How do you mod a map?

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All Forums >> [New Releases from Matrix Games] >> Distant Worlds 1 Series >> Design and Modding >> How do you mod a map?

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How do you mod a map? - 5/31/2014 5:42:44 PM

Antarian

Posts: 137
Joined: 1/3/2014
From: Victoria, Canada
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I understood from the release notes that DWE would have the ability to mod star maps, or at least systems.

So here I am playing humans, I've mapped out all the planets, moons and asteroid belts I would like for the Sol system, and I can't seem to find the system editor anywhere. Can someone point me in the right direction?

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"If there are gods, they do not care, and justice always goes to the strong. But remember this: All that is done before the naked stars is remembered" Klingon proverb.

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RE: How do you mod a map? - 5/31/2014 5:53:47 PM

vendayn

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Joined: 5/31/2014
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Is it possible to design your own galaxy? Not many types to choose from.

And can I make 2 universes than one?

And can I go past 1400 stars? I want a massive gigantic map for my beast PC.

Thanks :)

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RE: How do you mod a map? - 5/31/2014 5:56:14 PM

Darkspire

Posts: 1986
Joined: 6/12/2003
From: My Own Private Hell
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Antarian

I understood from the release notes that DWE would have the ability to mod star maps, or at least systems.

So here I am playing humans, I've mapped out all the planets, moons and asteroid belts I would like for the Sol system, and I can't seem to find the system editor anywhere. Can someone point me in the right direction?

There is no system editor as such, the editor is like the game, all in one with zooming in to deal with the smaller details.

You place a star on the Galaxy Map then zoom into that star to then add the planets you want around it, IIRC there is no on screen measurement or scale so it is all done by eye, once a planet is placed you will get the orbit ring around the sun / star.

For naming the system click on the star itself as you would a planet, that will then allow you to name it, thus naming the system.

Darkspire

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RE: How do you mod a map? - 5/31/2014 6:05:02 PM

Antarian

Posts: 137
Joined: 1/3/2014
From: Victoria, Canada
Status: offline

Whaaaa? That sounds wacked, so you hand edit an in progress game?

But if you save it, it saves with the random genned empires and pre-chosen ones, this is not well thought out at all.

A galaxy editor tool with pre-built templates of galaxies that you add in, then select to play game with, would have made far more sense.

And I've tried to find out that already, DS, but the UI is horrible, it's confusing as hell.

_____________________________

"If there are gods, they do not care, and justice always goes to the strong. But remember this: All that is done before the naked stars is remembered" Klingon proverb.

(in reply to Darkspire)

Post #: 4

RE: How do you mod a map? - 5/31/2014 6:18:42 PM

Darkspire

Posts: 1986
Joined: 6/12/2003
From: My Own Private Hell
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quote:

ORIGINAL: Antarian

Whaaaa? That sounds wacked, so you hand edit an in progress game?

But if you save it, it saves with the random genned empires and pre-chosen ones, this is not well thought out at all.

A galaxy editor tool with pre-built templates of galaxies that you add in, then select to play game with, would have made far more sense.

And I've tried to find out that already, DS, but the UI is horrible, it's confusing as hell.

You create a game with the options you want for that map, edit it to your requirements, save it and then you can place it your theme at;

Customization\Your Theme\maps

That map can be loaded when setting up a new game by loading it from the box in the top NE corner of the first screen on the custom game screen, you can select to randomize as much as you want of it and use it as a base map for a new game.

I would choose the map size and type you want and put as few stars in in as possible, then add your own stars / systems and go from there.

Refer to page 81 of the modding guide for further details.

Darkspire

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RE: How do you mod a map? - 5/31/2014 6:28:43 PM

Antarian

Posts: 137
Joined: 1/3/2014
From: Victoria, Canada
Status: offline

Thanks DS, I just had a go with it, some problems.

Placing a new star generates random planets in system. Could not find a way to delete planets, and could not find a way to say, change a planet from continental type to desert (unless it doesn't matter and you just edit size and picture used).

Editor bug: If you reduce size of planet to 1, then try to place a moon around it, then double-click the size 1 moon, you get an exception error, you must now exit editor and restart it.

The worst though is the maximum objects in a system. I can see to control game performance they set this for other systems, but your home system should be fully editable to a much bigger size. It's not possible to create the Sol system with even the major planets right now, much less many of it's important moons and the asteroid belt.

Is there a config setting for 'maximum objects in a system' I can jack up?

_____________________________

"If there are gods, they do not care, and justice always goes to the strong. But remember this: All that is done before the naked stars is remembered" Klingon proverb.

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RE: How do you mod a map? - 5/31/2014 6:42:03 PM

Darkspire

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From: My Own Private Hell
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quote:

Placing a new star generates random planets in system. Could not find a way to delete planets, and could not find a way to say, change a planet from continental type to desert (unless it doesn't matter and you just edit size and picture used).

Select the body and press delete.

quote:

Editor bug: If you reduce size of planet to 1, then try to place a moon around it, then double-click the size 1 moon, you get an exception error, you must now exit editor and restart it.

I will check on that.

quote:

The worst though is the maximum objects in a system. I can see to control game performance they set this for other systems, but your home system should be fully editable to a much bigger size. It's not possible to create the Sol system with even the major planets right now, much less many of it's important moons and the asteroid belt.

Is there a config setting for 'maximum objects in a system' I can jack up?

No config file for that, I have never had a problem with placing things, I have gone over 20 a fair few times, asteroid belts are going to be a consideration when compared to planets regards system performance, I always placed planets and moons first then if it was bit busy I would only add a few asteroids.

Darkspire

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RE: How do you mod a map? - 5/31/2014 6:44:56 PM

Antarian

Posts: 137
Joined: 1/3/2014
From: Victoria, Canada
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That's strange, I am getting different behavior.

Yes, obviously I tried selecting the planet and clicking delete, this does not work for me.

I reached a max limit around 12 or so objects in system I tried to build.

_____________________________

"If there are gods, they do not care, and justice always goes to the strong. But remember this: All that is done before the naked stars is remembered" Klingon proverb.

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Post #: 8

RE: How do you mod a map? - 5/31/2014 6:49:25 PM

Darkspire

Posts: 1986
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From: My Own Private Hell
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Antarian

That's strange, I am getting different behavior.

Yes, obviously I tried selecting the planet and clicking delete, this does not work for me.

I reached a max limit around 12 or so objects in system I tried to build.

I will fire the game up and have a look at these points and the error you mentioned as I have some testing to do myself.

Darkspire

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Post #: 9

RE: How do you mod a map? - 5/31/2014 7:26:54 PM

Darkspire

Posts: 1986
Joined: 6/12/2003
From: My Own Private Hell
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quote:

Placing a new star generates random planets in system. Could not find a way to delete planets, and could not find a way to say, change a planet from continental type to desert (unless it doesn't matter and you just edit size and picture used).

The menu on the left in the editor has a menu at the bottom, 'Clear Items', select 'Erase Items', an eraser will replace the cursor, click on the planet and it will be deleted.

quote:

could not find a way to say, change a planet from continental type to desert (unless it doesn't matter and you just edit size and picture used).

The menu on the left in the editor has a section marked 'Planets', click on that to select the planet types to add to the new system.

quote:

I reached a max limit around 12 or so objects in system I tried to build.

I just created a system with over 22 bodies, with no problem, planets had moons, Gas giants had multiple moons etc. Are you using the zoom to go further out to add them? I center on the star / sun and then add them from there zooming out as I need to to add more bodies or zooming in to add a moon or small detail.

Darkspire

Edit: TBH the last time I played with the editor was moons ago, it is very stable now, fairly intuitive for playing with, just select what you want from the left and lay it out, think the mindset you need is that it is like working with layers in an art program,

Layer 0 System
Layer 1 Planet
Layer 2 Ruins
Etc

As i said in the first post, you have to zoom in and out for the fine details and as I just mentioned think of it as laying layers down. Hope that makes sense?

Edit2:

quote:

Editor bug: If you reduce size of planet to 1, then try to place a moon around it, then double-click the size 1 moon, you get an exception error, you must now exit editor and restart it.

Just placed three planets, reduced them to 1, all had moons, double clicking on the moons while the size 1 planets were selected did not cause any problems, the edit window for the moon opened. The problem I had was selecting the size one planets once deselected, that is a tad awkward.

< Message edited by Darkspire -- 5/31/2014 9:30:21 PM >

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RE: How do you mod a map? - 5/31/2014 11:26:35 PM

Osito

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I have spent quite a lot of time creating a model of our solar system in Sol in DW. In my experience you only run into problems with the number of objects if you try to place asteroid fields. I assume that each field is considered to be multiple objects, rather than one, and if you try to create a continuous asteroid belt around the sun, you will hit the object limit. But, in general, you can easily place 8 planets, half a dozen dwarf planets, several large asteroids and a couple of dozen moons, plus two or three asteroid fileds, without reaching the limit. Indeed, one time, as a test, I placed over 100 planets in a solar system.

< Message edited by Osito -- 6/1/2014 11:57:44 AM >

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RE: How do you mod a map? - 6/1/2014 1:02:23 AM

Tanaka

Posts: 4378
Joined: 4/8/2003
From: USA
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Darkspire

quote:

ORIGINAL: Antarian

Whaaaa? That sounds wacked, so you hand edit an in progress game?

But if you save it, it saves with the random genned empires and pre-chosen ones, this is not well thought out at all.

A galaxy editor tool with pre-built templates of galaxies that you add in, then select to play game with, would have made far more sense.

And I've tried to find out that already, DS, but the UI is horrible, it's confusing as hell.

You create a game with the options you want for that map, edit it to your requirements, save it and then you can place it your theme at;

Customization\Your Theme\maps

That map can be loaded when setting up a new game by loading it from the box in the top NE corner of the first screen on the custom game screen, you can select to randomize as much as you want of it and use it as a base map for a new game.

I would choose the map size and type you want and put as few stars in in as possible, then add your own stars / systems and go from there.

Refer to page 81 of the modding guide for further details.

Darkspire

Now this I understand! Is this how I would replay my maps with the same starting locations but randomized settings?

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RE: How do you mod a map? - 6/1/2014 1:39:33 AM

Antarian

Posts: 137
Joined: 1/3/2014
From: Victoria, Canada
Status: offline

Thanks for the help guys! I'll try those ideas out.

I wasn't trying to create a continuous field, I couldn't even place 1 metal field, actually. I'm worried it's a Windows 8 problem...

_____________________________

"If there are gods, they do not care, and justice always goes to the strong. But remember this: All that is done before the naked stars is remembered" Klingon proverb.

(in reply to Tanaka)

Post #: 13

RE: How do you mod a map? - 6/1/2014 2:42:16 AM

Antarian

Posts: 137
Joined: 1/3/2014
From: Victoria, Canada
Status: offline

Ok, back from the editor, and I have this to report:

- My original problem was that I was expecting asteroid fields to show an orbit, so I would be clicking furiously beyond the orbit of Mars and not seeing anything, meanwhile I was creating a bazillion asteroid fields, which is why I blew my object limit (palm faceslap please)

- I was able to build the solar system out to Uranus (no jokes please) and then when I tried to create Neptune, the editor suddenly stopped responding. I would select frozen gas giant, click on the orbit for Neptune, and nothing would happen. I suspect what happened was the editor lost focus, because after I created Uranus, I alt-tabbed out to go check my handy-dandy solar system map guide, and alt-tabbed back. Now the editor has lost all focus.

- Here's the REEEEL FUNNNN kicker. I exited out of the editor, and as usual, did not provide a password. Now, when I try to go back in and re-edit the saved map, the game is telling me that no password is NOT the password, so I am now permanently locked out of my first kick at the Sol system! FUN!

- In addition, also noted that there is no de-select button, (any ideas?) so when you create a planet, DO NOT try to then click on it to select it and edit it! All you have done is paste yet another planet on top of your first planet. I had greater success with right-clicking with this, but it remains clunky.

Also, more fun, I originally genned a default Human game to get a system up so I could edit it, and they stuck the primary colony way out in orbit 7 or 8, so when I deleted this colony in the process of adding it to Earth in orbit 3, the game suddenly tells me YOU HAVE BEEN DEFEATED!

So if you have to move your starting colony, CREATE THE NEW ONE FIRST!

_____________________________

"If there are gods, they do not care, and justice always goes to the strong. But remember this: All that is done before the naked stars is remembered" Klingon proverb.

(in reply to Antarian)

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RE: How do you mod a map? - 6/1/2014 5:04:20 AM

Darkspire

Posts: 1986
Joined: 6/12/2003
From: My Own Private Hell
Status: offline

quote:

- In addition, also noted that there is no de-select button, (any ideas?) so when you create a planet, DO NOT try to then click on it to select it and edit it! All you have done is paste yet another planet on top of your first planet. I had greater success with right-clicking with this, but it remains clunky.

Close the Planet menu on the left before trying to select a planet

quote:

Now this I understand! Is this how I would replay my maps with the same starting locations but randomized settings?

Glad to see you're in a better place with this, I was also working on another thread with someone who wanted to understand why the setting they had saved in the editor was not showing and things were being randomized. Refer to post #9, lays out what you want to know.

Load Existing Galaxy Map is missing feature!

Darkspire

< Message edited by Darkspire -- 6/1/2014 6:05:42 AM >

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RE: How do you mod a map? - 6/1/2014 10:37:30 AM

Osito

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Joined: 5/9/2013
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@ Antarian.

Regarding the password problem, I suspect you inadvertently hit a key before closing the window when you exited the editor. May well be a one character password.

Regarding your inability to place a planet beyond Uranus, there is another possible explanation. You can only place planets so far from the star, and if you try to place one further out, nothing happens.

Let me give you some tips for creating a solar system:

First off, add a planet at the top of the screen as far away as you can from the sun. Keep placing planets until you've got one as far away as you can. Once you have it, delete all the other planets, just leaving the one that is furthest away. That marks the orbital position of your furthest planet: Pluto or Eris, or whatever.

Now zoom in as far as you can while arranging the screen so that you can still see the star and the planet. Now place a ruler on the screen between the star and the planet, and use it to divide the space beween the two into regular intervals. Using the ruler, place a planet at each of these regular intervals: use the markings on the ruler to show you where to place the planets.

When you've finished, you will have a series of planets arranged vertically at regular intervals from the star to the furthest possible orbit (typically, you might have 20-30 planets). You can then use the orbit circles to help place your other planets (i.e. the ones you really want to create) at the correct orbital position.

Finally, when you've placed all your planets, delete the original ones that you used to provide the guide orbits. I find this provides and easy means to allow precision placement of planets in a solar system.

Note that, instead of placing the guide planets vertically, you could go horizontally, if you have a wide screen. I find vertical is easier because the ruler can sit on the lip at the bottom of my monitor's screen.

Hope this helps.

Osito

< Message edited by Osito -- 6/1/2014 12:00:51 PM >

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RE: How do you mod a map? - 6/7/2014 5:38:56 PM

Antarian

Posts: 137
Joined: 1/3/2014
From: Victoria, Canada
Status: offline

Wicked help, thanks lil polar bear fella!

_____________________________

"If there are gods, they do not care, and justice always goes to the strong. But remember this: All that is done before the naked stars is remembered" Klingon proverb.

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Post #: 17