Wikis / The Liandri Archives / Talk:DmAriza

Minimap

This map really needs a minimap like DM-Deck17. How do you make it? Simply draw by hand? And what software do you use for making the blends? I think that InkScape would do, but making the geometry might be a bit hard. --GreatEmerald 12:43, 21 May 2008 (EDT)

I start out by making screenshots of the top view of the map in UEd (in a maximized Top View viewport, using PrtScn). Then I import that in Photoshop, and draw the map over the screenshot. Blends and fades are really easy to do, but it can be a bit tricky to get the brightness done right (I know I've spent quite some time brightening/darkening areas to in-/decrease the suggested height). After the whole level has been coloured in (and higher-level floor are made semi-transparent and such), I place the icons. The icons can be exported from UEd (I believe the texture package is HUDContent, but I could be wrong). The texture can then be imported in Photoshop, after which individual icons can be selected and copied to the map. --Kaithofis 13:54, 21 May 2008 (EDT)

Wow, nice suggestion... So yes, it can be done in InkScape (vector graphics FTW!), though for Unreal the icon pack is elsewhere (in fact it's spread over UnrealI.Icons and UnrealShare.Icons) but still accessible. Shouldn't make any problems, but quite time consuming. Might do it on Friday, if I won't forget it. --GreatEmerald 15:17, 21 May 2008 (EDT)

So, how do you like this map? No pickups yet, but I'll add them soon. --GreatEmerald 07:52, 23 May 2008 (EDT)

Hey! This layout looks really a lot like the logo of Quake! What do you think, co-incidence or maybe it means something? --GreatEmerald 08:11, 23 May 2008 (EDT)

Hmmm, it could be a bit more simple. There are a few things that distract from the main lay-out. The columns next to the Bio-Rifle/hover area aren't really big enough to effect gameplay, and therefor shouldn't be indicated on the map. Another thing is that every part of a floor has been outlined, which adds more detail that you don't want. Finally, you really need to read the summary to understand the picture. A more logical colouring (making water blue, and catwalks grey, or using different shades to suggest the height) makes the map clear to the viewer, without having to look up what the certain colours represent. --Kaithofis 08:56, 23 May 2008 (EDT)

The outlines are quite painful actually.. I can only stroke individual items, like one block, or paint them by hand. As the columns, well, I can't hide them now as I tried out a new technology subtract thingy, so the only way to hide them would be adding another green block there. And about the colouring, the map is way too high to be able to use only one colour but different shades. As you go up in the minimap you can see the the floors become more transcluent, that is, magenta floor is 65% opacity, ground is 100% and the middle is 85%. That should make it somewhat easier to understand. And the different colourings let you easily decide where you are and want to be. Although I think all things would be easier to change if I did the same on Photoshop. --GreatEmerald 10:29, 23 May 2008 (EDT)

That's exactly what I'm thinking :P These problems (the stroking and drawing over the columns) can be solved in only a few seconds using Photoshop. --Kaithofis 10:39, 23 May 2008 (EDT)

No bad for a first attempt. I tried making one of these for DM-Morpheus3, but got stuck in the middle. Then again, I worked on raster images, not with SVG. (The others I uploaded were actually made by someone else for CompaMut.) The general idea when coloring these layouts is to use different colors for different major height levels of the map and varying shades of the same color for varying heights on the same major level. Lava, slime and water get a different color, blocking structures are holes in the layer for that plane. Where multiple planes are above each other, slight amounts of transparency are used to make this apparent. This worked out quite nicely, even for z-axis maps like DM-1on1-Roughinery. Outlines should only really be used to separate the image from the background, or when special highlighting is required, such as for the bridges on DM-Antalus.
One very important note, though: Always give your uploaded images descriptive names, like "DmAriza-Pickups" or "DmArize-Layout" or something similar. The map name is a must for map-related images. -Wormbo 16:53, 23 May 2008 (EDT)

Thanks :) Well, the layout is almost as you described here... I see that instead of the outlines, shadows are used, but I'm not sure if smooth shadows can be used with SVG... With outlines, I see the point. About the names, well I din't name it at all because I'll re-upload it with proper pickup icons and spawn icons. Just to get my Photoshop here. --GreatEmerald 17:04, 23 May 2008 (EDT)

Hmm, I usually stick to 1 colour to give the map a sort of a visual representation of the actual level. That's why the BR-Anubis map is mostly yellow, and the BR-DE-ElecFields one is red/brown-ish. This way the map has some sort of identity, and depth/heights are displayed really well. The major downside comes with overlapping floors. Having 2 floors with the same colour gets a bit problematic at times, as seen on the BR-DE-ElecFields map. --Kaithofis 18:08, 23 May 2008 (EDT)

Actually I'm wondering if I shouldn't simply use the actual textures there. At least for water and ground it should look OK. Though I'm not going to re-make it in Photoshop and will probably leave as it is. Adding icons ATM. --GreatEmerald 05:14, 24 May 2008 (EDT)