Author Topic: PolyWorks (Multi Texture) Map Making Tutorial  (Read 10791 times)

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Offline Chakra

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PolyWorks (Multi Texture) Map Making Tutorial
« on: April 19, 2006, 11:59:25 am »
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 ;)


 
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
 
==============================================================================
I. Preparing multi texture:
==============================================================================
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:

 
and make of them one file:

 
save file and we can go to PW now
 
==============================================================================
II. Getting started:
==============================================================================

 
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

 
i used 40/2 grids Edit -> Preferences

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

 
to move on map use Space and dragging or 3rd mouse button
 
u can zoom with mouse wheel or + and - on num keyboard
 
==============================================================================
III. Polygons placement:
==============================================================================
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
----------------------------------------------
new tools usage:
with Poly Creation Tool keyboard shortcut for this tool is (W) u can create polys vertex by vertex, use Esc to stop making poly
----------------------------------------------
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

 
when its done, it should look similar to this

 
now add missing polys

 
----------------------------------------------
new tools usage:
with Vertex Selection Tool (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 (Q)  u can move selected polygons/vertices
---------------------------------------------
 
move some vertices so they fit better photo of map in your mind ;)
 
 
==============================================================================
IV. Now multi texturing begins!
==============================================================================
change texture for that prepared in section I.

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

 
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
 
==============================================================================
V. Texture fitting:
==============================================================================
now will be playing with textures so they fit polygons,
----------------------------------------------
new tools usage:
u can select whole polygon with Poly Selection Tool (R) Shift and Alt works the same as in Vertex Selection Tool
with Texture Tool (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
----------------------------------------------
 
//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)

 
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!

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

 
because its easier to stretch it in vertices to fit poly

 
continue selecting polys, moving and stretching texture part by part of map

----------------------------------------------
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
----------------------------------------------
 
if poly is too long vertically and texture would be too stretch split it and continue your job

 
//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

 
or u can manipulate texture, so it will rotate (not so simple ;p)

 
now u can start making same thing with second part of map just using other texture
01 02 03 04 06 06 07 08 09 10
 
u can turn off wireframe from Display and fit texture in some places when colors are too much different on edges

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

 
==============================================================================
VI. Colouring
==============================================================================
for better performance u can turn on points from Display

----------------------------------------------
new tools usage:
Vertex Colour Tool (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 (Y) can colour whole polys, u don't need to know anything more about it - i wont use it now anyway ;p
----------------------------------------------
 
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)

 
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

 
on right part of map i used gray and brown

 
when u finish it should look like this

 
or with wireframe, without points

 
==============================================================================
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)

 
find and select blank.bmp file

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

 
now it looks little wrong so we have to View -> Refresh (F5)
 
----------------------------------------------
new tools usage:
with Scenery Tool (S) u can place scenery, tool work depends of whole scenery window ;p
----------------------------------------------
 
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

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

 
now with scenery selected change tool for (Q)
----------------------------------------------
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
----------------------------------------------
and scale scenery that its over whole cave

 
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

 
after fitting scenery it look like this

 
ive loaded some more scenery like barrels creates and grass

 
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)

 
also add some barrels and creates

 
u can scale scenery to be smaller and look more convincing

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

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

 
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

 
now u can add those funny red balls anywhere u want

 
i've also added 2 trees one behind player, one in from of, but its nothing new for u

 
try adding all other objects which are needed

 
and map is almost finished
 
==============================================================================
VIII. Saving
==============================================================================
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...
 
==============================================================================
IX. Testing and Final Touch
==============================================================================
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

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

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

 
do same with second poly bug

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

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

 
==============================================================================
X. Credits
==============================================================================
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


Topic and tutorial originally created by cooz.
MM; seriously Chakra, stop the fisting
Yes, I'm still alive.

Offline Studio 8

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Re: PolyWorks (Multi Texture) Map Making Tutorial
« Reply #1 on: June 09, 2006, 09:09:30 pm »
WOW! Is this Guide Help me Alot!

Offline vulbastick

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Re: PolyWorks (Multi Texture) Map Making Tutorial
« Reply #2 on: June 10, 2006, 05:33:24 pm »
I hate the way polyworks doesnt fit on the screen and you can't minimize or resize it wtf?!
old map maker was so much simpler i cant use polyworks for shi.te.
sorry i jsut had to put this down somewhere

Offline ThunderPantz

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Re: PolyWorks (Multi Texture) Map Making Tutorial
« Reply #3 on: June 10, 2006, 06:54:59 pm »
i need help, whenever i open polyworks it says: System error &H8007007E(-2147024770) the specified module could not be found,     what do i do? And what is a DIR file?

LET THE BASH PIT LIVE ON.
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Offline Fraggy

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Re: PolyWorks (Multi Texture) Map Making Tutorial
« Reply #4 on: June 16, 2006, 01:10:22 pm »
it's true that the original mapmaken was alot easier.. but this one has way more possibilities..
and waaay more reliable.


Offline Spyder

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Re: PolyWorks (Multi Texture) Map Making Tutorial
« Reply #5 on: June 18, 2006, 09:39:07 am »
i need help, whenever i open polyworks it says: System error &H8007007E(-2147024770) the specified module could not be found,     what do i do? And what is a DIR file?

09. I get this error when I try to run PolyWorks: System Error &H8007007E (-2147024770). The specified module could not be found.

Make sure these files exist in your Windows\System32 folder: MBMouse.ocx, COMDLG32.OCX, mscomctl.ocx, msvbvm60.dll, dx8vb.dll, scrrun.dll. The first three are included in the PolyWorks zip, the others can be found with google. If putting them in the Windows\System32 folder doesn't work try resistering the missing files: start -> run, type in regsvr32 name_of_file.dll_or_ocx.

Offline JBL

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Re: PolyWorks (Multi Texture) Map Making Tutorial
« Reply #6 on: June 19, 2006, 03:35:30 am »
*Cough* Nice Map *Cough*


Offline -WildBill-

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Re: PolyWorks (Multi Texture) Map Making Tutorial
« Reply #7 on: June 26, 2006, 02:29:24 pm »
nice tutorial. but I think your image host died, or didnt like you and deleted them... :-\
lol siggeh deleted for the 7th time! that's like a new record or something, ain't it?

Offline Eagles_Arrows

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Re: PolyWorks (Multi Texture) Map Making Tutorial
« Reply #8 on: June 26, 2006, 02:43:58 pm »
I learned how to multi-tex from this.

Wherever you are, cooz, thanks.

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Offline 2big4u

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Re: PolyWorks (Multi Texture) Map Making Tutorial
« Reply #9 on: July 20, 2006, 12:27:26 am »
This helped me alittle, mostly because i had to figure it out the hard way, now i find this and i already know all of it... it was a darn shame..

Offline Rambo_6

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Re: PolyWorks (Multi Texture) Map Making Tutorial
« Reply #10 on: July 20, 2006, 03:38:44 pm »
You should try adding 8 textures to a map, it's freaking hard. ;)

Offline Ransom

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Re: PolyWorks (Multi Texture) Map Making Tutorial
« Reply #11 on: December 04, 2006, 02:46:49 pm »
Damn alot! I totally dig this!
In ur house, steelin' ur pie.

Offline bigmike

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Re: PolyWorks (Multi Texture) Map Making Tutorial
« Reply #12 on: April 12, 2008, 03:04:50 pm »
There is only one more thing i want to know...
How can i make light effects ?