HowToUseTiledToCreateStendhalMaps: Difference between revisions

{{Navigation for Stendhal Top|Contributing}}

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.

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

* 4_roof_add ''(optional layer)''

[[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).