3 - Intermediate Generic Level Creation Guide (Max -> LevelEdit-Heightfield -> Ingame)

[moonsense715]

Author: Oblivion165, moonsense715

Skill level: 3

 

 

This tutorial will guide you through the generic steps to make a typical C&C mode map with buildings work.

It does not cover how to model a map in GMax-RenX/3ds Max but does give an insight into Heightfield as an alternate way to shape a map.

 

 

Placing your buildings

 

To get buildings on your map you first need to position them in GMax-RenX or 3ds Max.

 

For that you need to download the buildings.

Renegade Buildings

Reborn Buildings BROKEN LINK

 

Merge them onto your map (File -> Merge, select the buildings, add to scene).

It should look something like this:

 

Now position them where you wish and modify your terrain around them to match their exterior's shapes (almost all of the building interiors have their own floor so make sure you have no terrain under them!)

 

Note: if you wish to make your terrain in LevelEdit's Heightfield, you only need to position your buildings and not create any terrain here.

 

Then Export the file, just like this:

 

Save your File: (in your mod Directory IE C:\Program Files\RenegadePublicTools\LevelEdit\Tutorial_work).

Make sure it is .W3D filetype.

 

Click Renegade Terrain and hit OK

 

 

Adding your buildings in LevelEdit

 

Start Level Edit, and click on the Preset "Terrain" and hit Temp. On the popup window's General tab, name your new preset (e.g. myterrain, mybuildings, etc).

On the Settings tab, click the directory icon next to m_ModelName and select the W3D file you just exported.

Leave m_LightFilename empty and hit OK.

 

Select your new preset and hit Make

 

 

Optional: Add a Heightfield map

 

If you did NOT export a map along with the buildings, you have to create a heightfield level.

Otherwise, skip this part.

 

Switch to the Heightfield tab and click Create New:

Set your dimensions (or keep them as default) and hit OK.

 

Click Material Settings

 

Select a tga format texture file from your mods's Level Edit folder and make the settings similar to this then hit OK:

 

Now your new heightfield terrain should appear under your buildings like so:

 

 

Optional: Working with Heightfield

 

If you haven't created a Heightfield for your level (because you created your map in GMax-RenX/3ds Max), skip this part.

 

 

Creating hills

NOTE: save before making height fields, you can't undo them. Save often, because if a mountain goes into a building, you'll never get it level again.

Pick a spot, anywhere you want a hill:

 

Make sure your setting are like this (Heightfield tab):

 

Click this button to affect the Heightfield:

 

Now click and hold your mouse to create cliffs/mounds. Right-click to decrease the height.

 

 

Adding extra textures

Use this same technique to add other textures to maps (switch Brush Type to Texture Paint).

Make sure you use an empty material box for each texture.

 

 

Tiberium Field

Just add this texture, set it to tiberium field (it will damage people walking into it)

 

 

Making the buildings functional

 

Every building needs its own, unique building controller to function properly.

(Building controllers are under the Preset tab -> Buildings in different "folders", usually named bld_name or mp_name. Click on the appropriate one and hit Make to place it. These are not visible ingame, only in the editor.)

This example will show how to set up the buildings in Renegade but most of them work the same way in other games too.

 

 

Advanced Guard Tower

Put the building controller on top like this:

The Advanced Guard Tower controller is under generic buildings, make sure you use the one called "mp_GDI_Advanced_Guard_Tower" on it.

 

 

Barracks

 

 

Power Plant

 

 

Refinery

Refineries are setup different. Placing the controller alone is not enough. Select the controller and hit CTRL+P to add and position the Car Marker:

 

 

Weapons Factory

The GDI Weapons Factory has a door that blocks you from placing the Car Marker inside.

To move that out of the way, click Edit -> Terrain Selectable (must be ticked)

 

Click on the Weapons Factory door and then Unlock it:

 

Hold CTRL + SHIFT and the up arrow to make it move up, just hold shift and the up arrow to make it go up slower.

 

Select the WarFactory controller, Hit CTRL + P again to make the Car Creator, and place it in the middle of the war factory, make sure its centered on all side so its in the middle.

 

Now make a Vehicle Construction Zone:

 

This makes it so people will die, if they are in this zone while a Vehicle is created (but the vehicle needs it too to drive out from the bay on its own so don't skip placing it!).

 

Strech it out by clicking on the black box in the corner (Shift-drag to stretch it upwards).

 

Put the door back (hit Enter while it's selected to lock it again), and also make the terrain un-selectable, by unchecking it under Edit.

 

Create Waypoints

They are under waypaths, and use the Vehicle Only Waypath,

Hit make and draw three points, hit esc to stop drawing them.

make three paths just like this:

then slide the three nodes a little more under the door, make it close to the car maker.

 

Double click one of the nodes, NOT the whole strand, just one node, and select these options.

 

 

Obelisk

Place the controller to the very top tip of the Obelisk and then double click it. On the Position tab, make the Z coordinate 41 meters smaller so it will appear UNDER the building.

 

 

Airstrip

Make the airstrip look like this, use the same technique as on the gdi side.

Make sure the car maker is facing the way the arrow is.

Also make the top 3 nodes closer to the carmaker than shown in my pic.

 

 

 

Tiberium fields

 

Now you need to place Tiberium Zones:

 

Make one for GDI, and one for Nod.

A tiberium field should be equal distance from each base, or make each base have its own.

 

Make a waypoint from one of the paths coming out of the Weapons Factory and Airstrip. Make the waypath go to the tiberium field. (its only one way, you dont have to draw it there and back, only there).

 

Also give this waypath the same settings as before, by double clicking one of the nodes.

 

Now make a waypath from the Tiberium Refinery to the field. Again, only one way, you dont have to draw it back. And also give this path the same settings as before.

 

 

 

Spawners and PTs

 

TS: Reborn has the PTs and Spawners placed already from the imported w3d building files. So if you are making a Reborn map, you can skip this step.

 

Go into a building, and find a pt. you have to do this for every Pt and Every Spawner, if you are setting up a Renegade map.

 

Find the PT object on the preset list and hit Make:

 

Position it over the PT model:

 

 

Now place some Spawners to where the players will start (next to PTs):

 

Position and rotate them so they face the PT object. This will make players face the PT immediately after they spawn.

Now redo this step for every single PT in the level

 

 

 

Generate Pathfind for AI Harvesters

 

If you don't already have one, place a Human Pathfind Generator somewhere (preferably close to Refinery, you can also place one at both refineries)

 

Now click Pathfinding -> Generate Sectors.

 

This can take a long time depending on the map size, sit back or take a break until it finishes.

 

Thats it, export your map and have fun!