My map problems

Ask questions related to the tools or files used to create modifications for Giants. Examples include map making, gmm, and installing skins.

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[PL] Przemek
Yan the Pimp
Posts: 108
Joined: Fri Mar 20, 2009 11:53 am
Location: Poland

My map problems

Post by [PL] Przemek »

Hey,

I have a some problems with my map:

1. No dactyls or vimps working. I have everything done correctly and I'm sure of that! In other map with dactyls done by the same method (by me) them is working... Except that why in various "scenarios" etc. some objects which work in other scenario didn't working in my one...
2. How to add weather effects to my map? I was trying and does everything good but it's didn't work...
3. Is it possible to make my terrain randomly undulating?
4. How to change textures of objects?
DarkFalcoZ
Reg the Smooth Operator
Posts: 409
Joined: Tue Nov 15, 2005 12:53 am

Post by DarkFalcoZ »

1. As far as I know, you cannot customize any scenerios for your maps because GE was never coded to handle that properly. Also, guides have been made for adding birds and vimp herds that cover the topics well, so make sure you've followed them first.
Vimp Guide
Bird Guide

2. Tasiin has said something like this before so I'll post what he wrote:
You can already do it with the 1.497 beta patch. Here's what you need to do:

1. Open the map's .gck file (in the Worlds folder) with an archiving utility like WinRAR or just temporarily rename it to a .zip file and open it.

2. Extract and open the .gmm file with a text editor (usually named default.gmm).

3. Add the following to the bottom of the file:

[World]
weather=weather_name

weather_name can be one of the following:

fx_day_to_night
fx_overcast
fx_light_showers
fx_light_showers_R1
fx_light_showers_wind
fx_medium_lightning
fx_medium_showers
fx_dark_heavy_rain
fx_dark_heavy_rain_wind
fx_light_snow
fx_light_snow_R2
fx_medium_snow
fx_heavy_snow

4. Save the changes to the .gmm and add it back into the archive, overwriting the old one.

Keep in mind that you may have to adjust the default fog colors on your map for it to actually look good, as these effects will change the colors themselves when they're in use.
You can take a look at Mecc v. Mecc - Precipice.gck if you need an example, as that map uses the fx_day_to_night effect.
3. What exactly do you mean by randomly undulating? There is no macro in GE that can make special terrain changes for you except for fixing open edges, smoothing them, and adding borders.

If you're talking about making undulating hills across the map, I would suggest that you make the starting height nice and high in the 500-700 value range. Then use the terrain tool to increase the height uniformly in some areas and decrease it in others.

4. If you're talking about adding custom textures to your map, follow this tutorial to learn how to apply custom skins in your GMM map. However, on step 6 I recommend that you place the skins and the new default.gmm file into a subfolder in the map file instead of just putting everything in one directory.

This will avoid your skins from being unrecoverable and enable you to edit the map again without getting many errors on giants edit startup.
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[PL] Przemek
Yan the Pimp
Posts: 108
Joined: Fri Mar 20, 2009 11:53 am
Location: Poland

Post by [PL] Przemek »

1. I've followed this guides before I've make my post and it's don't working.
EDIT: Vimps and birds working, thx :).
2. As in first point. I saw his post but it's don't working too.
3.
DarkFalcoZ wrote:If you're talking about making undulating hills across the map (...)
Yes, I'm talking about that but automatically :wink:. Thank you for suggest.
4. Ever when I make changes in my .gck file then my map is irreversible destroyed, but I will try (and for sure will make backup of my map :wink:).

Now I only need help with weather, and textures (this tutorial is condemned because nowhere is told how to attribute image to the object).

Thank you DarkFalcoZ for reply :wink:.
DarkFalcoZ
Reg the Smooth Operator
Posts: 409
Joined: Tue Nov 15, 2005 12:53 am

Post by DarkFalcoZ »

If you can't see any wheather (assuming you waited in game for about 3-4 minutes) and you followed Tasiin's post, check to see if you're running the directx 8 renderer in the options menu. If it's on directx 7, then you can't see wheather effects no matter what you do.

Putting textures in the map's zip folder still works, but if you happen to accidentally save using GE while the skins are still in, you're map will become unrecoverable. I had an easy method to prevent that, but it no longer works in 1.497 beta.

I know of only one other way to edit your map after you put skins in it. Every time you want to edit your map, you must remove the skins from the map before saving any terrain changes.

When you're done editing, put the skins back in. It's tedious, but at least you get to keep the map.
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[PL] Przemek
Yan the Pimp
Posts: 108
Joined: Fri Mar 20, 2009 11:53 am
Location: Poland

Post by [PL] Przemek »

DarkFalcoZ wrote:Putting textures in the map's zip folder still works, but if you happen to accidentally save using GE while the skins are still in, you're map will become unrecoverable. I had an easy method to prevent that, but it no longer works in 1.497 beta.

I know of only one other way to edit your map after you put skins in it. Every time you want to edit your map, you must remove the skins from the map before saving any terrain changes.

When you're done editing, put the skins back in. It's tedious, but at least you get to keep the map.
Okay, I think I resigned already from textures...
DarkFalcoZ wrote:If you can't see any wheather (assuming you waited in game for about 3-4 minutes) and you followed Tasiin's post, check to see if you're running the directx 8 renderer in the options menu. If it's on directx 7, then you can't see wheather effects no matter what you do.
No, at other maps weather is working for me, it's fine with my Giants, it is problem of my map.
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