Seeking Advice from Map Makers

[MCERT1]

Hi All,

I've always wanted to try and make a map for a personal mod, but honestly never felt up to the extreme challenge until recently. My end goal is to do a max size freeplay map, so I've started heavily altering the original deluxe freeplay map. So far the design is going well, but it's hard to visualize the end product with all the clutter from the original texture. So, to help I've been importing the texture to check scaling,etc. But I'd like to seek some advice from the elite guys who have done maps.

1, Is it easier to try and break up the map into smaller sections like 512x512(I forget the minimum size)?

2. If yes, can I then develop a section, add all paths,etc., and then expand the map by importing a larger combined texture when I have another section done?

Any other advice would be appreciated.

[rettungstier]

some tips from a mapper ^^ :

first up, go and get fraps for screenshots (will tell you later why)!

i'd also recommend to download standard map textures (available as jpeg).

if you got a freeplay (which is maximum) sized map texture but have not finished every street etc just save it and keep empty spaces empty (white or so).

so if you only got the south east corner done just fill empty spaces with one colour to have it already at freeplay size.

there are several ways to get your building spaces right, depending if you use your own models or standard buildings:

standard buildings:

load up several standard em4 maps on the editor.

like freeplay, deluxe freeplay, any mission map.

see if you wanna use any of the buildings used there.

make a screenshot or remember where on the map they are.

open up the needed standard jpg texture into your graphics program.

search the place where the building stands and cut and copy the ground texture to your map.

edit it so it fits your map but keep the dimensions.

keep that up for every place you want...

new buildings:

if you are working with different layers while making your texture draw a grid (as new layer so it can be deactivated easily!) on your map (maybe name the squares) and export it.

reimport in the editor.

place your new building somewhere on the grid and take screenshots from different views to get an idea of how big your building is and where it stands - if you already placed it where you want it.

with the screenshots you can keep going with editing your texture.

by looking in which relation (with which distance) a corner or edge of your building is standing to a gridline you can adjust it pretty good.

yeah, that's it for now

(null)