SC2Mapster

A trench? Sandbags?

Oh, that's what I was saying in the first post. Blender messes with the particle systems. If you have experience with 3dMax, I recommend you to use it, since is the official modelling program.

I see that the mesh deforms too, that's because there are a couple of vertexes incorrectly glued.

Check out the vertex groups in edit mode. Select  only Bldg_Protoss_RoboticsFacility_09_L and Bldg_Protoss_RoboticsFacility_08_L and duplicate them (ctrl +d). Then replace the originals with the duplicates. They should not be glued anymore.

I don't understand the problem

I've just tested importing WarpPrism.m3 with the uploaded structures.xml file and it worked fine.

It was waiting for aproval. It should work now.

You're both welcome.

I forgot to add the structures.xml file that i've edited. It supports several new models. I'll do it tomorrow.

Also, if the converter throws an error, share it here. It's not very possible, but I might know how to fix it.

Edit: Link to structures.xml

EDIT: I'm giving this tutorial some love

This tutorial will show you how to convert a .m3 file exported from SC2Editor to .xml and edit it. Since the reason why I made it is that somebody asked me how to change an effect color, I'm also highlighting the relevant fields for that task used by effect models (particles, materials and lights - And now I've realized that I've missed the ribbons -).

I've splitted it in 17 steps, but the relevants are the last 7. At the end of the post you'll find an image that might help you if you're stuck in a step.

step 1: Get blender (I use 2.69 , but I believe that println's addon works with any version).

step 2: Get println's addon.

step 3: Get python.

step 4: Install blender.

step 5: Install python.

step 6: Copy m3addon-master folder from the addon to blender folder under (version)/scripts/addons. Keep another copy of the folder at hand, you'll need it.

step 7: Open blender and go to file -> user preferences. Write m3 in the search bar, and mark Import-Export: Importer and exporter for Blizzard's Starcraft 2 model files (*.m3).

step 8: Go to file and click on save startup file (to avoid having to configure the addon every time you open blender).

step 9: Go to file -> import -> starcraft 2 Model (.m3) and search for your model.

step 10: Search for the scene icon on the bar at the right. You should find the sections M3 Particle Systems, M3 Materials layers (this one changes when the materials are selected in the M3 Materials section) and M3 lights. Those are the ones that generally have fixed colors.

Well, you thought that you only have to change the materials and export the models back? Well, not. blender messes with the particle systems when reexported. You'll have to edit an xml file.

step 11: Run cmd and enter into the folder you've saved in step 6. The only files needed are the ones in the screenshot. With those you're ok.

step 12: Run m3toxml.py (name of the model). It will convert it to xml

step 13: Open the xml and search for the texts:

For Lights: lightColor

For particles: InitialColor1 InitialColor2 MiddleColor1 MiddleColor2 FinalColor1 FinalColor2. The particles are in the same order that they appear in blender, so follow it and you'll know what to edit.

For materials: search for the name of the material with the colored layer, and under it for the corresponding layer.

step 14: Replace the colors for the ones you like. To find out which is the color code, modify the model with blender, export it with other name, convert it to xml and copy the code that appears where you made the modification.

step 15: Save.

step 16: run xmltom3.py (name of the model.xml) over the xml file.

step 17: profit.

I realized one thing... I suck at giving feedback. Now that I think about the things other users said, I agree with most of them but I haven't noticed them during playthrough.

I played solo the regular version in the lowest difficulty. I didn't have any lag issues, and I enjoyed myself while playing. After finishing the mission starcraft crashed.

I did find the amount of options overwhelming, but the objective system is a nice tool to gradually learn what they do. Still, when the game was advanced, I've started missing the objectives and couldn't get the high tech tips.

I can give you a couple terraining tips since there are none here, and the rest is mostly covered:

I understand that you can't use many doodads because of the pathing and the lag, so that seems ok. But the texturing has some readability issues, and improving it wouldn't affect performance at all.

There are a couple places where is hard to distinguish cliffs. I walked with my SCV through enemy bases without noticing it a couple of times because of that.

• In the the river zones, the organic cliff color is very similar to the sand textures.
• In the rest of the areas, mainly at night (because of the lighting) there are some issues too. Those could be solved by placing a common texture over the cliffs. Check out blizzard maps.

Another thing to make the terrain easier to read is to paint "paths" on the open areas, like those that are in the center of the base and take to the 4 ramps.

I'm attaching images of your map and Haven's map from WoL to show what I'm talking about.

If you're still on, sure. Where should I log in?

@GlornII: The arcade links you've posted in the first thread are from the previous testing thread. I couldn't find it with the search bar, so I got the map by looking page by page for the logo that appeared in .

The US link is this: starcraft://map/1/273307

I'm going to play it now solo. I'll try recording it too.

You're right, but I feel that the mission reduces importanly its difficulty since the moment you get to the base. I want it to be a tutorial, but I want it to be a little challenging too.

When I made this map I was trying to make it feel like missions 1 and 2 of WOL. Is very hard to lose in both of them, but you have to be a little careful: in the first mission you have to micro Raynor to tank damage; and in the second one some basic macro is needed or you can die.

Since it's on brutal, it should punish poor micro. Still, I don't find much things to be done against critical mass. Your gameplay gave have some ideas, though. I'll tweak some things here and there soon(TM).

Well, I've made the last update for a long time...

I haven't modified everything I've said I was going to, but I will come back to the map later and review those things. I'm going to start working on the layout and terrain for the next mission now (this reply has attached a screenshot with a WIP capture).

Thank you all for the help guys! You made me want to keep working on the project, and I can also see a noticeable growth in the first map quality (I hope you do too).

I strongly encourage you to submit your maps to these threads, they're really useful. I'll be coming back to play yours.

@Trieva: Go

Hi. Thanks for coming back to review the map!

• The buttons are placeholders. I haven't implemented the mission linking nor most of the banking yet, since there is just one map. My idea is to build 3-4 missions before having the bank system fully working.
• Well, since it's a campaign map, my main interest is to tell a story and create some kind of immersion. The briefing room achieves that, and it also shows the player what to expect in the mission. Still, I believe that I give enough tools for those who just want to play the game. I can highlight the "Start mission" button, so those who just want to kill banelings can start right away without having to look for it.
• having to wait until a cinematic ends is kind of annoying , mainly when you're replaying a map. I consider that the player has to be allowed to skip any situation where his only task is to watch.
• Well, the amount of transmissions are placed for the same reason that the briefing. If there weren't there, the mission will feel like empty: there wouldn't be any immersion, and I couldn't develop the characters nor the story.
• I can add that, it doesn't sound hard.

Of course it was useful. Actually, I haven't considered that someone would like to play the game not paying attention to the context at all, and the perspective you used allows me to think how to please those kind of players too.

@R0binicus: Go

Nah, just kidding.