Custom Maps (UFO2000)

The new lua map format is pretty clear once you have cleared the initial confusions, understanding the map format really the biggest hurdle for a newcomer.

Tiles

Tiles are the small squares, one soldier occupies one tile. A tileset is an assortment of tiles. The graphics (also called sprites) of a tileset are in a png master image list file (dawnmasterimagelist.png) and the attributes of the tiles in a lua file (like dawncitybeta102.lua). Dawn City beta 102 has 236 tiles in the lua file and 242 sprites in the master image list file.

Maps

Maps are stuff like buildings, often of size 8x8 tiles horizontally, 4 or 8 vertically. Maps are constructed out of tiles. Maps are saved into binary .map files. (Like dawn00.map, dawn01.map etc...)

Battlescape

The Battlescape consists of many maps, that are mixed pretty randomly according to a script. The script is in a lua file (dawncitybeta102.lua).

---

Editing

For editing, for making tiles, the javascript tile editor that runs in a web browser does the attributes for the tiles and you need a paint program for making the sprites in the master image list.

For making maps, you need the javascript map maker that runs in the browser.

Tile Editor

Wiki part yet to be written. The tile editor has a pretty good help file.

Map Editor

Wiki part yet to be written. The map editor has a pretty good help file.

Relevant Threads

Map maker and tile maker, with download link: http://www.xcomufo.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=242025548 --Bamb 02:35, 25 April 2007 (PDT)