9.0 Level making

Important note:

  1. All the TGA-pictures (targa) that you need in level making must be saved in 24-bit format without any kind of packing (compression).
  2. All the JPEGs must be saved in truecolor format (so not in greycolor format). And their extension must be JPG, not jpeg.

9.1 Making normal levels

Maybe the easiest way to learn level making is to look at the jungle.jpg, jungle.tga, junglep.jpg and jungle.txt in the makelev-directory. Also check out normal.txt

To make a new level, do this:

  1. Draw the level's graphics and save the picture in jpeg-format. The extension of this file must be jpg. Example: Jungle.jpg
  2. Draw the attribute map for your level and save the picture in 24-bit uncompressed TGA-format. The name of this file must be the level's name. Example: Jungle.tga
  3. Draw the parallax background for your level if you want to, and save it in jpeg-format. The extension of this file must be jpg and the name of the file must be the level's name +"P". Example: Junglep.jpg
  4. Go to makelev-directory and open the "normal.txt" with notepad. Answer to the questions it has and "save as" it as your level's config file. Example: Jungle.txt

More info on attribute map:

This "attribute map" tells the game where are repair places, burning material, explosive material, water and so on. To see what an attribute map looks like, take a look at the jungle.tga. I think you'll get a pretty good picture about attribute maps then.

Open colors.png from makelev-directory, to know which attribute map colors correspond to which land types. Just use the color picker-tool and select the attribute map colors from colors.png. Some of the colors are better explained here:

  • Repair that never destroys (and you can't repair in it). This is a repair place that always remains in level. You can change weapons in there and land there after your team has won, but you can't repair your ship there. (then why is it called repair? don't ask!)
  • Burning2 (ashes remain). This is used in "the jungle" when the palm trees burn. It leaves a dark trunk after burning.
  • Air (transparent). Everything that is drawn with this color (black) in attribute map, is transparent in the game.
  • Air (non-transparent). To create walls in level that you can fly through, use this color. Not used in Tou's original levels.
  • Air streams. These air streams are very powerful. You can use some sort of spray tool to make less effective air streams.
  • Normal land under water. Use these "under water"-stuffs if you want that when this wall destroys, it will create water. Look at the bottom of "the jungle". If you shoot the wall there, it won't create air but water.

Note: You can make only single-coloured water! This is because of the running water and waves, that would look ugly if the water had colors. To define the water color, fill up the config-file.

Also note: Make sure you use sharp brush when drawing and not smooth brush. Examples below:

Wrong way
 
Right way
 

To put turrets, mines, gates etc. in the level:

Use COLPICK.EXE and answer the questions it gives you. After that you will get the red, green and blue-values that you will put in your attribute map. Note that just one single pixel of "turret-color" will make you one turret. If you draw a line with that color, you will get hundreds of turrets (that overlap annoyingly).

More info on parallax background:

Parallax can be any size if it's smaller or equally sized with the actual level. I mean, both width and height must be smaller or equal, not just the total area.

More info on level's config file:

The config file has some questions about the level. Just answer them, the config-file is quite well documented.

Converting the level:

Copy all your level files to makelev-directory and start the makelev.exe. Then give the level's name: Example: jungle.

Maximum level size:

Both width and height must be less than 8000 pixels. By the way, a 8000x8000 map would take 196 megabytes of memory!

Info on memory usage:

I strongly suggest keeping your level's width less than 2034 pixels! The heigh can be whatever you want.

9.2 Making GG levels

If you choose to make a GG level, you don't have to draw the graphics for your level. Only the attribute map and config file are used in GG levels.

Draw the attribute map normally and then fill up the config file. At the bottom of the config file, there is a GG-section. Of course, answer "yes" to the question "is your level a GG level?". Then answer all the questions there and that's it. Note that you can't have your own parallax background in a GG level.

But you can place repair places and signs in GG levels. It's a bit tricky to explain but I'll try. To make a repair place in GG level, draw the repair in attribute map (some abitarily sized blob of repair-color). Then edit config-file and find a place where it says "Let GG handle the repair placing?". Answer 0 there. Ok, that was simple after all! To make a custom sign in GG level, choose the most bottom color from colors.tga. Then draw the sign place in attribute map. Then edit config-file and find a place where it says "Put name signs in the level also?". Answer 0 there. Then look the next question in config-file if you want to write your own texts in signs (otherwise the texts will be randomly generated). Phew, that's about it. I hope you could follow :)

9.3 Making themes for GG

All the tgas you draw here must be 24-bit tgas without compression! And all the jpegs must have the extension "jpg".

Make a new directory under ggstuff. It will be your theme's name.

Every GG theme needs an info file. It's called info.txt. Copy it from other GG theme's directory. Then edit it with notepad and answer all the questions there.

Then to the pictures. Look at the pictures in other GG themes. They will tell you much of how it's done.

You only have to draw two pictures to get your GG theme working: s1.tga and t1.jpg. S1.tga tells the shape of the filler (usually quite round and small) and t1.jpg is the theme's texture. After you have drawn those, go test your new GG theme! :)

1. Shapes

Name these as S1.TGA, S2.TGA, S3.TGA and so on. These will fill the level. If you have more than one of these, the generator uses them randomly. Black color does not fill, any other color will.

2. Textures

You can only have one texture. Name it T1.JPG.

3. Lawn (optional)

Lawn looks cool but it's optional. If you want grass, name it L1.TGA. You can also have L2.TGA and L3.TGA and so on, and the game will use them randomly. But who bothers to have more than one lawn bitmap? :)

4. Repair (optional)

You don't have to draw repairs, but then your theme doesn't have any repair places. Name this D1.TGA. If you want lots different looking repairs, name them D2.TGA, D3.TGA and so on.

5. Sign (optional)

Name: X1.TGA. If you want many different looking signs in one level, name them X2.TGA, X3.TGA and so on.

6. Additional pictures (optional)

Name: P1.TGA, P2.TGA, P3.TGA and so on. Have lots of these.

7. Extra shapes (optional)

These will fill the bottom of the ground blocks. Name: SD1.TGA, SD2.TGA and so on.

8. Parallax background (optional)

This is a texture also. Save it as PX1.JPG. If you don't have your own parallax, the GG will use your normal texture as parallax, scale it to half the size and darken it a bit.

9. Extra textures (optional)

Look at "Rocky mountains"-theme. T2.TGA tells what shaped the rocks are. Use unique color for every rock you draw. T3.TGA (optional, even if you have T2.TGA) tells where are the trashes, that shouldn't be in the texture's 'borders' (real fine tuning, you probably don't want to bother! I did though).

10. Explosive texture (optional)

In some GG levels there can be explosive land. Explosive land is textured as normal ground if you don't have this texture. Name: ex1.jpg


Previous page
Back to index
Next page