Ostinyo's Mapping Tutorial

[Wesley Williams]

Table of Contents:

1. Introduction
2. Mission Editor
    - Editing the Terrain
    - Painting the Terrain
    - Terrain Textures
    - Adding Objects
    - Sky
3. Packaging
4. Torque Constructor
   - Overview
   - Adding Textures
      - Unifying Faces
   - Interior Lighting
   - Exporting Interiors
5. Advanced Creations
   - Empty Squares
   - Terrain Formation
6. Mapping FAQ



1. Introduction:

Welcome to Ostinyo's Mapping Tutorial. It is recommended that you read this tutorial all the way through if this is your first time learning to make maps. There are many other great tutorials out there, but this tutorial will try to cover just about everything I know. Granted, there are still some things out making maps that I have yet to learn.

This tutorial will tell you all you need to know to make exceptional maps. If you do not know already, Torque is the game engine Blockland runs on and therefore all scripts and maps run on Torque. This tutorial will not cover scripting, which uses Torque script, but if you wish to know how please view KINEX's Scripting Tutorial.

For making maps there are two main ingredients: Mission Editor and Torque Constructor. Another ingredient may be Terragen depending on whether or not you decide to use it for skyboxes.

*Please note that I made this tutorial in Windows, so if you are a Mac user some aspects of mapping in Blockland covered in this tutorial may be different for you.



2. Mission Editor

First of all, you need to have Mission Editor. If you do already, please skip down to the '*' below.
Download Mission Editor HERE. Place this file into your Blockland/Add-Ons folder. You will not need to activate it the add-on to your server, it will start up as long as you have the add-on.

Before you begin, you will want to make your map its own folder. Go into your Add-ons folder and create a folder named "Map_yourmapnamehere".

Now open up Blockland, and start your own server at Flatlands (make it single-player because others will glitch out if you edit online). If you do not have Flatlands, get it HERE.

Once you spawn in Flatlands, hit F8 (Admin orb). Now that you are in your admin orb, hit F11.



Now you are in Mission Editor, congratulations!

First thing you will want to do now you are in Mission Editor, is go into Window>World Editor Inspector>Mission Info>Dynamic Fields. Change the name and save name from Flatlands to your map's name. Then click 'apply'.



Now go to File>Save Mission As... Click on the Directory folder and change it to your map's folder. Then change the title of the mission to "yourmapnamehere.mis" and click save.



You officially now have your own map! But you haven't done anything yet, so we need to start editing the map.



-EDITING THE TERRAIN

To edit the terrain, you need to first get into the Terrain Editor window. Just click Window>Terrain Editor (or F6) to open the Terrain Editor Window. Now there should be many little boxes around your cursor.

To change the terrain's shape, click on 'Action' and select how you would like to change it. Here is what each of the different actions do:

• Add Dirt - adds dirt creating hills
• Excavate - takes away dirt creating ditches
• Adjust Height - allows you to hold down the left-click button and drag the terrain upwards or downwards
• Flatten - flattens the terrain in the certain area (on a slope it will use the medium point)
• Smooth - makes the terrain smooth and evens it out
• Set Height - sets the height back to where it was originally, this is a good tool for trying something over

Remember that you can use ctrl+z to undo any terrain changes!



To change the diameter of the brush (to make it apply to a larger amount of area at a time), click Brush>(size). The brush sizes also have shortcut keys (alt+#). Now let's try making a massive canyon that crosses the entire map. Due to terrain repetition, the canyon will extend endlessly throughout the map, and there will be multiple canyons. I used a 15x15 soft brush (circle) and the excavate action, which lead me to this result:



Also make sure to use soft and hard brushes to affect the landscape in order to fit your needs.
 

• SOFT brush - affects the middle more than the outside, good for changing the landscape slowly and carefully.
• HARD brush - affects the entire area of the brush the same amount, allowing for fast landscape changes.

Here's an example demonstrating the difference of using a soft and hard brush. The left is a soft 15x15 brush, and the right a hard 15x15 brush. Using the action Add Dirt:



Tips: A quicker way of making something large like a mountain range would be to use Adjust Height with a 25x25 brush.
        If you are editing a large area, click Camera>Fastest and you'll be zooming around the place like the wind!

You have made a canyon across the map... but there aren't any shadows? Do not fear! You need to relight the scene! Click Edit>Relight Scene or Alt+L and hooray for shadows!



By changing the terrain you may edit your map size. This is possible by going into Window>World Editor Inspector and selecting Terrain>Misc. The square size is the size of the terrain - in squares. You can change the square size to a larger number to increase the size of your map.



Unfortunately, by going past the default (8) to a size above, you will break any water on the map. Also your terrain textures will become more stretched out and not look as nice.



-PAINTING THE TERRAIN

First off, go to Window>Terrain Texture Painter. Flatlands comes with 5 textures, TTgrass01, TTdirt01rock, TTicefrosty1, TTgrass01snow, and detail1. You can click on a different texture, and then click over the terrain to apply that texture where your brush is. I used a 9x9 brush with TTdirt01rock and painted the bottom of the canyon to make it look like this:



However, you must add non-default textures into your map's folder, and import them from there. Default textures may be imported directly from any default maps (Bedroom, Kitchen, The Slopes, etc.). Note that if you import a texture from a non-default map, anyone who does not have the non-default map will not download the texture and a default texture will take the texture's place. 

Therefore, be sure to import all non-default textures straight from you map's folder, even if they're from another map!

Note: Be careful, painting has no undo!
          You do need to include default textures in your map's folder.




-TERRAIN TEXTURES

Painting is simple and can be done quickly. However you should learn to make your own textures. To make your own textures, follow these steps:

• First go to CGTextures.com (or to any other textures website)
• Go to ground or rock and find a good TILED texture
• Download the texture preferably as a tiled 600x600 (or close to the same number on both sides of the scale)
• Now go to Picresize.com and select your picture (from your desktop)
• Resize your picture to a 256x256 PIXELS PNG image
• Now save the picture to your disc (desktop)
• Drag the image into your map's folder (Blockland>Add-ons>Map_NewMap)
• Go to your map in-game (you'll need to restart Mission Editor) and click 'Change' or 'Add' a texture in the Terrain Texture Painter window
• Select your texture from your map's folder and now you can use it on your map!

*Note: Be sure to use tiled textures, meaning that they can loop forever and have no seams.



-ADDING OBJECTS

There are many objects you can add with Mission Editor, including add-ons. Indeed, if you need a chopper in your map, just use a Cobra Attack Helicopter and you're all set! To do this, go to Window>World Editor Creator, and then find the list of objects on the right side-bar. To make a pine tree, simply use Static Shapes>Base>Data>Shapes>Sharp Trees>Trees>Oaks>Sharp Oak02 (the only oak available). This may seem complex when written out, but really it is very strait forward in-game. You can do this with all other objects too, including light bulbs, a wrench, or any other default add-ons. Make sure that the object comes from *BASE* and not Add-Ons or else other people may not be able to see the object. You may also make your own objects if you know how to model, and save them as a .DTS file. Then just add it to your map's folder and go through Add-Ons>Map_Yourmapname>Yourobject. This is all pretty straight forward stuff.



You can also add interiors in this same fashion! Try going to Interiors>Add-Ons>Map_Bedroom>bedroom. It looks black! Well, you haven't relighted the scene yet! Go to Edit>Relight Scene and now you can see its textures! Once you have made your own interiors, you can add them just like this *from Map_yourmapnamehere*.



You can also meddle with your objects by resizing them. (you don't just want that dinky little tree or that 10x10 block of water do you?) Let's try making the Oak bigger. Go to Window>World Editor Inspector and click on the object. Then simply go to Transform>scale> and set it to 9 10 10.



Cool! Now you can make things gigantic. In the ("_" "_" "_") for the scale, the first number represents the x axis, the second the y axis, and the third the z axis. Therefore, by making it ("0.1" "0.1" "10") you are making an extremely thin and tall tree. Remember to always hit 'apply' to make your changes take effect!



The same can be done with the rotation of the object, but for the position it is easiest to use the x, y, and z axises to drag it around instead of messing with numbers. The easiest way to rotate objects is by holding down the Alt key, and then dragging them around in whichever way.

Water is an object, and works in this exact same way. Try adding water by going to Window>World Editor Creator and selecting the Mission Objects>environment>water tab. Name the water whatever you like, and hit 'OK'. Note that wherever you are looking is where the waterblock will appear on the ground.



Then go into Mission Editor Inspector and edit the size of the water, the wave magnitude, and many other aspects. Fiddle around with it and you'll get it. Another cool thing about water is that you can use your own textures for it in the Media, by simply using 256x256 textures like with the terrain. Check out this cool water I made in 5 minutes!




-SKY

SUN

You can find the sun in the Window>World Editor Inspector>Sun tab. Then go into 'Misc' where you can change the azimuth, elevation, color, and ambient properties of the sun by changing the first digit of the numbers.



Azimuth: Changes the direction of sunlight on the x axis. This will affect shadows.
Elevation: Changes the direction of the sunlight on the y axis. This will affect shadows.
Color: Changes the color of sunlight.
Ambient: Changes the color of natural lighting. This can be used to express day, morning, evening, or night.

It will take a long while to get the hang of it, but just mess around with numbers and you'll get used to how it changes.

SKYBOX

Now I will tell you how to change the skybox, using default skyboxes and ones found off the internet. I will not be going over how to make a skybox, which is a more complex process. If you would like to make a skybox, I would suggest using Terragen, which is the program I believe most people use to make their skyboxes.

First, let's try changing the skybox to a default skybox. Go into your Blockland/base/data/skies folder, and you will see the default skyboxes that come with Blockland. Open up the skybox folders and look at them, you will recognize them from Bedroom, Kitchen, Slate, and The Slopes. The default sky is plain blue, and can sometimes suit a map perfectly.

Now, let's try putting Sky_Spooky1(Slate's skybox) into your map. In Mission Editor, go into the World Editor Inspector tab and select Sky. Go to the media, and at the material list change it to "base/data/skies/sky_spooky1/resource.dml". Now hit 'apply'.



Check out that epic skybox! That's how simple it is to change the skybox of a map to a default skybox. However, there are few default skyboxes to choose from, and you will want more options. Let's look into how to get our own skybox!

Let's try downloading a skybox off of the internet for use in a map. There are many different websites you can go to in order to download skyboxes, but here's a few trustworthy sites for a reference:

http://3delyvisions.com/skf1.htm
http://amethyst7.gotdoofed.com/env.htm
http://www.tutorialsforblender3d.com/Textures/Skys/Sky_Box_2.html

Now go to any one of these websites and download a skybox. They may come in a .RAR, for which you will need to use 7Zip or another program in order to extract their contents.

Please view the rest of the skybox section of this tutorial here.


3. Packaging

This section will describe how to package a map correctly in order to make it available for public use. I would advise you gather all necessary parts in a folder titled Map_(yourmapnamehere). Then highlight everything in the folder and right click. Click on Send To > Compressed (zipped) folder. Title the compressed folder Map_(yourmapnamehere).zip!

You will find that the only things required to run your map are the first two items. However the rest are needed to keep it fail-proof and spice it up. Here is the full list of what needs to be included in your compressed (zipped) folder:

• Mission File (.mis)
• Terrain File (.ter)
• ML File (.ml)
• Namecheck (.txt)
• Description (.txt)
• Map Picture (PNG, JPEG)
• Object Files (interior, textures, etc.)

-Mission File (.mis)

This is one of the easiest files to add. Look for the file named (yourmapnamehere).mis, located inside your map's folder (if you saved the mission into that folder). Add the mission (.mis) file in your map's compressed (.zip) folder.


-Terrain File (.ter)

Another easy file to add. Look for the file named (yourmapnamehere).ter, located inside your map's folder (if you saved the mission into that folder). Then drag and drop your terrain (.ter) file to the compressed (.zip) folder.


-ML File

When you are finished with your map, save it and exit Blockland. Start up your map again, and once you have spawned, exit the game again. Now go into your map's folder and find the latest .ML file located there (search through the times). Delete all other ML files and add that one to your compressed (.zip) folder.


-Namecheck (Text document)

Add a text document (by right clicking and going into add) to your map's folder and name it "namecheck". Then double click it and edit it to say "Map_YourMapNameHere".


-Description (Text document)

Add another text document to your map's folder and name it "yourmapname". Then double click it and edit it to say a description of your map which will appear on the start game screen. The most common format of this is as follows:

Title: (Your map name)
Author: (Your name)
Description: (Map description)


-Map Picture (JPEG, PNG)

This is the grand picture of your map that will be displayed on the change map or start game screen. To have this picture displayed, your must first take a screenshot of your map in Blockland, and then drag that screenshot into your map's folder. Then rename the picture to "yourmapname". It can be a PNG or JPEG image, but I recommend you make it a PNG so that other players will be able to download the image. You can also edit the image or use an internet image for the map, the only true requirement is that the name of the image is the same as the name of the map.


-Object Files (interiors, textures, etc.)

All interiors, textures, and other object files must be in your map folder, and added into your map from your map folder. For example, when you import textures and interiors you must go through your map's folder, not another map. However you may take textures/interiors from default maps that come with the game (because everyone will have these maps). However you must be sure to include all textures used in your map's folder, and have imported the textures from your own folder, not another map's.

Here is an example of what a fully functional, packaged map should look like. The zipped folder title is "Map_NewMap"



Notice that the map contains an interior.

Do not add any folders into your zipped folder. If there are any folders contained in the zipped folder, the map will not function properly.

[Ad Bot]

[Wesley Williams]

4. Torque Constructor

To get Torque Constructor, go to GarageGames.com and register and account. Then go HERE and download the free software. Checkout and you will receive your product key, which will unlock Torque Constructor once you have started it.

Before we begin with Torque Constructor, realize that this software can be faulty and act up at times. Interiors in Torque Constructor are easily ruined, and it may be hard to make things look nice.

On a more positive note, Torque Constructor is okay looking Blockland as most things made for Blockland are sort of... blocky. Also, I found Torque Constructor an extremely fast learn, and got the hang of it in minutes. (although not the glitchy stuff)


Note for Windows Users!

You MUST have your theme set to Windows 7 Basic or Windows Classic for Torque Constructor to function correctly. (Otherwise the mouse glitches) Simply right click and go to Personalize (Properties) > Windows 7 Basic or Windows Classic



-Overview

Let's start out with checking out the interface of Torque Constructor, and the simple tools we can begin using straight away! You will probably first notice the toolbar up at the top. This is like most toolbars, and here you have all your wonderful drop-down menus. Here's a brief description of the necessary actions each toolbar performs. I will ignore all of the extra actions that don't really add anything to Torque Constructor.

FILE

• New - Create a new project (CTRL+N keybind)
• Open - Open an existing project (CTRL+O keybind)
• Close Current Scene / Existing Scene - Closes out of the project you are viewing
• Save - Save your file as the current set name (CTRL+S keybind)
• Save As... - Set the name of your file and save it as that name
• Export As Legacy DIF... - Export your interior as a Legacy DIF file, which is the file type used in Blockland
• Recent Scenes - View recent projects you have worked on, click to go to the project
• Quit - Quits Torque Constructor

EDIT

• Undo - Undoes the last action (CTRL+Z keybind)
• Redo - Redoes the undone action (SHIFT+CTRL+Z keybind)
• Cut - Cuts the object (CTRL+X keybind)
• Copy - Copies the selected object (CTRL+C keybind)
• Paste - Pastes the copied object (CTRL+V keybind)
• Delete - Deletes the selected object (DELETE keybind)

OBJECTS

• Group - Groups together the selected objects (CTRL+G keybind)
• Ungroup - Ungroups the grouped object (SHIFT+CTRL+G keybind)
• Lock Selected - Locks the selected object, allowing for easier selection of other objects your are still working with (CTRL+L keybind)
• Lock Unselected - Locks all but the selected object, allowing for focus on the selected object (ALT+CTRL+L keybind)
• Unlock All - Unlocks all locked objects (SHIFT+CTRL+L keybind)

TOOLS
This performs all the same operations as the tools bar.

MATERIALS
This performs the same operations as the materials bar, but also allows you to:

• Clean Up 'Used on Map' Album - Eliminates unused textures that you have previously applied to objects from the 'Used on Map' Album (Only the used textures will be exported)
• Reload All Textures - Reloads all textures in your texture folders
• Open Texture Browser... - Opens the texture browser

Note that the "Clean Up 'Used on Map' Album" action is quite unnecessary to be used, as you will need to re-start Torque Constructor before exporting your interior anyways, and whenever you re-load an interior the 'Used on Map' album is automatically cleaned of unused textures.

SCENE

• Relight Selected - Relights the selected objects, is useful after rotating or modifying objects to a point that the lighting is off (SHIFT+CTRL+R keybind)
• Relight All - Relights the entire scene (CTRL+R keybind)

SELECT

• All - Selects all objects (CTRL+A keybind)
• Deselect - Deselects all objects (CTRL+D keybind)
• Reselect - Reselects recently selected objects (SHIFT+CTRL+D keybind)
• Inverse - Selects the opposite of the currently selected objects (SHIFT+CTRL+I keybind)
• Load Selection - Loads a previously saved selection (works like paste)
• Save Selection - Saves the currently selected objects (works like copy)

LAYOUT
Layouts> Allows you to change the Torque Constructor layout. I highly recommend keeping the layout on the Torque Constructor Default, as it provides the most information and gives easiest access to modifying the interior.

SYSTEM
You don't need to do anything here.

HELP
The tab for when this tutorial just isn't enough.

No, you don't need to know half of these and can get by fine without using any but Open, Save, and Export, but these can help you in certain scenarios. I would suggest learning a few of the common and necessary action keybinds, such as Undo (CTRL+Z), Save (CTRL+S), Copy (CTRL+C), and Paste (CTRL+V). Knowing these shortcuts makes life on Torque Constructor simpler.

Now let's look at some other important features of Torque Constructor. On the left of this picture we have the Tools bar up that has it's own tabs section. This is the place all objects are created and modified from. On the right hand side we have the Materials bar for all of your textures, which is explained later in the Textures section of this tutorial.



So, let's start making an interior. First things first, save the project. (File>SaveAs...) Whenever you save an interior into your Constructor folder, name it as "(interiorname).csx" - the .CSX file type is for all Torque Constructor Projects.



Time to create some objects! You should know what to do by now :) On the Tools bar, go to the 'Create' tab if you aren't there already, and select cube (the first shape). Note: For the most part, you'll only be using the Primitives from the 'Create' tab.



What's this? My pointer has become cross hairs? Now hold down click and drag the mouse across the screen a little, to start off the creation of your little cube. When you let go, you can still hold down click and drag the edges or corner to make the shape larger or smaller, and this allows you to morph it into any dimension you like. When you are done creating your shape, go back up to the Tool bar and click on the cube again. Now your cube is truly part of this world.


To


Now you can move the cube around with the x, y, and z axises. Cool, but what if I want to still change its size? Go into the Tools bar, and select the 'Modify' tab, instead of the 'Create' tab. In Transforms, select the fourth icon called "Size Bounds".



What do you know? It's like you're creating the cube all over again! NO. Do not think this. Even though you can once again change the size and shape of the cube, the texture will shrink or stretch along with it. Be carefuly with this, as this will become extremely important! Only do this if the texture is a neutral color or you wish to make the texture larger or smaller.

Example: If you create a wall with a brick texture, and then create another wall, realize that it needs to be higher, and use modify>size bounds to make it larger, the texture will stretch out so that it's bricks are larger than that of the first wall. Here is a picture representing what I mean:




CAUTION:

-NEVER OVERLAP SHAPES
-NEVER USE CSG SUBTRACT
-ALWAYS RESTART BEFORE EXPORTING

Be careful to follow these three steps. Failure to remember these steps may result in a broken interior.


-Textures

Believe it or not, we've already learned how to create our own textures! However, you must also know how to insert textures to Torque Constructor. On another note, you may use 512x512 textures, as well as 256x256 or any smaller power of 2 pixel size texture for Torque Constructor. Should you use 512x512 textures? Well, this really only depends on how large you wish the texture to appear for your creation of your interior.

Note: Textures above 512x512 will crash the game (1024x1024+)

How to get your own textures and use them in Torque Constructor:

• First go to CGTextures.com (or to any other textures website)
• Go to ground or rock and find a good TILED texture
• Download the texture preferably as a tiled 600x600 pixel image (near same width and height)
• Now go to Picresize.com and select your picture (from where you downloaded it to)
• Resize your picture to the wanted power of 2 PIXELS PNG image (e.g. 512x512, 256x256, 128x128)
• Now save the picture to your disc (desktop)
• Drag the image into your desired interior texture folder (e.g. Blockland/Textures)

Now, in Torque Constructor go to the Materials bar and click on Browse. An alternative to this would be going to the 'Materials' tab on the top of the screen and selecting 'Open Texture Browser...'



On the bottom of the 'Texture Browser' screen, select the fourth image titled "Add a Texture to the Selected Album". (Don't forget to create albums to add your  textures into.)



Next, browse for the folder you just added your texture to, and select it and click 'Open'. If a message pops up saying "This texture may not work correctly", this means you have not made it a size in the power of 2.

To add this texture to your object, simply select it in the texture browser, and click 'Make Active' or 'Active & Close'. These will both activate your texture, and the second one just closes out of the texture browser as well.



Now the objects you create will have this texture. If you wish to change the texture of previously created objects that have another texture, simply click 'Apply' on the Materials bar.



Unifying Faces

Now we'll go over unifying faces. This is for matching the face texture of multiple objects, so that it has no seams. Unifying faces is a vital aspect to creating interiors, and surpassing this step can lead to some ugly creations.

Here's an example of what this tool does.

Before:



After:



To do this, you must first change the view from 'Brushes' to 'Faces'. You can do this by clicking 'Faces' on the bottom of the screen.



Now just select all of the faces.
(Click the face of one object, then hold shift and click the other faces you need.)



Then just click Unify and Center. This is located on the Properties bar under 'Object'.



NOTE: This tool is used on Faces, not objects. Therefore, you are only selecting the faces to unify textures. Attempting to unify the textures in for the entire objects (all faces) will lead to an ugly result. You must unify each side individually.

Credits to Dglider for the Unifying Faces section of this tutorial.


-Interior Lighting

Interiors are lit by entities. To successfully light an interior in Torque, select "add entity" (denoted by a light bulb symbol). A light bulb will then appear, which is where the origin of the light exists. You may then re position and re-scale your light to your liking. For more information, please refer to Nasoa's Guide to Mapping Techniques.

Note: falloff1 MUST be smaller than falloff2.


-Exporting Interiors

To export and interior to Blockland, first save the interior and exit out of Torque Constructor. Then re-open Torque Constructor and go to File>Export as Legacy DIF... and select your map's folder you are exporting the interior into. Click 'Save'. Then all you will need to do is go back into Mission Editor and add the interior to the mission, scale it, rotate it, whatever.

Notes:

• You MUST save your interior, exit Torque Constructor, re-open Torque Constructor, and then export the interior as a Legacy DIF. If you do not do this, your interior will have problems.
• Do NOT name the interior the same as your map/map folder. This will override your map's description text document, and cause the preview screen of your map to be the names of random interior textures. (I should know)

5. Advanced Creations:


-Empty Squares

Empty squares are areas in the terrain where there is no terrain - the terrain squares have been removed. You can make empty squares by going into the Terrain Editor and selecting Action>Set Empty. No make the brush size a 1x1 (recommended) and 'paint' the terrain empty. This will allow you to add interiors and other objects under your map.



The reverse of this is Clear Empty, which will revert the empty squares to normal terrain squares.


-Terrain Formation

People want to see nice looking terrain, not garbage. Simply using the adjust height or add dirt tools is not enough to make a detailed landscape. Look at the difference between the super spiky/super smooth landscape and the well balanced landscape.




People don't like super spiky terrain, and neither do they like super smooth terrain. Try to stay somewhere in the middle. I personally like to make craggy looking landscapes, such as on my Paradise Island. This is made by using a 3x3 brush with add dirt tool, and applying it back and forth in certain areas, to make them stand out.

Another cool style can be found on parts of The Slopes, made by using a 1x1 or 3x3 brush with add dirt or adjust height, and just making small spiky bumps across the surface. Make the bumps too big and it'll look like crap.



     

MISSION EDITOR


Q: My map folder is not in the folder list! What do I do?
A: Make sure you made the map folder before starting up Blockland, or else it will not appear on the list.


Q: My map won't appear on the map list. Why not?
A: This is probably because you did not edit the Mission Info, changing the name and save name. If this is not the case, you may have saved the mission file into the wrong folder or named it different than the folder name/mission info. If none of these are the case, your last hope is adding a namecheck to your map's folder.
Note that the Mission Info, Mission File, and Map Folder should all have the same name.


Q: Why can't I edit the terrain? Can terrain only be edited on Flatlands?
A: You probably attempting to edit Slate or a Slate edit, which has no terrain to edit.


Q: Do I need to include default textures in my map's folder?
A: No, you only need to include non-default textures in your map's folder, and import them into your map through your folder. Default textures may be imported into your map from any default maps.


Q: Why doesn't my texture appear when painted?
A: The size of the texture is probably not 256x256 pixels.


Q: F11 doesn't work for me!?
A: If you are using a Mac, the Mission Editor is started using Command+M


Q: F11 and Command+M don't work for me!?
A: You must download the Mission Editor Add-on. Save/place it in your Blockland/Add-Ons folder.


ALWAYS: Use .PNG files for your map picture. Clients that connect will not be able to download .JPEG files!

NEVER: Leave the mission without saving and relighting the scene.

NEVER: Put a folder into your map's folder. This will cause the map to not function properly.


TORQUE CONSTRUCTOR


Q: My mouse is off/glitching!? 
A: If you are using Windows Vista or Windows 7, you must go into 'Personalize' (where you change the desktop background) and change the theme to Windows Classic or Windows Basic. This has to be done for the program to work properly.


Q: I exported my interior and added it to the mission and it is missing parts/collision-less!?
A: You have probably not obeyed one of the rules of Torque Constructor below.


Torque Constructor Rules:

• Never overlap shapes! This can break your interior!
• Avoid using CSG Subtract! This can create microbrushes and break your interior!
• Always save your interior, close Torque Constructor, and re-open it before exporting!
• Always export as a LEGACY DIF
• Remember that Torque SUCKS! A broken interior isn't always your fault!

[Ayxrion]

oh wow im going to do this C:

[Wesley Williams]

Lol... I've noticed it is already very long. Try just taking it one small section at a time, it should all make sense. (I made this 3 months ago)

[Zeta Champ]

amazing thx alot

[Primus]

You may want to edit the post. F11 is WINDOWS. To bring it up on mac you need Cmd-M.

First go to CGTextures.com (or to any other textures website)
Go to ground or rock and find a good *TILED texture[/li][/list]
Download the texture preferably as a tiled 600x600 (or close to the same number on both sides of the scale)
Now go to Picresize.com and select your picture (from your desktop)

You need the FULL web address for it to work. Right now it's sending you to http://. Replace url=http:// with url=http://www.cgtextures.com/ to make it work.

[Wesley Williams]

You may want to edit the post. F11 is WINDOWS. To bring it up on mac you need Cmd-M.

You need the FULL web address for it to work. Right now it's sending you to http://. Replace url=http:// with url=http://www.cgtextures.com/ to make it work.

Whoops, fixed. Thanks for that ;) Didn't realize I had that screwed up, I made this tutorial 3 months ago.

Are you serious about the Mac thing? I'll just say that this tutorial is for Windows users.

[Primus]

Seems like a waste. It works exactly the same on both computers both computers, it's just the keybinds that are different.

[Wesley Williams]

Good, that way Mac users can follow along for the most part. Although people really should just use Windows 7... it's amazing :3

[Primus]

I like both machines, but most people use Windows so there are more viruses made for Windows.

[Wesley Williams]

I like both machines, but most people use Windows so there are more viruses made for Windows.

Very true, although you have to be pretty dumb to get one. In the 7 or so years I've used Windows, I only got one from a dumb website... which was taken care of in a second by my antivirus software (free).

[Clockworks]

Can you tell me why whenever I try to spawn an exported object, it doesn't spawn? The only thing the console says is that it can't read the texture - 0 or something. I'm not sure what I did wrong.
-edit- It's a sphere - I don't know if that matters.

[kladan]

When i click File>Save mission as... My folder name isn't in the directory folder! HALP  

Btw: My map's name is Highsand :3

[MiniMeatball]

Good, that way Mac users can follow along for the most part. Although people really should just use Windows 7... it's amazing :3

True..True..
OnTopic: Nice tutorial you always come through for my puny little brain C:

[Wesley Williams]

Can you tell me why whenever I try to spawn an exported object, it doesn't spawn? The only thing the console says is that it can't read the texture - 0 or something. I'm not sure what I did wrong.
-edit- It's a sphere - I don't know if that matters.

For some reason spheres have never worked for me... I don't know why. Try using a cube and see if that works fine.

When i click File>Save mission as... My folder name isn't in the directory folder! HALP 

Btw: My map's name is Highsand :3

That's because you have to make your map a folder first, as you will read in my tutorial.