Map Making Steps

[Mad Russian]

I only do the primary road net. The secondary and town areas do not get created with the main road net. I am looking for roads wide enough for tanks to move down.

The small secondary road did not get placed as part of the road net. Marked with the black arrow.

Good Hunting.

MR

[Mad Russian]

Where it makes no difference to the road net I smooth it out.

Like this corner that is barely in another hex.

Good Hunting.

MR

[Mad Russian]

I put the road together in any fashion that works.

Especially for an especially twisty section of road.

Good Hunting.

MR

[Mad Russian]

I just need to end up with something close to the actual road net that the AI can use easily.

Good Hunting.

MR

[Dagfinn]

ORIGINAL: Capn Darwin

@Koesj - Yes, As long as you have a map with the proper scaled size and hex locations (where the hexes line up), you can bring that image into the game's Map Values Editor and add the necessary sets of map values needed by the game. Once you have the correct hex grid overlay set to the proper size and scale you can go crazy making map images. More details will of the process will be in the game documents and we can talk a bit more about it on the forums. [8D]

Im a bit confused [&:]

What you say makes sense, but I dont understand what MD does then. I looks to me like he uses HexDraw to much more than create a image file?

And I dont understand what you mean with "hex location?" Must you use HexDrwa or another "paint" program to ad a hexgrid???

[Dagfinn]

I realize that Red Storm is suppose to depict Germany, but:
Is it possible to make maps with more restricted terrain?

Norwegian for instance, with narrow valleys with impassable valleysides? And how many height levels can you have? Is there a given hight to each hight level?

[cbelva]

You don't have to add a "hexgrid". The game uses hexes and many people like to see the hexes. You can take just about any map, size it to fit the scale of the game and use it. Hexegrids are useful when you are making a map to ensure that you are getting the terrain placed correctly and that terrain that is laid along the hexline is placed properly.

To standardize the official maps to be released with the game, a set of graphic textures were created to be use to build the maps. They use the program Hexdraw to place the graphics on the map. Once that is done, you load the map made in hexdraw into the game's map editor to place the values that the game uses to read the maps. (I hope this is plain). The graphics used to create the game will be released with the game so others can build the same type of maps if they so desire.

However, you can create your own graphics and make your own maps. I will not be surprise if some enterprising moddler creates a set of graphics that is far better than is in the game now. There are some really talented people out there.

Note--you don not need Hexdraw to create a map for the game. It is a third party program that was selected by the team to create the maps based on our graphics. You can scan a map, size it in a paint program to match the requirements of the game and use it.

BTW, the first map I played on when I became a beta tester was a screen shot taken from Google Earth that had been correctly sized for the game's scale. It worked but it was hard to read the terrain (esp the elevation).

[CapnDarwin]

Dagfinn,
Hex location. I mean the actual physical location of the hexes on the map with respect to the image. Having the upper left corner hex in the correct spot is critical if you want the game to match up.

Elevations have been abstracted to some degree and right now we have 5 elevations. I will look up the height we are using per elevation and let you know. As for more restricted terrain like cliffs or steep grades, we currently do not have that modeled. It is something we need to add and it will be a topic of discussion this weekend. I would like to add it in to cover the type of areas you are talking about.

[Mad Russian]

At this point I have the elevations, streams and roads on the map.

Here is what it looks like at this stage of development.

Good Hunting.

MR

[Mad Russian]

Here are the towns and cities with black names.

Good Hunting.

MR

[Mad Russian]

Here are the towns and cities with white names. I use white names because, for me they stand out better. Be sure to have your text setting selected for Top-Text.




Initially, I put all the names on the map in black because in HexDraw if you work in white you can't see the letters in the text box. So, I create them in black then change them after I'm done.

Good Hunting.

MR

[Mad Russian]

Here is where to select the Top-Text option.

Good Hunting.

MR

[Mad Russian]

Next to the last step is forest. Depending on the amount of road net and how extensive the forest is could mean you spend quite a bit of time adding forest. At least it does for me because I sculpt my forest around roads, water obstacles and elevations.

Here is the Google Earth shot of the area with the dark green showing up as forest.

Good Hunting.

MR

[Mad Russian]

Here is my template view that I will be working off of in HexDraw.

I also have GE open to check the locations to get them as close as I can. The darker green areas are the forest. I can change the level of transparency to make sure that I get the forest in the right locations. This view is the closest to showing both the template and the actual map for displaying here in this tutorial.

Good Hunting.

MR

[Mad Russian]

My method for adding forest is to use an outline and then paint by number.

I go to the most transparency that I can find that shows me the most forest information and add a woods graphic over the area I want to fill in with forest.

Good Hunting.

MR

[Mad Russian]

Then I go to the view of least transparency to see what map features need to be sculpted with the forest.

Good Hunting.

MR

[Mad Russian]

Then I create the outline of the major portion of the woods plus the fringe parts I'll add to the main area.

Good Hunting.

MR

[Mad Russian]

This is what the sculpted result looks like.



I use that exact same method for every area on the map until I have all the forested areas added.

Good Hunting.

MR

[Mad Russian]

Here is what some of the woods sculpting looks like for one area of the map.

Good Hunting.

MR

[CapnDarwin]

Great info from Mad Russian!! [&o][&o][&o]