In this vein, this is a screenshot of something I had going for one of my maps that I've stopped working on for the moment. I had intended to flesh it out, too, with some of the landing lights and monitor doodads, but you get the idea. Basically I used one doodad (space platform hatch), combined with the Char tileset and some tricky camera work + hidden terrain (but you could do it with the Space Platform texture set, too, or whatever it's called), to emulate the view from a ship's bridge.
Not really an "artistic" way, but another great way to use doodads is by turning em into units. Could be custom buildings, people, ships, etc.
(Not sure if this has been shown here or not, hopefully not)
Here I've got the doodad "Metal Wall" acting as a reinforced door unit on a defense map I'm going to finish someday. (It even takes up 1x4 space, so it acts as a perfect wall while it's alive).
To make a doodad into a unit (I'll explain a building), just do this:
1. For ease, duplicate a building 'unit' (like a supply depot).
2. Duplicate the building 'actor' as well.
3. In the new actor, change 'Art - Model', 'Art - Model (Build)', 'Art - Model (Placement)' to the doodad you want.
(Change any other property you want here)
4. In the same actor, make 'unitName' point to the unit you created.
5. In that unit, set any properties you want, and set the 'Pathing Footprint' and 'Pathing Footprint - Placement' to the size of the area you want the building to occupy (space needed to place, and space it takes up after placed).
6. In the same unit, go to 'Unit - Flags' and enable 'Turnable', this will allow you to rotate the doodad/unit in the map editor. (Note: Turning the doodad/unit in the map editor will not affect it's Footprint. To have a verticle and horizontal wall type of unit like shown in the image, you will need 2 versions, one with a 1x4 footprint, and one with a 4x1 footprint)
Nice idea you got there! I'd love i could add this in my map. ;)
Maybe you could add some pipes to create a frame? That would smooth the change from your tiles to the "window". Don't know if it would fit, just a suggestions.
Um, yea! Feel free to take the idea and run with it. I will warn you, though, that, in order to get the right camera angle on the planet, you will end up with the doodads looking NOT like a flat screen because of the perspective from the camera pitch (instead it'll look like you're looking at a bunch of tiles on the ground at an angle because the "top" will have a wider field of view than the "bottom." Now that I think about it, that problem may be solvable just by changing the field of view (haven't really experimented with that), but, anyway, what I did instead was, I triggered the entire screen creation and changed the pitch and height of each doodad according to its position (using loops, obviously). Thus, the entire screen is actually raised and slanted to be orthogonal to the camera, so that you're "looking" at the screen head on. This is just in case you're looking to recreate something like this.
Probably won't be able to try it too soon since I am kind of busy right now and have barely time to work on my own map. (and the problem is that I have no idea where I could use it - except in an RPG but that's too hard for me)
You can totally use it, it's like 45 minutes of work. I can send you the file, idk if there's anyway to copy doodad sets across maps, but in any case you can just get the dimensions down and how many bricks are needed...as long as you guys put me as a cameo in one of the maps, :P lol.
sorry i missed your post earlier. they're red omni lights under doodads. you have to have Shader Quality at at least High in order for any omni lights to be visible. you can change graphics options under File>Preferences>Video.
Its a little off topic but intergration of water can have some cool effects as well... ill post some pics when I get home tonight but for now, un moving reflective mostly alpha water makes for a cool looking glass floor (just hide the terrain under it on a space platform mission and bam!
Also turn that water brown and add some pipes and you have yourself a convincing oil spill... ; )
Water being dynamic (just create two types and blend between them. allows this to make some pritty cool changing scenes...
Simply use a triger on shooting a pipe... shows the 'pipe end' doodad with oil flowing out. Then have your oil water gradualy rises up out of the floor (by blending two height variants of the water)... Havent proof of concepted it but its food for thought.
Also there are some cool things you can do with 'landing light' doodads when combining timer and tint actor events... Pulsating red warning light anyone? Green light that lights up when your door opens, and dims to 'off' when it closes... use your imagionation! (And all without using a single triger (so I believe no network trafic!))
Its a little off topic but intergration of water can have some cool effects as well... ill post some pics when I get home tonight but for now, un moving reflective mostly alpha water makes for a cool looking glass floor (just hide the terrain under it on a space platform mission and bam!
As a little footnote to this; you may want to note that this might not work at all/as well depending on the graphic settings of the player. Changing the graphics in-game could cause a technique like this to possibly look really bad/a lot better/very weird when comparing low-end to high-end graphics. For a showcase or something though, I reckon it'd be perfectly viable.
It's kind of late and I have nothing ready to show but tomorrow I'm going to upload some examples of doodads and terrains arrangements I conceived in a single proof-of-concept map. I will put a link on this tread.
SC2Mapster should make a contest for the best doodads concepts.
It's kind of late and I have nothing ready to show but tomorrow I'm going to upload some examples of doodads and terrains arrangements I conceived in a single proof-of-concept map. I will put a link on this tread.
SC2Mapster should make a contest for the best doodads concepts.
@ sixen that would be awesome. I noticed also when you upload a map, there's no category for "Terrain" or "Art", only cinematics come close! Or maybe I was just blind... :P
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@Lennywing: Go
That looks fucking awsome.
Hey, thanks for your nice feedback. I really didn't expect that.
If you want to keep track of the map you can also visit my blog (link in the signature). It kind of lacks in some feedback. *cough
In this vein, this is a screenshot of something I had going for one of my maps that I've stopped working on for the moment. I had intended to flesh it out, too, with some of the landing lights and monitor doodads, but you get the idea. Basically I used one doodad (space platform hatch), combined with the Char tileset and some tricky camera work + hidden terrain (but you could do it with the Space Platform texture set, too, or whatever it's called), to emulate the view from a ship's bridge.
Not really an "artistic" way, but another great way to use doodads is by turning em into units. Could be custom buildings, people, ships, etc. (Not sure if this has been shown here or not, hopefully not)
Here I've got the doodad "Metal Wall" acting as a reinforced door unit on a defense map I'm going to finish someday. (It even takes up 1x4 space, so it acts as a perfect wall while it's alive).
To make a doodad into a unit (I'll explain a building), just do this:
1. For ease, duplicate a building 'unit' (like a supply depot).
2. Duplicate the building 'actor' as well.
3. In the new actor, change 'Art - Model', 'Art - Model (Build)', 'Art - Model (Placement)' to the doodad you want. (Change any other property you want here)
4. In the same actor, make 'unitName' point to the unit you created.
5. In that unit, set any properties you want, and set the 'Pathing Footprint' and 'Pathing Footprint - Placement' to the size of the area you want the building to occupy (space needed to place, and space it takes up after placed).
6. In the same unit, go to 'Unit - Flags' and enable 'Turnable', this will allow you to rotate the doodad/unit in the map editor. (Note: Turning the doodad/unit in the map editor will not affect it's Footprint. To have a verticle and horizontal wall type of unit like shown in the image, you will need 2 versions, one with a 1x4 footprint, and one with a 4x1 footprint)
7. Profit
ohh i like that pyramid!
its just obvious that i have to ask you about copying that idea for my stargate project!
@Hegemuffin: Go
Nice idea you got there! I'd love i could add this in my map. ;)
Maybe you could add some pipes to create a frame? That would smooth the change from your tiles to the "window". Don't know if it would fit, just a suggestions.
@Lennywing: Go
Um, yea! Feel free to take the idea and run with it. I will warn you, though, that, in order to get the right camera angle on the planet, you will end up with the doodads looking NOT like a flat screen because of the perspective from the camera pitch (instead it'll look like you're looking at a bunch of tiles on the ground at an angle because the "top" will have a wider field of view than the "bottom." Now that I think about it, that problem may be solvable just by changing the field of view (haven't really experimented with that), but, anyway, what I did instead was, I triggered the entire screen creation and changed the pitch and height of each doodad according to its position (using loops, obviously). Thus, the entire screen is actually raised and slanted to be orthogonal to the camera, so that you're "looking" at the screen head on. This is just in case you're looking to recreate something like this.
Probably won't be able to try it too soon since I am kind of busy right now and have barely time to work on my own map. (and the problem is that I have no idea where I could use it - except in an RPG but that's too hard for me)
no pictures (sorry) but in my map I use floating creep pads, increase their size and height, and they're great for making a smoke filled area.
@ghoohg: Go
I'd like to see some screens if that's possible? Doesn't matter if the map isn't done yet.
@Patchone
You can totally use it, it's like 45 minutes of work. I can send you the file, idk if there's anyway to copy doodad sets across maps, but in any case you can just get the dimensions down and how many bricks are needed...as long as you guys put me as a cameo in one of the maps, :P lol.
@KrumBum: Go Thanks a lot for that! Can be very useful!
Btw, all the other stuff here looks great!
@BrotherLaz: Go
sorry i missed your post earlier. they're red omni lights under doodads. you have to have Shader Quality at at least High in order for any omni lights to be visible. you can change graphics options under File>Preferences>Video.
Its a little off topic but intergration of water can have some cool effects as well... ill post some pics when I get home tonight but for now, un moving reflective mostly alpha water makes for a cool looking glass floor (just hide the terrain under it on a space platform mission and bam!
Also turn that water brown and add some pipes and you have yourself a convincing oil spill... ; )
Water being dynamic (just create two types and blend between them. allows this to make some pritty cool changing scenes...
Simply use a triger on shooting a pipe... shows the 'pipe end' doodad with oil flowing out. Then have your oil water gradualy rises up out of the floor (by blending two height variants of the water)... Havent proof of concepted it but its food for thought.
Also there are some cool things you can do with 'landing light' doodads when combining timer and tint actor events... Pulsating red warning light anyone? Green light that lights up when your door opens, and dims to 'off' when it closes... use your imagionation! (And all without using a single triger (so I believe no network trafic!))
As a little footnote to this; you may want to note that this might not work at all/as well depending on the graphic settings of the player. Changing the graphics in-game could cause a technique like this to possibly look really bad/a lot better/very weird when comparing low-end to high-end graphics. For a showcase or something though, I reckon it'd be perfectly viable.
Using just the arrow doodad
It's kind of late and I have nothing ready to show but tomorrow I'm going to upload some examples of doodads and terrains arrangements I conceived in a single proof-of-concept map. I will put a link on this tread.
SC2Mapster should make a contest for the best doodads concepts.
these are awesome!
Perhaps terraining in general? :).
@ sixen that would be awesome. I noticed also when you upload a map, there's no category for "Terrain" or "Art", only cinematics come close! Or maybe I was just blind... :P