Epic GTA2 Map Editor (0.6.6602) Beta

[T.M.]

I'm not 100% sure but think scipted lights were not mentioned yet:

LIGHT name

LIGHT name = ( float X , float Y , float Z ) radius intensity ( red value , green value , blue value )
on_delay off_delay random_value

name = CREATE_LIGHT ( float X , float Y , float Z ) radius intensity ( red , green , blue )
on_delay off_delay random_value

CHANGE_INTENSITY ( lightname , new intensity )
CHANGE_COLOUR ( lightname , new red , new green , new blue )
CHANGE_RADIUS ( lightname , new radius )

Good catch! Although i cannot render the lights properly yet, i could render those with transparent sphere or something?

[Cuban-Pete]

Aah, something like this perhaps?

Of course I will put them in bmp and all.

circle.png (15.96 KiB) Viewed 27476 times

[elypter]

I'm not 100% sure but think scipted lights were not mentioned yet:

LIGHT name

LIGHT name = ( float X , float Y , float Z ) radius intensity ( red value , green value , blue value )
on_delay off_delay random_value

name = CREATE_LIGHT ( float X , float Y , float Z ) radius intensity ( red , green , blue )
on_delay off_delay random_value

CHANGE_INTENSITY ( lightname , new intensity )
CHANGE_COLOUR ( lightname , new red , new green , new blue )
CHANGE_RADIUS ( lightname , new radius )

Good catch! Although i cannot render the lights properly yet, i could render those with transparent sphere or something?

In day mode i suggest using a symbol(bulp or circle with rays) like with the other objects. when not editing lighting it should not distract too much. but a transparent sphere which shows the light radius would be good for mouse over. And i think scripted lights and lights in the map should have a different symbol.

[T.M.]

Aah, something like this perhaps?

Of course I will put them in bmp and all.

circle.png

Hmm... The crusher/conveyor icon should be different color (like i had yellow and white). Also the player icon looks like Exit sign, which doesnt fit here.

Dont use the sound icon style, its meant to be unique, so it is easily distinguished from all other icons.

The icon styles should be themed, i mean, sound icons should look same theme, and etc. Like now all the GTA2 collectibles looks same themed, you get the idea?

Concentrate more on the icon symbol, than the graphics. How should the symbol look to be most logical looking on that object etc. Then you can try different graphics on it etc. Although, i like the symbols i made already, just needs a little more tweaking and graphical fancyness .

In day mode i suggest using a symbol(bulp or circle with rays) like with the other objects. when not editing lighting it should not distract too much. but a transparent sphere which shows the light radius would be good for mouse over. And i think scripted lights and lights in the map should have a different symbol.

Hmm, yeah good idea, i will make it show the real radius when mouse over.

Edit: umm, apparently theres only 1 map that uses LIGHT or CREATE_LIGHT commands Oh well, i will add support to it anyways...

[Cuban-Pete]

Okay, how about this?

You can colour them yourself in the map editor, right? So you can make drop icon yellow or whatever colour you like.

[T.M.]

Yeah thats better, which one to use for the crane powerup scanner? It should be square or symmetric on all sides

[Pyro]

The icon graphics look pretty cool, but from a glance you can't really tell what they are for until you mouse over them in the editor

Yes, I know you mentioned what some of they did a few pages back but from the icons above the only ones that make any sense is the second across from the left or second from right, which I'm assuming one of them is a crusher (although you can see the crusher anyway with your viewer). In fact, on first glance, this is what I immediately think of from left to right (according to the pictures above):

• Some kind of explosion.
• A crusher.
• No entry/blocked access to something.
• A target.
• Another no entry/blocker. Guessing it's a tunnel blocker for trains.
• Another crusher icon.
• I have no idea what the box with a circle in it would be.

As I said above, this is just what I think they do without mousing over them (although logically you'd get an idea from what they are next to or placed on). Hopefully some more logical icons can be created and give a better idea what they would do.

[T.M.]

As I said above, this is just what I think they do without mousing over them (although logically you'd get an idea from what they are next to or placed on). Hopefully some more logical icons can be created and give a better idea what they would do.

Yes, you may help us?

[Pyro]

Yes, you may help us?

Since you'd rather use symmetrical icons than using icons that actually showed something intelligent it will be difficult. I can't see anything wrong with using an icon of a car with bars either side (as Cuban Pete showed - not necessarily that exact icon) as a crusher, or a picture of a train/car with a cross through it for a tunnel blocker etc.

I'm a map editor and scripter, not a graphics designer! I can throw ideas for icons but I can't draw them for you. A picture of a car with something else, for example, will be much better than some strange square/circle/whatever. Heck for a car scanner you could have half a car with a line of some sorts in the middle and the other half a weapon or bonus icon. Anything would be good. I imagine 99% of the time a person scripting will be in top down view anyway (I do anyway), and even then if the camera is rotated it won't be difficult to see what it is.

[T.M.]

I can't see anything wrong with using an icon of a car with bars either side (as Cuban Pete showed - not necessarily that exact icon) as a crusher, or a picture of a train/car with a cross through it for a tunnel blocker etc.

Well, as i said before the first drop location isnt necessary going to crush the car, so i cant use an icon that looks like: "no matter where you drop it: car will crush". And the tunnel blocker doesnt work with car icon, because peds cant go through them either... again it would add too much complexity. Also it must explain that the tunnel blocker is bugged! as i made it already: it points like "->|" and fades out from the behind which means you can jump through it...

I'm a map editor and scripter, not a graphics designer!

Yeah, i know, but for me its worse: I am none of those three

I can throw ideas for icons but I can't draw them for you.

Well, as you said before, you could rip off images from web, (just like i have done for some of my icons )

A picture of a car with something else, for example, will be much better than some strange square/circle/whatever.

It will be better only for the first time you see it, a text could serve the same purpose, but when you get used to the editor, you want to see every different object as distinct from each other as possible. For example; I dont want to put everything same color because then i need to compare the shapes, and thats way slower than just looking at really different colors! And the objects must be simplified symbols for same reasons: if there is many symbols on the screen, and they all have all kind of different details in them, you cant clearly see which symbol is which object... Again it takes longer time to catch the correct symbol with your eyes.

Heck for a car scanner you could have half a car with a line of some sorts in the middle and the other half a weapon or bonus icon. Anything would be good.

Now we are going somewhere! Good idea. Now where is the Cuban-Pete...

[Cuban-Pete]

Heck for a car scanner you could have half a car with a line of some sorts in the middle and the other half a weapon or bonus icon. Anything would be good.

Now we are going somewhere! Good idea. Now where is the Cuban-Pete...

Car-scanner.

car-scanner.png (1.99 KiB) Viewed 27435 times

I'll just keep making icon's until it's good.

edit:

car-scanner2.png (1.57 KiB) Viewed 27435 times

[T.M.]

The car and the bonus should be different colors there, and dont use weapon icon at other side, looks like its part of the car

Also make them both top-down view.

[Cuban-Pete]

Different color...?

Uh, I don't like it...

[T.M.]

What about not using the weapon bonuses? And dont use red color.

Edit: uh... maybe we should just use this:

[Cuban-Pete]

Than just use text and name it "car scanner" or sumthing.

But don't let the icon(s) (making) distract you from coding.

[elypter]

apropos coding:
I was making a test map (based on tiny tiny town) that includes every car(the code you posted earlier) object, sound and slope + demonstration of some wired mechanics of gta maps.

I noticed that there are some objects that cause crashes or error messages.:

//OBJ_DATA CROSS1 = ( 120.5 , 88.5 , 2.0 ) 0 CROSS
//OBJ_DATA GRAVE1 = ( 120.5 , 89.5 , 2.0 ) 0 GRAVE

//OBJ_DATA RED_PHONE = ( 129.5 , 106.5 , 2.0 ) 0 RED_PHONE
//OBJ_DATA RED_PHONE_RINGING = ( 129.5 , 107.5 , 2.0 ) 0 RED_PHONE_RINGING
//OBJ_DATA YELLOW_PHONE = ( 129.5 , 108.5 , 2.0 ) 0 YELLOW_PHONE
//OBJ_DATA YELLOW_PHONE_RINGING = ( 129.5 , 109.5 , 2.0 ) 0 YELLOW_PHONE_RINGING
//OBJ_DATA GREEN_PHONE = ( 132.5 , 80.5 , 2.0 ) 0 GREEN_PHONE
//OBJ_DATA GREEN_PHONE_RINGING = ( 132.5 , 81.5 , 2.0 ) 0 GREEN_PHONE_RINGING

//OBJ_DATA EXPLODE_MEDIUM = ( 126.5 , 102.5 , 2.0 ) 0 EXPLODE_MEDIUM

The phones only cause an error message when they are not inside a gang zone

[T.M.]

Yeah, i know some objects cause crash, my editor doesnt support those objects, thus you cant make those errors either: the editor wont display those objects.

I didnt know about the phone error, thanks!

Edit: Only those yellow_phone etc cause error? since my object test map doesnt have gang zone, but it has phone/phone_ringing objects and works fine.

[elypter]

the blue one works
its "neutral"

[T.M.]

Added support for the upcoming MMP file variables "MapArea" and "PlayArea"

MapArea (and PlayArea) takes "x1 y1 x2 y2" values determining the rectangle where your map stands on the 256x256 area. It will tell the editor to repeat the edges of the map, just like it does on the 256x256 size map in GTA2 by default, but this is done to any size map now, so you dont need to repeat the edges on your own!

Later I will add this MapArea information directly in the GMP file as well, so it doesnt require MMP file.

PlayArea is used to save the screenshot information, this can be useful if you use one map area for multiple different maps, and you want to save screenshot only from that area where each of the maps are played on. For example, this PlayArea information could be used to show only a specific rectangle of the minimap next to the dowload link (so you could actually see the actual map this way, instead of tiny image of the minimap...)

Here is how MapArea affects:


Which then becomes:


(i had to edit the bootcamp map edges a bit to make it look good)

So as you see, after you save the map in my editor, the map would look like the GTA2 is repeating the edges, but its actually my editor trick

[Pyro]

I like the idea but it makes the map look very strange. Liked having it with the infinite water on but now having the buildings etc stretched is too weird. Small maps (like mine as you've shown in your screeny) are gonna look weird!

So as you see, after you save the map in my editor, the map would look like the GTA2 is repeating the edges, but its actually my editor trick

I'm hoping it is just a visual thing (like infinite water) rather than actually adding physical blocks to the edges? Also hopefully it is an optional option to pick on/off?