HowToUseTiledToCreateStendhalMaps: Difference between revisions

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Tiled is a tile editor that supports layers and different tilesets. You can download the latest version at http://www.mapeditor.org/.

If you don't have the map files from Stendhal already, please follow these instructions to setup a development environment with the latest source code and map files: [[Stendhal on Eclipse]]

= How to create a new map =

{{TODO|update these screenshots to the most recent version of Tiled}}

Before you create a new map, I suggest, that you open some existing maps and look around how they are built. And there are many places in Stendhal already, that could use some improvements or additions.

[[Image:Tiled1.png]] <br><small>Figure 1: The Tiled map editor</small><br>

Click on <i>File</i> and now choose <i>Open</i>, find where you extracted the stendhal_mapeditor-2.00.zip find <b>template.tmx</b> and click <i>Open</i>

[[Image:Tiled2.png]] <br><small>Figure 2: How to open the template map</small><br>

We are going to work on a 64x64 (64 tiles by 64 tiles) map. '''First make sure all layers are visible, before you resize.''' Do this using the 'Show' tick boxes in the dialog at the side panel.

[[Image:Tiled3a.png]] <small>Figure 3: Layers view</small><br>

Then click on <i>Map</i> and choose <i>Resize</i>.

[[Image:Tiled3.png]] <br><small>Figure 4: The Map Menu</small><br>

As you see in the resize dialog you can resize the map and even position the current map at any point in the new map size. Hence you can always resize your map later. '''Make sure all layers are visible before you resize any map.'''

[[Image:Tiled3b.png]] <br><small>Figure 4: The resize dialog</small><br>

* protection

* 4_roof_add

etc etc seen on the template file.

Now save this map as <b>Level 0/semos/small_village.tmx</b> by clicking on <i>File</i> and choosing <i>Save as...</i>.<br>Note: You need to type the complete name with the extension <b>.tmx</b>.

[[Image:Tiled5.png]] <br><small>Figure 6: Save As...</small><br>

[[Image:Tiled6.png]]

We are going to need grass, so we go to ''tileset/ground'' and select ground.png

[[Image:Tiled7.png]]

Any image not in ''tileset/'' shouldn't be used. If you want to you can fill in a <i>Tileset name</i> to help you find it later. You can leave everything else as it is. Then click 'Ok' and your tileset is ready to use!

[[Image:Tiled8.png]]

Click on the square in the bottom left corner of the Tiled application to bring up the palette chooser. There's more on this later, so read on ...

The map layers must not be renamed and must all exist, apart from ''4_roof_add'' which is optional. However, any of the layers can be empty.

These five layers are the ones that host the game graphics:

* 0_floor_parallax ''(optional alternate floor layer for clients that support parallax backgrounds)''

* 4_roof_add ''(optional layer)''

The ''logic'' layers

Click on <i>Fill</i> and fill the floor with your chosen tile.

[[Image:Tiled9.png]] <br><small>Figure 7: The ground on the floor layer</small><br>

So now let's add some details to the terrain layer (flowers, and bushes). We need to load those tiles, so repeat the steps to load ground tiles, but look for ''tileset/plant/bush/bushes.png'' and ''tileset/plant/flower/daisy_white.png''.

Dot some bushes and flowers around

[[Image:Tiled10.png]] <br><small>Figure 8: Adding some plants</small><br>

We need a path, so we add ''tileset/ground/green_paving_3.png'' to our palette, and draw one on the ''1_terrain'' later.

[[Image:Tiled11.png]] <br><small>Figure 9: adding a path</small><br>

Now let's add houses and a tree to our village. As you can see adding elements isn't hard, you simply must flip between layers.

And now for the tree. Trees are a bit more complex than houses because they are split over two layers: 1 and 2. <br>Make sure that the <b>upper part</b> of the tree is <b>always</b> on either <b>3_roof or 4_roof_add</b>. This will mean it is drawn over player when they stand 'behind' it.

First we add ''tileset/plant/tree/spruce.png'', and then draw the lower part of it to the ''1_terrain'' layer.

[[Image:Tiled12.png]] <br><small>Figure 10: The foot of the tree on the terrain layer</small><br>

Now switch to the roof layer. The roof layer is for objects that are drawn on top of players and creatures in the game.

Draw the upper part of the tree on roof layer.

[[Image:Tiled13.png]] <br><small>Figure 11: The upper part of the tree on the roof layer</small><br>

Let's practice this. Let's add another tree.

[[Image:Tiled14.png]] <br><small>Figure 12: The bottom of our second tree</small><br>

Remember how to deal with two layers? Make sure the top of the tree is on the roof layer.

[[Image:Tiled15.png]] <br><small>Figure 13: The Top of our second tree</small><br>

A village would not be much of a village without houses. Let's draw one. Start with the wall.

[[Image:Tiled16.png]] <br><small>Figure 14: The start of a house - a wall</small><br>

The wall was drawn on terrain this time, so we can add some decorations to 2_object to make it a bit more interesting.

[[Image:Tiled17.png]] <br><small>Figure 15: Wall decorations added</small><br>

The roof can be drawn on 3_roof, so that a player walking behind the house will be covered by it.

For our map we also add the top of the door there, as the window borders already used the space in 2_object.

[[Image:Tiled18.png]] <br><small>Figure 16: House with a roof</small><br>

The front of the blue roof does not have a border like the rest of it. Also we have another problem:

the longhorn skull got partially covered by the door top. Fortunately there is one more map layer remaining.

So we draw the missing border to 4_roof_add, and move the skull there too.

[[Image:Tiled19.png]] <br><small>Figure 17: Finished house</small><br>

[[Image:Tiled20.png]] <br><small>Figure 18: The map with more details</small><br>

* Protection (to define non pvp areas)

You need to add the new tileset ''tileset/logic/collision.png'' and in then choose the red square. To define what cannot be travelled over draw a red square in the Collision layer on each non passable tile. It is helpful to drag the opacity of this collision layer to about 30%.

[[Image:Tiled21.png]] <br><small>Figure 19: Collision Tile selected and we have marked the house</small><br>

[[Image:Tiled22.png]] <br><small>Figure 20: The completed collision map</small><br>

Once you have completed this we have to add objects that are real entities in the Stendhal server. Things like NPCs, some portals, creatures and so on ... Notice what layer we are working on. To add monsters, select them from ''tileset/logic/creature/'' in the ''objects'' layer.

We'll add some sheep, sheep food, and a couple of chickens.

[[Image:Tiled23.png]] <br><small>Figure 21: The active objects have been added and can been seen in white</small><br>

We want to make the whole area protected, to we add the tileset ''tileset/logic/protection.png'' and fill on the ''protection'' layer

[[Image:Tiled24.png]] <br><small>Figure 22: The finished map with the protection layer.</small><br>

= Parallax Background Support =

A parallax background is an image that scrolls at a different rate relative to normal map layers. It is drawn under map layers and visible where tile image data is not used (fully transparent through all layers). The image can be specified in a zone's XML config using the attribute name "parallax" (example: {{StendhalFile|9c0315793a16907c83d3e0dce761e8e6a66ae115|data/conf/zones/kikareukin.xml#L58|6_kikareukin_islands}}). The value should be a path relative the ''data/maps/parallax'' directory. For example, the value "semos_surrounds" would tell the client to use the image ''data/maps/parallax/semos_surrounds.png''.

However, when adding parallax backgrounds to maps, there are some things to consider for maintaining backward compatibility with the classic Java client. Transparent areas in a map will simply be black in the Java client. So, unless specifically desired, map data should not contain fully transparent areas. But there are two methods that can be used to instruct supporting clients on where to draw transparency on the map:

# You can specify tilesets to be ignored by the client when building map data. Use the attribute "parallax_ignore_tiles" in the zone's XML config. An example of how to do so can be found in the configuration of {{StendhalFile|9c0315793a16907c83d3e0dce761e8e6a66ae115|data/conf/zones/kikareukin.xml#L18|7_kikareukin_clouds}}. Multiple tilesets can be defined using a comma-delimited value (example: image1,image2,...).

# An additional layer named "0_floor_parallax" can be added the TMX map file. The layer should be identical to "0_floor" excluding the portions that should be transparent. An example of how this is done can be found in map of {{StendhalFile|9c0315793a16907c83d3e0dce761e8e6a66ae115|data/maps/Level%206/kikareukin/islands.tmx|6_kikareukin_islands}} ([https://www.mapeditor.org/ Tiled Map Editor] needed to view).