BZFlagWiki - User contributions [en]

Jargon

2009-04-21T17:01:20Z

SpazzyMcGee: /* Acronyms */ No need for 'G' - it's a flag abbreviation, and we can't really list all of those. Team flags will do.

This page hopes to clarify some common jargon, acronyms and slang used by many players in game. They can be useful to know, especially in team situations, as other players will assume that you know what they are talking about.

Many players use map "landmarks," like "mid tower" or "@ R jump," to signify places on the map, so it's a good idea to learn your maps as well as the jargon.

= Acronyms =

<properties>
CTF=[[Capture the Flag]]
FFA=[[Free For All]]
RH=[[Rabbit Hunt]]
KOTH=King of the Hill
R=(Team's) Right
L=(Team's) Left
RF=Red flag
GF=Green flag
BF=Blue flag
PF=Purple flag
HF=Have fun
GJ=Good Job. Often said to the team when a teammate has just captured the opposing team's flag
GL=Good Luck
GS=Good shot. Generally used when a particularly difficult shot kills you
GG=Good game
G1=Good One (shot)
NP=No Problem - mostly used as a response if you're teamkilled
NS=Nice Shot
N1=Nice One (shot)
SRY=Sorry
THX=Thank You
TK=Team Kill, to kill one's own team.
TY=Thank You
WTF?=Something's not quite right..... (Vulgar)
WTH?=Similar to WTF - cleaner version
</properties>

= Jargon =

<properties>
Bots=Non-human-player tanks.
Capping=Capturing the other teams flag, verb ''to cap''.
Ours=Protect your team flag, or used to signify your team's base.
Theirs=Attack the other team's flag, or used to signify the other team's base.
Geno=Genocide Flag, usually when seen it chat by itself it means an opposing team player has the flag so be careful
Pass=Send the flag to the middle, or to a safe zone. See [[Jumping#Dropping_Flags|this article]].
Pyr=Pyramid
Tele=Teleporter
Base=Usually referring to your own base. (ex: st base!)
In=Inside the base (if applicable)
Out=Directly outside the base (if applicable)
Mid=Middle of the map
Jump/Jumper/Launcher=Either a world object that launches a tank in the air, or a tank that has used said world object.
Spamming=Filling the chat box with meaningless text.
Laser Spamming=Uselessly, blindly, rapidly shooting with the laser flag, often resulting in team kills.
Camping=Staying in one place with the same flag for a long time. If you do this you are ''a camper''.
Flag Running=Working against your own team, and taking your flag towards the other team's base. If you do this you are a ''flag runner''.
Flag Shopping=Rapidly picking up and dropping flags, in order to find a particularly powerful or useful one. Also known as ''flag farming''.
Lang=Language, Watch your language. (Please don't respond with the language you speak.)
Watch!=Watch out! or Guard! (ex: Watch ours!)
</properties>

[[Category:Gameplay]]

Jargon

2009-04-20T22:38:54Z

SpazzyMcGee: /* Jargon */

This page hopes to clarify some common jargon, acronyms and slang used by many players in game. They can be useful to know, especially in team situations, as other players will assume that you know what they are talking about.

Many players use map "landmarks," like "mid tower" or "@ R jump," to signify places on the map, so it's a good idea to learn your maps as well as the jargon.

= Acronyms =

<properties>
CTF=[[Capture the Flag]]
FFA=[[Free For All]]
RH=[[Rabbit Hunt]]
KOTH=King of the Hill
R=(Team's) Right
L=(Team's) Left
RF=Red flag
GF=Green flag
BF=Blue flag
PF=Purple flag
G/Geno=Genocide. Often said to warn the whole team that an enemy is advancing with genocide flag
HF=Have fun
GJ=Good Job. Often said to the team when a teammate has just captured the opposing team's flag
GL=Good Luck
GS=Good shot. Generally used when a particularly difficult shot kills you
GG=Good game
G1=Good One (shot)
NP=No Problem - mostly used as a response if you're teamkilled
NS=Nice Shot
N1=Nice One (shot)
SRY=Sorry
THX=Thank You
TK=Team Kill, to kill one's own team.
TY=Thank You
WTF?=Something's not quite right..... (Vulgar)
WTH?=Similar to WTF - cleaner version
</properties>

= Jargon =

<properties>
Bots=Non-human-player tanks.
Capping=Capturing the other teams flag, verb ''to cap''.
Ours=Protect your team flag, or used to signify your team's base.
Theirs=Attack the other team's flag, or used to signify the other team's base.
Geno=Genocide Flag, usually when seen it chat by itself it means an opposing team player has the flag so be careful
Pass=Send the flag to the middle, or to a safe zone. See [[Jumping#Dropping_Flags|this article]].
Pyr=Pyramid
Tele=Teleporter
Base=Usually referring to your own base. (ex: st base!)
In=Inside the base (if applicable)
Out=Directly outside the base (if applicable)
Mid=Middle of the map
Jump/Jumper/Launcher=Either a world object that launches a tank in the air, or a tank that has used said world object.
Spamming=Filling the chat box with meaningless text.
Laser Spamming=Uselessly, blindly, rapidly shooting with the laser flag, often resulting in team kills.
Camping=Staying in one place with the same flag for a long time. If you do this you are ''a camper''.
Flag Running=Working against your own team, and taking your flag towards the other team's base. If you do this you are a ''flag runner''.
Flag Shopping=Rapidly picking up and dropping flags, in order to find a particularly powerful or useful one. Also known as ''flag farming''.
Lang=Language, Watch your language. (Please don't respond with the language you speak.)
Watch!=Watch out! or Guard! (ex: Watch ours!)
</properties>

[[Category:Gameplay]]

Jargon

2009-04-13T16:40:58Z

SpazzyMcGee: /* Acronyms */ Shouldn't include flag acronyms...

This page hopes to clarify some common jargon, acronyms and slang used by many players in game. They can be useful to know, especially in team situations, as other players will assume that you know what they are talking about.

Many players use map "landmarks," like "mid tower" or "@ R jump," to signify places on the map, so it's a good idea to learn your maps as well as the jargon.

= Acronyms =

<properties>
CTF=[[Capture the Flag]]
FFA=[[Free For All]]
RH=[[Rabbit Hunt]]
KOTH=King of the Hill
R=(Team's) Right
L=(Team's) Left
RF=Red flag
GF=Green flag
BF=Blue flag
PF=Purple flag
G/Geno=Genocide. Often said to warn the whole team that an enemy is advancing with genocide flag
HF=Have fun
GJ=Good Job. Often said to the team when a teammate has just captured the opposing team's flag
GL=Good Luck
GS=Good shot. Generally used when a particularly difficult shot kills you
GG=Good game
G1=Good One (shot)
NP=No Problem - mostly used as a response if you're teamkilled
NS=Nice Shot
N1=Nice One (shot)
SRY=Sorry
THX=Thank You
TK=Team Kill, to kill one's own team.
TY=Thank You
WTF?=Something's not quite right..... (Vulgar)
WTH?=Similar to WTF - cleaner version
</properties>

= Jargon =

<properties>
Bots=Non-human-player tanks.
Capping=Capturing the other teams flag, verb ''to cap''.
Ours=Protect your team flag, or used to signify your team's base.
Theirs=Attack the other team's flag, or used to signify the other team's base.
Geno=Genocide Flag, usually when seen it chat by itself it means an opposing team player has the flag so be careful
Pass=Send the flag to the middle, or to a safe zone. See [[Jumping#Dropping_Flags|this article]].
Pyr=Pyramid
Base=Usually referring to your own base. (ex: st base!)
In=Inside the base (if applicable)
Out=Directly outside the base (if applicable)
Mid=Middle of the map
Jump/Jumper/Launcher=Either a world object that launches a tank in the air, or a tank that has used said world object.
Spamming=Filling the chat box with meaningless text.
Laser Spamming=Uselessly, blindly, rapidly shooting with the laser flag, often resulting in team kills.
Camping=Staying in one place with the same flag for a long time. If you do this you are ''a camper''.
Flag Running=Working against your own team, and taking your flag towards the other team's base. If you do this you are a ''flag runner''.
Flag Shopping=Rapidly picking up and dropping flags, in order to find a particularly powerful or useful one. Also known as ''flag farming''.
Lang=Language, Watch your language. (Please don't respond with the language you speak.)
Watch!=Watch out! or Guard! (ex: Watch ours!)
</properties>

[[Category:Gameplay]]

Jargon

2009-04-13T16:38:20Z

SpazzyMcGee: /* Jargon */ Shouldn't include an 'incorrect' term.

This page hopes to clarify some common jargon, acronyms and slang used by many players in game. They can be useful to know, especially in team situations, as other players will assume that you know what they are talking about.

Many players use map "landmarks," like "mid tower" or "@ R jump," to signify places on the map, so it's a good idea to learn your maps as well as the jargon.

= Acronyms =

<properties>
CTF=[[Capture the Flag]]
FFA=[[Free For All]]
RH=[[Rabbit Hunt]]
KOTH=King of the Hill
R=(Team's) Right
L=(Team's) Left
RF=Red flag
GF=Green flag
BF=Blue flag
PF=Purple flag
CL=Cloaking
GM=Guided Missile
G/Geno=Genocide. Often said to warn the whole team that an enemy is advancing with genocide flag
ST=Stealth. Used with outside and side to signify an opponent not on radar.
HF=Have fun
GJ=Good Job. Often said to the team when a teammate has just captured the opposing team's flag
GL=Good Luck
GS=Good shot. Generally used when a particularly difficult shot kills you
GG=Good game
G1=Good One (shot)
NP=No Problem - mostly used as a response if you're teamkilled
NS=Nice Shot
N1=Nice One (shot)
SRY=Sorry
THX=Thank You
TK=Team Kill, to kill one's own team.
TY=Thank You
WTF?=Something's not quite right..... (Vulgar)
WTH?=Similar to WTF - cleaner version
</properties>

= Jargon =

<properties>
Bots=Non-human-player tanks.
Capping=Capturing the other teams flag, verb ''to cap''.
Ours=Protect your team flag, or used to signify your team's base.
Theirs=Attack the other team's flag, or used to signify the other team's base.
Geno=Genocide Flag, usually when seen it chat by itself it means an opposing team player has the flag so be careful
Pass=Send the flag to the middle, or to a safe zone. See [[Jumping#Dropping_Flags|this article]].
Pyr=Pyramid
Base=Usually referring to your own base. (ex: st base!)
In=Inside the base (if applicable)
Out=Directly outside the base (if applicable)
Mid=Middle of the map
Jump/Jumper/Launcher=Either a world object that launches a tank in the air, or a tank that has used said world object.
Spamming=Filling the chat box with meaningless text.
Laser Spamming=Uselessly, blindly, rapidly shooting with the laser flag, often resulting in team kills.
Camping=Staying in one place with the same flag for a long time. If you do this you are ''a camper''.
Flag Running=Working against your own team, and taking your flag towards the other team's base. If you do this you are a ''flag runner''.
Flag Shopping=Rapidly picking up and dropping flags, in order to find a particularly powerful or useful one. Also known as ''flag farming''.
Lang=Language, Watch your language. (Please don't respond with the language you speak.)
Watch!=Watch out! or Guard! (ex: Watch ours!)
</properties>

[[Category:Gameplay]]

Jargon

2009-04-10T10:54:07Z

SpazzyMcGee:

This page hopes to clarify some common jargon, acronyms and slang used by many players in game. They can be useful to know, especially in team situations, as other players will assume that you know what they are talking about.

Many players use map "landmarks," like "mid tower" or "@ R jump," to signify places on the map, so it's a good idea to learn your maps as well as the jargon.

= Acronyms =

<properties>
CTF=[[Capture the Flag]]
FFA=[[Free For All]]
RH=[[Rabbit Hunt]]
GG=Good game
TK=Team Kill, to kill one's own team.
R=(Team's) Right
L=(Team's) Left
RF=Red flag
GF=Green flag
BF=Blue flag
PF=Purple flag
NP=No Problem - mostly used as a response if you're teamkilled
WTF?=Something's not quite right.....
</properties>

= Jargon =

<properties>
Bots=Non-human-player tanks.
Capping=Capturing the other teams flag, verb ''to cap''.
Ours=Protect your team flag, or used to signify your team's base.
Theirs=Attack the other team's flag, or used to signify the other team's base.
Geno=Genocide Flag, usually when seen it chat by itself it means an opposing team player has the flag so be careful
Pass=Send the flag to the middle, or to a safe zone. See [[Jumping#Dropping_Flags|this article]].
Pyr=Pyramid
In=Inside the base (if applicable)
Out=Directly outside the base (if applicable)
Mid=Middle of the map
Jump/Jumper/Launcher=Either a world object that launches a tank in the air, or a tank that has used said world object.
Spamming=Filling the chat box with meaningless text.
Laser Spamming=Uselessly, blindly, rapidly shooting with the laser flag, often resulting in team kills.
Camping=Staying in one place with the same flag for a long time. If you do this you are ''a camper''.
Flag Running=Working against your own team, and taking your flag towards the other team's base. If you do this you are a ''flag runner''.
Flag Shopping=Rapidly picking up and dropping flags, in order to find a particularly powerful or useful one. Also known as ''flag farming''.
Watch!=Watch out! or Guard! (ex: Watch ours!)
</properties>

[[Category:Gameplay]]

Jargon

2009-04-10T10:53:02Z

SpazzyMcGee: more

This page hopes to clarify some common jargon, acronyms and slang used by many players in game. They can be useful to know, especially in team situations, as other players will assume that you know what they are talking about.

Many players use map "landmarks," like "mid tower" or "@ R jump," to signify places on the map, so it's a good idea to learn your maps as well as the jargon.

= Acronyms =

<properties>
CTF=[[Capture the Flag]]
FFA=[[Free For All]]
RH=[[Rabbit Hunt]]
GG=Good game
TK=Team Kill, to kill one's own team.
R=(Team's) Right
L=(Team's) Left
RF=Red flag
GF=Green flag
BF=Blue flag
PF=Purple flag
NP=No Problem - mostly used as a response if you're teamkilled
WTF?=Something's not right about this.....
</properties>

= Jargon =

<properties>
Bots=Non-human-player tanks.
Capping=Capturing the other teams flag, verb ''to cap''.
Ours=Protect your team flag, or used to signify your team's base.
Theirs=Attack the other team's flag, or used to signify the other team's base.
Geno=Genocide Flag, usually when seen it chat by itself it means an opposing team player has the flag so be careful
Pass=Send the flag to the middle, or to a safe zone. See [[Jumping#Dropping_Flags|this article]].
Pyr=Pyramid
In=Inside the base (if applicable)
Out=Directly outside the base (if applicable)
Mid=Middle of the map
Jump/Jumper/Launcher=Either a world object that launches a tank in the air, or a tank that has used said world object.
Spamming=Filling the chat box with meaningless text.
Laser Spamming=Uselessly, blindly, rapidly shooting with the laser flag, often resulting in team kills.
Camping=Staying in one place with the same flag for a long time. If you do this you are ''a camper''.
Flag Running=Working against your own team, and taking your flag towards the other team's base. If you do this you are a ''flag runner''.
Flag Shopping=Rapidly picking up and dropping flags, in order to find a particularly powerful or useful one. Also known as ''flag farming''.
Watch!=Watch out! or Guard! (ex: Watch ours!)
</properties>

[[Category:Gameplay]]

Talk:Getting Started Gets Up Close And Personal

2009-04-09T23:44:02Z

SpazzyMcGee: New page: Can somebody point out the difference between this and Getting Started?

Can somebody point out the difference between this and [[Getting Started]]?

Public Server

2009-04-09T23:30:28Z

SpazzyMcGee:

{{merge|BZFS Command Line Options|Talk:Public}}

A public server is a server which interacts with the list server and is able to be joined by players other than your house.

To add your server to the list server you would add the following to your config:
{|
|
-public "Server Name Goes Here"
|}

Talk:Public Server

2009-04-09T23:28:59Z

SpazzyMcGee: Unnecessary page?

This page isn't really necessary.... What's wrong with [[BZFS Command Line Options]]? It's also not worded particularly well. "Players other than your house"

Slash Commands

2009-04-09T23:21:14Z

SpazzyMcGee: /saveworld -o, this time it's personal. It now contains the correct information. Before was probably a typo.

Below is a list of the commands that are available in BZFlag. Access to most of these commands is controlled through [[Server_Permissions|permissions]].

All commands are preceded by a '/' on any chat prompt.
The format for commands that take arguments are provided by the server by issuing the command with no arguments. (ie. `/ban`)

'''Some commands take no arguments''' (eg. ''/shutdownserver'', ''/superkill'') '''and therefore''' do not return the format string for the command but '''execute the command instead.'''

{|{{Prettytable}}
|-
| {{Hl3}} |'''Command'''
| {{Hl3}} |'''Description'''
|-
| ''/?'' || List commands
|-
| ''/ban'' || Ban players using the specified IPs of the player specified for certain length of time from using this server.
|-
| ''/banlist'' || List all of the IPs currently banned from this server. Items from the master ban list on my.bzflag.org/bb have an '(m)' after the IP for masterban. If an argument is specified only bans that match the argument are displayed.
|-
| ''/checkip'' || Check if a specified IP is banned or not and report the results.
|-
| ''/clientquery'' || Retrieve client version info from all users, or just CALLSIGN if given
|-
| ''/countdown'' || Starts the countdown sequence for a timed game. The countdown sequence length can optionally be specified in seconds.
|-
| ''/date'' || Responds with the current server local date and time (same as /time).
|-
| ''/deregister'' || With an argument, it deregisters another user's callsign . Without, it removes your own registration. (only affects local registration)
|-
| ''/diff'' || Shows the ''/set'' server variables that are set to something other than the default (or at least most of them)
|-
| ''/endgame'' || Ends the current game
|-
| ''/flag reset'' || Repositions flags. If unused is specified, flags carried by tanks are not affected.
|-
| ''/flag up'' || Removes all flags from the game
|-
| ''/flag show'' || Shows all flags with information.
|-
| ''/flag give'' || Give the specified flag to the specified player. If the flag is not available, it will take a flag from the person who has the flag specified. You cannot give flags that do not exist on the map.
|-
| ''/flag take'' || Will take the flag that the player specified is currently carrying.
|-
| ''/flaghistory'' || Lists what flags players have grabbed in the past.
|-
| ''/gameover'' || Ends a timed game.
|-
| ''/ghost'' || Kicks off an impersonating player or ghost
|-
| ''/grouplist'' || Lists the available user groups
|-
| ''/groupperms'' || Lists the permissions for each group
|-
| ''/help'' || With no argument it displays a lists the help files available. With the argument it displays the contents of the help file.
|-
| ''/highlight'' || Highlights any text that contains the word or words specified in the argument to this command. For example, if you type /highlight genocide , then any text that is printed on the console that contains the word genocide will be underlined and in blue.
|-
| ''/hostban'' || Ban players using the specified hostnames for a certain length of time from using this server.
|-
| ''/hostbanlist'' || List all of the host patterns currently banned from this server.
|-
| ''/hostunban'' || Will remove the the specified host from the ban list so that players from that host will be able to play again.
|-
| ''/idban'' || Ban a player by bzbb id. This will stick even if the player ip changes.
|-
| ''/idbanlist'' || List all bans made with ''/idban''
|-
| ''/identify'' || Log in to a registered callsign
|-
| ''/idlestats'' || Displays the idle time in seconds for each player. A player is idle when he is dead and has not respawned yet.
|-
| ''/idlist'' || Will list the currently banned IDs
|-
| ''/idunban'' || Will remove the ban on the ID specified so that the player may play on the server again.
|-
| ''/kick'' || Kick a named player off the server.
|-
| ''/kill'' || Kill a player (they explode). The kill shows up as coming from the server (IE the player sees "PLAYERNAME: destroyed by the server" in their console). The player killed loses a point, but the player running the /kill command does not gain a point.
|-
| ''/lagdrop'' || With no argument it displays current lagdrop setting, with argument it sets it to the value specified. This specifies the number of warnings a player gets due to high lag before the server kicks the players.
|-
| ''/lagstats'' || Lists network delays, jitter and number of lost (out of order packets) by player.
|-
| ''/lagwarn'' || With no argument it displays current lagwarn setting, with argument it sets it to the value specified. If a players lag is higher that the setting they will be warned, then kicked.
|-
| ''/listplugins'' || Displays the plug-ins loaded on the server.
|-
| ''/localset'' || Set local client variables in your configuration file.
|-
| ''/masterban'' || Manipulate the master ban list.
|-
| ''/me'' || This command displays an "action" that is conveyed to another player. It allows for a little more expressivity in the game. For example if your callsign was 'Thumper': "/me is hunting wabbits" turns into a message like "Thumper is hunting wabbits" that gets displayed differently to other players than regular chat.
|-
| ''/msg'' || This command allows a player to send a message to another player. Similar to using the "," and "." message keys in the game and then selecting your recipient, this will send some message to particular player.
|-
| ''/mute'' || Allows a server admin to remove the ability for a player to communicate with other players. Once muted the player may only talk to admins on the server. This command removes the TALK permission for that user.
|-
| ''/part'' || Leave the server with a goodbye message (same as /quit).
|-
| ''/password'' || Enter server password to gain operator privileges. It is frowned upon to use this command on servers where you are not an admin
|-
| ''/playerlist'' || List player names and IP addresses.
|-
| ''/poll'' || Start a player poll
|-
| ''/quit'' || Leave the server with a goodbye message (same as /part).
|-
| ''/record'' || List all files in the recordings directory
|-
| ''/record start'' || Starts recording
|-
| ''/record stop'' || Stops recording
|-
| ''/record size'' || Specify size of recording buffer in megabytes (MB)
|-
| ''/record rate'' || Specify recording rate in seconds
|-
| ''/record stats'' || Display statistics of recording
|-
| ''/record file'' || Specify a filename for recording instead of using memory
|-
| ''/record save'' || Save an in-memory recording buffer to a file
|-
| ''/register'' || Register your current callsign locally to the specified password. Passwords must be at least 3 characters long, and the callsign may not contain quotes or other non-alphanumeric/space characters. We use global logons and this is not needed.
|-
| ''/reload'' || Reloads the user, group, and password files (for synchronization between multiple servers on the same machine)
|-
| ''/removegroup'' || Remove a user from a group
|-
| ''/replay list'' || List recording files that can be replayed
|-
| ''/replay load'' || Load a recording file for play
|-
| ''/replay play'' || Start playback of the loaded recording
|-
| ''/replay skip'' || Skip forwards or backwards through the recording
|-
| ''/report'' || Write a message to the server administrator
|-
| ''/reset'' || Reset a server variable to it's [[BZFS|bzfs]] default setting.
|-
| ''/say'' || Generate a public message sent by the server. For example if your callsign were 'Tanner' using "/say This is a server message", will display ''[SERVER:] This is a server message (Tanner)''
|-
| ''/savemsgs'' || Saves the chat console to ''config directory''/msglog.txt. Use "/savemsgs -s" to strip coloring data.
|-
| ''/saveworld'' || Saves the current world that the client is playing on. For example, "/saveworld mapname.bzw" would save the world to the file "mapname.bzw". "/saveworld '''-o''' mapname.obj" will save the world as a .obj file.
|-
| ''/sendhelp'' || Send a help file to a player
|-
| ''/serverquery'' || Report the server version number
|-
| ''/set'' || With no arguments it will list the values of all server variables. With the arguments it will set the variable that is specified to the value that is given.
|-
| ''/setgroup'' || Add a user to a group
|-
| ''/setpass'' || Changes your password (for locally registered users, not globally)
|-
| ''/showgroup'' || Lists the groups that a registered user is a member of
|-
| ''/showperms'' || Show permissions granted to yourself or another player
|-
| ''/shutdownserver'' || Stop serving BZFlag on this server.
|-
| ''/superkill'' || Kick all players off the server.
|-
| ''/time'' || Responds with the current server local date and time (same as /date).
|-
| ''/unban'' || Will remove the IP address from the banlist, allowing someone from that address to connect and play BZFlag.
|-
| ''/unmute'' || Allows a server admin to restore the TALK permission to a previously muted player.
|-
| ''/uptime'' || Prints server's current running time in days, hours, minutes and seconds.
|-
| ''/veto'' || If there is a poll active, this will cancel the poll.
|-
| ''/viewreports'' || View the server's report file.
|-
| ''/vote'' || If there is a poll active, this command will place a vote in favor or in opposition to the poll. Multiple languages are supported as a vote argument in addition to "yes" and "no". By default, you must be registered to vote on a poll.
|}

[[Category:Server]]
[[Category:Client]]

User talk:Me1/Style Merges

2009-04-09T23:17:16Z

SpazzyMcGee: agree

*Talking about [[Free For All]], [[Capture the Flag]] and [[Rabbit Hunt]]

These pages/stubs don't really need to be separate. It'd be better if they were in one article, instead of three.
Anyone disagree? --[[User:Me1|Me1]] 18:19, 9 April 2009 (EDT)

I would tend to agree with you on this, Me1. I suggest they be merged into one 'Game Modes' article.

Jargon

2009-04-09T18:02:29Z

SpazzyMcGee: Begun the page: It needs adding to though.

This page hopes to clarify some common jargon, acronyms and slang used by many players in game. They can be useful to know, especially in team situations, as other players will assume that you know what they are talking about.

= Acronyms =

<properties>
CTF=[[Capture the Flag]]
FFA=[[Free For All]]
GG=Good game
RH=[[Rabbit Hunt]]
TK=Team Kill, to kill one's own team.
</properties>

= Jargon =

<properties>
Bots=Non-human-player tanks.
Camping=Staying in one place with the same flag for a long time. If you do this you are ''a camper''.
Capping=Capturing the other teams flag, verb ''to cap''.
Geno=Genocide Flag
Ours=Protect your team flag
Spamming=Either filling the chat box with meaningless text, or filling the list server with empty servers.
Theirs=Attack the other team's flag
</properties>

[[Category:Gameplay]]

Category:Map Making

2008-11-01T19:39:43Z

SpazzyMcGee: BZWTools has it's own page too.

BZFlag uses its own map file format, [[BZW]] (BZ World). BZW files are text based and contain a list of objects and map options that are read by the [[BZFS]] server. There is a [[Map FAQ]] that deals with several frequently asked map making questions.

==Map Creation Methods==
BZFlag has several well practiced methods for the design of maps, from simple text editing, custom editors, to exporters for 3D modeling software. While basic dedicated map editors, such as BZEdit, can often only create simple objects, 3D modeling software can create complex custom [[mesh]] objects, but have a much steeper learning curve.

===Dedicated Map editors===
Dedicated BZFlag map editors (i.e. written specifically for graphically editing BZW files) generally go by the name BZEdit. There are a number of versions of BZEdit that have been developed over the years. Each editor has its own level of support for various map features. At this time there is no custom editor that supports every feature of the BZW format. In general, these will only support simple version 1.10 objects, like boxes, pyramids, bases, and teleporters.

Editors supporting BZW 1.10 features:
*[[BZEdit]]
*[[BZEditWin32]]
*[[BZFed]]

Editors supporting some BZW 2.0 features.
*[[iBZEdit]]
*[[pyBZEdit]]

===Non-dedicated editors===
Technically, you can use any 3D modeling package that can export to .obj format. You can then either use [[modeltool]] or Wings3D to convert that file to BZW format.

====Blender====
The [http://www.blender.org/ blender] 3D modeling application features a plug-in called [[BZWTools]], which enables blender to read and write the BZW file format and to create BZW specific objects. Tutorials on using blender (not specific to BZFlag) can be found on the [http://www.blender.org/tutorials-help/tutorials/ blender web tutorials] pages.

====Wings 3D====
[http://www.wings3d.com/ Wings 3D] is a good modeler to use if you're new modeling. It has a much smaller learning curve than Blender, although it doesn't have as many features. The [[BZW Exporter for Wings3D]] allows you to export wings objects to a BZW file. Tutorials on using wings (not specific to BZFlag) can be found on the [http://www.wings3d.com/tutorials.php wings web tutorials] pages, as well as a useful tutorial on [http://www.geocities.com/peterchov/BarrelUV.html UV mapping]

====Getting Maps In .obj Format====
It is not widely known that you can export a bzflag map from the actual bzflag client in .obj format. To do so, you must connect to a server hosting the BZW map you would like to download and type ''/saveworld -o "mapname.obj"''. This will allow you to then import the .obj file into a modeler and edit the map.

===Creating BZW files via scripting or trivial programming===
Several of the existing BZFlag maps are created using a trivial application custom created for the purpose of generating each map. The application/program consists of print statements that output BZW file primitives. This method, using Perl, visual basic or C, allows re-use of the print statements with variables, for relatively fast creation of nearly identical objects. Once a coder creates a box primitive, for instance, another box can be created with a simple call to the same set of print statements but with different size or location arguments. The sets of print statements are then collected by the coder to create a library of available primitives (box, cylinder, fancy-teleporter, cage) that can be used again and again. The library of primitives may then be used to create additional maps but without all of the original work required to make the first map. The flaws in using this method compared to a graphical modeler or even BZEdit are:
*Representation of the work are not available without first launching a BZFlag client to look at the map
*Errors in the library or in calls might make the map unusable but with only visual basic, Perl or C compiler output as a clue

The advantage of this method is that the library is relatively easy to improve compared to bzedit and new features of bzflag are easily applied. In addition, the ability to replicate structures in a for-next loop context allow for repetitive or stepped structures with more rapidity than other mapping methods.

===Editing by Hand===
The last method of creating maps is simply coding them by hand as text files using the raw BZW structures. This is still one of the most common ways that people create and edit maps, and can be very fun and challenging. This is easily done in any text editor, for example NotePad on Windows, and TextEdit on Mac OS X.

Most maps made by hand tend to be fairly simple, though experienced mappers have made some extraordinary maps in this way. The reason for the popularity of the "hand made" approach is partly because of the simple structure of the BZW code, but also the fact that, until recently, there were no graphical editors available for operating systems like Mac OS X. A detailed explanation about creating a map by hand can be found on the [[Editing by Hand]] page.

Maps that contain 2.0 objects (such as [[mesh]]) tend to have been either completely made in a text editor, or partly modeled in 3D modeling software, and later manipulated in text format.

[[Category:Server]]

Category:Map Making

2008-11-01T19:34:02Z

SpazzyMcGee: /* Wings 3D */ The exporter has it's own page.

BZFlag uses its own map file format, [[BZW]] (BZ World). BZW files are text based and contain a list of objects and map options that are read by the [[BZFS]] server. There is a [[Map FAQ]] that deals with several frequently asked map making questions.

==Map Creation Methods==
BZFlag has several well practiced methods for the design of maps, from simple text editing, custom editors, to exporters for 3D modeling software. While basic dedicated map editors, such as BZEdit, can often only create simple objects, 3D modeling software can create complex custom [[mesh]] objects, but have a much steeper learning curve.

===Dedicated Map editors===
Dedicated BZFlag map editors (i.e. written specifically for graphically editing BZW files) generally go by the name BZEdit. There are a number of versions of BZEdit that have been developed over the years. Each editor has its own level of support for various map features. At this time there is no custom editor that supports every feature of the BZW format. In general, these will only support simple version 1.10 objects, like boxes, pyramids, bases, and teleporters.

Editors supporting BZW 1.10 features:
*[[BZEdit]]
*[[BZEditWin32]]
*[[BZFed]]

Editors supporting some BZW 2.0 features.
*[[iBZEdit]]
*[[pyBZEdit]]

===Non-dedicated editors===
Technically, you can use any 3D modeling package that can export to .obj format. You can then either use [[modeltool]] or Wings3D to convert that file to BZW format.

====Blender====
The [http://www.blender.org/ blender] 3D modeling application features a plug-in called BZWTools, which enables blender to read and write the BZW file format and to create BZW specific objects. Tutorials on using blender (not specific to BZFlag) can be found on the [http://www.blender.org/tutorials-help/tutorials/ blender web tutorials] pages.

====Wings 3D====
[http://www.wings3d.com/ Wings 3D] is a good modeler to use if you're new modeling. It has a much smaller learning curve than Blender, although it doesn't have as many features. The [[BZW Exporter for Wings3D]] allows you to export wings objects to a BZW file.

====Getting Maps In .obj Format====
It is not widely known that you can export a bzflag map from the actual bzflag client in .obj format. To do so, you must connect to a server hosting the BZW map you would like to download and type ''/saveworld -o "mapname.obj"''. This will allow you to then import the .obj file into a modeler and edit the map.

===Creating BZW files via scripting or trivial programming===
Several of the existing BZFlag maps are created using a trivial application custom created for the purpose of generating each map. The application/program consists of print statements that output BZW file primitives. This method, using Perl, visual basic or C, allows re-use of the print statements with variables, for relatively fast creation of nearly identical objects. Once a coder creates a box primitive, for instance, another box can be created with a simple call to the same set of print statements but with different size or location arguments. The sets of print statements are then collected by the coder to create a library of available primitives (box, cylinder, fancy-teleporter, cage) that can be used again and again. The library of primitives may then be used to create additional maps but without all of the original work required to make the first map. The flaws in using this method compared to a graphical modeler or even BZEdit are:
*Representation of the work are not available without first launching a BZFlag client to look at the map
*Errors in the library or in calls might make the map unusable but with only visual basic, Perl or C compiler output as a clue

The advantage of this method is that the library is relatively easy to improve compared to bzedit and new features of bzflag are easily applied. In addition, the ability to replicate structures in a for-next loop context allow for repetitive or stepped structures with more rapidity than other mapping methods.

===Editing by Hand===
The last method of creating maps is simply coding them by hand as text files using the raw BZW structures. This is still one of the most common ways that people create and edit maps, and can be very fun and challenging. This is easily done in any text editor, for example NotePad on Windows, and TextEdit on Mac OS X.

Most maps made by hand tend to be fairly simple, though experienced mappers have made some extraordinary maps in this way. The reason for the popularity of the "hand made" approach is partly because of the simple structure of the BZW code, but also the fact that, until recently, there were no graphical editors available for operating systems like Mac OS X. A detailed explanation about creating a map by hand can be found on the [[Editing by Hand]] page.

Maps that contain 2.0 objects (such as [[mesh]]) tend to have been either completely made in a text editor, or partly modeled in 3D modeling software, and later manipulated in text format.

[[Category:Server]]

Category:Map Making

2008-11-01T19:31:30Z

SpazzyMcGee: /* Getting Maps In .obj Format */

BZFlag uses its own map file format, [[BZW]] (BZ World). BZW files are text based and contain a list of objects and map options that are read by the [[BZFS]] server. There is a [[Map FAQ]] that deals with several frequently asked map making questions.

==Map Creation Methods==
BZFlag has several well practiced methods for the design of maps, from simple text editing, custom editors, to exporters for 3D modeling software. While basic dedicated map editors, such as BZEdit, can often only create simple objects, 3D modeling software can create complex custom [[mesh]] objects, but have a much steeper learning curve.

===Dedicated Map editors===
Dedicated BZFlag map editors (i.e. written specifically for graphically editing BZW files) generally go by the name BZEdit. There are a number of versions of BZEdit that have been developed over the years. Each editor has its own level of support for various map features. At this time there is no custom editor that supports every feature of the BZW format. In general, these will only support simple version 1.10 objects, like boxes, pyramids, bases, and teleporters.

Editors supporting BZW 1.10 features:
*[[BZEdit]]
*[[BZEditWin32]]
*[[BZFed]]

Editors supporting some BZW 2.0 features.
*[[iBZEdit]]
*[[pyBZEdit]]

===Non-dedicated editors===
Technically, you can use any 3D modeling package that can export to .obj format. You can then either use [[modeltool]] or Wings3D to convert that file to BZW format.

====Blender====
The [http://www.blender.org/ blender] 3D modeling application features a plug-in called BZWTools, which enables blender to read and write the BZW file format and to create BZW specific objects. Tutorials on using blender (not specific to BZFlag) can be found on the [http://www.blender.org/tutorials-help/tutorials/ blender web tutorials] pages.

====Wings 3D====
[http://www.wings3d.com/ Wings 3D] is a good modeler to use if you're new modeling. It has a much smaller learning curve than Blender, although it doesn't have as many features. There is also a plugin (which you can download [http://trepan.bzflag.bz/wings3d_to_bzw_1.1.tar.gz here]) created by trepan (a BZFlag developer) which allows you to export objects to a BZW file.

====Getting Maps In .obj Format====
It is not widely known that you can export a bzflag map from the actual bzflag client in .obj format. To do so, you must connect to a server hosting the BZW map you would like to download and type ''/saveworld -o "mapname.obj"''. This will allow you to then import the .obj file into a modeler and edit the map.

===Creating BZW files via scripting or trivial programming===
Several of the existing BZFlag maps are created using a trivial application custom created for the purpose of generating each map. The application/program consists of print statements that output BZW file primitives. This method, using Perl, visual basic or C, allows re-use of the print statements with variables, for relatively fast creation of nearly identical objects. Once a coder creates a box primitive, for instance, another box can be created with a simple call to the same set of print statements but with different size or location arguments. The sets of print statements are then collected by the coder to create a library of available primitives (box, cylinder, fancy-teleporter, cage) that can be used again and again. The library of primitives may then be used to create additional maps but without all of the original work required to make the first map. The flaws in using this method compared to a graphical modeler or even BZEdit are:
*Representation of the work are not available without first launching a BZFlag client to look at the map
*Errors in the library or in calls might make the map unusable but with only visual basic, Perl or C compiler output as a clue

The advantage of this method is that the library is relatively easy to improve compared to bzedit and new features of bzflag are easily applied. In addition, the ability to replicate structures in a for-next loop context allow for repetitive or stepped structures with more rapidity than other mapping methods.

===Editing by Hand===
The last method of creating maps is simply coding them by hand as text files using the raw BZW structures. This is still one of the most common ways that people create and edit maps, and can be very fun and challenging. This is easily done in any text editor, for example NotePad on Windows, and TextEdit on Mac OS X.

Most maps made by hand tend to be fairly simple, though experienced mappers have made some extraordinary maps in this way. The reason for the popularity of the "hand made" approach is partly because of the simple structure of the BZW code, but also the fact that, until recently, there were no graphical editors available for operating systems like Mac OS X. A detailed explanation about creating a map by hand can be found on the [[Editing by Hand]] page.

Maps that contain 2.0 objects (such as [[mesh]]) tend to have been either completely made in a text editor, or partly modeled in 3D modeling software, and later manipulated in text format.

[[Category:Server]]

Category:Map Making

2008-11-01T19:31:03Z

SpazzyMcGee: Things make more sense when you categorize them.

BZFlag uses its own map file format, [[BZW]] (BZ World). BZW files are text based and contain a list of objects and map options that are read by the [[BZFS]] server. There is a [[Map FAQ]] that deals with several frequently asked map making questions.

==Map Creation Methods==
BZFlag has several well practiced methods for the design of maps, from simple text editing, custom editors, to exporters for 3D modeling software. While basic dedicated map editors, such as BZEdit, can often only create simple objects, 3D modeling software can create complex custom [[mesh]] objects, but have a much steeper learning curve.

===Dedicated Map editors===
Dedicated BZFlag map editors (i.e. written specifically for graphically editing BZW files) generally go by the name BZEdit. There are a number of versions of BZEdit that have been developed over the years. Each editor has its own level of support for various map features. At this time there is no custom editor that supports every feature of the BZW format. In general, these will only support simple version 1.10 objects, like boxes, pyramids, bases, and teleporters.

Editors supporting BZW 1.10 features:
*[[BZEdit]]
*[[BZEditWin32]]
*[[BZFed]]

Editors supporting some BZW 2.0 features.
*[[iBZEdit]]
*[[pyBZEdit]]

===Non-dedicated editors===
Technically, you can use any 3D modeling package that can export to .obj format. You can then either use [[modeltool]] or Wings3D to convert that file to BZW format.

====Blender====
The [http://www.blender.org/ blender] 3D modeling application features a plug-in called BZWTools, which enables blender to read and write the BZW file format and to create BZW specific objects. Tutorials on using blender (not specific to BZFlag) can be found on the [http://www.blender.org/tutorials-help/tutorials/ blender web tutorials] pages.

====Wings 3D====
[http://www.wings3d.com/ Wings 3D] is a good modeler to use if you're new modeling. It has a much smaller learning curve than Blender, although it doesn't have as many features. There is also a plugin (which you can download [http://trepan.bzflag.bz/wings3d_to_bzw_1.1.tar.gz here]) created by trepan (a BZFlag developer) which allows you to export objects to a BZW file.

====Getting Maps In .obj Format====
It is not widely known that you can export a bzflag map from the actual bzflag client in .obj format. To do so, you must connect to a server hosting the BZW map you would like to download and type ''/saveworld -o "mapname.obj"''. This will allow you to then import the .obj file into [http://www.wings3d.com/ Wings 3D] and edit the map.

===Creating BZW files via scripting or trivial programming===
Several of the existing BZFlag maps are created using a trivial application custom created for the purpose of generating each map. The application/program consists of print statements that output BZW file primitives. This method, using Perl, visual basic or C, allows re-use of the print statements with variables, for relatively fast creation of nearly identical objects. Once a coder creates a box primitive, for instance, another box can be created with a simple call to the same set of print statements but with different size or location arguments. The sets of print statements are then collected by the coder to create a library of available primitives (box, cylinder, fancy-teleporter, cage) that can be used again and again. The library of primitives may then be used to create additional maps but without all of the original work required to make the first map. The flaws in using this method compared to a graphical modeler or even BZEdit are:
*Representation of the work are not available without first launching a BZFlag client to look at the map
*Errors in the library or in calls might make the map unusable but with only visual basic, Perl or C compiler output as a clue

The advantage of this method is that the library is relatively easy to improve compared to bzedit and new features of bzflag are easily applied. In addition, the ability to replicate structures in a for-next loop context allow for repetitive or stepped structures with more rapidity than other mapping methods.

===Editing by Hand===
The last method of creating maps is simply coding them by hand as text files using the raw BZW structures. This is still one of the most common ways that people create and edit maps, and can be very fun and challenging. This is easily done in any text editor, for example NotePad on Windows, and TextEdit on Mac OS X.

Most maps made by hand tend to be fairly simple, though experienced mappers have made some extraordinary maps in this way. The reason for the popularity of the "hand made" approach is partly because of the simple structure of the BZW code, but also the fact that, until recently, there were no graphical editors available for operating systems like Mac OS X. A detailed explanation about creating a map by hand can be found on the [[Editing by Hand]] page.

Maps that contain 2.0 objects (such as [[mesh]]) tend to have been either completely made in a text editor, or partly modeled in 3D modeling software, and later manipulated in text format.

[[Category:Server]]

Category:Map Making

2008-11-01T19:18:49Z

SpazzyMcGee: /* Dedicated Map editors */ Abbr. should be 'i.e.' not 'e.g.'

BZFlag uses its own map file format, [[BZW]] (BZ World). BZW files are text based and contain a list of objects and map options that are read by the [[BZFS]] server. There is a [[Map FAQ]] that deals with several frequently asked map making questions.

==Map Creation Methods==
BZFlag has several well practiced methods for the design of maps, from simple text editing, custom editors, to exporters for 3D modeling software. While basic dedicated map editors, such as BZEdit, can often only create simple objects, 3D modeling software can create complex custom [[mesh]] objects, but have a much steeper learning curve.

===Dedicated Map editors===
Dedicated BZFlag map editors (i.e. written specifically for graphically editing BZW files) generally go by the name BZEdit. There are a number of versions of BZEdit that have been developed over the years. Each editor has its own level of support for various map features. At this time there is no custom editor that supports every feature of the BZW format. In general, these will only support simple version 1.10 objects, like boxes, pyramids, bases, and teleporters.

Editors supporting BZW 1.10 features:
*[[BZEdit]]
*[[BZEditWin32]]
*[[BZFed]]

Editors supporting some BZW 2.0 features.
*[[iBZEdit]]
*[[pyBZEdit]]

===Other, non-dedicated editors===
====Blender====
The [http://www.blender.org/ blender] 3D modeling application features a plug-in called BZWTools, which enables blender to read and write the BZW file format and to create BZW specific objects. Tutorials on using blender (not specific to BZFlag) can be found on the [http://www.blender.org/tutorials-help/tutorials/ blender web tutorials] pages.

====Wings 3D====
[http://www.wings3d.com/ Wings 3D] is a good modeler to use if you're new modeling. It has a much smaller learning curve than Blender, although it doesn't have as many features. There is also a plugin (which you can download [http://trepan.bzflag.bz/wings3d_to_bzw_1.1.tar.gz here]) created by trepan (a BZFlag developer) which allows you to export objects to a BZW file. It is not widely known that you can export a bzflag map from the actual bzflag client in .obj format. To do so, you must connect to a server hosting the BZW map you would like to download and type ''/saveworld -o "mapname.obj"''. This will allow you to then import the .obj file into [http://www.wings3d.com/ Wings 3D] and edit the map.

===Creating BZW files via scripting or trivial programming===
Several of the existing BZFlag maps are created using a trivial application custom created for the purpose of generating each map. The application/program consists of print statements that output BZW file primitives. This method, using Perl, visual basic or C, allows re-use of the print statements with variables, for relatively fast creation of nearly identical objects. Once a coder creates a box primitive, for instance, another box can be created with a simple call to the same set of print statements but with different size or location arguments. The sets of print statements are then collected by the coder to create a library of available primitives (box, cylinder, fancy-teleporter, cage) that can be used again and again. The library of primitives may then be used to create additional maps but without all of the original work required to make the first map. The flaws in using this method compared to a graphical modeler or even BZEdit are:
*Representation of the work are not available without first launching a BZFlag client to look at the map
*Errors in the library or in calls might make the map unusable but with only visual basic, Perl or C compiler output as a clue

The advantage of this method is that the library is relatively easy to improve compared to bzedit and new features of bzflag are easily applied. In addition, the ability to replicate structures in a for-next loop context allow for repetitive or stepped structures with more rapidity than other mapping methods.

===Editing by Hand===
The last method of creating maps is simply coding them by hand as text files using the raw BZW structures. This is still one of the most common ways that people create and edit maps, and can be very fun and challenging. This is easily done in any text editor, for example NotePad on Windows, and TextEdit on Mac OS X.

Most maps made by hand tend to be fairly simple, though experienced mappers have made some extraordinary maps in this way. The reason for the popularity of the "hand made" approach is partly because of the simple structure of the BZW code, but also the fact that, until recently, there were no graphical editors available for operating systems like Mac OS X. A detailed explanation about creating a map by hand can be found on the [[Editing by Hand]] page.

Maps that contain 2.0 objects (such as [[mesh]]) tend to have been either completely made in a text editor, or partly modeled in 3D modeling software, and later manipulated in text format.

[[Category:Server]]

Category:Map Making

2008-09-30T17:30:51Z

SpazzyMcGee:

[[BZFlag]] uses its own map file format called the [[BZW]] file. [[BZW]] files are text based and contain a list of objects and map options that are read by the [[BZFS]] server. There is a [[Map FAQ]] that deals with several frequently asked Map Making questions.

== Map Creation Methods ==
[[BZFlag]] has several well practiced methods for the design of maps, from simple text editing, custom editors, to exporters for 3D modeling software. While basic dedicated map editors, such as BZEdit, can often only create simple objects, 3D modeling software can create complex custom [[mesh]] objects, but have a much steeper learning curve.

=== Dedicated Map editors ===
Dedicated [[BZFlag]] map editors (i.e. written specifically for graphically editing [[BZW]] files) generally go by the name [[BZEdit]]. There are a number of versions of [[BZEdit]] that have been developed over the years, some of them sharing code, some of them not. Each editor has its own level of support for various map features. At this time there is no custom editor that supports every feature of the [[BZW]] format. In general, these will only support simple map objects such as a [[box]], a [[pyramid]] or a [[teleporter]].

Editors supporting [[BZW]] 1.10 features
*[[BZEdit]]
*[[BZEditWin32]]
*[[BZFed]]

Editors supporting some [[BZW]] 2.0 features.
*[[iBZEdit]]
*[[pyBZEdit]]

=== Blender ===
The [http://www.blender.org/ blender] 3d modeling application features a plug-in called [[BZWTools]], which enables blender to read and write the [[BZW]] file format and to create [[BZW]] specific objects. Tutorials on using blender (not specific to BZFlag) can be found on the [http://www.blender.org/tutorials-help/tutorials/ blender web tutorials] pages.

=== Wings 3D ===
[http://www.wings3d.com/ Wings 3D] is a good modeler to use if you're new modeling. It has a much smaller learning curve than Blender, although it doesn't have as many features. There is also a plugin (which you can download [http://trepan.bzflag.bz/wings3d_to_bzw_1.1.tar.gz here]) created by trepan which allows you to export objects to a [[BZW]] file. It is not widely known that you can export a bzflag map from the actual bzflag client in .obj format. To do so, you must connect to a server hosting the [[BZW]] map you would like to download and type ''/saveworld -o "mapname.obj"''. This will allow you to then import the .obj file into [http://www.wings3d.com/ Wings 3D] and edit the map. Then you can use the [http://trepan.bzflag.bz/wings3d_to_bzw_1.1.tar.gz exporter] created by trepan which allows you to export objects to a [[BZW]] file.

=== Creating BZW files via scripting or trivial programming ===
Several of the existing BZFLAG maps are created using a trivial application custom created for the purpose of generating each map. The application/program consists of print statements that output BZW file primitives (boxes, pyramids, meshes). This method, using Perl, visual basic or C, allows re-use of the print statements with variables, for relatively fast creation of nearly identical objects. Once a coder creates a box primitive, for instance, another box can be created with a simple call to the same set of print statements but with different size or location arguments. The sets of print statements are then collected by the coder to create a library of available primitives (box, cylinder, fancy-teleporter, cage) that can be used again and again. The library of primitives may then be used to create additional maps but without all of the original work required to make the first map.
The flaws in using this method compared to a graphical modeler or even bzedit are:
representation of the work are not available without first launching a bzflag client to look at the map;
Errors in the library or in calls might make the map unusable but with only visual basic, Perl or C compiler output as a clue;
The map is created in a text and syntax intensive process that may not be tolerated by many otherwise creative individuals.

The advantage of this method is that the library is relatively easy to improve compared to bzedit and new features of bzflag are easily applied. In addition, the ability to replicate structures in a for-next loop context allow for repetitive or stepped structures with more rapidity than other mapping methods.

=== Editing by Hand ===
The last method of creating maps is simply coding them by hand as text files using the raw [[BZW]] structures. This is still one of the most common ways that people create and edit maps, and can be very fun and challenging. This is easily done in any text editor, for example NotePad on Windows, and TextEdit on Mac OS X.

Most maps made by hand tend to be fairly simple, though experienced mappers have made some extraordinary maps in this way. The reason for the popularity of the 'hand made' approach is partly because of the simple structure of the [[BZW]] code, but also the fact that, until recently, there were no graphical editors available for operating systems like Mac OS X.

A detailed explanation about creating a map 'by hand' can be found on the [[Editing by Hand]] page.

Maps that contain 2.0 objects (such as [[mesh]]) tend to have been either completely made in a text editor, or partly modeled in 3D modeling software, and later manipulated in text format.

[[Category:Server]]

Radar Marker(object)

2007-12-18T21:18:31Z

SpazzyMcGee: /* Text */

{{DesignDocument}}
==Overview==
The radar marker map object is a proposed map object that will allow a map display radar specific graphics and text.

==Contents==
The object will contain a sub-type and associated data.

The client will then display each subtype on the radar view only. Unknown sub-types will be ignored.
All 3d point data would be in world space, with the objects being drawn in Z order ( lowest to highest ) in orthographic projection with the map.

===Suggested Sub-types===
==== Line ====
A line between two points. Data would include two start and end 3d vertex points and a color4.

==== Polygon ====
An outlined polygon shape, convex or concave. Data would include a list of 3d vertex points and a color4.

==== Filled-Polygon ====
A filled polygon shape, convex only. Data would include a list of 3d vertex points and a color4 (or possibly a matref).

==== Circle/Arc====
An outlined or filled Circle or arc segment (pie). Data would include a 3d center point, a radius, an start angle, end angle, and color4

==== Text====
A text object. Data would include a 3d center point, text, and a color 4.

==Uses==
The biggest use of this object would be so that map developers can flag of specific areas of a map on the radar. This could be the outer map boundary for maps with no default walls, or it could be map specific area's such as CTF team bases, or deadly surfaces.

[[category:proposed world objects]]

Radar Marker(object)

2007-12-18T21:18:03Z

SpazzyMcGee: /* Suggested Sub-types */

{{DesignDocument}}
==Overview==
The radar marker map object is a proposed map object that will allow a map display radar specific graphics and text.

==Contents==
The object will contain a sub-type and associated data.

The client will then display each subtype on the radar view only. Unknown sub-types will be ignored.
All 3d point data would be in world space, with the objects being drawn in Z order ( lowest to highest ) in orthographic projection with the map.

===Suggested Sub-types===
==== Line ====
A line between two points. Data would include two start and end 3d vertex points and a color4.

==== Polygon ====
An outlined polygon shape, convex or concave. Data would include a list of 3d vertex points and a color4.

==== Filled-Polygon ====
A filled polygon shape, convex only. Data would include a list of 3d vertex points and a color4 (or possibly a matref).

==== Circle/Arc====
An outlined or filled Circle or arc segment (pie). Data would include a 3d center point, a radius, an start angle, end angle, and color4

==== Text====
A text object. Data would include a 3d center point, text, text size, and a color 4.

==Uses==
The biggest use of this object would be so that map developers can flag of specific areas of a map on the radar. This could be the outer map boundary for maps with no default walls, or it could be map specific area's such as CTF team bases, or deadly surfaces.

[[category:proposed world objects]]

Radar Marker(object)

2007-12-18T21:15:03Z

SpazzyMcGee: /* Suggested Sub-types */

{{DesignDocument}}
==Overview==
The radar marker map object is a proposed map object that will allow a map display radar specific graphics and text.

==Contents==
The object will contain a sub-type and associated data.

The client will then display each subtype on the radar view only. Unknown sub-types will be ignored.
All 3d point data would be in world space, with the objects being drawn in Z order ( lowest to highest ) in orthographic projection with the map.

===Suggested Sub-types===
==== Line ====
A line between two points. Data would include two start and end 3d vertex points, thickness and a color4.

==== Polygon ====
An outlined polygon shape, convex or concave. Data would include a list of 3d vertex points and a color4.

==== Filled-Polygon ====
A filled polygon shape, convex only. Data would include a list of 3d vertex points, line thickness, and a color4 (or possibly a matref).

==== Circle/Arc====
An outlined or filled Circle or arc segment (pie). Data would include a 3d center point, a radius, an start angle, end angle, and color4

==== Text====
A text object. Data would include a 3d center point, text, text size, and a color 4.

==Uses==
The biggest use of this object would be so that map developers can flag of specific areas of a map on the radar. This could be the outer map boundary for maps with no default walls, or it could be map specific area's such as CTF team bases, or deadly surfaces.

[[category:proposed world objects]]

Radar Marker(object)

2007-12-18T21:12:57Z

SpazzyMcGee: /* Contents */

{{DesignDocument}}
==Overview==
The radar marker map object is a proposed map object that will allow a map display radar specific graphics and text.

==Contents==
The object will contain a sub-type and associated data.

The client will then display each subtype on the radar view only. Unknown sub-types will be ignored.
All 3d point data would be in world space, with the objects being drawn in Z order ( lowest to highest ) in orthographic projection with the map.

===Suggested Sub-types===
==== Line ====
A line between two points. Data would include two start and end 3d vertex points, thickness and a color4.

==== Polygon ====
An outlined polygon shape, convex or concave. Data would include a list of 3d vertex points and a color4.

==== Filled-Polygon ====
A filled polygon shape, convex only. Data would include a list of 3d vertex points, line thickness, and a color4 (or possibly a matref).

==== Circle/Arc====
An outlined or filled Circle or arc segment (pie). Data would include a 3d center point, a radius, an start angle, end angle, and color4

==== Text====
A text object. Data would include a 3d center point, text, and a color 4.

==Uses==
The biggest use of this object would be so that map developers can flag of specific areas of a map on the radar. This could be the outer map boundary for maps with no default walls, or it could be map specific area's such as CTF team bases, or deadly surfaces.

[[category:proposed world objects]]

Radar Marker(object)

2007-12-18T21:12:08Z

SpazzyMcGee: /* Contents */

{{DesignDocument}}
==Overview==
The radar marker map object is a proposed map object that will allow a map display radar specific graphics and text.

==Contents==
The object will contain a sub-type and associated data.

The client will then display each subtype on the radar view only. Unknown sub-types will be ignored.
All 3d point data would be in world space, with the objects being drawn in Z order ( lowest to highest ) in orthographic projection with the map.

===Suggested Sub-types===
==== Line ====
A line between two points. Data would include two start and end 3d vertex points, thickness and a color4.

==== Polygon ====
An outlined polygon shape, convex or concave. Data would include a list of 3d vertex points and a color4.

==== Filled-Polygon ====
A filled polygon shape, convex only. Data would include a list of 3d vertex points and a color4 (or possibly a matref).

==== Circle/Arc====
An outlined or filled Circle or arc segment (pie). Data would include a 3d center point, a radius, an start angle, end angle, and color4

==== Text====
A text object. Data would include a 3d center point, text, and a color 4.

==Uses==
The biggest use of this object would be so that map developers can flag of specific areas of a map on the radar. This could be the outer map boundary for maps with no default walls, or it could be map specific area's such as CTF team bases, or deadly surfaces.

[[category:proposed world objects]]

BZW

2007-11-24T21:07:40Z

SpazzyMcGee: hmph

The BZW format is used by [[BZFS]] to define the game world, or "map". This file is a plain text file that is loaded by the server application at start up and sent to each client when it joins the game. The map file contains a list of 3d world objects that populate the world, as well as optionally settings and options for the server to use when running.

==Basic Format==
All structures in the BZW format are contained in this basic block structure
{|
|
OBJECT_TYPE #comment
KEY VALUE
KEY VALUE
end
|}
The object names are special keywords that are recognized by the BZW parser, unknown names will produce a warning at run time. Each object type has it's own subset of recognizedly keys and associated values, depending on what it does. All blocks must have an END statement to be valid.

Words are defined in lowercase. Comments can be added to the file by preceding them with a # character. The comment will be in effect until the end of the line.

There is no set limit to the number of times you may use any of the objects except for the world, options, and waterLevel objects, they can only be specified once.

All distances in a map file are in [[world units]] and all angular values in are degrees.

Here is small example world:
{|
|
world # simple world containing a box, pyramid, and mesh
name Simple World
size 100.0
end
box
position -20 -20 0
size 10 20 10
end
pyramid
position 20 20 0
size 10 10 20
end
mesh
vertex -10 0 0
vertex 10 0 0
vertex 0 10 0
face
vertices 0 1 2
endface
end
|}
==Object Types==
The format of this text file consists of any number of objects listed in any order (except that physics, textureMatrix, dynamicColor, and material must come before they are referenced) separated by newlines and grouped into blocks of types, and it is conventional (but not mandatory) that world, options and waterLevel will go at the top of files. In addition, group installations must always follow group definitions.

The list of world types consists of:

Headers:
*[[world (object)|world]]
*[[options (object)|options]]
*[[waterLevel]]

Must be defined before being referenced:
*[[dynamicColor]]
*[[TextureMatrix|textureMatrix]]
*[[material]]
*[[physics]]

Others:
*[[arc]]
*[[base]]
*[[box]]
*[[cone]]
*[[define]]
*[[group]]
*[[link]]
*[[mesh]]
*[[meshbox]]
*[[meshpyr]]
*[[pyramid]]
*[[sphere]]
*[[teleporter]]
*[[tetra]]
*[[weapon (object)|weapon]]
*[[zone]]

==Map Usage==
Maps are loaded by [[BZFS]] at runtime. The most common way to load a map is with the '''-world''' [[BZFS Command Line Options|command line option]]. Other methods involve [[Plug-ins|plug-ins]] or scripts to automatically change or load the map.

==Map Editors==
Several map editor applications exist and are commonly used to make complex maps.
They are listed in the [[:Category:Map Editors|Map Editor Category]].

[[Category:Map Making]]

TextureMatrix

2007-11-24T21:05:49Z

SpazzyMcGee: Hmm... there appears to have been some confusion

A TextureMatrix, or texmat, when applied to a material, object allows you to define how a texture will appear in an material. It can be used to manipulate still (fixed) textures as well as animated ones.

== Code ==
{|
|
textureMatrix
name example_texmat
scale 0.0 0.0 1.0 1.0 # u/v freqs, u/v scales
spin 0.0 # rotation freq
shift 0.0 0.0 # u/v freqs
center 0.5 0.5 # dynamic u/v center (for spin and scale)
fixedscale 0.0 0.0 # time invariant u/v scale
fixedspin 0.0 # time invariant rotation
fixedshift 0.0 0.0 # time invariant u/v shift
end
|}

The valid parameters for textureMatrix are:
<properties>
name=Name of the texmat, for reference
scale=Causes texture to dynamically change it's size, parameters are u/v frequencies, then u/v scales.
spin=Cause a texture to spin around a center point, parameter is rotational frequency.
shift=Causes texture to move linearly, parameters are u/v frequencies.
center=Central point for spin and scale
fixedscale=Fixed scale, texture doesn't move with time.
fixedspin=Fixed spin, texture doesn't move with time.
fixedshift=Fixed shift, texture doesn't move with time.
</properties>

A textureMatrix can be called by adding 'texmat <name>' to a material containing a texture, like so:
{|
|
material
name example_material
diffuse 1 1 1 1
texture caution
texmat example_texmat
end
|}

== Editor Support ==
There are currently no supported editors: Texture Matrices will need to be added by hand in a text editor.

==History==
The Physics object was added with the [[BZFlag 2.0.0|v2.0.0]] release of BZFlag.

[[Category:Map Making]]
[[Category:Map Objects]]

BZW

2007-11-24T21:03:02Z

SpazzyMcGee: /* Object Types */

The BZW format is used by [[BZFS]] to define the game world, or "map". This file is a plain text file that is loaded by the server application at start up and sent to each client when it joins the game. The map file contains a list of 3d world objects that populate the world, as well as optionally settings and options for the server to use when running.

==Basic Format==
All structures in the BZW format are contained in this basic block structure
{|
|
OBJECT_TYPE #comment
KEY VALUE
KEY VALUE
end
|}
The object names are special keywords that are recognized by the BZW parser, unknown names will produce a warning at run time. Each object type has it's own subset of recognizedly keys and associated values, depending on what it does. All blocks must have an END statement to be valid.

Words are defined in lowercase. Comments can be added to the file by preceding them with a # character. The comment will be in effect until the end of the line.

There is no set limit to the number of times you may use any of the objects except for the world, options, and waterLevel objects, they can only be specified once.

All distances in a map file are in [[world units]] and all angular values in are degrees.

Here is small example world:
{|
|
world # simple world containing a box, pyramid, and mesh
name Simple World
size 100.0
end
box
position -20 -20 0
size 10 20 10
end
pyramid
position 20 20 0
size 10 10 20
end
mesh
vertex -10 0 0
vertex 10 0 0
vertex 0 10 0
face
vertices 0 1 2
endface
end
|}
==Object Types==
The format of this text file consists of any number of objects listed in any order (except that physics, textureMatrix, dynamicColor, and material must come before they are referenced) separated by newlines and grouped into blocks of types, and it is conventional (but not mandatory) that world, options and waterLevel will go at the top of files. In addition, group installations must always follow group definitions.

The list of world types consists of:

Headers:
*[[world (object)|world]]
*[[options (object)|options]]
*[[waterLevel]]

Must be defined before being referenced:
*[[dynamicColor]]
*[[texturematrix]]
*[[material]]
*[[physics]]

Others:
*[[arc]]
*[[base]]
*[[box]]
*[[cone]]
*[[define]]
*[[group]]
*[[link]]
*[[mesh]]
*[[meshbox]]
*[[meshpyr]]
*[[pyramid]]
*[[sphere]]
*[[teleporter]]
*[[tetra]]
*[[weapon (object)|weapon]]
*[[zone]]

==Map Usage==
Maps are loaded by [[BZFS]] at runtime. The most common way to load a map is with the '''-world''' [[BZFS Command Line Options|command line option]]. Other methods involve [[Plug-ins|plug-ins]] or scripts to automatically change or load the map.

==Map Editors==
Several map editor applications exist and are commonly used to make complex maps.
They are listed in the [[:Category:Map Editors|Map Editor Category]].

[[Category:Map Making]]

BZW

2007-11-24T20:38:39Z

SpazzyMcGee: /* Object Types */ oops

The BZW format is used by [[BZFS]] to define the game world, or "map". This file is a plain text file that is loaded by the server application at start up and sent to each client when it joins the game. The map file contains a list of 3d world objects that populate the world, as well as optionally settings and options for the server to use when running.

==Basic Format==
All structures in the BZW format are contained in this basic block structure
{|
|
OBJECT_TYPE #comment
KEY VALUE
KEY VALUE
end
|}
The object names are special keywords that are recognized by the BZW parser, unknown names will produce a warning at run time. Each object type has it's own subset of recognizedly keys and associated values, depending on what it does. All blocks must have an END statement to be valid.

Words are defined in lowercase. Comments can be added to the file by preceding them with a # character. The comment will be in effect until the end of the line.

There is no set limit to the number of times you may use any of the objects except for the world, options, and waterLevel objects, they can only be specified once.

All distances in a map file are in [[world units]] and all angular values in are degrees.

Here is small example world:
{|
|
world # simple world containing a box, pyramid, and mesh
name Simple World
size 100.0
end
box
position -20 -20 0
size 10 20 10
end
pyramid
position 20 20 0
size 10 10 20
end
mesh
vertex -10 0 0
vertex 10 0 0
vertex 0 10 0
face
vertices 0 1 2
endface
end
|}
==Object Types==
The format of this text file consists of any number of objects listed in any order (except that physics, textureMatrix, dynamicColor, and material must come before they are referenced) separated by newlines and grouped into blocks of types, and it is conventional (but not mandatory) that world, options and waterLevel will go at the top of files. In addition, group installations must always follow group definitions.

The list of world types consists of:

Headers:
*[[world (object)|world]]
*[[options (object)|options]]
*[[waterLevel]]

Must be defined before being referenced:
*[[dynamicColor]]
*[[texturematrix]]
*[[material]]
*[[physics]]

Others:
*[[arc]]
*[[base]]
*[[box]]
*[[cone]]
*[[define]]
*[[group]]
*[[link]]
*[[mesh]]
*[[meshbox]]
*[[meshpyr]]
*[[pyramid]]
*[[sphere]]
*[[teleporter]]
*[[tetra]]
*[[weapon (object)|weapon]]

==Map Usage==
Maps are loaded by [[BZFS]] at runtime. The most common way to load a map is with the '''-world''' [[BZFS Command Line Options|command line option]]. Other methods involve [[Plug-ins|plug-ins]] or scripts to automatically change or load the map.

==Map Editors==
Several map editor applications exist and are commonly used to make complex maps.
They are listed in the [[:Category:Map Editors|Map Editor Category]].

[[Category:Map Making]]

BZW

2007-11-24T20:37:12Z

SpazzyMcGee: /* Object Types */ Alphabetized

The BZW format is used by [[BZFS]] to define the game world, or "map". This file is a plain text file that is loaded by the server application at start up and sent to each client when it joins the game. The map file contains a list of 3d world objects that populate the world, as well as optionally settings and options for the server to use when running.

==Basic Format==
All structures in the BZW format are contained in this basic block structure
{|
|
OBJECT_TYPE #comment
KEY VALUE
KEY VALUE
end
|}
The object names are special keywords that are recognized by the BZW parser, unknown names will produce a warning at run time. Each object type has it's own subset of recognizedly keys and associated values, depending on what it does. All blocks must have an END statement to be valid.

Words are defined in lowercase. Comments can be added to the file by preceding them with a # character. The comment will be in effect until the end of the line.

There is no set limit to the number of times you may use any of the objects except for the world, options, and waterLevel objects, they can only be specified once.

All distances in a map file are in [[world units]] and all angular values in are degrees.

Here is small example world:
{|
|
world # simple world containing a box, pyramid, and mesh
name Simple World
size 100.0
end
box
position -20 -20 0
size 10 20 10
end
pyramid
position 20 20 0
size 10 10 20
end
mesh
vertex -10 0 0
vertex 10 0 0
vertex 0 10 0
face
vertices 0 1 2
endface
end
|}
==Object Types==
The format of this text file consists of any number of objects listed in any order (except that physics, textureMatrix, dynamicColor, and material must come before they are referenced) separated by newlines and grouped into blocks of types, and it is conventional (but not mandatory) that world, options and waterLevel will go at the top of files. In addition, group installations must always follow group definitions.

The list of world types consists of:

*[[world (object)|world]]
*[[options (object)|options]]
*[[waterLevel]]

*[[dynamicColor]]
*[[texturematrix]]
*[[material]]
*[[physics]]

*[[arc]]
*[[base]]
*[[box]]
*[[cone]]
*[[define]]
*[[group]
*[[link]]
*[[mesh]]
*[[meshbox]]
*[[meshpyr]]
*[[pyramid]]
*[[sphere]]
*[[teleporter]]
*[[tetra]]
*[[weapon (object)|weapon]]

==Map Usage==
Maps are loaded by [[BZFS]] at runtime. The most common way to load a map is with the '''-world''' [[BZFS Command Line Options|command line option]]. Other methods involve [[Plug-ins|plug-ins]] or scripts to automatically change or load the map.

==Map Editors==
Several map editor applications exist and are commonly used to make complex maps.
They are listed in the [[:Category:Map Editors|Map Editor Category]].

[[Category:Map Making]]

File:Moforabbit.jpg

2007-11-05T01:00:24Z

SpazzyMcGee: uploaded a new version of "Image:Moforabbit.jpg"

Current MoFo Rabbit Hunt
[[Category:Screenshots]]
[[Category:Map Screenshots]]

Passion

2007-11-05T00:56:13Z

SpazzyMcGee: Updates....

The 'Passion' map (previously known as 'christ.map'), was a popular map hosted by the group [[PlanetMoFo]] and other servers for some time. It is so called because when displayed on the list server, MoFo will title it as "Planet MoFo: The Passion Of The <game mode>". It has undergone constant modification and change since it's introduction, though every incarnation of the map has been of the same general format:
* A three tiered central "cake" with crosses on the top, and tunnels running through the middle.
* Outer [[box|boxes]] at the corners and in the middle of the sides. The corner boxes can be substituted for bases and have flat pyramids above them.
* Two smaller [[pyramid|pyramids]] in each quarter of the map.
* [[teleporter|Teleporters]] on the outer [[box|boxes]]. Which outer boxes have [[teleporter|teleporters]] depends on the game mode.

==Map History ==
=== Early map ===
[[Image:Christ.jpg|thumb|right|Christ.map]]
The map was originally known as "christ.map" designed by Ducatiwannabe. This looks somewhat different from the current map, though the basic features are still recognizable.

=== "Classic" Passion ===
[[Image:classicmofo.jpg|thumb|right|Classic Passion map]]
This bares more resemblance to the map played on the sever now. The characteristic "MoFo in the sky" was added, as well as flat pyramids over the bases, more outer boxes and more pyramids.

The flat corner pyramids have developed into a well-known camping spot for guided missiles.

=== Current Map ===
[[Image:Moforabbit.jpg|thumb|right|Current Passion map in rabbit hunt mode.]]
The current map has been re-made using 2.0 objects, and is now almost completely [[mesh]]. The center cake has been changed to look more '2.0', with the slight change in it's shape, as well as the Planet MoFo FFA logo on the side and an Oscillation Overthruster camping spot. There were also further minor changes to the map in general. It is currently in it's second revision.

==== Billboards ====
In early 2007, billboards were introduced to display informative and amusing messages and pictures. They have been a great success since their launch, and Planet MoFo currently offer slots on the billboard rotation for those that have donated to the server. An archive of all the billboard images can be found at http://cbg.bzflag.org/images/billboards/

== Variations==

The map has been edited to cater for all the major game styles, as well as some of the less popular ones, such as [[HTF]]. Other than these, there have been several other maps based around the original.

=== L4m3r's Re-work ===

This was one of the first attempts at 2.0izing the original map, and was popular for some time. The crosses on the central cake were modified to be slanted, and the middle section of the cake was drivethrough. The 'MoFo in the sky' was modified to be a mesh and flashed red and black.

=== Passion of the Polygon ===

Another map made by L4m3r. This map is entirely hexagonal, and everything in the map is similarly hexagonal.

=== Passion of the 3-way ===

Two triangular passion maps were made, one by Spazzy McGee, the other by L4m3r. They both triangulated most objects, though in l4m3r's version, meshed skins were applied to the bases to make them triangular. In Spazzy McGee's they remained square.

=== April Fools ===

This was three maps in one - the regular map, a map scaled down and a map scaled up. These were linked by teleporters and designed to disorientate the player.

April 1st 2007 saw the change to a "hell map" which featured several changes including flaming walls, spinning pyramids and a giant pentagram in the sky. This map is quite different and as a result gameplay is slightly different as there was no outer walls to rico off and no GM camping spots (flattened corner pyramids).

=== The Inversion ===

Made by Spazzy McGee, this is the normal map, but instead of blocks, everything is inverted as holes in the ground.

=== MoFo Garage ===

A map by Sir_Pants that has a large car-park like structure below it.

=== Two Story MoFo ===

Recently re-vamped, this map by Sir_Pants is similar to MoFo garage, but is much more playable. Among the added features were the second story beneath the main play area, and jump pads to go from the lower to top level. It is designed to be a 2-team CTF map, and Sir_Pants recommends the removal of the SW flag when playing this map.

=== Mammoth ===

This is a huge map with five cakes. It's basically four standard passion maps plugged together. It only really works with lots of players, but can be quite an interesting battle, since there are so many places to hide.

=== Epileptic Fit ===

A-Delusion's [[TextureMatrix]] 101.

=== Halloween Edition ===

For halloween 2007, the Planet MoFo team devised several draw-info animations objects, such as bats, dancing skeletons, and spiders. The map was also given a full texture makeover, with rotten wood and stone textures replacing the standard bricks. The map was received well, and is one of the few examples of where drawinfo code has been utilized in a successful map.

== Controversy ==

There has been some controversy surrounding Planet MoFo's use of this map. Originally, the map was designed for use on more conservative servers, however the map was hosted on a server network known for it's liberalism. This was thought by some to be inappropriate, but the hosts and the author have since come to an agreement over its use and modification.

[[Category:Maps]]
[[Category:CTF Maps]]
[[Category:2 Team Maps]]

Include

2007-09-26T23:03:15Z

SpazzyMcGee: Grammar & rewording.

'''Include''' is an option in bzflag mapping that allows you to specify a second bzw file that will be included in the first bzw. Both files are then loaded by bzfs as a single bzw. It is very easy to use, just put this in the first bzw.

<code>include /path/to/file.bzw</code>

Include can be used in many ways. It has proved very useful when several mappers are all working on a single map, and mappers frequently exporting from applications such as Wings3D have found it useful to maintain a separate materials file, as these can often overwrite any image URLs at export. Some people have used includes to isolate regularly modified parts of a map file, for ease of changing. As an example, the material definitions for the Planet MoFo Billboards are stored in a separate file so they can be changed quickly.

[[Category:Map Making]]

Include

2007-09-26T22:58:20Z

SpazzyMcGee: Re-worded an overly presumptuous statement,

Arc

2007-09-26T22:51:54Z

SpazzyMcGee: Added image and some info on matrefs.

The arc object is a [[BZW]] object that defines an arc or cylinder in the game arena.

==Code==
[[Image:Arcmats.jpg|right|thumb|400px|Appearance of an arc with solid color materials. The words show the names used to map materials to various sides. Obviously, the bottom matref is not shown.]]
To place an arc into your map file, the following template is suggested:
{|
|
arc
name example_arc
divisions 16
flatshading
angle 360
ratio 1
position 0 0 0
rotation 0
size 10 10 10
shift 0 0 0
shear 0 0 0
scale 1 1 1
spin angle nx ny nz
texsize -2.0 -2.0 -8.0 -8.0
phydrv physics_driver_name
smoothbounce

## You can give the entire arc a single material with the lone 'matref' property,
## or you can give different parts different materials, as shown below
matref material0
top matref material1
bottom matref material2
inside matref material3
outside matref material4
startside matref material5
endside matref material6
end
|}
Valid parameters for an [[arc]] are
<properties>
name=defines the name of arc, often unused
divisions=defines the number of subdivisions in the arc
flatshading=defines the use of flat shading, smooth is the default
angle=defines the sweep of the arc, 360 indicates a full circle
ratio=defines the ratio to make a hollow arc, the parameter is (outrad - inrad) / outrad.
position=defines the position of the arc in X-pos, Y-pos and the height of the arc in Z.
rotation=defines a rotation around the Z axis for the arc, in degrees.
size=defines the distance from the center to the side of the arc in X and Y, and the total height of the arc in Z.
shift=shift the arc (repeatable)
shear=(repeatable)
scale=defines the scale of the arc in x,y, and z, 1 is the default, lower values make it smaller (repeatable)
spin angle=rotate the arc around a vector by angle. ONE of nx, ny, and nz should be 1, the others should be 0. (repeatable)
texsize=texture sizes, changes how the textures scale on the object. In [[BZFlag_2.0.0|2.0.x]] standard [[Box|boxes]] have "texsize -2.0 -2.0 -8.0 -8.0", in [[BZFlag_2.2|2.2]] [[Box|boxes]] will have "texsize -8.0 -8.0 -8.0 -8.0" so choose the appropriate texsize if you want the arc(s) match the [[Box|box(es)]] exact look.
phydrv=reference to a predefined [[physics|physics driver]].
smoothbounce=defines that shot bounces use normals
matref=reference to a predefined [[material]].
</properties>

==Appearance==
The arc, by default, has the red brick wall texture on the sides, and the grey roof appearance of a normal box on the top. However, using [[material|matref]] one can change the appearance of the arc.

==History==
The arc object has been supported since [[BZFlag 2.0.0]]. In previous versions of BZFlag, this object will not work.

==Editor Support==
Editors that support the arc object include [[Blender]] using the [[BZWTools]], [[Wings3D]] using the [[BZW Exporter for Wings3D]], and [[pyBZEdit]]. [[BZEdit]] and [[BZFed]] do NOT support the arcs.

[[Category:Map Making]]
[[Category:Map_Objects]]

File:Arcmats.jpg

2007-09-26T22:42:08Z

SpazzyMcGee: Overview of the various material definitions.

Overview of the various material definitions.

Category talk:Map Making

2007-06-28T09:00:43Z

SpazzyMcGee: New page: Needs a clean up, and a new page.

Needs a clean up, and a new page.

Map FAQ

2007-06-23T01:36:41Z

SpazzyMcGee: It's full of sloppy conversion....

This page is an aim at answering some frequently asked questions regarding map creation, and to help people new to mapping.

==Common Misconceptions==
First off let's clear up some common terms and misconceptions:

• The word '''"map"''' is not synonymous to the word '''"server"'''. They are different things. A map is run on a server.

• When we say 'server' we mean 'BZFS', the BZFlag server application that comes with every stable binary release of BZFlag. BZFS allows you to host a BZFlag game, with either a randomly generated map, or a custom map.

• The standard extension for a BZFlag map is ".bzw". There are a variety of ways for making maps, and this can be done on any platform [[BZFlag]] runs on.

• You will often hear the different types of map objects referred to by the first version of [[BZFS]] they appeared in. "1.x" objects are simple boxes, pyramids and teleporters. "2.0" or "2.x" objects are objects such as [[mesh|meshes]], [[arc|arcs]], [[material|materials]], etc. With skill, these can be textured to look like almost anything you want.

• Textures '''must''' be in the .png format.

• Team numbering occurs frequently in BZW. Each team is given a number, and these are as follows: 0 = rogue; 1 = red; 2 = green; 3 = blue; 4 = purple.

• '''Think carefully about the layout of your map: Is is going to be fun to play?''' This is a factor that many people call 'playability'. This is probably the most important thing for a map that is intended to be played on. It may seem obvious, but you'd be surprised at the number of maps that are either too full of eye candy, or just badly thought out. You want to think about, among other things, distribution of obstacles, how balanced it is for CTF, concentration of ricochet bullets and sloped surfaces to rebound lasers.

==Frequently Asked Questions==

===How Do I Make a Map/World for BZFlag?===
'''There are many ways to do this:'''

• You can use a dedicated map editor such as [[BZEdit]], [[iBZEdit]] or [[BZFed]]. In general, dedicated editors will only support simple map objects such as a box, a pyramid or a teleporter, and there are none in active development. On the whole, this is the easiest way to create maps for most people. See [[Category:Map_Making]] for more.

• You can use a 3D modeling application, such as Blender or Wings3D. There are plugins available for each. With a 3D modeler, you can create much more complex maps, but there is a much steeper learning curve.
The blender plugin, [[BZWTools]], can be found [http://my.bzflag.org/bb/viewtopic.php?t=5862 here].
The wings plugin can be found [http://my.bzflag.org/bb/viewtopic.php?t=3652 here].

• Lastly, you can edit maps by hand in your favorite plain text editor. Most maps made by hand tend to be fairly simple, though experienced mappers have made some extraordinary maps in this way. It is a good idea to be familiar with the structure of BZW code, as often exported meshes from 3D modelers will require 'touching up' in a text editor. Even the most experienced 3D modeler user needs to know how to text edit.

===Making 2.0 Objects===
'''How do I make a cylinder/cone/sphere etc.?'''

You can't do it in BZEdit. You will need to add them by hand in a text editor.

See [[Category:Map_Making]] and [[BZW]] for more in depth info.

===Adding Textures===
'''I created a map in BZEdit, how do I add my own colors and textures?'''

BZEdit will '''not''' create colored, complex objects. If you want to texture a map made in bzedit, you will need to do so in a text editor such as NotePad. You must change the boxes you want texturing to meshboxes, and define your textures with the [[material]] object.

'''Where can I host textures that I have made for my map?'''

BZFlag offers a free texture hosting service at http://images.bzflag.org . To qualify to be hosted, you need to own the rights to use those textures (i.e. you made it, or you have permission to use it from the creator).
You can submit images via the [http://images.bzflag.org/submitimages submissions page], and they will be moderated. Be patient - the moderation can take some time. Remember - this service is a privilege, not a right.

===Moving Objects===
'''Can I make moving objects in BZFlag?'''

The short answer is no, and there probably never will be moving objects that tanks can interact with. You can, however make moving textures with the textureMatrix object.

The long answer is yes, simple moving objects have been made that move in a circle around the central Z axis using a method of mesh drawing called DrawInfo, however these objects are always shootthrough and drivethrough, and tanks cannot interact with them in any way - in other words decorative only. The DrawInfo code was never fully documented, and as such is very hard to generate. It's probably best to steer clear of it.

===BZEdit For Mac OS X===
'''Can I get BZEdit for Mac OS X?'''

Yes, it's called [[iBZEdit]]
Alternatively, you could use Wings 3D, or Blender if you're prepared for a steep learning curve - or you could go for plain text editing in the TextEdit application that came with your OS.

===Flag and Tank Spawns===
'''How can I get a flag to spawn in a specific place in my map?'''

Use the following simple code:
zone
size 0.1 0.1 0.1 ## Size of the zone
pos 0 0 0 ## Position of the zone (i.e. the place it will spawn)
zoneflag GM 2 ## For example, this will create two GM flags.
end
Note this does '''not''' require you to use the +f bzfs option. If you use zoneflag, the flag will be created automaticaly.

'''How can I get a tank to spawn in a specific place in my map?'''

Use the following simple code:
zone
size 10 10 10 ## Size of the zone
pos 0 0 0 ## Position of the zone (i.e. the place it will spawn)
team 0 1 2 3 4 ## Every team will spawn here..
end
Next to 'team' you put the numbers of the teams you wish to spawn. See above for more details.

===Death Physics===
'''I want tanks to die when a tank touches this box... How?'''

You can create boxes that kill tanks when they are touched by using a [[physics driver]]. A physics driver can be applied to any 2.0 object. Specifically, we need the 'death' function.
physics
name myDeath ## Name of physics driver.
death You Died! ## Message displayed on death.
end
Then you add the reference to the object or mesh face:
phydrv myDeath

===World Weapons===
'''How do I add automatically-shooting weapons in my map?'''

See [[World Weapon]]. You can configure the weapon to fire on a flag capture, like on all your favorite CTF servers.

===Starting a Server===
'''How do I start a server to host my map?'''

http://my.bzflag.org/bb/viewtopic.php?t=2915

[[BZFS]]

==Getting Your Map Out There==
There is a forum dedicated entirely to this on the [[BZBB]]. It's the 'Map Releases' forum. Please bear the following in mind when you release your map.

• '''Releasing you map does not necessarily mean you will get hosting for your map''', so do not post "OMGZ this map is sooo good i spent like 2 hours making it and it's like amazing all my friends think it rawks!!!!!!11". It's not going appeal to many people. Instead give about a paragraph to describe your map, and any server settings you may recommend for playing. Be sure to use full sentences, and check your spelling!

• Extensions, extensions: you should always give your map the '.bzw' file extension, text edited or otherwise. It dosn't matter what you made it in - it's all the same format. It's just good practice.

• '''Give your map an imaginative name''' - not just "xyz's CTF", and not something obvious like "Bridges" or "Castles", as there are probably about five other maps with this title. Instead think of something decriptive and short. Think as though you were titling a movie or a song, something that's going to be attractive to people browsing the forum or listserver.

• Take nice screenshots using the roaming feature in observer mode. Most people will use only the screenshots to get an idea of how well your map will actually play. Try to capture the essence of your map with as little screenshots as possible, no more than three or four, and (if you can) convert your images to JPEGs for faster downloading.

• Furthermore, '''releasing your map means that anyone can download your map.''' If they decide to host your map they don't have to make you an admin on their server. If you have any issues with the way they are using your map take it up with them personally. It's not up for public discussion. See [http://my.bzflag.org/bb/viewtopic.php?t=10575 this announcement] for more information on releasing and licencing in this forum.

• Be open and ready for criticism - if you're new to mapping, the chances are that your map isn't going to be a smash hit, so don't be too offended if somebody doesn't like it. Instead take that criticism on board and use it to improve your map, or to make further maps better.

==Getting Help==
'''If you're looking for some further help with BZW, you can post a question in this forum, or you can always try the ##bzw IRC channel on irc.freenode.net.'''

'''Lastly, have fun making maps. Many players enjoy mapping even more than actually playing the game, and find it an ammusing and challenging passtime. Just remember to persevere, and with some work, you could be the next Dutchrai or Louman!'''

Map FAQ

2007-06-23T01:35:55Z

SpazzyMcGee:

This page is an aim at answering some frequently asked questions regarding map creation, and to help people new to mapping.

==Common Misconceptions==
First off let's clear up some common terms and misconceptions:

• The word '''"map"''' is not synonymous to the word '''"server"'''. They are different things. A map is run on a server.

• When we say 'server' we mean 'BZFS', the BZFlag server application that comes with every stable binary release of BZFlag. BZFS allows you to host a BZFlag game, with either a randomly generated map, or a custom map.

• The standard extension for a BZFlag map is ".bzw". There are a variety of ways for making maps, and this can be done on any platform [[BZFlag]] runs on.

• You will often hear the different types of map objects referred to by the first version of [[BZFS]] they appeared in. "1.x" objects are simple boxes, pyramids and teleporters. "2.0" or "2.x" objects are objects such as [[mesh|meshes]], [[arc|arcs]], [[material|materials]], etc. With skill, these can be textured to look like almost anything you want.

• Textures '''must''' be in the .png format.

• Team numbering occurs frequently in BZW. Each team is given a number, and these are as follows: 0 = rogue; 1 = red; 2 = green; 3 = blue; 4 = purple.

• '''Think carefully about the layout of your map: Is is going to be fun to play?''' This is a factor that many people call 'playability'. This is probably the most important thing for a map that is intended to be played on. It may seem obvious, but you'd be surprised at the number of maps that are either too full of eye candy, or just badly thought out. You want to think about, among other things, distribution of obstacles, how balanced it is for CTF, concentration of ricochet bullets and sloped surfaces to rebound lasers.

==Frequently Asked Questions==

===How Do I Make a Map/World for BZFlag?===
'''There are many ways to do this:'''
• You can use a dedicated map editor such as [[BZEdit]], [[iBZEdit]] or [[BZFed]]. In general, dedicated editors will only support simple map objects such as a box, a pyramid or a teleporter, and there are none in active development. On the whole, this is the easiest way to create maps for most people. See [[Category:Map_Making]] for more.

• You can use a 3D modeling application, such as Blender or Wings3D. There are plugins available for each. With a 3D modeler, you can create much more complex maps, but there is a much steeper learning curve.
The blender plugin, [[BZWTools]], can be found [http://my.bzflag.org/bb/viewtopic.php?t=5862 here].
The wings plugin can be found [http://my.bzflag.org/bb/viewtopic.php?t=3652 here].

• Lastly, you can edit maps by hand in your favorite plain text editor. Most maps made by hand tend to be fairly simple, though experienced mappers have made some extraordinary maps in this way. It is a good idea to be familiar with the structure of BZW code, as often exported meshes from 3D modelers will require 'touching up' in a text editor. Even the most experienced 3D modeler user needs to know how to text edit.

===Making 2.0 Objects===
'''How do I make a cylinder/cone/sphere etc.?'''

You can't do it in BZEdit. You will need to add them by hand in a text editor.

See [[Category:Map_Making]] and [[BZW]] for more in depth info.

===Adding Textures===
'''I created a map in BZEdit, how do I add my own colors and textures?'''

BZEdit will '''not''' create colored, complex objects. If you want to texture a map made in bzedit, you will need to do so in a text editor such as NotePad. You must change the boxes you want texturing to meshboxes, and define your textures with the [[material]] object.

'''Where can I host textures that I have made for my map?'''

BZFlag offers a free texture hosting service at http://images.bzflag.org . To qualify to be hosted, you need to own the rights to use those textures (i.e. you made it, or you have permission to use it from the creator).
You can submit images via the [http://images.bzflag.org/submitimages submissions page], and they will be moderated. Be patient - the moderation can take some time. Remember - this service is a privilege, not a right.

===Moving Objects===
'''Can I make moving objects in BZFlag?'''

The short answer is no, and there probably never will be moving objects that tanks can interact with. You can, however make moving textures with the textureMatrix object.

The long answer is yes, simple moving objects have been made that move in a circle around the central Z axis using a method of mesh drawing called DrawInfo, however these objects are always shootthrough and drivethrough, and tanks cannot interact with them in any way - in other words decorative only. The DrawInfo code was never fully documented, and as such is very hard to generate. It's probably best to steer clear of it.

===BZEdit For Mac OS X===
'''Can I get BZEdit for Mac OS X?'''

Yes, it's called [[iBZEdit]]
Alternatively, you could use Wings 3D, or Blender if you're prepared for a steep learning curve - or you could go for plain text editing in the TextEdit application that came with your OS.

===Flag and Tank Spawns===
'''How can I get a flag to spawn in a specific place in my map?'''

Use the following simple code:
zone
size 0.1 0.1 0.1 ## Size of the zone
pos 0 0 0 ## Position of the zone (i.e. the place it will spawn)
zoneflag GM 2 ## For example, this will create two GM flags.
end
Note this does '''not''' require you to use the +f bzfs option. If you use zoneflag, the flag will be created automaticaly.

'''How can I get a tank to spawn in a specific place in my map?'''

Use the following simple code:
zone
size 10 10 10 ## Size of the zone
pos 0 0 0 ## Position of the zone (i.e. the place it will spawn)
team 0 1 2 3 4 ## Every team will spawn here..
end
Next to 'team' you put the numbers of the teams you wish to spawn. See above for more details.

===Death Physics===
'''I want tanks to die when a tank touches this box... How?'''

You can create boxes that kill tanks when they are touched by using a [[physics driver]]. A physics driver can be applied to any 2.0 object. Specifically, we need the 'death' function.
physics
name myDeath ## Name of physics driver.
death You Died! ## Message displayed on death.
end
Then you add the reference to the object or mesh face:
phydrv myDeath

===World Weapons===
'''How do I add automatically-shooting weapons in my map?'''

See [[World Weapon]]. You can configure the weapon to fire on a flag capture, like on all your favorite CTF servers.

===Starting a Server===
'''How do I start a server to host my map?'''

http://my.bzflag.org/bb/viewtopic.php?t=2915

[[BZFS]]

==Getting Your Map Out There==
There is a forum dedicated entirely to this on the [[BZBB]]. It's the 'Map Releases' forum. Please bear the following in mind when you release your map.

• '''Releasing you map does not necessarily mean you will get hosting for your map''', so do not post "OMGZ this map is sooo good i spent like 2 hours making it and it's like amazing all my friends think it rawks!!!!!!11". It's not going appeal to many people. Instead give about a paragraph to describe your map, and any server settings you may recommend for playing. Be sure to use full sentences, and check your spelling!

• Extensions, extensions: you should always give your map the '.bzw' file extension, text edited or otherwise. It dosn't matter what you made it in - it's all the same format. It's just good practice.

• '''Give your map an imaginative name''' - not just "xyz's CTF", and not something obvious like "Bridges" or "Castles", as there are probably about five other maps with this title. Instead think of something decriptive and short. Think as though you were titling a movie or a song, something that's going to be attractive to people browsing the forum or listserver.

• Take nice screenshots using the roaming feature in observer mode. Most people will use only the screenshots to get an idea of how well your map will actually play. Try to capture the essence of your map with as little screenshots as possible, no more than three or four, and (if you can) convert your images to JPEGs for faster downloading.

• Furthermore, '''releasing your map means that anyone can download your map.''' If they decide to host your map they don't have to make you an admin on their server. If you have any issues with the way they are using your map take it up with them personally. It's not up for public discussion. See [http://my.bzflag.org/bb/viewtopic.php?t=10575 this announcement] for more information on releasing and licencing in this forum.

• Be open and ready for criticism - if you're new to mapping, the chances are that your map isn't going to be a smash hit, so don't be too offended if somebody doesn't like it. Instead take that criticism on board and use it to improve your map, or to make further maps better.

==Getting Help==
'''If you're looking for some further help with BZW, you can post a question in this forum, or you can always try the ##bzw IRC channel on irc.freenode.net.'''

'''Lastly, have fun making maps. Many players enjoy mapping even more than actually playing the game, and find it an ammusing and challenging passtime. Just remember to persevere, and with some work, you could be the next Dutchrai or Louman!'''

Map FAQ

2007-06-23T01:34:14Z

SpazzyMcGee: /* Starting a Server */

This page is an aim at answering some frequently asked questions regarding map creation, and to help people new to mapping.

==Common Misconceptions==
First off let's clear up some common terms and misconceptions:

• The word '''"map"''' is not synonymous to the word '''"server"'''. They are different things. A map is run on a server.

• When we say 'server' we mean 'BZFS', the BZFlag server application that comes with every stable binary release of BZFlag. BZFS allows you to host a BZFlag game, with either a randomly generated map, or a custom map.

• The standard extension for a BZFlag map is ".bzw". There are a variety of ways for making maps, and this can be done on any platform [[BZFlag]] runs on.

• You will often hear the different types of map objects referred to by the first version of [[BZFS]] they appeared in. "1.x" objects are simple boxes, pyramids and teleporters. "2.0" or "2.x" objects are objects such as [[mesh|meshes]], [[arc|arcs]], [[material|materials]], etc. With skill, these can be textured to look like almost anything you want.

• Textures '''must''' be in the .png format.

• Team numbering occurs frequently in BZW. Each team is given a number, and these are as follows: 0 = rogue; 1 = red; 2 = green; 3 = blue; 4 = purple.

• '''Think carefully about the layout of your map: Is is going to be fun to play?''' This is a factor that many people call 'playability'. This is probably the most important thing for a map that is intended to be played on. It may seem obvious, but you'd be surprised at the number of maps that are either too full of eye candy, or just badly thought out. You want to think about, among other things, distribution of obstacles, how balanced it is for CTF, concentration of ricochet bullets and sloped surfaces to rebound lasers.

==Frequently Asked Questions==

===How Do I Make a Map/World for BZFlag?===
'''There are many ways to do this:'''
• You can use a dedicated map editor such as [[BZEdit]], [[iBZEdit]] or [[BZFed]]. In general, dedicated editors will only support simple map objects such as a box, a pyramid or a teleporter, and there are none in active development. On the whole, this is the easiest way to create maps for most people. See [[Category:Map_Making]] for more.

• You can use a 3D modeling application, such as Blender or Wings3D. There are plugins available for each. With a 3D modeler, you can create much more complex maps, but there is a much steeper learning curve.
The blender plugin, [[BZWTools]], can be found [http://my.bzflag.org/bb/viewtopic.php?t=5862 here].
The wings plugin can be found [http://my.bzflag.org/bb/viewtopic.php?t=3652 here].

• Lastly, you can edit maps by hand in your favorite plain text editor. Most maps made by hand tend to be fairly simple, though experienced mappers have made some extraordinary maps in this way. It is a good idea to be familiar with the structure of BZW code, as often exported meshes from 3D modelers will require 'touching up' in a text editor. Even the most experienced 3D modeler user needs to know how to text edit.

===Making 2.0 Objects===
'''How do I make a cylinder/cone/sphere etc.?'''
You can't do it in BZEdit. You will need to add them by hand in a text editor.

See [[Category:Map_Making]] and [[BZW]] for more in depth info.

===Adding Textures===
'''I created a map in BZEdit, how do I add my own colors and textures?'''
BZEdit will '''not''' create colored, complex objects. If you want to texture a map made in bzedit, you will need to do so in a text editor such as NotePad. You must change the boxes you want texturing to meshboxes, and define your textures with the [[material]] object.

'''Where can I host textures that I have made for my map?'''
BZFlag offers a free texture hosting service at http://images.bzflag.org . To qualify to be hosted, you need to own the rights to use those textures (i.e. you made it, or you have permission to use it from the creator).
You can submit images via the [http://images.bzflag.org/submitimages submissions page], and they will be moderated. Be patient - the moderation can take some time. Remember - this service is a privilege, not a right.

===Moving Objects===
'''Can I make moving objects in BZFlag?'''
The short answer is no, and there probably never will be moving objects that tanks can interact with. You can, however make moving textures with the textureMatrix object.

The long answer is yes, simple moving objects have been made that move in a circle around the central Z axis using a method of mesh drawing called DrawInfo, however these objects are always shootthrough and drivethrough, and tanks cannot interact with them in any way - in other words decorative only. The DrawInfo code was never fully documented, and as such is very hard to generate. It's probably best to steer clear of it.

===BZEdit For Mac OS X===
'''Can I get BZEdit for Mac OS X?'''
Yes, it's called [[iBZEdit]]
Alternatively, you could use Wings 3D, or Blender if you're prepared for a steep learning curve - or you could go for plain text editing in the TextEdit application that came with your OS.

===Flag and Tank Spawns===
'''How can I get a flag to spawn in a specific place in my map?'''
Use the following simple code:
zone
size 0.1 0.1 0.1 ## Size of the zone
pos 0 0 0 ## Position of the zone (i.e. the place it will spawn)
zoneflag GM 2 ## For example, this will create two GM flags.
end
Note this does '''not''' require you to use the +f bzfs option. If you use zoneflag, the flag will be created automaticaly.

'''How can I get a tank to spawn in a specific place in my map?'''
Use the following simple code:
zone
size 10 10 10 ## Size of the zone
pos 0 0 0 ## Position of the zone (i.e. the place it will spawn)
team 0 1 2 3 4 ## Every team will spawn here..
end
Next to 'team' you put the numbers of the teams you wish to spawn. See above for more details.

===Death Physics===
'''I want tanks to die when a tank touches this box... How?'''
You can create boxes that kill tanks when they are touched by using a [[physics driver]]. A physics driver can be applied to any 2.0 object. Specifically, we need the 'death' function.
physics
name myDeath ## Name of physics driver.
death You Died! ## Message displayed on death.
end
Then you add the reference to the object or mesh face:
phydrv myDeath

===World Weapons===
'''How do I add automatically-shooting weapons in my map?'''
See [[World Weapon]]. You can configure the weapon to fire on a flag capture, like on all your favorite CTF servers.

===Starting a Server===
'''How do I start a server to host my map?'''

http://my.bzflag.org/bb/viewtopic.php?t=2915

[[BZFS]]

==Getting Your Map Out There==
There is a forum dedicated entirely to this on the [[BZBB]]. It's the 'Map Releases' forum. Please bear the following in mind when you release your map.

• '''Releasing you map does not necessarily mean you will get hosting for your map''', so do not post "OMGZ this map is sooo good i spent like 2 hours making it and it's like amazing all my friends think it rawks!!!!!!11". It's not going appeal to many people. Instead give about a paragraph to describe your map, and any server settings you may recommend for playing. Be sure to use full sentences, and check your spelling!

• Extensions, extensions: you should always give your map the '.bzw' file extension, text edited or otherwise. It dosn't matter what you made it in - it's all the same format. It's just good practice.

• '''Give your map an imaginative name''' - not just "xyz's CTF", and not something obvious like "Bridges" or "Castles", as there are probably about five other maps with this title. Instead think of something decriptive and short. Think as though you were titling a movie or a song, something that's going to be attractive to people browsing the forum or listserver.

• Take nice screenshots using the roaming feature in observer mode. Most people will use only the screenshots to get an idea of how well your map will actually play. Try to capture the essence of your map with as little screenshots as possible, no more than three or four, and (if you can) convert your images to JPEGs for faster downloading.

• Furthermore, '''releasing your map means that anyone can download your map.''' If they decide to host your map they don't have to make you an admin on their server. If you have any issues with the way they are using your map take it up with them personally. It's not up for public discussion. See [http://my.bzflag.org/bb/viewtopic.php?t=10575 this announcement] for more information on releasing and licencing in this forum.

• Be open and ready for criticism - if you're new to mapping, the chances are that your map isn't going to be a smash hit, so don't be too offended if somebody doesn't like it. Instead take that criticism on board and use it to improve your map, or to make further maps better.

==Getting Help==
'''If you're looking for some further help with BZW, you can post a question in this forum, or you can always try the ##bzw IRC channel on irc.freenode.net.'''

'''Lastly, have fun making maps. Many players enjoy mapping even more than actually playing the game, and find it an ammusing and challenging passtime. Just remember to persevere, and with some work, you could be the next Dutchrai or Louman!'''

Map FAQ

2007-06-23T01:33:48Z

SpazzyMcGee: /* Starting a Server */

This page is an aim at answering some frequently asked questions regarding map creation, and to help people new to mapping.

==Common Misconceptions==
First off let's clear up some common terms and misconceptions:

• The word '''"map"''' is not synonymous to the word '''"server"'''. They are different things. A map is run on a server.

• When we say 'server' we mean 'BZFS', the BZFlag server application that comes with every stable binary release of BZFlag. BZFS allows you to host a BZFlag game, with either a randomly generated map, or a custom map.

• The standard extension for a BZFlag map is ".bzw". There are a variety of ways for making maps, and this can be done on any platform [[BZFlag]] runs on.

• You will often hear the different types of map objects referred to by the first version of [[BZFS]] they appeared in. "1.x" objects are simple boxes, pyramids and teleporters. "2.0" or "2.x" objects are objects such as [[mesh|meshes]], [[arc|arcs]], [[material|materials]], etc. With skill, these can be textured to look like almost anything you want.

• Textures '''must''' be in the .png format.

• Team numbering occurs frequently in BZW. Each team is given a number, and these are as follows: 0 = rogue; 1 = red; 2 = green; 3 = blue; 4 = purple.

• '''Think carefully about the layout of your map: Is is going to be fun to play?''' This is a factor that many people call 'playability'. This is probably the most important thing for a map that is intended to be played on. It may seem obvious, but you'd be surprised at the number of maps that are either too full of eye candy, or just badly thought out. You want to think about, among other things, distribution of obstacles, how balanced it is for CTF, concentration of ricochet bullets and sloped surfaces to rebound lasers.

==Frequently Asked Questions==

===How Do I Make a Map/World for BZFlag?===
'''There are many ways to do this:'''
• You can use a dedicated map editor such as [[BZEdit]], [[iBZEdit]] or [[BZFed]]. In general, dedicated editors will only support simple map objects such as a box, a pyramid or a teleporter, and there are none in active development. On the whole, this is the easiest way to create maps for most people. See [[Category:Map_Making]] for more.

• You can use a 3D modeling application, such as Blender or Wings3D. There are plugins available for each. With a 3D modeler, you can create much more complex maps, but there is a much steeper learning curve.
The blender plugin, [[BZWTools]], can be found [http://my.bzflag.org/bb/viewtopic.php?t=5862 here].
The wings plugin can be found [http://my.bzflag.org/bb/viewtopic.php?t=3652 here].

• Lastly, you can edit maps by hand in your favorite plain text editor. Most maps made by hand tend to be fairly simple, though experienced mappers have made some extraordinary maps in this way. It is a good idea to be familiar with the structure of BZW code, as often exported meshes from 3D modelers will require 'touching up' in a text editor. Even the most experienced 3D modeler user needs to know how to text edit.

===Making 2.0 Objects===
'''How do I make a cylinder/cone/sphere etc.?'''
You can't do it in BZEdit. You will need to add them by hand in a text editor.

See [[Category:Map_Making]] and [[BZW]] for more in depth info.

===Adding Textures===
'''I created a map in BZEdit, how do I add my own colors and textures?'''
BZEdit will '''not''' create colored, complex objects. If you want to texture a map made in bzedit, you will need to do so in a text editor such as NotePad. You must change the boxes you want texturing to meshboxes, and define your textures with the [[material]] object.

'''Where can I host textures that I have made for my map?'''
BZFlag offers a free texture hosting service at http://images.bzflag.org . To qualify to be hosted, you need to own the rights to use those textures (i.e. you made it, or you have permission to use it from the creator).
You can submit images via the [http://images.bzflag.org/submitimages submissions page], and they will be moderated. Be patient - the moderation can take some time. Remember - this service is a privilege, not a right.

===Moving Objects===
'''Can I make moving objects in BZFlag?'''
The short answer is no, and there probably never will be moving objects that tanks can interact with. You can, however make moving textures with the textureMatrix object.

The long answer is yes, simple moving objects have been made that move in a circle around the central Z axis using a method of mesh drawing called DrawInfo, however these objects are always shootthrough and drivethrough, and tanks cannot interact with them in any way - in other words decorative only. The DrawInfo code was never fully documented, and as such is very hard to generate. It's probably best to steer clear of it.

===BZEdit For Mac OS X===
'''Can I get BZEdit for Mac OS X?'''
Yes, it's called [[iBZEdit]]
Alternatively, you could use Wings 3D, or Blender if you're prepared for a steep learning curve - or you could go for plain text editing in the TextEdit application that came with your OS.

===Flag and Tank Spawns===
'''How can I get a flag to spawn in a specific place in my map?'''
Use the following simple code:
zone
size 0.1 0.1 0.1 ## Size of the zone
pos 0 0 0 ## Position of the zone (i.e. the place it will spawn)
zoneflag GM 2 ## For example, this will create two GM flags.
end
Note this does '''not''' require you to use the +f bzfs option. If you use zoneflag, the flag will be created automaticaly.

'''How can I get a tank to spawn in a specific place in my map?'''
Use the following simple code:
zone
size 10 10 10 ## Size of the zone
pos 0 0 0 ## Position of the zone (i.e. the place it will spawn)
team 0 1 2 3 4 ## Every team will spawn here..
end
Next to 'team' you put the numbers of the teams you wish to spawn. See above for more details.

===Death Physics===
'''I want tanks to die when a tank touches this box... How?'''
You can create boxes that kill tanks when they are touched by using a [[physics driver]]. A physics driver can be applied to any 2.0 object. Specifically, we need the 'death' function.
physics
name myDeath ## Name of physics driver.
death You Died! ## Message displayed on death.
end
Then you add the reference to the object or mesh face:
phydrv myDeath

===World Weapons===
'''How do I add automatically-shooting weapons in my map?'''
See [[World Weapon]]. You can configure the weapon to fire on a flag capture, like on all your favorite CTF servers.

===Starting a Server===
'''How do I start a server to host my map?'''
http://my.bzflag.org/bb/viewtopic.php?t=2915

[[BZFS]]

==Getting Your Map Out There==
There is a forum dedicated entirely to this on the [[BZBB]]. It's the 'Map Releases' forum. Please bear the following in mind when you release your map.

• '''Releasing you map does not necessarily mean you will get hosting for your map''', so do not post "OMGZ this map is sooo good i spent like 2 hours making it and it's like amazing all my friends think it rawks!!!!!!11". It's not going appeal to many people. Instead give about a paragraph to describe your map, and any server settings you may recommend for playing. Be sure to use full sentences, and check your spelling!

• Extensions, extensions: you should always give your map the '.bzw' file extension, text edited or otherwise. It dosn't matter what you made it in - it's all the same format. It's just good practice.

• '''Give your map an imaginative name''' - not just "xyz's CTF", and not something obvious like "Bridges" or "Castles", as there are probably about five other maps with this title. Instead think of something decriptive and short. Think as though you were titling a movie or a song, something that's going to be attractive to people browsing the forum or listserver.

• Take nice screenshots using the roaming feature in observer mode. Most people will use only the screenshots to get an idea of how well your map will actually play. Try to capture the essence of your map with as little screenshots as possible, no more than three or four, and (if you can) convert your images to JPEGs for faster downloading.

• Furthermore, '''releasing your map means that anyone can download your map.''' If they decide to host your map they don't have to make you an admin on their server. If you have any issues with the way they are using your map take it up with them personally. It's not up for public discussion. See [http://my.bzflag.org/bb/viewtopic.php?t=10575 this announcement] for more information on releasing and licencing in this forum.

• Be open and ready for criticism - if you're new to mapping, the chances are that your map isn't going to be a smash hit, so don't be too offended if somebody doesn't like it. Instead take that criticism on board and use it to improve your map, or to make further maps better.

==Getting Help==
'''If you're looking for some further help with BZW, you can post a question in this forum, or you can always try the ##bzw IRC channel on irc.freenode.net.'''

'''Lastly, have fun making maps. Many players enjoy mapping even more than actually playing the game, and find it an ammusing and challenging passtime. Just remember to persevere, and with some work, you could be the next Dutchrai or Louman!'''

Map FAQ

2007-06-23T01:31:27Z

SpazzyMcGee: Proof read & cleanup.

This page is an aim at answering some frequently asked questions regarding map creation, and to help people new to mapping.

==Common Misconceptions==
First off let's clear up some common terms and misconceptions:

• The word '''"map"''' is not synonymous to the word '''"server"'''. They are different things. A map is run on a server.

• When we say 'server' we mean 'BZFS', the BZFlag server application that comes with every stable binary release of BZFlag. BZFS allows you to host a BZFlag game, with either a randomly generated map, or a custom map.

• The standard extension for a BZFlag map is ".bzw". There are a variety of ways for making maps, and this can be done on any platform [[BZFlag]] runs on.

• You will often hear the different types of map objects referred to by the first version of [[BZFS]] they appeared in. "1.x" objects are simple boxes, pyramids and teleporters. "2.0" or "2.x" objects are objects such as [[mesh|meshes]], [[arc|arcs]], [[material|materials]], etc. With skill, these can be textured to look like almost anything you want.

• Textures '''must''' be in the .png format.

• Team numbering occurs frequently in BZW. Each team is given a number, and these are as follows: 0 = rogue; 1 = red; 2 = green; 3 = blue; 4 = purple.

• '''Think carefully about the layout of your map: Is is going to be fun to play?''' This is a factor that many people call 'playability'. This is probably the most important thing for a map that is intended to be played on. It may seem obvious, but you'd be surprised at the number of maps that are either too full of eye candy, or just badly thought out. You want to think about, among other things, distribution of obstacles, how balanced it is for CTF, concentration of ricochet bullets and sloped surfaces to rebound lasers.

==Frequently Asked Questions==

===How Do I Make a Map/World for BZFlag?===
'''There are many ways to do this:'''
• You can use a dedicated map editor such as [[BZEdit]], [[iBZEdit]] or [[BZFed]]. In general, dedicated editors will only support simple map objects such as a box, a pyramid or a teleporter, and there are none in active development. On the whole, this is the easiest way to create maps for most people. See [[Category:Map_Making]] for more.

• You can use a 3D modeling application, such as Blender or Wings3D. There are plugins available for each. With a 3D modeler, you can create much more complex maps, but there is a much steeper learning curve.
The blender plugin, [[BZWTools]], can be found [http://my.bzflag.org/bb/viewtopic.php?t=5862 here].
The wings plugin can be found [http://my.bzflag.org/bb/viewtopic.php?t=3652 here].

• Lastly, you can edit maps by hand in your favorite plain text editor. Most maps made by hand tend to be fairly simple, though experienced mappers have made some extraordinary maps in this way. It is a good idea to be familiar with the structure of BZW code, as often exported meshes from 3D modelers will require 'touching up' in a text editor. Even the most experienced 3D modeler user needs to know how to text edit.

===Making 2.0 Objects===
'''How do I make a cylinder/cone/sphere etc.?'''
You can't do it in BZEdit. You will need to add them by hand in a text editor.

See [[Category:Map_Making]] and [[BZW]] for more in depth info.

===Adding Textures===
'''I created a map in BZEdit, how do I add my own colors and textures?'''
BZEdit will '''not''' create colored, complex objects. If you want to texture a map made in bzedit, you will need to do so in a text editor such as NotePad. You must change the boxes you want texturing to meshboxes, and define your textures with the [[material]] object.

'''Where can I host textures that I have made for my map?'''
BZFlag offers a free texture hosting service at http://images.bzflag.org . To qualify to be hosted, you need to own the rights to use those textures (i.e. you made it, or you have permission to use it from the creator).
You can submit images via the [http://images.bzflag.org/submitimages submissions page], and they will be moderated. Be patient - the moderation can take some time. Remember - this service is a privilege, not a right.

===Moving Objects===
'''Can I make moving objects in BZFlag?'''
The short answer is no, and there probably never will be moving objects that tanks can interact with. You can, however make moving textures with the textureMatrix object.

The long answer is yes, simple moving objects have been made that move in a circle around the central Z axis using a method of mesh drawing called DrawInfo, however these objects are always shootthrough and drivethrough, and tanks cannot interact with them in any way - in other words decorative only. The DrawInfo code was never fully documented, and as such is very hard to generate. It's probably best to steer clear of it.

===BZEdit For Mac OS X===
'''Can I get BZEdit for Mac OS X?'''
Yes, it's called [[iBZEdit]]
Alternatively, you could use Wings 3D, or Blender if you're prepared for a steep learning curve - or you could go for plain text editing in the TextEdit application that came with your OS.

===Flag and Tank Spawns===
'''How can I get a flag to spawn in a specific place in my map?'''
Use the following simple code:
zone
size 0.1 0.1 0.1 ## Size of the zone
pos 0 0 0 ## Position of the zone (i.e. the place it will spawn)
zoneflag GM 2 ## For example, this will create two GM flags.
end
Note this does '''not''' require you to use the +f bzfs option. If you use zoneflag, the flag will be created automaticaly.

'''How can I get a tank to spawn in a specific place in my map?'''
Use the following simple code:
zone
size 10 10 10 ## Size of the zone
pos 0 0 0 ## Position of the zone (i.e. the place it will spawn)
team 0 1 2 3 4 ## Every team will spawn here..
end
Next to 'team' you put the numbers of the teams you wish to spawn. See above for more details.

===Death Physics===
'''I want tanks to die when a tank touches this box... How?'''
You can create boxes that kill tanks when they are touched by using a [[physics driver]]. A physics driver can be applied to any 2.0 object. Specifically, we need the 'death' function.
physics
name myDeath ## Name of physics driver.
death You Died! ## Message displayed on death.
end
Then you add the reference to the object or mesh face:
phydrv myDeath

===World Weapons===
'''How do I add automatically-shooting weapons in my map?'''
See [[World Weapon]]. You can configure the weapon to fire on a flag capture, like on all your favorite CTF servers.

===Starting a Server===
'''How do I start a server to host my map?'''
http://my.bzflag.org/bb/viewtopic.php?t=2915
[[BZFS]]

==Getting Your Map Out There==
There is a forum dedicated entirely to this on the [[BZBB]]. It's the 'Map Releases' forum. Please bear the following in mind when you release your map.

• '''Releasing you map does not necessarily mean you will get hosting for your map''', so do not post "OMGZ this map is sooo good i spent like 2 hours making it and it's like amazing all my friends think it rawks!!!!!!11". It's not going appeal to many people. Instead give about a paragraph to describe your map, and any server settings you may recommend for playing. Be sure to use full sentences, and check your spelling!

• Extensions, extensions: you should always give your map the '.bzw' file extension, text edited or otherwise. It dosn't matter what you made it in - it's all the same format. It's just good practice.

• '''Give your map an imaginative name''' - not just "xyz's CTF", and not something obvious like "Bridges" or "Castles", as there are probably about five other maps with this title. Instead think of something decriptive and short. Think as though you were titling a movie or a song, something that's going to be attractive to people browsing the forum or listserver.

• Take nice screenshots using the roaming feature in observer mode. Most people will use only the screenshots to get an idea of how well your map will actually play. Try to capture the essence of your map with as little screenshots as possible, no more than three or four, and (if you can) convert your images to JPEGs for faster downloading.

• Furthermore, '''releasing your map means that anyone can download your map.''' If they decide to host your map they don't have to make you an admin on their server. If you have any issues with the way they are using your map take it up with them personally. It's not up for public discussion. See [http://my.bzflag.org/bb/viewtopic.php?t=10575 this announcement] for more information on releasing and licencing in this forum.

• Be open and ready for criticism - if you're new to mapping, the chances are that your map isn't going to be a smash hit, so don't be too offended if somebody doesn't like it. Instead take that criticism on board and use it to improve your map, or to make further maps better.

==Getting Help==
'''If you're looking for some further help with BZW, you can post a question in this forum, or you can always try the ##bzw IRC channel on irc.freenode.net.'''

'''Lastly, have fun making maps. Many players enjoy mapping even more than actually playing the game, and find it an ammusing and challenging passtime. Just remember to persevere, and with some work, you could be the next Dutchrai or Louman!'''

Map FAQ

2007-06-23T01:26:10Z

SpazzyMcGee: Map FAQs

This post is an aim at answering some frequently asked questions regarding map creation, and to help people new to mapping.

==Common Misconceptions==
First off let's clear up some common terms and misconceptions:

• The word '''"map"''' is not synonymous to the word '''"server"'''. They are different things. A map is run on a server.

• When we say 'server' we mean 'BZFS', the BZFlag server application that comes with every stable binary release of BZFlag. BZFS allows you to host a BZFlag game, with either a randomly generated map, or a custom map.

• The standard extension for a BZFlag map is ".bzw". There are a variety of ways for making maps, and this can be done on any platform BZFlag runs on.

• You will often hear the different types of map objects referred to by the first version of BZFS they appeared in. "1.x" objects are simple boxes, pyramids and teleporters. "2.0" or "2.x" objects are objects such as meshes, arcs, materials, etc. With skill, these can be textured to look like almost anything you want.

• Textures '''must''' be in the .png format.

• Team numbering occurs frequently in BZW. Each team is given a number, and these are as follows: 0 = rogue; 1 = red; 2 = green; 3 = blue; 4 = purple.

• '''Think carefully about the layout of your map: Is is going to be fun to play?''' This is a factor that many people call 'playability'. This is probably the most important thing for a map that is intended to be played on. It may seem obvious, but you'd be surprised at the number of maps that are either too full of eye candy, or just badly thought out. You want to think about, among other things, distribution of obstacles, how balanced it is for CTF, concentration of ricochet bullets and sloped surfaces to rebound lasers.

==Frequently Asked Questions==

===How Do I Make a Map/World for BZFlag?===
'''There are many ways to do this:'''
• You can use a dedicated map editor such as BZEdit, iBZEdit or BZFed. In general, dedicated editors will only support simple map objects such as a box, a pyramid or a teleporter, and there are none in active development. On the whole, this is the easiest way to create maps for most people. See [[Category:Map_Making]] for more.

• You can use a 3D modeling application, such as Blender or Wings3D. There are plugins available for each. With a 3D modeler, you can create much more complex maps, but there is a much steeper learning curve.
The blender plugin, BZWTools, can be found [http://my.bzflag.org/bb/viewtopic.php?t=5862 here].
The wings plugin can be found [http://my.bzflag.org/bb/viewtopic.php?t=3652 here].

• Lastly, you can edit maps by hand in your favorite plain text editor. Most maps made by hand tend to be fairly simple, though experienced mappers have made some extraordinary maps in this way. It is a good idea to be familiar with the structure of BZW code, as often exported meshes from 3D modelers will require 'touching up' in a text editor. Even the most experienced 3D modeler user needs to know how to text edit.

===Making 2.0 Objects===
'''How do I make a cylinder/cone/sphere etc.?'''
You can't do it in BZEdit. You will need to add them by hand in a text editor.

See [[Category:Map_Making]] and [[BZW]] for more in depth info.

===Adding Textures===
'''I created a map in BZEdit, how do I add my own colors and textures?'''
BZEdit will '''not''' create colored, complex objects. If you want to texture a map made in bzedit, you will need to do so in a text editor such as NotePad. You must change the boxes you want texturing to meshboxes, and define your textures with the [[material]] object.

'''Where can I host textures that I have made for my map?'''
BZFlag offers a free texture hosting service at http://images.bzflag.org . To qualify to be hosted, you need to own the rights to use those textures (i.e. you made it, or you have permission to use it from the creator).
You can submit images via the [http://images.bzflag.org/submitimages submissions page], and they will be moderated. Be patient - the moderation can take some time. Remember - this service is a privilege, not a right.

===Moving Objects===
'''Can I make moving objects in BZFlag?'''
The short answer is no, and there probably never will be moving objects that tanks can interact with. You can, however make moving textures with the textureMatrix object.

The long answer is yes, simple moving objects have been made that move in a circle around the central Z axis using a method of mesh drawing called DrawInfo, however these objects are always shootthrough and drivethrough, and tanks cannot interact with them in any way - in other words decorative only. The DrawInfo code was never fully documented, and as such is very hard to generate. It's probably best to steer clear of it.

===BZEdit For Mac OS X===
'''Can I get BZEdit for Mac OS X?'''
Yes, it's called [[iBZEdit]]
Alternatively, you could use Wings 3D, or Blender if you're prepared for a steep learning curve - or you could go for plain text editing in the TextEdit application that came with your OS.

===Flag and Tank Spawns]]
'''How can I get a flag to spawn in a specific place in my map?'''
Use the following simple code:
zone
size 0.1 0.1 0.1 ## Size of the zone
pos 0 0 0 ## Position of the zone (i.e. the place it will spawn)
zoneflag GM 2 ## For example, this will create two GM flags.
end
Note this does '''not''' require you to use the +f bzfs option. If you use zoneflag, the flag will be created automaticaly.

'''How can I get a tank to spawn in a specific place in my map?'''
Use the following simple code:
zone
size 10 10 10 ## Size of the zone
pos 0 0 0 ## Position of the zone (i.e. the place it will spawn)
team 0 1 2 3 4 ## Every team will spawn here..
end
Next to 'team' you put the numbers of the teams you wish to spawn. See above for more details.

===Death Physics===
'''I want tanks to die when a tank touches this box... How?'''
You can create boxes that kill tanks when they are touched by using a physics driver. A physics driver can be applied to any 2.0 object. Specifically, we need the 'death' function.
physics
name myDeath ## Name of physics driver.
death You Died! ## Message displayed on death.
end
Then you add the reference to the object or mesh face:
phydrv myDeath

===World Weapons===
'''How do I add automatically-shooting weapons in my map?'''
See [[World Weapon]]. You can configure the weapon to fire on a flag capture, like on all your favorite CTF servers.

===Starting a Server===
'''How do I start a server to host my map?'''
http://my.bzflag.org/bb/viewtopic.php?t=2915
[[BZFS]]

==Getting Your Map Out There==
There is a forum dedicated entirely to this. It's the 'Map Releases' forum. Please bear the following in mind when you release your map.

• '''Releasing you map does not necessarily mean you will get hosting for your map''', so do not post "OMGZ this map is sooo good i spent like 2 hours making it and it's like amazing all my friends think it rawks!!!!!!11". It's not going appeal to many people. Instead give about a paragraph to describe your map, and any server settings you may recommend for playing. Be sure to use full sentences, and check your spelling!

• Extensions, extensions: you should always give your map the '.bzw' file extension, text edited or otherwise. It dosn't matter what you made it in - it's all the same format. It's just good practice.

• '''Give your map an imaginative name''' - not just "xyz's CTF", and not something obvious like "Bridges" or "Castles", as there are probably about five other maps with this title. Instead think of something decriptive and short. Think as though you were titling a movie or a song, something that's going to be attractive to people browsing the forum or listserver.

• Take nice screenshots using the roaming feature in observer mode. Most people will use only the screenshots to get an idea of how well your map will actually play. Try to capture the essence of your map with as little screenshots as possible, no more than three or four, and (if you can) convert your images to JPEGs for faster downloading.

• Furthermore, '''releasing your map means that anyone can download your map.''' If they decide to host your map they don't have to make you an admin on their server. If you have any issues with the way they are using your map take it up with them personally. It's not up for public discussion. See <a href="http://my.bzflag.org/bb/viewtopic.php?t=10575" target="_blank">this announcement</a> for more information on releasing and licencing in this forum.

• Be open and ready for criticism - if you're new to mapping, the chances are that your map isn't going to be a smash hit, so don't be too offended if somebody doesn't like it. Instead take that criticism on board and use it to improve your map, or to make further maps better.

==Getting Help==
'''If you're looking for some further help with BZW, you can post a question in this forum, or you can always try the ##bzw IRC channel on irc.freenode.net.'''

'''Lastly, have fun making maps. Many players enjoy mapping even more than actually playing the game, and find it an ammusing and challenging passtime. Just remember to persevere, and with some work, you could be the next Dutchrai or Louman!'''

Bzw

2007-06-17T12:51:36Z

SpazzyMcGee: double eh?

#REDIRECT [[BZW]]

Bzw

2007-06-17T12:51:16Z

SpazzyMcGee: eh?

REDIRECT [[BZW]]

Bzw

2007-06-17T12:50:25Z

SpazzyMcGee: Redirect to BZW

#REDIRECT [[BZW]]

Missile War

2007-03-28T21:25:52Z

SpazzyMcGee: We need the 'maps' category too.

Missilewar is a 4-team CTF map by Ducatiwannabe.

[[Image:missile_war.jpg|thumb|right|Missile War Screenshot]]

The bases are situated in the corners of the map. There are many superflags, such as Guided Missile, Laser, Super Bullet and Stealth. This and other map features make sniping possible, defending interesting and capturing a challenge.

[[Category:Maps]]
[[Category:CTF Maps]]
[[Category:4 Team Maps]]

Missile War

2007-03-28T21:24:24Z

SpazzyMcGee: Hey, look! A screenshot!

File:Missile war.jpg

2007-03-28T21:22:03Z

SpazzyMcGee: Missile War Screenshot

Missile War Screenshot

Mesh

2007-03-25T12:57:09Z

SpazzyMcGee: Begun to add the 'valid parameters' section.

A mesh is a [[BZW]] map object that defines an arbitrary three dimensional shape. A mesh is defined as a series of faces containing 3 or more points in three dimensional space ( or a vertex ).

==Code==
The code for a mesh object is as follows, this is only an example
{|
|
mesh
name example_mesh
# Material properties applied to a mesh apply to all faces
# that follow the setting. Mesh faces will alter their own
# properties without affecting the state of the mesh properties.
# The same pattern is used to apply physics drivers.
inside 5.5 4.5 1.2 # add an inside point (repeatable)
outside 0 0 1000 # add an outside point (repeatable)
vertex 100 200 300 # add a vertex (repeatable)
normal 1.0 0 0 # add a normal (repeatable)
texcoord 0.1 0.75 # add a texture coordinate (repeatable)
shift 0 0 0 # (repeatable)
scale 1 1 1 # (repeatable)
shear 0 0 0 # (repeatable)
spin angle nx ny nz # (repeatable)
phydrv example_phydrv # assign a physics driver
smoothbounce # ricochets use normals
noclusters # render each mesh face individually
# (this can be useful for occluders)
face # start a face (repeatable)
# faces must be convex polygons
vertices 1 4 0 3 5 # list of vertices (requires at least three)
normals 2 6 0 4 7 # list of normals (optional)
texcoords 0 3 2 4 9 # list of texture coordinates (optional)
phydrv example_phydrv # assign a physics driver
smoothbounce
noclusters
drivethrough
shootthrough
passable
material
endface # end the face
#
# This next element can be added to increase the rendering speed
# of the mesh object. If the client is capable of using this data,
# then it is used to draw the mesh instead of the face information.
#
drawInfo
dlist # display list for all material sets
decorative # older clients with not see this mesh
angvel <degrees/sec> # rotation about initial Z axis
extents <minX> <minY> <minZ> <maxX> <maxY> <maxZ>
sphere <x> <y> <z> <radiusSquared>
corner <v> <n> <t> (repeatable)
vertex 0.0 0.0 0.0 (repeatable)
normal 0.0 0.0 0.0 (repeatable)
texcoord 0.0 0.0 (repeatable)
lod (repeatable)
lengthPerPixel <value>
matref <name> (repeatable)
dlist # display list for this material set
sphere <x> <y> <z> <radiusSquared>
points 0 (repeatable)
lines 0 1 (repeatable)
lineloop 0 1 (repeatable)
linestrip 0 1 (repeatable)
tris 0 1 2 (repeatable)
tristrip 0 1 2 (repeatable)
trifan 0 1 2 (repeatable)
quads 0 1 2 3 (repeatable)
quadstrip 0 1 2 3 (repeatable)
polygon 0 1 2 (repeatable)
end # matref
end # lod
end # drawInfo
end # mesh
|}

Valid parameters for a mesh are

* '''Within the main mesh object'''
** '''name''': The name of the mesh
** '''vertex''': Add a vertex to the mesh (repeatable); this is a 'corner' of your mesh - a point where faces connect.
** '''normal''': Add a normal to the mesh (repeatable)
** '''texcoord''': Add a texture coordinate (repeatable); this is used for mapping textures onto complicated meshes.
** '''phydrv''': Assign a physics driver to the entire mesh.
** '''smoothbounce''': Ricochets use normals.
** '''noclusters''': Render each face individually.
** '''Standard Tranformations''' (all repeatable):
*** '''shift'''
*** '''scale'''
*** '''shear'''
*** '''spin'''
** '''matref''': Assgn a material to all below faces.
** '''face''': Start a face (repeatable), see below:

* '''Within the face sub-object'''
** '''verticies''': Numbered list of verticies for this face, requires at least three.
** '''normals''': Numbered list of normals for this face.
** '''texcoords''': Numbered list of texture coordinates for this face.
** '''phydrv''': Assign a physics driver to this face only.
** '''smoothbounce'''
** '''noclusters'''
** '''drivethrough''': Tanks can drive through this face.
** '''shootthrough''': Tanks can shoot through this face.
** '''passable''': Tanks can both shoot and drive through this face
** '''matref''': Assign a material to this face.
** '''endface''' End this face.

TODO::Document drawinfo code.

Meshes have full support for [[Material]], [[Texture Matrix]], and [[Physics Drivers]].

==Appearance==
The appearance of a mesh will vary greatly as by it's very nature it can be defined to look like anything.

==Editor Support==
The mesh object is supported by the [[BZWTools]] blender plugin, the Wings3D Exporter or hand coding.

==History==
The Mesh object was added with the [[BZFlag 2.0.0|v2.0.0]] release of BZFlag.

[[Category:Map Making]]
[[Category:Map_Objects]]

BZW

2007-03-15T20:37:42Z

SpazzyMcGee: /* Object Types */ Missing object types.

The BZW format is used by [[BZFS]] to define the game world, or "map". This file is a plain text file that is loaded by the server application at start up and sent to each client when it joins the game. The map file contains a list of 3d world objects that populate the world, as well as optionally settings and options for the server to use when running.

==Basic Format==
All structures in the BZW format are contained in this basic block structure
{|
|
OBJECT_TYPE #comment
KEY VALUE
KEY VALUE
end
|}
The object names are special keywords that are recognized by the BZW parser, unknown names will produce a warning at run time. Each object type has it's own subset of recognizedly keys and associated values, depending on what it does. All blocks must have an END statement to be valid.

Words are defined in lowercase. Comments can be added to the file by preceding them with a # character. The comment will be in effect until the end of the line.

There is no set limit to the number of times you may use any of the objects except for the world, options, and waterLevel objects, they can only be specified once.

All distances in a map file are in [[world units]] and all angular values in are degrees.

Here is small example world:
{|
|
world # simple world containing a box, pyramid, and mesh
name Simple World
size 100.0
end
box
position -20 -20 0
size 10 20 10
end
pyramid
position 20 20 0
size 10 10 20
end
mesh
vertex -10 0 0
vertex 10 0 0
vertex 0 10 0
face
vertices 0 1 2
endface
end
|}
==Object Types==
The format of this text file consists of any number of objects listed in any order (except that physics, textureMatrix, dynamicColor, and material must come before they are referenced) separated by newlines and grouped into blocks of types.
The list of world types consists of:
*[[world (object)|world]]
*[[options (object)|options]]
*[[waterLevel]]
*[[dynamicColor]]
*[[texturematrix]]
*[[material]]
*[[physics]]
*[[define]]
*[[group]]
*[[box]]
*[[pyramid]]
*[[teleporter]]
*[[base]]
*[[link]]
*[[mesh]]
*[[meshbox]]
*[[meshpyr]]
*[[arc]]
*[[cone]]
*[[sphere]]
*[[tetra]]
*[[weapon (object)|weapon]]

==Map Usage==
Maps are loaded by [[BZFS]] at runtime. The most common way to load a map is with the '''-world''' [[BZFS Command Line Options|command line option]]. Other methods involve [[Plug-ins|plug-ins]] or scripts to automatically change or load the map.

==Map Editors==
Several map editor applications exist and are commonly used to make complex maps.
They are listed in the [[:Category:Map_editors|Map Editor Category]].

[[Category:Map Making]]

Meshpyr

2007-03-10T17:09:19Z

SpazzyMcGee: Fixed another bad link.

A meshpyr is a [[BZW]] map object that constructs a specialized [[Mesh]] has the geometric appearance of a [[Pyramid]]. It replaces the [[pyramid]] object as of [[BZFlag 2.0.0|v2.0.0]] and is compatible with [[materials]] and [[physics|physics drivers]].

==Code==
The code for a meshpyr object is as follows

meshpyr
position 10 20 30
rotation 45
size 1 2 3
matref myMaterial
phydrv myPhysics
end

Valid parameters for a meshpyr are
*'''position'''; defines the center of the box in X and Y and the bottom of the box in Z.
*'''rotation'''; defines a rotation around the Z axis for the box, in degrees.
*'''size'''; defines the distance from the center to the side of the box in X and Y, and the total height of the box in Z.
*'''matref'''; reference to a predefined [[material]].
*'''phydrv'''; reference to a predefined [[physics|physics driver]].

==Appearance==
An meshpyr with out a material definition will use the default material used by a standard [[pyramid]] object. Geometrically a meshpyr is identical to a standard [[pyramid]] object.

[[Image:MeshpyrAppearance.jpg]]

==Editor Support==
The meshpyr object is only fully supported by the [[BZWTools]] blender plug-in.

[[Category:Map_making]]
[[Category:Map_Objects]]