PolyWorks (Multi Texture) Map Making Tutorial by cooz (aka qz)

Here tutorial for PolyWorks, it shows many features along making map, but its not complete list of program functions, its just overview of things u can do with this little map maker devil ;)

here u have link to Offline Version of Tutorial 11mb
thx Anna for hosting (hum, i dont know who she is, but yeah... )

Table of Contents:
I. Preparing multi texture
II. Getting started
III. Polygons placement
IV. Now multi texturing begins!
V. Texture fitting
VI. Colouring
VII. Scenery
VIII. Saving
IX. Testing and Final Touch
X. Credits

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I. Preparing multi texture:
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if u wanna make map with 2 or more textures first u must do prepare special bmp file containing textures u want to use inside, u can use for that any image

editor (i used photoshop), open textures:
[IMAGE]

and make of them one file:
[IMAGE]

save file and we can go to PW now

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II. Getting started:
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[IMAGE]

interface it not complicated, u just have to try yourself, now i wont say what every button do, it's not my point, along with progress of doing map ill tell about feature i'm using...

just make sure u have turned on options same as on this shot
[IMAGE]

i used 40/2 grids Edit -> Preferences
[IMAGE]

and set Avokado texture Edit -> Map Settings, we'll change it later ;p
[IMAGE]

to move on map use Space and dragging or 3rd mouse button

u can zoom with mouse wheel or + and - on num keyboard

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III. Polygons placement:
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turned on grid will help to snap polys better, u can turn it in Display window, i also don't use points and background in this phase of making map, it's just more clear for me

ok we now can make our first poly
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new tools usage:
with Poly Creation Tool [IMAGE] keyboard shortcut for this tool is (W) u can create polys vertex by vertex, use Esc to stop making poly
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choose Poly Creation Tool from Tools Window or use shortcut, i recommend that u should use keyboard shortcuts, it just few things to remember, and can make your map making really faster!

polys should touch one vertex, we are doing now constructing of our map
[IMAGE]

when its done, it should look similar to this
[IMAGE]

now add missing polys
[IMAGE]

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new tools usage:
with Vertex Selection Tool [IMAGE] (E) u can select in 2 ways, by dragging square over vertices u want to select or clicking near to it(second method select only one vertex at time) with Shift u can add more vertices to selection and with Alt u can remove it, to deselect vertices click somewhere not on polygon
with Move Tool [IMAGE] (Q) u can move selected polygons/vertices
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move some vertices so they fit better photo of map in your mind ;)
[IMG]http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/3175/147ys.th.png" style="color: blue;">[IMAGE]

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IV. Now multi texturing begins!
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change texture for that prepared in section I.
[IMAGE]

choose in Properties Window Texture Settings, and there change width and height to the file dimensions (in this case its 128x256)
[IMAGE]

select all polys with Edit -> Select All (ctrl+a) and use Edit -> Texture -> Fix Texture (ctrl+f) now texture coordinates changed to those from properties window

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V. Texture fitting:
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now will be playing with textures so they fit polygons,
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new tools usage:
u can select whole polygon with Poly Selection Tool [IMAGE] (R) Shift and Alt works the same as in Vertex Selection Tool
with Texture Tool [IMAGE] (A) u can manipulate textures coords, to do that select one, two vertices or whole poly, depends of how many u selected tool works different
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//From now i can use only shortcuts of tools - get used to it ;p

select those 2 polys using (E) or (R) and change to texture tool (A)
[IMAGE]

depending how texture fits poly hold mouse button and move it up or down, make sure all vertices are selected otherwise u will stretch texture not move it!
[IMAGE]

selecting parts of map polys move texture that the correct part of it is on middle of polys (vertically)
[IMAGE]

because its easier to stretch it in vertices to fit poly
[IMG]http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/8098/232ip.th.png" style="color: blue;">[IMAGE]

continue selecting polys, moving and stretching texture part by part of map
[IMG]http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/2151/258zd.th.png" style="color: blue;">[IMAGE]
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new features usage:
with Edit -> Split at Vertex (ctrl+l) u can split poly on 2 smaller ones, slice line is made from selected vertex to mid point of opposite edge in same poly
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if poly is too long vertically and texture would be too stretch split it and continue your job
[IMG]http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/9496/286lb.th.png" style="color: blue;">[IMAGE]

//btw u can turn off grid now(u could do that just after creating polys ;P) its not needed anymore

in the mid point of map there 2 different textures touching each other, u have to do some slices so it can be textured in right way
[IMG]http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/8100/307be.th.png" style="color: blue;">[IMAGE]

or u can manipulate texture, so it will rotate (not so simple ;p)
[IMG]http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/4066/326ap.th.png" style="color: blue;">[IMAGE]

now u can start making same thing with second part of map just using other texture
09 [url="http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/8288/428db.png">10

u can turn off wireframe from Display and fit texture in some places when colors are too much different on edges
[IMG]http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/2135/442hi.th.png" style="color: blue;">[IMAGE]

ok, whole texturing is done, in overview it should look like this
[IMAGE]

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VI. Colouring
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for better performance u can turn on points from Display
[IMAGE]
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new tools usage:
Vertex Colour Tool [IMAGE] (T) can colour (sic!) vertices, it works in 3 modes which can be set in palette window - precision, normal and dynamic, and also depends of opacity and radius(u can check out them yourself ;p)
Poly Colour Tool [IMAGE] (Y) can colour whole polys, u don't need to know anything more about it - i wont use it now anyway ;p
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change current tool to (T), i used radius 16, dynamic mode and opacity like 5%(less % makes vertex changing colour slower)

//vertex colour tool cursor isn't captured correctly on those screenshots, but u can check yourself how it looks, right? ;p

choose your colour from palette, click and hold mouse button and move it a little over those points, longer u move colour becomes darker(it comes to palette colour so u can choose more dark there)
[IMAGE]

on left part of map i used green color for upper vertices, brown for lower and dark red for upper roof

if u don't want to colour polys next to other just select those on which u'll be working
[IMG]http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/9308/510ir.th.png" style="color: blue;">[IMAGE]

on right part of map i used gray and brown
http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/1369/559cz.th.png[/IMG] [url="http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/7245/569jm.png">[IMG]http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/7245/569jm.th.png" style="color: blue;">[IMAGE]

when u finish it should look like this
[IMAGE]

or with wireframe, without points
[IMAGE]

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VII. Scenery
==============================================================================
all polygons were placed, but ppl don't like maps without scenery, they're whining that map is plain and other crap, so we have to add something more to it

Load Scenery from Scenery Window works as a switch between: all sceneries (checkboxes inform if thing is used on map already) and only used scenery list

choose list of all sceneries(if it's not there already)
[IMAGE]

find and select blank.bmp file
[IMAGE]

we can turn back background from Display, it can be useful for opacity effects
[IMAGE]

now it looks little wrong so we have to View -> Refresh (F5)

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new tools usage:
with Scenery Tool [IMAGE] (S) u can place scenery, tool work depends of whole scenery window ;p
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change tool to (S) opacity something like 90%, set colour from palette for dark grey, in scenery window set Back (it'll be behind everything)

on most right side of map there cave, we'll make background for it, place scenery there
[IMAGE]

// i had to change a little poly above it so it wont stick out ;p
[IMAGE]

now with scenery selected change tool for (Q)
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new tools usage:
Shift, Alt and Ctrl have their special function with Move Tool, Alt rotate selected thing (poly/scenery), with Shift for 15deegrees, Ctrl scale it with Shift it hold same height and width, transformation are made around opposite reference point e.g. if u try rotating scenery holding right lower corner reference point will be left upper one
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and scale scenery that its over whole cave
[IMAGE]

do same with passage in the middle of map, if u cant find right color in palette click on the current one and choose new from just opened Colour Picker Window
[IMAGE]

after fitting scenery it look like this
[IMAGE]

ive loaded some more scenery like barrels creates and grass
[IMAGE]

using abilities learned before place grass somewhere in left part of map (its good to use Middle from Scenery Window - scenery will be behind polys but in front of soldat players)
http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/9909/716xv.th.png[/IMG] [url="http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/411/727ho.png">[IMG]http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/411/727ho.th.png" style="color: blue;">[IMAGE]

also add some barrels and creates
[IMAGE]

u can scale scenery to be smaller and look more convincing
[IMAGE]

in 100% zoom those 2 boxes were little to high on map and there was gap between them and poly
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new features usage:
with keyboard arrows u can move selected polys/scenery one pixel and with Shift one grid unit
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so i selected them and moved one pixel down
[IMAGE]

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new tools usage:
with Objects Tool [IMAGE] (F) u can create spawn points colliders and other stuff
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change to (F) tool, right click and ure in menu, select collider
[IMAGE]

we'll be setting barrels and boxes to collide, if default collider size its too big u can change it with Radius from palette window
[IMAGE]

now u can add those funny red balls anywhere u want
[IMAGE]

i've also added 2 trees one behind player, one in from of, but its nothing new for u
http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/9679/811oo.th.png[/IMG] [url="http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/8862/824vv.png">[IMG]http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/8862/824vv.th.png" style="color: blue;">[IMAGE]

try adding all other objects which are needed
http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/4789/844pq.th.png[/IMG] [url="http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/5577/853dk.png">[IMG]http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/5577/853dk.th.png" style="color: blue;">[IMAGE]

and map is almost finished

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VIII. Saving
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important is that u have to save map in 2 places:
- with File -> Save as to /PolyWorks/Maps folder, if u want to edit it in future
- with File -> Compilate to PMS to /Soldat/Maps folder for testing

after u do that u can turn off PW and try testing your map...

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IX. Testing and Final Touch
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in soldat play a little on map and try finding all polybugs, i found 3 of them, so now we back in PW, open map from PW/maps folder, not this compiled one!

go to place where u found polybug, zoom to 1600% and place poly where the bug is then select poly, and use Edit -> Arrange -> Send to Back
[IMAGE]

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new tools usage:
with Colour Picker Tool [IMAGE] (G) u can pick colours to palette from vertices, also with Shift u can get colour from screen (with textures, lines and everything else)
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with (G) tool u can get right colour from surrounding polys
[IMAGE]

and with (Y) tool can change our small poly colour
[IMAGE]

do same with second poly bug
[IMAGE]

and with 3rd, if texture on small poly is wrong/different use techniques learned in this tutorial to change it
[IMAGE]

ok, i think that map is ready to go, there's how it looks
[IMAGE]

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X. Credits
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i hope this tutorial will help to convince u that PW interface isn't so hard and slow, making whole map took me few minutes, writting whole this stuff took much longer;P it wasn't my point to show all features of PW, or to make greatest map in whole soldat map world, i wanted just show how to fast and easy use PW

this tutorial was based on PolyWorks build from 21.08.2005, some changes may (and will for sure) occur in next versions

greetings for whole #soldat.polyworks channel (on quakenet)

25.08.2005

have fun

edit:
xx.08.2005 even more typos and stuff corrected,
10.09.2005 added offline version.
15.09.2005 scenery section updated for v1.0 (build from 06.09.2005) and few... typos corrected

A very useful tutorial.

I am currently trying to create a 4-texture map, it is very difficult. I hope future polyworks versions are easier to use in terms of texture manipulation.

its as simple as making 2 texture map with watching also for horizontally poligon not just for vertically lengh,
yeah it probably pretty hard :>

Great tutorial :)

Beutiful. This thread calls for a sticky.

Nice work Cooz, I have a feeling this tutorial will come in handy for many mappers.
The map you made looks pretty good too :q

quote:Originally posted by Michal
The map you made looks pretty good too :q


hey, its just tutorial/fast version of TwoWorlds if u cant guess it ;)

quote:Originally posted by _Mancer_Beutiful. This thread calls for a sticky.


Amen. A thousand thanks to you cooz.

yah very good work, this gives mappers more thigns to fiddle with ^^

I love PolyWorks and I love this. <3

Good Job cooz. A bit hard to follow in certain places, but extremely well done and useful nonetheless.

quote:Originally posted by papasurf31Good Job cooz. A bit hard to follow in certain places, but extremely well done and useful nonetheless.


mmm, yes in some places more explaining would be good thing, can u tell where it was hardest to follow? i can still maki it better ;)

Really good tutorial cooz, i'm sure lots of people'll find it useful.

thanks cooz, it's easy to understand and i know the summary of multitexture :D

why not make the offline toturial in pdf i think it
would work out better

quote:Originally posted by Sgt. Beaverwhy not make the offline toturial in pdf i think it
would work out better


u cant make miniatures(propably?) in pdf, why it would work better? its just good for vector graphics, not adding to it huge amount of pictures,

what u have to html anyway?

where can i download this program?????

you can try search here:
http://archive.forums.soldat.pl/topic.php?topic_id=23906

Poor Image Shack xD

Nice work. I'm sure it'll be put to a lot of use.

Sorry for reviving an old topic, but I have a question regarding the multi-texture part. When I try to do it according to the tutorial (I have made a texture bmp with the two textures I want to use), the texture shows up like this:


In the texture list
[IMAGE]

and in-game like this

[IMAGE]

W & L is 128-256, so nothing wrong with that. What am I doing wrong?

Does it have to be just two textures, or could you, say for example, put every single texture onto one file?

rambo made a map with 4 textures, or was it 5?

Yumago:
read whole tutorial, it should look like that... for some time ;p

.Loki:
2 textures in 1 file.

vash763:
nobody cares :P