Today, i will demonstrate how to furnish your space age bachelor pad with a variety of aquatic denizens, and a walkable glass tank to view them from!
Be the first to wow your friends with your very own Shark underneath the floorboards.
(CLICK REFRESH TO FIX YER IMAGES)
Before I begin, I should probobly acknowledge the slight absurdity of this as a tutorial. I understand there isn't a 'set' way to do something like this, and i understand that as, erhm, 'art', its completely open to your own interpretation/extrapowhatolation.
This tutorial, in essence, is a culmination of my boredom, and the want to share the potential of 'Terrain Objects' with the more creative lot of you out there. A lot of this is doodad trial and error, shifting and 're-colouring', raising and 're-sizing', it requires time, patience, and strong fist of oppression on annoying ASPCA employee's who'll most likely try wrestle your shark from you.
An Example:
Here's one I did earlier:
Step One
Forgive me if I sound like i'm treating some of you like newbs, but I want to help out those who might not have an immense understanding of the editor.
Ok, so!
First, you're gonna wanna go to the terrain 'layer' and navigate your ass to the 'terrain object' button. Thats the one thats to the far right of the 'Cliff' button. I'm not going to go into details here, but these things are generally 'walkable' or 'pathed', and you can see them used throughout the campaign.
Generally, you would place a terrain object, then go to doodads and place its corresponding doodad underneath it, like a reactor under some glass, for example. HOWEVER! for a shark tank, you'll probobly want to forget the reactor, and just stick with adding water to go underneath later.
I'll erh. show you:
Here, I used the 'Avernus Gas Refinery' Terrain Object, at HEIGHT 1.
You'll probobly notice the same terrain object with different HEIGHTS listed. These correspond to the different cliff heights. If you're planning on installing your new aquatic creature properly, then you'll probably want to choose the correct height.
Its quite simple though;
Height 1 is Ground
Height 2 is One Cliff level
Height 3 is Two Cliff Levels
If you're placing the terrain object ontop of one cliff, then you'll be choosing height 2, if you're doing it ontop of two cliffs, then its Height 3. If you're just planting it on the ground, then just go ahead and choose height 1 :P. Also! You dont have to use this specific gas refinery thing, there are plenty of glass ones avalible for your... experimentation?
However! One thing to note while using these things, you're probobly gonna want to avoid using cliffs UNTIL you've placed you're 'Terrain Object'. So you might want to build your tank then put your walls around it. Like this:
Step Two
Time to fill it up!
You'll need to smother your 'Terrain Object' in water. You probobly know this part well enough, if not, there are tutorials all over this website on how to place water. I should probobly mention however, that the water I used in the pictures looks different due to lighting, and even colour choice in the edit water section. You can play with this as much as you want until you achieve your desired colouration.
I used 'Bel'Shir' because it looks purdy.
Once you've painted it on and your map, and its looking a bit of a mess like mine in the picture, you can lower its 'Height' in the 'Edit Water' section until it fits nice and comfortably under your glass. Like so!
Doodads
Now it gets interesting (I suppose)
You're gonna need some of these!
'Page Up' = Raise your shark
'Page Down' = Lower your shark
'Ctrl and * ' = Rotate your shark (alternatively you can use 'Ctrl and 'Left Click' to drag its rotation)
'Enter/Double click' = Edit doodad properties
In the finished picture, there are a number of changes to the default doodads, namely colour, which is avalible once you access the specific doodad's properties, size, and height. You don't really have to touch the colour of whatever you decide to put into your tank however, unless you really want it to look like its underwater.
Whats probobly most important for the underwater effect however is the blue light rays:
On the left, is the defult 'Sunray' doodad, and on the right, is the edited version. ;<.
You'll be wanting to change its colour to something suitably bluey, as long as it matches your water nicely, and to scale its size down (maybe?).
Double click your sunray, tick the 'Custom Colour' box, then click the black colour chooser thing.
Once you've messed with it, you can try it with whatever critter you decide to put inside.
'FishBlackFinMako' is great, so are 'Vines, and all the other little things in 'Enviroment' section of the doodads. However, be aware that lowering something DOES NOT REMOVE ITS FOOTPRINT .
So if you put some rocks, then lower them into a position, they're still gonna be blocking stuff up above, unless you go into the data editor and change its footprint to something that doesnt block... which im too tired to explain right now. Just be careful of things with a big footprint.
Once you've made changes to colour, you've got stuff how you want it, you'll probably have something like this:
They won't be floating around like mine are in mid air though, thats just to illustrate what doodads you might wanna put down there. (BIG SHARKS AND BONES)
There... thats a bit better.
So! With all that said, you're ready to be experimenting with stuff down there and erh... if anything i hope this tutorial has provided you with some creative thoughts/ideas.
I've never written a tutorial before...
Was a tutorial on shark tanks really necessary?
Oh god I don't know.
How are you creating mountains like in picture 4 and 6? They look so natural.. mine are just always rounded or too pointy and make no sense.
Well, I generally use a combination of 'Rock Tower' and 'Rock Giant' i believe they're called, on top of and around the 'cliff' tool. Ground texture is pretty damn important too when you're placing rocks - mar sara tileset is perfect, its got a nice rock texture that you can apply around your rock doodads! Make sure you choose one that matches.
In terms of placement, i just fuck around with the page up, page down, to make them rise or fall, put them in places that look realistic, etc etc.
Sorry if i didnt quite anwser your question, perhaps i'll make a tutorial video or something :>
I would like to know if there is a way to make those writings like "docking bay" or the Nuclear Symbol on top of any texture? Tried to find a way but I cant even find the writing itself hehe Is it only on a special texture? if yes, what's the name of it?
I need those writings for my destroyed Terran Base Volcanic Map!
I believe they're just called "Decals" or "Decal" in the doodad section, you place them like any normal doodad - if that anwsers your question.
And they're pretty damn awesome.
Been playing around with the game visually, tried to focus on playable linear terrain that doesnt look too generic, quite happy with the editor so far :D.
0
@Eiviyn: Go
Very impressive doodad and terrain use! Very clean but detailed!
Should be used as a standard for the terrain one should expect in bnet maps ;p.
0
Yeah, i'm glad you found it helpful. You can probably experiment with the 'fog' and 'mist' doodads too... might look nice down there.
0
Introduction
Good evening. Afternoon? Mor-
Today, i will demonstrate how to furnish your space age bachelor pad with a variety of aquatic denizens, and a walkable glass tank to view them from! Be the first to wow your friends with your very own Shark underneath the floorboards.
(CLICK REFRESH TO FIX YER IMAGES)
Before I begin, I should probobly acknowledge the slight absurdity of this as a tutorial. I understand there isn't a 'set' way to do something like this, and i understand that as, erhm, 'art', its completely open to your own interpretation/extrapowhatolation.
This tutorial, in essence, is a culmination of my boredom, and the want to share the potential of 'Terrain Objects' with the more creative lot of you out there. A lot of this is doodad trial and error, shifting and 're-colouring', raising and 're-sizing', it requires time, patience, and strong fist of oppression on annoying ASPCA employee's who'll most likely try wrestle your shark from you.
An Example:
Here's one I did earlier:
Step One
Forgive me if I sound like i'm treating some of you like newbs, but I want to help out those who might not have an immense understanding of the editor.
Ok, so! First, you're gonna wanna go to the terrain 'layer' and navigate your ass to the 'terrain object' button. Thats the one thats to the far right of the 'Cliff' button. I'm not going to go into details here, but these things are generally 'walkable' or 'pathed', and you can see them used throughout the campaign.
Generally, you would place a terrain object, then go to doodads and place its corresponding doodad underneath it, like a reactor under some glass, for example. HOWEVER! for a shark tank, you'll probobly want to forget the reactor, and just stick with adding water to go underneath later.
I'll erh. show you:
Here, I used the 'Avernus Gas Refinery' Terrain Object, at HEIGHT 1. You'll probobly notice the same terrain object with different HEIGHTS listed. These correspond to the different cliff heights. If you're planning on installing your new aquatic creature properly, then you'll probably want to choose the correct height.
Its quite simple though;
Height 1 is Ground
Height 2 is One Cliff level
Height 3 is Two Cliff Levels
If you're placing the terrain object ontop of one cliff, then you'll be choosing height 2, if you're doing it ontop of two cliffs, then its Height 3. If you're just planting it on the ground, then just go ahead and choose height 1 :P. Also! You dont have to use this specific gas refinery thing, there are plenty of glass ones avalible for your... experimentation?
However! One thing to note while using these things, you're probobly gonna want to avoid using cliffs UNTIL you've placed you're 'Terrain Object'. So you might want to build your tank then put your walls around it. Like this:
Step Two
Time to fill it up!
You'll need to smother your 'Terrain Object' in water. You probobly know this part well enough, if not, there are tutorials all over this website on how to place water. I should probobly mention however, that the water I used in the pictures looks different due to lighting, and even colour choice in the edit water section. You can play with this as much as you want until you achieve your desired colouration.
I used 'Bel'Shir' because it looks purdy.
Once you've painted it on and your map, and its looking a bit of a mess like mine in the picture, you can lower its 'Height' in the 'Edit Water' section until it fits nice and comfortably under your glass. Like so!
Doodads
Now it gets interesting (I suppose) You're gonna need some of these!
'Page Up' = Raise your shark
'Page Down' = Lower your shark
'Ctrl and * ' = Rotate your shark (alternatively you can use 'Ctrl and 'Left Click' to drag its rotation)
'Enter/Double click' = Edit doodad properties
In the finished picture, there are a number of changes to the default doodads, namely colour, which is avalible once you access the specific doodad's properties, size, and height. You don't really have to touch the colour of whatever you decide to put into your tank however, unless you really want it to look like its underwater.
Whats probobly most important for the underwater effect however is the blue light rays:
On the left, is the defult 'Sunray' doodad, and on the right, is the edited version. ;<. You'll be wanting to change its colour to something suitably bluey, as long as it matches your water nicely, and to scale its size down (maybe?). Double click your sunray, tick the 'Custom Colour' box, then click the black colour chooser thing.
Once you've messed with it, you can try it with whatever critter you decide to put inside. 'FishBlackFinMako' is great, so are 'Vines, and all the other little things in 'Enviroment' section of the doodads. However, be aware that lowering something DOES NOT REMOVE ITS FOOTPRINT .
So if you put some rocks, then lower them into a position, they're still gonna be blocking stuff up above, unless you go into the data editor and change its footprint to something that doesnt block... which im too tired to explain right now. Just be careful of things with a big footprint.
Once you've made changes to colour, you've got stuff how you want it, you'll probably have something like this:
They won't be floating around like mine are in mid air though, thats just to illustrate what doodads you might wanna put down there. (BIG SHARKS AND BONES)
There... thats a bit better.
So! With all that said, you're ready to be experimenting with stuff down there and erh... if anything i hope this tutorial has provided you with some creative thoughts/ideas.
I've never written a tutorial before...
Was a tutorial on shark tanks really necessary? Oh god I don't know.
Here's a video:
0
Cheers buddy, will do when i have some spare time ;p.
Well, I generally use a combination of 'Rock Tower' and 'Rock Giant' i believe they're called, on top of and around the 'cliff' tool. Ground texture is pretty damn important too when you're placing rocks - mar sara tileset is perfect, its got a nice rock texture that you can apply around your rock doodads! Make sure you choose one that matches.
In terms of placement, i just fuck around with the page up, page down, to make them rise or fall, put them in places that look realistic, etc etc. Sorry if i didnt quite anwser your question, perhaps i'll make a tutorial video or something :>
0
I believe they're just called "Decals" or "Decal" in the doodad section, you place them like any normal doodad - if that anwsers your question. And they're pretty damn awesome.
0
Been playing around with the game visually, tried to focus on playable linear terrain that doesnt look too generic, quite happy with the editor so far :D.