BZW Index

Index of BZW maps, tools, utilities and more.

Map Editors

Map editors are programs that are specifically written to create and edit BZW map files.

There's several different versions of map editors which currently exist. Some are standalone programs while others are based on plug-ins and/or scripts and mostly are designed to convert files into the BZW format.

Below is a basic general comparison of several map editors.

Map editor	Operating system	Supports 2.0 world objects	Type of program
BZEdit	Linux	No	Standalone
BZEditWin32	Windows	No	Standalone
BZFed	Linux	No	Standalone
BZWTools	Cross-platform	Yes	Plug-in
DI-Machine	Cross-platform	Yes	Script to convert .obj file into a drawInfo-specific .bzw file
IBZEdit	Mac OS	Some objects are supported	Standalone
Modeltool	Cross-platform	Yes	Tool to convert wavefront.obj files to .bzw mesh
PyBZEdit	Cross-platform	Yes	Standalone
Wings3D	Cross-plaform	Yes	Standalone

Tools and Utilities:

Tool/Utility name	Description
bzflag-rendering.php	Generating map thumbnails in PHP
Bmp2Bzw	Converts .bmp files into maps.
bzmapper v2.0	1.x Multi-tool map generator
BZReader	Texture grabber and organizer for images.bzflag.org
BZFlag MapU - Box to Mesh	Builds a mesh based on specifications for a box. (Some errors may be present.)
Pyramid to Mesh	Builds a mesh according to specifications for a pyramid.
DI-machine	Converts .obj files into pure drawInfo. (Requires PHP.)
Py-Machine	Python port of DI-Machine
applescript Material Generator	AppleScript program for bzw materials generation.
pyconvert	Converts old style (1.0) maps into textured mesh maps.
Anim8or to BZW Converter	Tool to convert cubes in animator to .bzw boxes, pyramids or teleporters.
Anim8orToBZW	Port of the original tool to Python
random generator	Tool for helping generate random symmetric maps with the "group" object.
bzwmoviemaker	Script for making billboard animations in BZFlag
FixOldTeles	Fixes broken teleport links from BZEdit
GrassTuftGenerator	Creates 3D grass tufts for a map
BZWTools	Plug-in for viewing and editing bzw maps in Blender. (Does not work with current version of Blender.)
UnityBZFlagBoxExport	Supports the creation and positioning of boxes in 3D view. (Nearly a map editor.)
Modeltool	Current go to tool for converting .obj files to bzw mesh maps.
remove map file comments	C++ app
"Maze" generator	In C and in Python
Map generator script	In Python
BZEdit Replacement Textures	Better textures for BZEdit
Autogeneration of bzw world	In GNU Emacs
MAP converter	In Qbasic
Write text with bullets	In Qbasic
A text to map converter	In Qbasic
A text to map converter /!\ OLD version	In Qbasic
Random Map Generator	Lots of versions of random map generators

Map Objects

Map Object	Description
Arc	Arc is an object that defines an arc or cylinder in a map.
Base	Base is an object which is similar to a box, but defines properties of it being a base for capture the flag style game play modes.
Box	Box is an object which defines a cube structure in a world file.
Color(BZW)	Color is used in a BZFlag world (BZW) as a sub parameter for many parameters, such as materials and dynamic colors.
Cone	Cone object is a BZW object that defines a cone in a BZW world file.
Define	Group Definition, or define, will group a set of objects that can be recalled and duplicated multiple times with the group object.
DrawInfo	DrawInfo allows clients to render the mesh object more efficiently through LODs (Levels of Detail). Drawinfo also allows the ability to create moving objects in a map.
DynamicColor	DynamicColor describes how a color channel will be dynamically updated.
GroundMaterial	GroundMaterial is an option for a Material that allows one to set the ground texture. .
Group	Group allows one to bring together a number of elements and refer to them as a single object.
Include	Include is an option which allows one to specify a second bzw file that will be included in the first bzw.
Link	Link is an object which creates a link (route) between two teleporters.
Linkmaterial	LinkMaterial allows one to set the texture of the teleporter window to anything one would like it to be..
Material	A material is used in a BZFlag world to define a new look for otherwise regular objects, such as meshboxes.
Mesh	Mesh is an object which defines an arbitrary three dimensional shape.
Meshbox	Meshbox is an update to the original Box object and supports features such as physics drivers and textures.
Meshpyr	Meshpyr is an object that constructs a specialized mesh that has the geometric appearance of a Pyramid.
Options (object)	Options object is a BZW map structure that defines various options for a server to use when running a map.
Physics	Physics, or Physics Driver, is an object when applied to another object, will affect a tank touching it in some way.
Pyramid	Pyramid is a BZW map structure that defines a polyhedron having a polygonal base and triangular sides with a common vertex in the world.
Sphere	The sphere is an Object that defines a sphere in a map file.
Teleporter	Teleporter is an object which transports the user to another teleporter in a different part of the world.
Tetra	Tetra is an map object which creates a polygon with four vertices.
TextureMatrix	TextureMatrix, or texmat, when applied to a material object, allows you to define how a texture will appear in a material.
WaterLevel	WaterLevel is an object that defines a plane of water that spans the entire map. WaterLevel is deadly to all tanks that cross it.
Weapon (object)	Weapon object is a BZW map structure that defines a fixed weapon effect.
World (object)	World object is a BZW map structure that defines various options for the map.
Zone	Zone is a rectangular BZW map structure for spawn or flag zones.