Category:Level_editing

Remember to view the full list of tutorials here: http://wiki.massgate.net/Category:Level_editing


Camera Movement

  • w/a/s/d = moves camera
  • Middle mouse = rotates camera
  • right mouse = move camera about
  • Alt + right mouse = slow movement
  • ctrl + right mouse = rotate camera


Manipulating Props

  • Shift + mouse scroll = altitude of prop
  • Arrow keys = Heading and Pitch of prop
  • shift + arrow keys = fast heading and pitch of prop
  • shift + control + left mouse click and drag mouse = set direction of prop
  • alt + left mouse click = move prop around
  • shift + left click in instance window will bring you to your prop/agent


Creating a Heightmap

There is a tutorial on heightmaps here: http://www.massgate.net/read.php?77960,100807

There is also an excellent tutorial on how to create a heightmap from real-world terrain data. This tutorial is a great way to get a very realistic start to your map: http://www.massgate.net/read.php?77960,111959

  • Heightmap should be 513x513x16 RAW Grayscale
  • Creating your map's surround mesh using a heightmap requires a 1539x1539x16 RAW image file. The 513x513 pixel section in the middle is where your map's playable area will be. Blend this center section with the outer areas for the best results.
  • Two deployment area masks are needed, and they need to have an alpha channel that exactly matches the pixel data in the RGB channels. Keep the masks in 256x256x32bit TGA format. Export them from WiCEd and edit afterwards.


Things to Remember

  • Save your map often to avoid losing your work!
  • Create sequential backups of your map folder (WiCModKit/maps/YOURMAPNAME/) and your work files!
  • When units are dropped on a location, if that area is not passable it will push the unit to a passable area. If no such area exists, the game will crash. Be sure to paint drop zones only in areas marked as "passable".
  • You can load two sets of SpeedTrees, but only one can be saved. If you use more, only one will be saved and the other set will be dummys.
  • Autoprops and Mass Grass, click edit to change the color.
  • In the texture generation tool, tagging properties will add Autoprops, Massgrass and detail maps.
  • NEVER use 'space' separation in filenames or folder names. (This solved the Normalmap issue)


FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)


General Questions


Q: What programs do I need to create a quality map?

  • Modo 301 (creating 3D roads and custom props)
  • Google Earth (great reference tool)
  • Notepad2 (for opening large .juice files for text editing)


Q: How do I test my map ingame?

  • A: You have to compile your map first. In WiCEd:
File > Compile Map
  • Once your map has been compiled, the final YOURMAPNAME.sdf file will be located in My Documents/World in Conflict/Downloaded/Maps (Windows XP). To test it, all you have to do is load the game, start a local server with bots, and add your new map to the map list.


Q: What are "Areas" in WiCEd?

  • A: Areas are used for singleplayer scripting, and should not be needed for multiplayer maps.


Q: Why do some props not work?

  • A: Selecting some props from the Place Tool gives an error, but it should not cause a crash. Some props are simply not working right now. Avoid them until this issue is fixed.


Q: Can I change the map size?

  • A: The simple answer is no. The current map size is fixed. What you can do, however, is make your map smaller by using the Gameplay Tool to 'block' off areas of the map. Using water is another way to "shrink" your map. do_Island is a good example of using water to get a smaller map. Half the map is water making your terrain half the size of maps like Highway.


Q: How do I name a Command Point?

  • A: To name a command point, simply click on the command point control node (the yellow/green circle icon) and under the Object Editor Box (Properties tab), enter the name you want under the "Name" box.


Q: How do I create a loading screen image?


Q: How do I add music to the loading screen?



Crashes/Errors


Q: WiCEd crashes all the time!

  • A: There could be many reasons for this.
    • First, remember that WiCEd is technically a developer's tool, therefore, it is not bug-tested or supported like commercial software.
    • Secondly, remember that WiCEd was developed on Windows XP.
    • For Vista users, try searching for information on how to run Windows XP software in compatibility mode, or other solutions.
    • Make sure that you have installed everything, according to the guide here: http://www.massgate.net/read.php?39454,189542
    • WiCEd is a very demanding program. You should have well over the requirements to run the game (IE, 2GB of DDR2 RAM, 512mb modern graphics card, dual-core CPU)
    • Make sure that you are under an Administrative user account, and that WiCEd has full read/write access to the Program Files folder, as well as the Modkit folder, the game directory, and My Documents.
    • Try upgrading your graphics drivers, and increasing your virtual memory.
    • You need to have at least 5GB of free space on your hard drive, 15GB or more would be even better.
    • If WiCEd is crashing after you exit, this should not be a serious problem. Simply be sure to save your map before you attempt to close the program.
    • If WiCEd is crashing when you are compiling or working, be sure that no props are going below your map's terrain.
    • Save often and have multiple, sequential backups of your map, just in case the editor crashes at a critical moment and something is not repairable.


Q: My map compiles fine, but when I go to play it, it crashes, why?

  • A: This error could be caused by many things. Try:
    • Saving your map under a new name (File > Save As) and recompiling it
    • Check that no props are sinking below the terrain
    • Remove excessive props (or all props) from the surround mesh


Q: Why is the map maker so buggy/difficult to use?

  • A: The simple answer is because WiC's engine is extremely powerful, which in the end, makes for much more unique and graphically interesting maps. On the other hand, it does mean that WiCEd has a difficult learning curve. The tool is buggy because it is an unsupported developer's tool.



Texturing


Q: Why is my map's terrain black?


Q: What are texture masks, and how do they work?

  • A: Texture masks are black and white TGA images that control what parts of your map are "painted" with a certain kind of texture. Textures are tiled across the white areas you paint on your mask, and in layers according to how you have them set up. Each texture tiles 1x across each render grid, while the detail textures that are applied on top of your textures tile much smaller (I'd say 25x - 35x more than your base texture image for each layer). Keep in mind that the "Texture" layer of your texture only provides the base color, while the actual realistic texturing comes from your black and white "Detail Texture" layer, and your "Normal Map" texture.

Full Tutorials:


Q: What size should my texture masks be?

  • A: No matter what, your mask has to be a power of two, ie: 64x64, 128x128, 512x512, 1024x1024, etc, up to 8192x8192(pixels). The higher the resolution, the better looking your mask will be. The full sized 8192x8192 is the best size to use, as it will completely cover your map, allowing you to paint fine details. Smaller images will work, but they will be stretched to cover your map, and will produce blurry results.


Q: I don't understand how textures/detail textures/splatting textures work?

  • A: In WiC, your primary texture is actually the "Detail" texture. That is where the realistic looking terrain and details come from. The "regular" texture channel of a texture layer is really only for color, which the detail texture is then painted on top of (in the Luminosity channel, for those of you into 3D work in general). If you look through some of the default textures that come with WiCEd, many of them are quite blurry. This doesn't matter, as WiCEd only uses them for color information for the detail texture that goes along with it, on top of it.
  • The difference between a splatting texture and a "regular texture" (ignoring detail textures entirely for now) is simply that a "regular" texture is much smaller, while a splatting texture covers the entire map. "Regular" textures are tiled (repeated in a uniform pattern) over and over again in order to cover the entire map.
  • The advantage of a splatting texture over "regular" textures that are tiled across the entire map is that with a splatting texture, you can paint details for certain areas that will not be tiled across the entire map, like a "regular" texture would.
  • I hope this explanation is helpful, despite the confusing terms.
  • To sum it up:
    • "regular" texture = Color information used as a base for detail texture - don't try and paint fine details onto this layer as they will come out burry. "Regular" textures are tiled over the entire map according to the associated mask.
    • detail texture = Black and white texture applied to a "regular" texture or on top of a full splatting texture that adds in fine details. Detail textures are tiled over the entire map (at a smaller scale than "regular" textures) according to the associated mask.
    • splatting texture = large, full map sized version of a "regular" texture that you can paint fine details onto that will not be tiled over the entire map, as it fills the entire map without any repeating. As such, it does not need a mask. Any number of detail textures can be added on top of the splatting texture, using new layers.


Q: How can I add areas like parking lots/dirt roads/fine details to my map?


Q: How can I create textures that don't look boring and repetitive?

  • A: Let me share a little trick with you. For each "main/base" texture that I use over a large area (say, a large, grassy field), I use multiple texture layers with fractal masks to create variances in my texture. I take my base texture into Photoshop, manipulate it's color slightly, and re-import it as a new layer on top of the base. This slight color difference, when combined with other layers, can really help to realistically break up your terrain. Using slightly different detail textures (I would suggest the high-end only slots if you have some to spare) can help a lot as well. Here's an example of my texture layout for do_Paradise (before my splatting texture), in order from bottom to top, as in WiCEd:
    • 11. Cliffs (cliff/rock detail texture, mask applies it only to impassable, steep slopes)
    • 10. Gravel (painted mask, so it only goes where I want it)
    • 9. Dirt (dirt detail texture, painted mask, I used this layer to paint the base for my dirt roads, as well as some random dirt spots around the map)
    • 8. Beach sand (painted mask, so it only goes where I want it)
    • 7. Rocky grass/shallow cliffs (grass and rock mix detail texture, mask applies it to shallow slopes that are steep, but where units may still be able to pass)
    • 6. Random dirt spots (dirt detail texture, fractal mask, randomly applied to everything that's not cliff, water, or beach)
    • 5. Sandy spots (sand detail texture, fractal mask, randomly applied [in small amounts] to everything that's not cliff, water, or beach
    • 4. Jungle grass (large grass/plant detail texture, fractal mask, randomly applied to everything that's not cliff, water, or beach)
    • 3. Darker/brownish grass texture (fractal mask, randomly applied to everything that's not cliff, water, or beach)
    • 2. Lighter grass texture (fractal mask, randomly applied to everything that's not cliff, water, or beach)
    • 1. Base grass texture (Dark green, covers everything that's not cliff, water, or beach)
  • Note that I wrote that from memory, so I may have missed one or two layers. I also left out my underwater textures, which are set up to only apply to areas below the water level on my map.
  • It takes a lot of tweaking and rendering, but that setup provided me with a very detailed and varied base texture to then bring into Photoshop to create my splatting texture. From there, I could paint the final fine details across my map.


Q: Why is the area outside of my map red?


Q: Where do I save custom textures and masks?

  • A: Anywhere under your WiC ModKit directory will work.
IE:
C:\Program Files\Sierra Entertainment\World in Conflict ModKit\YOURMAPNAME\Detail Textures
I use a folder called "0WIPS" because the "0" makes it go to the top of the folder list in WiCEd, so I don't have to scroll down.
From there, I have a folder for each map, IE:
Modkit/0WIPS/Paradise
Modkit/0WIPS/Virginia
And from there, I have subfolders to keep things organized, which is extremely important. IE:
Modkit/0WIPS/Virginia/Masks/DirtMask.tga


Q: Some trees are black and receive no light.

  • A: Trees that are blocked by cliffs, large buildings, and other larges trees will not receive much light. Edit your map's lighting settings for Trees to change this.


Q: How do I add/control MassGrass on my map?

  • A: The best way to control where you apply Mass Grass to your map is to have a layer with only Mass Grass (i.e. no detail textures, colour textures etc) at the top of the layer stack. It’s best to have this layer at the top because you want to avoid having it overridden by the attributes from any other layer.
  • Export a raytraced top down mask (File>Export>Top Down Mask) and use it as a guide for painting a texture mask for your mass grass. Import the mask you painted into your mass grass layer and then render all texture tiles in the map with only the “materials” box checked.
  • Note: Mass grass attributes will only be updated if you render all your ground texture tiles at once – the fastest way to do this is to set the render quality to the lowest possible because you will not be rendering the actual textures or the lighting. If you only render a few tiles the mass grass will not change to fit your new mask.



Pathfinding/Drop Zone Errors


Q: How do I change my map's drop zones?

  • A: You can paint/edit your own drop zones by editing the drop zone mask TGA images for your map, using Photoshop or GIMP. Make sure that you do not attempt to edit your deployment masks with your map open, as this may cause saving problems. Open your map's current drop zones masks, which are inside of your map's folder, in a subfolder (IE, Modkit/maps/YOURMAPNAME/MASKSFOLDER/).
  • Remember that it is the alpha channel of the image that determines where you can drop units, the RGB channel is what creates the visual representation of the deployment zones in the games Mega Map.
  • Simply put, the alpha channel is the real deployment area mask and the RGB channel should look exactly the same as the alpha so that it accurately represents where you can deploy units.
  • Once you have edited your masks, load your map, and load the masks in "Advanced Gameplay Settings".


Q: My units won't move to parts of the map, even though I have added bridges.

  • A: You have to have it connected with a small section of passable land, and not just bridges. Sections of your map cannot be completely isolated, with only a bridge connecting them.


Q: My units won't drop.

  • A: Make sure that the drop zone is not in a "bowl", it needs somehow to be connected to the outside landscape mesh. All playable parts of your map, including drop zones, needs to be connected.



Water


Q: How do I create a ford/crossable body of water?

  • A: Simply make sure that the ground is only slightly below the waterline. Also, make sure and place some sort of visual cue, such as riverbed rocks, so that people know that there's a ford there. It would also be a good ideas to texture a path, or trail leading in and out of the ford, to show players they can cross there.


Q: The water on my map has disappeared, what happened?

  • A: There are a couple of ways water can disappear.
    • Check that water is ticked in View->Water
    • If the water "final mesh" is selected (as opposed to gizmo) in View->Water Mesh, you may have to rebuild the water mesh under the water tab in environment settings.
    • Try selecting "Gizmo" under View->Water Mesh


Q: Why is the water on my map red?

  • A: You haven't exported your map's cubemap yet. Simply go to:
WiCEd, File > Export > Cubemap 
  • Save your map
  • Follow up question: What does this do?

High graphic levels in WiC use true reflection and refraction, so you see your map reflected on your water in real time. Lower graphic levels don't, however. Instead, WiCEd takes six screenshots of your map, in all directions (in the shape of a cube, hence the term "cubemap"), and ingame, those six screenshots are used to "fake" a reflection on your water. Currently, WiCEd does not create your cubemap automatically, it's a bug.



Road Tool


Q: After placing a roadway, it glitches and the terrain comes on top of it in some places, why?

  • A: This will happen until you Lock each section of your road. This system works like this so that you can make changes to your road and the terrain around it. Once you are 100% sure that the road is exactly how you want it to look in the final version of your map, Lock your road, the road will be locked to your map's heightmap, and the glitch will stop.


Q: How can I place roads on to the surround mesh?

  • A: You can get your roads onto your surround mesh by using a nifty trick. Lay a long section of road inside of your map's borders, and then simply drag each vertex for the road off into the surround mesh. Keep moving them around until it looks how you want it to.


Q: Why is there grass on my road?

  • A: The MassGrass is controlled by your texture layers. To update the grass after placing a new road, simple re-render the tiles where the road is.



Custom Voices


Q: My map is defaulting to US announcement voices for both sides, why?

  • A: Quote from Gozeus:
    • I found how to make the USSR team have a USSR announcer guy. Turns out both teams (US & USSR) were set to the default set which happens to be US. To change this I went to the very bottom of "YOURMAPNAME.juice" and found the last two lines which read:
myFaction1HQFile <empty>
myFaction2HQFile <empty>
    • Changing them to this:
myFaction1HQFile sound/generalfeedback_us.ice
myFaction2HQFile sound/generalfeedback_ru.ice
    • ...fixed the problem :)


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