Category:Map Making - Revision history

Zehra: content moved to wiki page (no need for a category to be used as one)

2016-11-23T04:42:00Z

content moved to wiki page (no need for a category to be used as one)

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:42, 23 November 2016
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	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.~~		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.

	~~==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 programming===~~
	Writing programs to output map files can be a very effective and efficient way of creating maps. One may, for instance, use variables to represent key heights or distances within maps (so that, for example, anyone at a given level may shoot someone at the same level), or to create composites based on collections of basic objects, co-located programmatically. Basic objects may be stretched/scaled to fit specific spaces; they may be programmatically varied in texture, color, and position; software may (internally) represent objects and work with them so that they don't collide or overlap. AI-based software may compose maps based on specific design principles, aiming for particular play styles or tactical challenges.

	The core of software map generation is the creation of the basic BZFlag elements, whether the simple boxes, pyramids, etc., or complete meshes, by outputting map element statements to a file. The objects are typically output as sequences of text strings to a .bzw model file, which may then be read by the bzfs server. While simple objects may be fairly easily edited by hand, more complex objects, such as meshes, are more readily generated by software.

	Mesh generation, while it may be done with Blender, etc., as above, may be done equally as well by constructing programs to output the faces required within a mesh. For example, a program may take a curve and spin it about an axis to create a 3D surface (a sort of "lathe" in the virtual world), outputting faces at each increment of rotation. Hand-written scripting software may fit irregular polygons together, defining a sequence of mesh objects that seamlessly create, for example a roadway. Writing such software usually requires very careful testing to guarantee that the bzfs server interprets the objects as the author intends.

	Software map creation provides the map maker with the ability to customize objects in detail, such as whether the faces of the object allow bullets or tanks to pass, or the level of transparency to assign to any specific face, at a level of detail often hard to achieve within other 3D modeling tools. Abstractions within map generation software are often defined to create basic tactically-relevant map elements - these then may be scaled, shifted, textured, or otherwise modified to fit a particular designer's tastes or constraints.

	The disadvantages in using this are that the underlying representation of the work is not available directly from the map file. The underlying intended abstractions are missing because only the resulting object primitives are in the generated map file, and there is no straightforward way to recover this (though software may be used to parse existing map files with the goal of augmenting them). This lack of directly-accessible abstraction is of course true of any tool used to generate a map, there being no standard way to encode this within a .bzw file.

	~~===Map making 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 [[Map making 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:Server]]

Zehra: fixed links to avoid redirect

2016-07-26T18:13:50Z

fixed links to avoid redirect

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:13, 26 July 2016
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	The disadvantages in using this are that the underlying representation of the work is not available directly from the map file. The underlying intended abstractions are missing because only the resulting object primitives are in the generated map file, and there is no straightforward way to recover this (though software may be used to parse existing map files with the goal of augmenting them). This lack of directly-accessible abstraction is of course true of any tool used to generate a map, there being no standard way to encode this within a .bzw file.		The disadvantages in using this are that the underlying representation of the work is not available directly from the map file. The underlying intended abstractions are missing because only the resulting object primitives are in the generated map file, and there is no straightforward way to recover this (though software may be used to parse existing map files with the goal of augmenting them). This lack of directly-accessible abstraction is of course true of any tool used to generate a map, there being no standard way to encode this within a .bzw file.

	===~~Editing~~ by Hand===		===Map making 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.		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.		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 [[Map making 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.		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.

The Purple Panzer: Revised the 'scripting' section to remove the 'this is trivial' tone

2012-08-13T02:04:20Z

Revised the 'scripting' section to remove the 'this is trivial' tone

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:04, 13 August 2012
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	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.		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===		===Creating BZW files via scripting or 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 disadvantages~~ in ~~using this method compared to a graphical modeler or even BZEdit are:~~		Writing programs to output map files can be a very effective and efficient way of creating maps. One may, for instance, use variables to represent key heights or distances within maps (so that, for example, anyone at a given level may shoot someone at the same level), or to create composites based on collections of basic objects, co-located programmatically. Basic objects may be stretched/scaled to fit specific spaces; they may be programmatically varied in texture, color, and position; software may (internally) represent objects and work with them so that they don't collide or overlap. AI-based software may compose maps based on specific design principles, aiming for particular play styles or tactical challenges.
	*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~~.		The core of software map generation is the creation of the basic BZFlag elements, whether the simple boxes, pyramids, etc., or complete meshes, by outputting map element statements to a file. The objects are typically output as sequences of text strings to a .bzw model file, which may then be read by the bzfs server. While simple objects may be fairly easily edited by hand, more complex objects, such as meshes, are more readily generated by software.

			Mesh generation, while it may be done with Blender, etc., as above, may be done equally as well by constructing programs to output the faces required within a mesh. For example, a program may take a curve and spin it about an axis to create a 3D surface (a sort of "lathe" in the virtual world), outputting faces at each increment of rotation. Hand-written scripting software may fit irregular polygons together, defining a sequence of mesh objects that seamlessly create, for example a roadway. Writing such software usually requires very careful testing to guarantee that the bzfs server interprets the objects as the author intends.

			Software map creation provides the map maker with the ability to customize objects in detail, such as whether the faces of the object allow bullets or tanks to pass, or the level of transparency to assign to any specific face, at a level of detail often hard to achieve within other 3D modeling tools. Abstractions within map generation software are often defined to create basic tactically-relevant map elements - these then may be scaled, shifted, textured, or otherwise modified to fit a particular designer's tastes or constraints.

			The disadvantages in using this are that the underlying representation of the work is not available directly from the map file. The underlying intended abstractions are missing because only the resulting object primitives are in the generated map file, and there is no straightforward way to recover this (though software may be used to parse existing map files with the goal of augmenting them). This lack of directly-accessible abstraction is of course true of any tool used to generate a map, there being no standard way to encode this within a .bzw file.

	===Editing by Hand===		===Editing by Hand===

66.6.146.58: /* Creating BZW files via scripting or trivial programming */

2011-09-14T16:53:27Z

Creating BZW files via scripting or trivial programming

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:53, 14 September 2011
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	===Creating BZW files via scripting or trivial programming===		===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:		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 disadvantages 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		*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		*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

A11: Undo revision 7879 by 93.174.93.145 (talk) Vandalism

2011-07-25T04:04:50Z

Undo revision 7879 by 93.174.93.145 (talk) Vandalism

Show changes

93.174.93.145 at 03:34, 25 July 2011

2011-07-25T03:34:27Z

Show changes

SpazzyMcGee: BZWTools has it's own page too.

2008-11-01T19:39:43Z

BZWTools has it's own page too.

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:39, 1 November 2008
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	====Blender====		====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.		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====		====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.		[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====		====Getting Maps In .obj Format====

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

2008-11-01T19:34:02Z

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

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:34, 1 November 2008
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	====Wings 3D====		====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.		[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====		====Getting Maps In .obj Format====

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

2008-11-01T19:31:30Z

Getting Maps In .obj Format

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:31, 1 November 2008
Line 26:		Line 26:

	====Getting Maps In .obj Format====		====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.		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===		===Creating BZW files via scripting or trivial programming===

SpazzyMcGee: Things make more sense when you categorize them.

2008-11-01T19:31:03Z

Things make more sense when you categorize them.

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:31, 1 November 2008
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	*[[pyBZEdit]]		*[[pyBZEdit]]

	===~~Other, non~~-dedicated editors===		===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====		====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.		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====		====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.		[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===		===Creating BZW files via scripting or trivial programming===
Line 36:		Line 41:

	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.		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:Server]]