Ryandor.com

[english isn`t my native language. if there is anything that is unclear in my posting dont hestitate and ask please. TIA]

hello

I am Dante and since our staff member for graphic retired, I "won" this job.
after downloading a bunch of mapping tools and lots of dragon versions I started making some maps for testing. after taking a look at other maps I was able to manage most of landscape design. well, at least when I found Ryandors guide. nevertheless I missed some guidelines for beginners. after my try-and-error experience I advanved from newbie to beginner

now here are my questions, thanks in advance for your patience

1. because of not using photoshop I have some problems with Ryandors cave-guide. (I am using dragon mod9).
after creating a test-mountain with a cave and entrance, I noticed that the 3 cave colors are for z-level 10, 20, 30. so i am asking me, what i have to put on z-level 0? and why is there a second row of colours for cave entrances below the 1st one? (table mod9)

2. i am not sure if the next one is an error or if I missunderstand something. when i am in front of an entrance I can stand just in front of it not able to walk into the dark tiles of the entrance. is this because of my problems with the z-levels? In my opinion it should be possible to make one step inside and then teleporting to a dungeon or walking inside the cave.

3. after creating the cave inside the mountain, I see in-game the cave but with no mountains above when I take a look from ouside. what min. height should I take for mountains or what do I have to do to prevent this error?

4. is it possible to change the starfield from z level 0 to a higher one?

5. with all water-colours above -5 is fishing possible?

6. after this please allow me a last question, maybe a bit off-topic. what kinda freezing tool for non-static items do u prefer with sphere 55i?


greetings
Dante

Okay, well what paint program are you using, not real important, but can help.

1: with the cave entrances, its common to have a cave floor at 0. The first tile entrance will want to be 10. (again, this is just a typicall or common cave entrance) The cave entrance tile is a map tile, so it will start out at 0 (where your ground level is), and will streach to 10. Then you place the next cave entrance 20, wich will start at 10, and streach to 20. and then 30 (change these in the scripts if you need, by the example below).

2: The black tiles are simply black tiles. Thats what you get with Mod 9. To compete a vace entrance, you must use World Forge, and edit these areas to your preference. Change the black tile ID's to another black tile. Sorry, I can not remember right at the moment what ID they are, bot there are a couple others that allow you to walk through. NoDraw tiles will work too, but depending on your preference, a NoDraw will allow you to see any Item tiles that are behind it... Like a cave tile, if you have a cave entrance, that might be best.

3: The mountains above the cave you make will have to be 'painted' with World Forge again. Since the cave floor is both static tiles, and map tiles with Dragon Mod 9, you simply replace the cave tiles in World Forge with Mountain rock tiles.. making them randomized tile ID's and small differences of z-Level will make the better end result.

4: You can change Z-levels of tiles you paint very easy in the script- Dragon +Mod9/scripts/MapTrans.txt, Hers an example.


The first 00 is the color palete Hex ID#, dont change that one.
the Second 00 is the group ID#, dont change that either
Third number 00, wich is 002 in the second example line, that is the altitude of that grass color. This example is showing the very first 2 colors of Grass on the Dragon color palete, green. Change them to whatever you wish.
Oh, and the other numbers 003 004 005 006 those are the tile ID Hex numbers Dragon selects, randomly.
to change to a negative Z level, you MUST leave an extra space after the group number, before placing a negative -2. That -2 is actually 3 characters, space then - then 2.

5: If sphere uses a Z-Level check for water, then you would have to edit the shard scripts, Im unfamiliar with sphere.. someone else will have to help you there.

6: Again, I do not know annything of Sphere, sorry. But, World Forge is still the best multi purpose World Building/editing tool out there, for finishing touches .

-Dian

_________________
Forget what you know, know what you forget.

hello Dian

thanks a lot for the very fast answer!

i am using corel photo paint 8 and solve the not working colour-table with a simple drag and drop maybe I will change to an other easy to use prog.

i just made 2 screenshots of an entrance i created on osi map. please tell me if they are looking right so far. (without WF editing and both are the same area.)


http://home.arcor.de/dante_mail/DANTE01.jpg

http://home.arcor.de/dante_mail/DANTE02.jpg

let me see if i understood you right ...

1. / 2.
do mean, that I have to set the black ground tile line with WF so that I can "walk into" the black of the entrance?

3. i see. i just take a short look at WF so far. I thought that dragon maybe creates both, the cave and from the mountain tiles around the view from outside.

thanks again for answering my other questions too . exspecially no. 4


Dante

Well the black tiles that Dragon sets by default from the cave entrances you can not walk into at all. Although, if you want it as a dungeon entrance, you could simply (as I do) place just inside it, one row of cave floor tiles. You dont see them once you move them into the black tile, but you can just walk into that black entrance that one step, and is also where you would place any teleporter. That gives the efect that you actually are walking into the opening.

And sice Dragon can only place one tile (also because you can only have one color on any given pixle of your paint program) you have to go back to any area that needs these things, like mountain over the cave floor you painted.

One suggestion maybe, if your looking to make a good visible cave entrance.. push back the one pixle there that is sticking out. make it even with cave entrance.


Although, its all about your personal preference. Also at the top of the cave entrance, try not having such a big Z-level change higher than the entrance, so you dont get that 'point' at the top of the cave entrance.

Just keep playing with it, you will get it looking good in no time

_________________
Forget what you know, know what you forget.

thanks a lot !!! it really works! next time i will ask at once.!

thanks for your help. if i ever come to oregon, i will invite you for dinner.

Dante

why in the vicinity of the cave entrance the grass tiles are at level 5, even if in wh and dragon they are at level 0?

Just a guess, but I'd bet this has to do with the fact that they are "stretching" to meet the higher level.

-Janice
aka Sparkle!