.Map :: MoHAA Mapping

This is my first day at mapping. I?ve done mods like crosshairs, scopes, skinning, server mods, ect. but never any mapping before so bear with me.

I installed the MOHAA Radiant, the MOHSH SDK and the MBuilder. Followed the instruction for installing MOHAA Radiant then I read the Basic Compiling for MOHAA and building your First Room. I made my room, compiled it and everything worked fine. The problem I have is that I want to make Spearhead maps only but there are no instructions on how to setup the MOHSH SDK. I am going to explain what I did and asked the question that I have as they come up.

1) First I read in the map forum that there is an entdefs.pk3 file for spearhead. I downloaded it and put a copy in both the MAINTA folder and in the C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\MOHAA\SDK\tools folder. Is the correct???

2) Then I created a maps folder in the MAINTA folder. Is the correct???

3) I then clicked on the mohradiant.exe icon in the C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\MOHAA\SDK folder. Does it make a difference whether I click on this one or the one in the C:\Program Files\MOHAATools folder??? I am asking because if I make a setting change in one it will appear in the other one too. They seem to be launching the same program.

4) I opened the Project Setting and did the following:
Basepath= c:\program files\ea games\mohaa\
Mapspath= c:\program files\ea games\mohaa\mainta\maps\
Autosave= c:\program files\ea games\mohaa\mainta\maps\
Moddir=mainta
Is the correct???

5) I made a new room again and looked in the maps folder in the MAINTA folder and there it was so I launched MBuilder and made the following changes:
GameDir= C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\MOHAA
CompilerDir= C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\MOHAA\SDK\tools
MapSoureDir= C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\MOHAA\mainta\maps

At this point the new map I made is now visible in the Select Map window so I clicked, compile, but I get a localization error message in the console screen. I think it was cause by the fact that it tried to start MOHAA and not MOHSH. So in the MBuilder Batch window on the bottom left I change the MOHAA.exe to MOH_Spearhead.exe and compile again.
It compiles and the game starts and I find myself in the new room I created. Is this the right way to set the MBuilder and do I have to change the batch file to MOH_Spearhead.exe everytime???

6) And finally, I am only interested in making Spearhead maps. Did I have to install the MOHAA Radiant? Couldn?t I have just installed the MOHSH SDK?

7) Sneaking one more question in. Where can I get a finished map file at so I can see how it was made or how do I decompile a bsp file. The drawing part seems pretty straight forward. What I want to see is how all the walls, floors, ect fit up and overlap???

Thanks

1. Yes, but I'm not sure if one in the SDK folder is necesarry...
2. Yes, also in that folder make two folders, dm and obj
3. I think they are both the same, but I bet the SH one is possible patched up a bit, I know it is a large file
4. Sounds good
5. Localization error is something to ignore. Mbuilder is designed to run AA not SH. It's best to turn the autostart thing off in 'Other Options' and start SH manually.
6. Only the SH SDK is necessary. You can delete the AA one (uninstall it)
7. Look in the files in the SH SDK, I think its in a tuts folder or something, look around there is the .map source for Berlin TOW, and one of the SP maps, (Can't think of it now, but it's the first of the Ardennes ones)

Berlin is good for looking at brushes and multiplayer, etc, and the SP one is good for looking at terrain/outdoorsie stuff and SP.

I hope that helps...

Thanks Blue! I want to recap and I have a few more questions to ask put I?ll save that till tomorrow when I have more time to work on it. I just wanted to say thanks for the quick reply.

OK I'll be glad to help you out.

OK back again.
I got my maps folders set in MAINTA and in that I got 2 folders named dm and obj. I?ve gone into MBuilder and unchecked the pauses and lanch MOHAA. Now when I compile a map it creates it in MAINTA\maps. I have ?copy BSP to map dir set by game type? checked. The game type I check is TeamDM. When it is done compiling I see only a bunch of files in the maps folder and none in the dm folder. Shouldn?t it put a copy into the dm folder?????

To test the map I copy all the folders over to the dm folder (do I need all of them???) . Then I launch Spearhead and select my map and I?m in the game, all seems fine. As far as lanching the game. I see in the MBuilder there is some info under command line ?+set developer 1 +set thereisnomonkey 1 +set cheats 1 +set ui_console 1? What does it mean and should I put a shortcut on my desktop and add this info to my command line after exe.???? Also how do I make it go right to the map I want for example ?test.bsp? (note: I am making a Spearhead map)

Now as far as mapping I created a big area to build my buildings in. 4 sides and the top I used sky brush and the bottom I used caulk brush. Am I right in assuming that both these brushes are the same the only reason it says sky on it is to aid you by telling you this should have a sky texture applied to it????

I read the sky tut and it said select a sky texture and apply to the 4 walls and top. I?ve done this but I get hundreds of little sky pic (1 pic for every sky brush) I am sure I have to either change the sky caulk to one big one or the scale factor of the texture. Which one is the right way and how do I do it.

It should copy it, but it won't. Actually single player maps will. If you look at the batch file in the lower left hand corner it says something like:

C:\mymaps\dm\yourmap.map (then the game path to the right folder)

well if you have the map saved in C:\mymaps\ it's looking for a dm folder in that folder (or obj). Save the .map in the dm folder, and it won't even need to copy. Or this, Mbuilder makes a file: build.bat Right click on this and click edit. This brings up notepad. Edit the last line so the path to the map source is right (remove the dm).


Original:

"C:\PROGRA~1\EAGAME~1\MOHAA\SDK\Tools\Q3map.exe" -gamedir C:\PROGRA~1\EAGAME~1\MOHAA C:\MYMAPS\town.map

"C:\PROGRA~1\EAGAME~1\MOHAA\SDK\Tools\Q3map.exe" -vis -gamedir C:\PROGRA~1\EAGAME~1\MOHAA C:\MYMAPS\town.map

"C:\PROGRA~1\EAGAME~1\MOHAA\SDK\Tools\MOHlight.exe" -fast -gamedir C:\PROGRA~1\EAGAME~1\MOHAA C:\MYMAPS\town.map

pause

Copy "C:\mymaps\obj\town.bsp" C:\PROGRA~1\EAGAME~1\MOHAA\main\maps


Change that last line:

Copy "C:\mymaps\town.bsp" C:\PROGRA~1\EAGAME~1\MOHAA\main\maps


I removed the obj



You need .bsp, .prt, .vis

set developer 1 +set thereisnomonkey 1 +set cheats 1 +set ui_console 1

developer gives you the option to click the little clipboard on the post to bring up the maplist, and I think it spits out more warnings/errors

Haven't a clue about the monkey. Cheats, duh... The console, allows you to use the console.



I'd add that to your shortcut that the game install made. I beilive if you add +devmap "test" or "test.bsp, or something like that it will load your map.

Where's it say sky at?

Oh, I think I know what you mean.


Don't worry about the tiling of the sky. If done right it will look right in the game.

For the sky I go to the upper left and type in sky. Then in my texture box sky images appear. I pick the blue sky caulk, build my wall. It has 100 little sky caulk pics on it. Then I select the inner face and apply a sky texture. I get a 100 little sky pics of the texture not 1 big sky.

I'd put a gif of what I mean but I can't seem to paste a gif in this message. As you can see I new to forums too. I see the little Img box on the upper right. It says "Insert image: [img]http://image_url[/img] (alt+p)" but I'm clueless on what to do to insert a pic.

OK don't use that one. Use mohday1 or something else. Again you'll have tons of them, but don't worry it will look fine ingame.

About images, you'll need to host them, then put the url of the image:

Spinner, if you still would like some .map files to get a feel for how things are done go to the recycling bin here :

http://www.decalattack.com/recyclebin/

Theres plenty for you to download and play with.

Ok that worked. Maybe it was because I used shift and not ctrl/shift when I put the texture on. When I went outside the box I notice all sides had the texture.
Whatever, now I have my big box and sky with plenty of room to build on. As far as making building I understand I can change the scale of the textures to make them fit the area I am texturing. I was wondering if there is a standard size things should be made at like:
Wall height
Wall thickness (for doors and windows)
Floor thickness
Ceiling thickness
I would imaging the developers had standards like making most of the wall textures 256 high so textures would fit right in.
What about step is there a standard rise for them? To tell you the truth I don?t even know if there is a tool to build steps. Are they made 1 step at a time or is there a command to make them??

Just to confirm the scale factor is 16 units = 1 foot. So a 20 ft. building = 320 units. This would be true with everything in the game?

You lost me on the hosting the pics. I do have a 25 MB storage at Comcast for a webpage but have no idea on how to set one up. I?ve worked on computers for 20 years doing cad, a little graphics and MS office but internet stuff like forums and chatrooms and stuff like that I haven?t started until this year.

Thanks Jack! Cool site. Gonna download some and take a look.

Thickness should be 8 units, if you get it to thin like 1, it can become funky...

My steps are usually 8 rise, 16 run 16 is the max rise, and 8 is the min run. Too high and you have to jump any narrower you'll glide up and down.