These are two Blizzard functions (one calls the other), but calling the first function doesn't seem to work. No errors are thrown, but the randomization is not complementary at all.
Then of course there are cutscenes, stormlayouts, etc etc - all that in the Data directories. Other types of stuff go in Base.StormAssets, like textures, models, sounds (non-localized), etc.
If so, can you copy/paste XML code from SC2's data editor into the Heroes editor? Yell if you want me to PM some example code.
What about triggers? Can you copy/paste code from SC2 to Heroes? I would assume so.
How is the terrain editor?
What fields does the data editor have? Probably too vague a question. I'd like to see if all the SC2-specific fields are still in Heroes.
No Editors are available at the moment - including the Heroes' Galaxy Editor. All editing must be done directly to the XMLs.
All XML code and galaxy script is directly compatible except for some very minor compatibility issues if the arguments have changed to a native function you're using or something, so copy and paste will work fine even if Blizzard doesn't support it directly.
Note that a few of the models listed here may not actually exist. Blizzard has carefully scrubbed the data files clean of unreleased skins and unannounced heroes, so even if that stuff is listed here, it isn't usable.
Wouldnt it make sense to have aracade as whole? What sense would there be to have sc2 arcade and heroes arcade?
For the moment, SC2 and Heroes are using different versions of the engine and different versions of the editor (there are references in Heroes' files to a "Galaxy Editor v2.5.0"). It wouldn't make sense to unify the Arcade yet. Maybe in LotV.
The Technical Alpha has been out a while, so the Heroes cache files have been making the rounds. Note that these specific cache files were downloaded by me from official Blizzard servers while playing the game normally, and I can vouch for them.
I've also included the majority of the Heroes data files, including essential game data XMLs and all of the Blizzard libraries that Heroes relies on. If you have questions, I've already spent tens of hours going over the libraries and game data XMLs, so I can answer most questions about where functions/features are located, how they're called, and what is required for a map to run.
The other four files are all maps, and they are good examples of what you would want your map to look like if you were making a map that was supposed to be a new 'Battleground' for the existing Heroes of the Storm gameplay.
You Can Make Maps for Heroes of the Storm Already?!
Yes, sure. You will want moderate knowledge of the internal structure of SC2 maps, Galaxy script, XML files, and hex editing (in certain cases). There's no user-friendly editor to assist here, but even somebody with zero experience with the aforementioned concepts can make a Heroes map with some determination (and others will more than likely be happy to answer questions - I expect to be doing a lot of that for now).
I published the first item of Heroes of the Storm map-making content over the weekend - a library for initializing 'proper' games without requiring the Battle.net Hero Selection interface to pass the map Hero data. If you want to make a map that uses the standard Heroes of the Storm assets, this will probably be a highly useful asset for your map as it makes initialization a lot easier and expands the number of options for the user greatly.
How Do I Convert My SC2 Map? / What Does a Heroes Map Need to Run?
At an extremely basic level, a map loadable by Heroes differs from a map loadable by SC2 in two major ways:
The file named DocumentHeader has the first instance of "H2CS" and "2S" replaced with "oreH" (in both cases).
The headers of the MPQs for maps are different in some minor but fundamental way. Saving an MPQ after making a change is -not- a viable option until StormLib has been updated to support Heroes' maps. Instead, simply extract the contents of the map to a folder and name the folder the same as the map (complete with extension). Heroes tries to read MPQs as if they were folders, so it apparently doesn't care if the map is already a folder (and not an MPQ at all). This makes it easier to edit maps anyway.
There is one other thing that is required to make an SC2 map load in Heroes - you need to correct the dependencies, since the SC2 Mod dependencies listed in it will not exist. These are located both in DocumentHeader and DocumentInfo, but you only need to fix the ones in DocumentHeader (DocumentInfo is only used by the editor). Delete all listed dependencies in both files except for the first one, and replace it with "bnet:Heroes of the Storm (Data Mod)/0.0/999,file:Mods/HeroesData.StormMod".
Lastly, the file named ComponentList.SC2Components is instead named ComponentList.StormComponents (all mentions of "SC2" in any file name anywhere are replaced by "Storm"). Note that changing this is not required to load a map - ComponentList is only used for the editor (which we don't have atm anyway).
How Do I Test My Map?
There is only one legitimate method for testing your map that I know of - "replacing" an existing map so that your map is loaded. This method requires a Technical Alpha license on your Battle.net account. If you're interested in non-legitimate methods, google them and don't discuss them here, please.
Name your map's folder "Tutorial01.StormMap" and place it in /Heroes of the Storm Tech Alpha/Maps/Heroes/BuiltIn/StartingExperience/. Launch your Heroes of the Storm installation, log in to Battle.net, and go to the Options menu in the upper-right. Click on "Play Tutorial". Instead of the tutorial, you will launch your map. You can probably do this with other maps in other places, but this is much more convenient.
What's the Future of Heroes of the Storm Mapmaking?
There is a world of possibilities out there when you consider that Blizzard has already created the setting (King's Crest forests, King's Crest docks, etc) and all the major assets (terrain, structures, doodads, creep waves, heroes, jungle camps, etc).
Blizzard plans to officially support custom maps once the game is out of the Technical Alpha phase and has mentioned a desire to release a version of the Galaxy Editor for Heroes of the Storm when it reaches Open Beta.
For now, it's totally possible to make a SC2 -> Heroes map converter. It could have a few different options when converting so that you could swap terrain palettes and units with the proper Heroes counterparts. You could even have a field that lets you setup the 'lanes' via several series of regions like the official Blizzard maps do.
Figured it out after asking in IRC. If anyone else stumbles across this, you want to use "Send Actor Message" with the "ModelSwap" message. Leave the variation alone (in fact, if you're doing it in Galaxy script, remove the part after the model name entirely if you want).
So I want to preview several different models in a map, and I figure the easiest way to do that is via a few triggers. I have all of the models I want set up in ModelData.xml already and I have a basic trigger set up that triggers on a player typing '.model X' and puts the 'X' in a string variable by itself.
The problem is I'm pretty confused on what actions to use here. There were a lot of options like Attach Actor to Actor and Attach Model to Unit (but does this replace the existing unit's model? I don't want them stacked on top of each other). Does anyone have some suggestions how to achieve what I'm aiming for?
One last thing - I'm assuming that the ids from in ModelData.xml are the source of the strings I would need to enter in text as 'X' (and not the actual filenames), correct?
Sorry not really interested in it to be honest. I just wanted to check out the play style more than anything :P I wouldn't recommend using any of these assets in a project right now. also most of the icons are from WoW, Sc2, or D3
Yeah, wait for beta unless you want your account banned.
on the same site i linked you will find the sound files. The music is still only combination of warcraft 3/wow, starcraft and diablo musics, but you can listen to the voice of the heroes.
No; the site you linked has incomplete assets, including music. There are several very badass remixes and new tracks altogether. There is a rock/metal version of the Karazhan opera theme, for instance, as well as a remix/medley based on the Human 2 Theme from WarCraft 2.
The data.* files are merely zlib compressed archives, easily opened by 7zip and the like.
All of the files are compressed into a large container, in that container is one smaller container for every single file. Even if you remove the smaller containers from the larger one, you still haven't gotten much closer to opening them correctly (with filenames).
If you don't understand the format perfectly, it's easier to just search for file headers and strip the contents of files out that way, dealing with the inevitable damage to the files. This is what that fansite did, and it is why its data isn't as good as it could be.
The MPQ files have actually been entirely disassembled in this new format. It's actually fairly bizarre how it is done because when you come across one of those 37000 small containers that is an MPQ, it will contain a symbolic link pointing to a container that is not listed in the index (it won't be in MPQ format either).
By editing the values as you described, I was able to run diffs on the resulting file and find that the values are stored in ActorData.xml and Footprint.xml (depending on exactly what was edited).
So I've been editing a map by hand (editor is not an option atm), and I came across an issue where my map's doodads do not have collision - units can go right through them. This issue occurs with every single doodad on the map.
Does anyone know how these are controlled? I'm guessing it is controlled by a file like t3VertCol or an ActorData.xml (in a base.sc2assets/localizeddata/ folder), but I'm really not sure.
That's really interesting. There's just, as you said, "mapinfo", "documentinfo", and one invalid data reference.
All the rest are just pointless invalid models.
Maybe HotS and HotS will be compatible after all?
Does it kick out any new errors when opening the data and/or trigger editor?
Tons and tons when opening the trigger editor - I haven't linked the external libraries properly. I know very little about the correct structure of an SC2Map - all I learned was by copying Monolyth Ridge, which isn't exactly useful for learning how to add references manually for external libraries.
0
Am I crazy or is there something wrong with this set of functions?
These are two Blizzard functions (one calls the other), but calling the first function doesn't seem to work. No errors are thrown, but the randomization is not complementary at all.
0
They are now called 'Knights', apparently.
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Nice list! Here's a few you can add:
CellAttribute_Pde
CellAttribute_Pgr
CellAttribute_Pnb
CellAttribute_Vsh
Localized Editor-Only strings:
xxXX.StormData\LocalizedData\ObjectStrings.txt
xxXX.StormData\LocalizedData\TriggerStrings.txt
Then of course there are cutscenes, stormlayouts, etc etc - all that in the Data directories. Other types of stuff go in Base.StormAssets, like textures, models, sounds (non-localized), etc.
0
No Editors are available at the moment - including the Heroes' Galaxy Editor. All editing must be done directly to the XMLs.
All XML code and galaxy script is directly compatible except for some very minor compatibility issues if the arguments have changed to a native function you're using or something, so copy and paste will work fine even if Blizzard doesn't support it directly.
Here, I stripped the names from ModelData.xml: http://www.sc2mapster.com/paste/9623/
Note that a few of the models listed here may not actually exist. Blizzard has carefully scrubbed the data files clean of unreleased skins and unannounced heroes, so even if that stuff is listed here, it isn't usable.
Yes, yes, and yes.
For the moment, SC2 and Heroes are using different versions of the engine and different versions of the editor (there are references in Heroes' files to a "Galaxy Editor v2.5.0"). It wouldn't make sense to unify the Arcade yet. Maybe in LotV.
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What's This Thread About?
The Technical Alpha has been out a while, so the Heroes cache files have been making the rounds. Note that these specific cache files were downloaded by me from official Blizzard servers while playing the game normally, and I can vouch for them.
Anyway, here is pretty much all you need to get into Heroes mapmaking: Link Removed: http://www.mediafire.com/download/8pwd4p0l2f6i4jt/Heroes Tech Alpha Cache.zip
I've also included the majority of the Heroes data files, including essential game data XMLs and all of the Blizzard libraries that Heroes relies on. If you have questions, I've already spent tens of hours going over the libraries and game data XMLs, so I can answer most questions about where functions/features are located, how they're called, and what is required for a map to run.
The other four files are all maps, and they are good examples of what you would want your map to look like if you were making a map that was supposed to be a new 'Battleground' for the existing Heroes of the Storm gameplay.
You Can Make Maps for Heroes of the Storm Already?!
Yes, sure. You will want moderate knowledge of the internal structure of SC2 maps, Galaxy script, XML files, and hex editing (in certain cases). There's no user-friendly editor to assist here, but even somebody with zero experience with the aforementioned concepts can make a Heroes map with some determination (and others will more than likely be happy to answer questions - I expect to be doing a lot of that for now).
I published the first item of Heroes of the Storm map-making content over the weekend - a library for initializing 'proper' games without requiring the Battle.net Hero Selection interface to pass the map Hero data. If you want to make a map that uses the standard Heroes of the Storm assets, this will probably be a highly useful asset for your map as it makes initialization a lot easier and expands the number of options for the user greatly.
It is available here: http://www.sc2mapster.com/maps/libmase/
How Do I Convert My SC2 Map? / What Does a Heroes Map Need to Run?
At an extremely basic level, a map loadable by Heroes differs from a map loadable by SC2 in two major ways:
There is one other thing that is required to make an SC2 map load in Heroes - you need to correct the dependencies, since the SC2 Mod dependencies listed in it will not exist. These are located both in DocumentHeader and DocumentInfo, but you only need to fix the ones in DocumentHeader (DocumentInfo is only used by the editor). Delete all listed dependencies in both files except for the first one, and replace it with "bnet:Heroes of the Storm (Data Mod)/0.0/999,file:Mods/HeroesData.StormMod".
Lastly, the file named ComponentList.SC2Components is instead named ComponentList.StormComponents (all mentions of "SC2" in any file name anywhere are replaced by "Storm"). Note that changing this is not required to load a map - ComponentList is only used for the editor (which we don't have atm anyway).
How Do I Test My Map?
There is only one legitimate method for testing your map that I know of - "replacing" an existing map so that your map is loaded. This method requires a Technical Alpha license on your Battle.net account. If you're interested in non-legitimate methods, google them and don't discuss them here, please.
Name your map's folder "Tutorial01.StormMap" and place it in /Heroes of the Storm Tech Alpha/Maps/Heroes/BuiltIn/StartingExperience/. Launch your Heroes of the Storm installation, log in to Battle.net, and go to the Options menu in the upper-right. Click on "Play Tutorial". Instead of the tutorial, you will launch your map. You can probably do this with other maps in other places, but this is much more convenient.
What's the Future of Heroes of the Storm Mapmaking?
There is a world of possibilities out there when you consider that Blizzard has already created the setting (King's Crest forests, King's Crest docks, etc) and all the major assets (terrain, structures, doodads, creep waves, heroes, jungle camps, etc).
Blizzard plans to officially support custom maps once the game is out of the Technical Alpha phase and has mentioned a desire to release a version of the Galaxy Editor for Heroes of the Storm when it reaches Open Beta.
For now, it's totally possible to make a SC2 -> Heroes map converter. It could have a few different options when converting so that you could swap terrain palettes and units with the proper Heroes counterparts. You could even have a field that lets you setup the 'lanes' via several series of regions like the official Blizzard maps do.
0
Battle.net for Heroes is currently using .s2mh and .s2ma extensions for what it is worth.
0
@MMOSimca: Go
Figured it out after asking in IRC. If anyone else stumbles across this, you want to use "Send Actor Message" with the "ModelSwap" message. Leave the variation alone (in fact, if you're doing it in Galaxy script, remove the part after the model name entirely if you want).
Cheers
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@MoDTassadar: Go
It needs to be part of a live map; something I can share easily over Battle.net.
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@MMOSimca: Go
Anyone have ideas on how to best do this? Ideally I'd like to take one unit and change or 'morph' its model into something else with text commands.
0
So I want to preview several different models in a map, and I figure the easiest way to do that is via a few triggers. I have all of the models I want set up in ModelData.xml already and I have a basic trigger set up that triggers on a player typing '.model X' and puts the 'X' in a string variable by itself.
The problem is I'm pretty confused on what actions to use here. There were a lot of options like Attach Actor to Actor and Attach Model to Unit (but does this replace the existing unit's model? I don't want them stacked on top of each other). Does anyone have some suggestions how to achieve what I'm aiming for?
One last thing - I'm assuming that the ids from in ModelData.xml are the source of the strings I would need to enter in text as 'X' (and not the actual filenames), correct?
Thanks!
0
There are no useful MPQs in the installation; correct.
Yeah, wait for beta unless you want your account banned.
0
No; the site you linked has incomplete assets, including music. There are several very badass remixes and new tracks altogether. There is a rock/metal version of the Karazhan opera theme, for instance, as well as a remix/medley based on the Human 2 Theme from WarCraft 2.
All of the files are compressed into a large container, in that container is one smaller container for every single file. Even if you remove the smaller containers from the larger one, you still haven't gotten much closer to opening them correctly (with filenames).
If you don't understand the format perfectly, it's easier to just search for file headers and strip the contents of files out that way, dealing with the inevitable damage to the files. This is what that fansite did, and it is why its data isn't as good as it could be.
The MPQ files have actually been entirely disassembled in this new format. It's actually fairly bizarre how it is done because when you come across one of those 37000 small containers that is an MPQ, it will contain a symbolic link pointing to a container that is not listed in the index (it won't be in MPQ format either).
0
By editing the values as you described, I was able to run diffs on the resulting file and find that the values are stored in ActorData.xml and Footprint.xml (depending on exactly what was edited).
Thanks for the info.
0
So I've been editing a map by hand (editor is not an option atm), and I came across an issue where my map's doodads do not have collision - units can go right through them. This issue occurs with every single doodad on the map.
Does anyone know how these are controlled? I'm guessing it is controlled by a file like t3VertCol or an ActorData.xml (in a base.sc2assets/localizeddata/ folder), but I'm really not sure.
Any help would be appreciated, thanks.
0
Tons and tons when opening the trigger editor - I haven't linked the external libraries properly. I know very little about the correct structure of an SC2Map - all I learned was by copying Monolyth Ridge, which isn't exactly useful for learning how to add references manually for external libraries.
Map Properties Errors:
Trigger Errors:
Data Errors: None
Cutscenes Errors:
UI Errors: