How to Create a Map?

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Araripe
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How to Create a Map?

#1 Post by Araripe » 20 Feb 2013 20:29

Hi all,

My name is Araripe and I`m a experienced modder of Euro Truck Simulator 2. Now, I want to come out of the world of the .sii files to the world of mapping. I want to create the map of Brazil for Euro Truck Simulator 2. Is really hard to build a map from zero?
I have a few of knowledge in .dds files, and I know than some game textures are placed in base.scs than I have extracted yet.
I tryied to use the Map Editor, but I can`t understand it. Someone else can create a video-tutorial explaining how to add roads, cities, etc...?
Last edited by ohaha on 29 Nov 2013 07:35, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Moved from Mods/Maps.
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Reinhard
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Re: How to Create a Map?

#2 Post by Reinhard » 20 Feb 2013 21:17

I don't have heard of any new tutorial for ETS2. And I cannot say something about video tutorials anyway. I'm an old-fashioned guy who reads. You know, these letters and such. :)

My own experience is limited to ETS1. I learned most of the stuff with the help of an old, partly outdated, but nevertheless very good tutorial for HAULIN. Made by Glenn on http://www.glenn52.com.. (Site currently defunct, but guide is still to be found here)

Plus reading in several modding forums, and much of trying. Never did anything with new cities, sorry.

My advice: it will take a long time of learning, you will for sure get better with time. You may even make a cut after some weeks/month and throw away all the early stuff. I wish I had. And search, search, search for information. This is vital, and it is really not done with a single video or personal answers to questions.

For starters, the "backbone" of any map mod is "map/europe.mbd". This is the bare minimum of any map, and also the vehicle how to get your work into the editor: by loading a mod. Only saving is done by command. To "C:\Program Files (x86)\Euro Truck Simulator 2\base\map" or whatever your game installation path is.

So the first step is to add the ...\base\map folder to the installed game, "edit europe", save, establish a mod containing "map/europe.mbd".

You will have many repeated edit/save/mod cycles, from now on. Don't hold your work in the same session for hours.

I don't think it is a good idea to start from scratch even if you master all the definition file parts. For the same reason I mentioned before: the first work will be of much less quality than later, and you might even don't notice that in the beginning. Plus: there is much to learn from existing maps. I would start with the standard map, or may be a custom one. Fixing all stuff which matches not so much your own taste is the best start.

But even if you ignore all of this: save often! Make backups of your work. Keep it. :D
Last edited by Reinhard on 22 Feb 2013 17:38, edited 1 time in total.
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Araripe
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Re: How to Create a Map?

#3 Post by Araripe » 20 Feb 2013 21:22

Thanks for the reply. I will need a powerful computer to create a map? I run ETS 2 in slow, with 3D vegetation, reflex and light effects.
makemake
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Re: How to Create a Map?

#4 Post by makemake » 20 Feb 2013 23:23

My subjective feeling is that editor runs more smoothly than game. Of course - no AI, no weather... many and many things which takes their piece of performance in game are not in the editor.

The fact is I didn't had enough time yet to examine ETS2 editor properly. But I can say this: there are many new things in editor since Haulin', but for learning basics, Glenn's tutorial suggested by Reinhard is still useful. Similarly to Reinhard too, I would recommend to not start with something new, but to study original map, it's rules and possibilities of editor, trying to changing things here and there and slowly understand how everything works - and from cosmetic changes move to something bigger. That's how I started to learn how to modify Haulin' map too.

Best of luck!
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lassegotland
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Re: How to Create a Map?

#5 Post by lassegotland » 22 Feb 2013 17:20

Hi
here's a good link
http://www.crockettsetshouse.org.uk/forum/
look for Tutorials where you found a good guide
Basic to advanced map editing manual
It is made to ETS 1 but it is fine to use in ETS 2

you hope you will find what you are looking for

lasse gotland 8-)
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Araripe
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Re: How to Create a Map?

#6 Post by Araripe » 22 Feb 2013 18:14

Thanks abou these links, dude. I`ll try to learn map editing and create my own. A map with challenging roads and beautiful mountains. Sounds great?
Bandit188
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Re: How to Create a Map?

#7 Post by Bandit188 » 25 Feb 2013 09:09

how about having the 10 most dangerous rods as a map?
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Frozen1
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Re: How to Create a Map?

#8 Post by Frozen1 » 25 Feb 2013 12:43

I'll give you an advice. As a professional map builder you'll have headache every time your game crashes. The editing of .sii files is a big ticking bomb. Instead of this, the locale.scs has some files about the countries added by SCS. So my advice is, make Bordeaux, for example, do a ferry between Bordeaux and Rio and here it is. Europe + South America, Brazil. Voila.
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0Artur0
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Re: How to Create a Map?

#9 Post by 0Artur0 » 13 Mar 2013 13:00

Araripe, did you find any good resources? I'd like to expand the existing Europe map with a few new cities and it's really hard to find any good information about it. All the manuals and tutorials are focused on the Editor, which is pretty simple. But I'd like to add brand new custom objects (buildings, landmarks, traffic signs,..) and textures to the map. I can't find a single manual/tutorial/forum about that.
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Reinhard
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Re: How to Create a Map?

#10 Post by Reinhard » 13 Mar 2013 18:45

The map editor doesn't mind if objects are "new" or "old. Nor does it support the construction of such.

If you want new 3D-models, you have to create them with a 3D-Editor. Or convert them from other games. Zmodeler is the buzzword.

Then, these objects have to be integrated in the various lists of /def/world, by a dedicated mod.
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