SC2Mapster

Added as of 12/1/2010: When creating mods with Custom Imports, follow the same direction, but do this as you copy stuff from source (right) to mod (left). The picture below means to copy into the folder.

Scenario:

1. Added Campaign dependency and created a new Map.

2. Created Edits, duplicates, and New assets within the Data Editor. No custom imports.

3. You now want new maps to use a .sc2mod file containing all of the things you made.

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Creating the Mod File:

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1. Save the map where you made all the edits and testing as a Component List. As an example, let's call this map as our Workbench.

2. Close all documents open in the editor, and create a new Mod. Add the appropriate dependencies you had in your Workbench map. This file will be the .sc2mod file we wanted to make.

3. Save this mod file as a Component List. Let's call this our Custom Doodads Mod.

4. Close all documents open within the editor.

5. Proceed to the directory where you saved the Component List in #1, which is your Workbench map. It will show as a folder which will contain these for example:

6. Copy all the contents of Base.Sc2Data to your Component List in #3, which is your Custom Doodads Mod. All into their respective locations. What we are doing is copying the .xml files from the Workbench to the Mod. Or simply drag-and-drop as the image below implies and overwrite. Right folder in the image is your SOURCE (the component list generated after the SAVE AS step of your .sc2map, which contains all your data edits). Remember, copy folder to folder, not folder into folder.

7. Copy files within the Localized Data folder, which is within the enUS.SC2Data, to your Mod file's Base.sc2data/Localized Data and enUS.SC2Data/Localized Data. Or simply drag and drop as the picture below implies and overwrite. Right folder in the image is your SOURCE (the component list generated after the SAVE AS step of your .sc2map, which contains all your data edits). Note here to copy into the folders.

8. Now, open your Mod file in the editor. Make sure to open the Component List version, and not the .sc2mod version.

9. Save this file to a .sc2mod file. In our example, we'll save this as Custom Doodads Mod.sc2mod

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How to Use your Sc2Mod file:

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1. Copy/Move your .sc2mod file to your Mods folder, which is located within your Starcraft II install directory. Ex. c:\games\Starcraft II\Mods.

You now have your sc2mod file containing all the edits done. Now you can create new maps, add this mod as a dependency and have all your edits available for use.

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Notes:

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1. If your .sc2mod file was created with Campaign dependency added for example, new maps that will be using your .sc2mod file will not require having the Campaign Dependency added upon creation for your edits to show. Our process above follows this procedure.

2. If you plan or expect to have multiple .sc2mod files used within your maps later on, it would be best to assign object IDs as unique as possible to avoid possible errors should two objects from different .sc2mod files use the same ID.

3. It is good to save your Component list in a separate folder to avoid confusion and possible errors. You may create a folder within your projects folder and save component lists in there. (refer to posts #2 and #5).

4. Always back-up your files.

5. As usual, should you discover anything related to this topic, please feel free to post.

Special thanks to MeltAge for his patience and for having to discover errors generated by the Editor. Though we are yet uncertain of the specific problem that caused the errors reported, it is best to be safe and back-up your files prior to following this procedure.

Thanks, a couple of questions though.

1. In point 6 - to what folder do I paste the xml files? YOu say 'copy to your Component List'. Is that the root folder of the mod, or the enGB.SC2Data folder within? I am guessing the Data folder.

2. at 7 there is GameStrings.txt in the target folder. I supose I should overwrite that one?

3. do you know if I must publish the mod file to bnet as well, or will it be included in the map I publish, using the mod?

4. Can I delete the Component List folder for the Component List I created in #1 when all is done. I am asuming I need none of the folders when the final mod file is created, since it contains all data. Correct?

5. It would be helpful to understand what a Component List is compared to a mod. Could you explain that further?

EDIT:

DONT DO THIS if you don't know what you're doing! IT MAY BREAK YOUR MAP FILE!

Make a backup of your mapfile first. I didnt think saving the map as a component list wouldnt affect the original SC2Map file so didnt make a backup - but it did. It seems it makes your orignal map dependent on the Component List when you save it as... ?

There are no visible errors in the gameplay (when testing), or the data editor, only the terrain editor - the custom units I've made and placed out in the terrain are lacking their model in the editor.

I got several errors messages about stuff being removed, when I first opened the map. Not usre what else is missing atm...

Q: In point 6 - to what folder do I paste the xml files? YOu say 'copy to your Component List'. Is that the root folder of the mod, or the enGB.SC2Data folder within? I am guessing the Data folder.

A: You copy them to the same folder names. You can copy the entire sc2data folder of the Workbench to the root of your Mod. ............................................................................................................................................................

Q: at 7 there is GameStrings.txt in the target folder. I supose I should overwrite that one?

A: Yes. Overwrite.

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Q: do you know if I must publish the mod file to bnet as well, or will it be included in the map I publish, using the mod?

A: Not sure how battle.net works with .sc2mods atm. But when distributing maps and mods and having people play through drag-and-drop, the .sc2mod file must exist in the player's Starcraft II/Mods directory. ............................................................................................................................................................

Q: Can I delete the Component List folder for the Component List I created in #1 when all is done. I am asuming I need none of the folders when the final mod file is created, since it contains all data. Correct?

A: Yes.

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Q: It would be helpful to understand what a Component List is compared to a mod. Could you explain that further?

A: A component list is simply an un-archived version of an .sc2map or .sc2mod file. ............................................................................................................................................................

see my edit of my first post, thanks

Edit: I read, and that was the expected answers, I supose .. thinking of the mapfile as an archive helps a lot. Also, I noticed windows consider the mod file to be a folder (cat).

If the .mod and -sc2map are both undependent of the CL, how could saving the map as CL s* up the original for me?

about your answer to the first question.. please clarify. I put all the XML files in the enUS.SC2Data folder. Is that worng or doesn't the folder structure matter?

Edit 2: it seems adding my mod to the dependencies fixed the visual errors in the terrain editor, at least, so I supose I succeeded with the mod. But now my map is dependent on the mod? Gotta check if bnet play is broken

What we are doing is actually copying the data related files (in our case .xml) from the Workbench Component List to our Mod Component list. Note that our Mod Component List will later be opened in the editor and saved as a .sc2mod file.

If your map is the same map from where you took data and created the .sc2mod file, then it is not dependent on the created .sc2mod file. Once you've copied/moved the .sc2mod file to your Mods directory, created a new map, and added the said .sc2mod file as dependency, this new map will now be dependent on that .sc2mod file. Other people must have them within their own Mods directory to successfully play your map.

If you have an .sc2mod and .sc2map already saved in your hard drive, you can delete the component list versions of these files.

Example, you have:

1. MyCustomEdits.sc2map - the map you've been developing with, which contains all your data edits.

2. MyCustomMods.sc2mod - an empty .sc2mod file, with dependencies setup like MyCustomEdits.sc2map.

After saving both of these as component list (Save As...) you will have your .sc2map and .sc2mod and their corresponding Components List versions. They are folders.

Edit: Updated opening post.

Regarding your edit in post #2, make sure you did not open the components list version of your map while viewing the terrain. It could be a bug, as I have not seen experienced the same problem as you have.

Try to Save As to a different folder to avoid confusion. Your original map will be left untouched, unless the editor has a bug when the Save As procedure is done in the same folder where .sc2map is located.

Also, check if you have reversed the process. That instead of copying FROM your Workbench map's Component List, you copied TO this component list FROM the Mod Component List, and opened the component list version of your Workbench map in the editor.

Added this to notes in the first post.

It seems that there are bugs in the editor, yes.

My problem is now this:

I added my .sc2mod to the dependencies of my original .sc2map to try to fix the map again. It seemed to fix the terrain bugs, however when I checked on the triggers they all had duplications with the same names. I recieved a lot of warnig messages form the editor. I removed the duplicates (or perhaps I remeoved the originals) and then saved the map.

I then opened the map again and checked the trigger editor. All triggers where gone, not just the duplicates. I wonder if there is a way to get the triggers back from the .sc2mod? I've tried to add the mod to dependecies, again, but the triggers in the mod doesn't apply. I also tried creating a blank map and adding the mod, but no triggers from the mod appeared.

Now, I can't even add new triggers to the map or copy-paste from an old backup. If I do and save the map, the editor crashes.

So, do you know of a way to get the triggers from the .sc2mod back? I tried saving the mod into a CL folder. There is a TriggerStrings.txt in the localizedData folder .. but that's all I can see.

Edit: added files, so that you can see for yourself

I haven't experienced any of the problems you mentioned, for the past days I've been working. What I know is that:

1. Mod files (.sc2mod) should not be added twice in your map. Or have edits of the same contained in the map and a mod file with the same data added to that map. Duplicates in IDs will create this problem.

2. Triggers will not be copied to the Mod file created.

3. Starcraft II map editor will generate errors if you save as to the same folder where your .sc2map resides.

I'm pretty sure Windows cannot open .sc2map or .sc2mod files as folders. Yes, component list versions of said files do have folder names with .sc2map or .sc2mod, but windows will not be able to change archives through the copy paste procedure.

Also, check if you are opening component lists(folder version) instead of your .sc2map (the archive version with editor icon). My fear is that you may have overwritten your original .sc2map (not folder) or added to it the created .sc2mod as dependency and saved it to overwrite your original.

Edit: I've checked your map. It seems that you have reversed the process. That instead of copying From Ghast_Prototype_Core_Alpha.SC2Map you copied TO it the contents of the Mod Component List. Which in the first place should not contain anything. I honestly have no idea what went wrong.

To fix, do not delete the generated files as you saved as Component List. Instead copy all of the files in its root to a new component list. You will have to create a new Map, and save it as Component list. Then copy the files to this new Component List FROM the component list you created as you followed through the steps in the first post.

Open this new component list and save it as .sc2map (not component list). All your triggers should be inside the folder of the Component List you created in step #1. Your workbench component list, specifically the Ghast_Prototype_Core_Alpha.SC2Map folder in your case.

Thank you for checking it out. I might have reversed the process out of confusion. Sounds strange, though, that I would copy to the map when the process was about copying from the CL to the mod.

I can't fix it then, beacuse I deleted the CL and mod (folders) at the point the .sc2mod file was finnished.

Edit: I got the latest working version of the map published, though. Do you know where published maps are saved locally and if it's possible to make a normal map fiel out of them? I'ts locked by publish settings, but I've heard that maps are not truly locked?

I feel terrible for your loss. The reversal should not have damaged anything though. Unless if the .sc2mod component list is saved later as a .sc2map(archive) and terrain related files from the .sc2map's components list version is copied to the .sc2mod component list version.

I tried to recreate how you came to this result, yet I couldn't arrive at the same result as you have through the simple possible mistakes in the steps I could think of.

Would you mind detailing the things you've done? This will at least save others from falling into the same fate.

do mods support assets yet? this is the only thing holding me back. anything i import doesn't show up in a map using the mod.

I haven't explored that yet, and by Assets do you mean imported stuff? I'll be exploring them soon. I'm currently stuck trying to figure our MeltAge's situation and have found something atm.

MeltAge, your triggers seem to be in the Library. The box on the upper left in the trigger editor. Can you confirm if they're intact?

I believed I created the mod the way you described, why I was so surprised that the original map file was affected. I did all the swapping and coppying of files (xml and localization txt) via the windows explorer. The only thing I believe I made different from your OP guide was to save the XML files into the wrong data folder.

I also saved the CL in the same folder as the original .sc2map file. Not 100% sure but I think so.

I MIGHT have overwriten the map file with the component list version of it, at some point .. since they look the same when opening and saving using the editor explorer. I did use different names for them though.

I MIGHT have had the component list file, or the component list folder, or mod file open in the editor at the same time.

This is what I did after following the steps in the tutorial:

• removed the CL folders for both the mod and the map.

• opened my original .sc2map and got a shitload of error messages (I didn't save those and don't know what they meant). My custom units lacked models (egg-like model displayed instead, just like when you have a unit with no actor applied to it, although the actors were).

• pressed 'V' to turn Lock to game view settings off. I have placement grid displayed but instead of showing green and red layers over the terrain all was purple.

• I played the map and all seemed to be fien in-game. Triggers were functionen, data was and the terrrain/units looked fine.

• I tried to fix by adding the mod as a dependency. I saved the map and opened it again. They terrain now looked fine. I checked the Triggers and the editor started to validate them. This took some time and when it was done I got a bunch of warning messages that all triggers had duplicates ( This is strange, since the mod shoudln't transfer triggers over? ).

• I removed the duplicates or original triggers so that I had only one set of triggers. I saved the map and re-opnened. Now all triggers were gone.

• I removed the mod from dependencies and adding it back a coupple of times. Nothing changed.

• I made a new empty trigger and saved the map. Before ssave was compelted, the editor crashed. Reprorate 100%. As a sidenote, the editor creates a folder named Ghast_Prototype_Core_Alpha.SC2Map.temp when saving. This is normal? It looks just like the Component List.

The crash log gives me no clue. If you want to see it, just repro this point.

• opening the map (mod dependencies removed) the white eggs appear for different unit models every time, not just my custom models. Only unit models, though, and still no problem in-game.

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I have a backup from 2 days ago, with most data and triggers the same. I just did a lot in the terrain editor (which I consider placeholders anyways) so it's not a big deal. Do you think I should copy the terrain (units, doodads. etc) from my broken map to my backup, or will that break my backup too, do you think? I could try but not realize if it's broken at once, I supose.

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I'm looking at the original map, the oen that is broken. I cant find my triggers in the library - the folders I see is Built-in and Liberty. Thats the library, right? I'll give you my non-broken backup file from two days ago, so that you can see what triggers I use. I could quite easily recreate what I've done with the triggers, so don't bother for my sake.

Thanks. I also noticed errors occurring when say creating a mod while a map is open in the editor and doing the Save As step.

Regarding your concern, I would keep my backups free from modification, and play around with a copy instead. Triggers can be copied, and libraries as well. Just like the challenges.sc2mod. But this is for another tutorial.

Thank you for taking the time posting what happened. I will investigate this matter for future reference.

Ok, cool. What about the triggers in the library that you noticed?

About the tutorial in generl, I see a downside on using this if you want to pulbish to battle.net, unless custom dependencies/mods are supported (are baked in when publishing). I will investigate that with a copy of my map, if you havn't?

I haven't explored publishing, to be honest I don't know a thing about it. :(

And I have no idea if publishing mods along with the maps that use them will work.

Regarding the triggers, those under Campaign. Are those yours or do they come from the Campaign Dependency? I'm so utterly confused.

from teh campaign definitely. You see how my triggers look like in the working version of my map I attached in the last post. I'll investigate further on mod dependency then.

EDIT:

Dude ... unit models in the terrain editorn are f*cked up even in other maps that has nothign to do with themod attempt. The other problem I had, with triggers disappearing, might have everythign to do with me adding the mod to the original map. I did change folder structure in the Maps/ folder where I keep my maps.. but that shoudln't affect anything. Could it be that I added a mod to the Mod/ folder .. and that somehow screwed up the other dependencies?

Edit2:

In addition to the white eggs on some random units (or all units) in the editor only, the goliath and Tosh model lacks textures. It has nothing to do with the actor. I'll reisntall the game later to see if this fixes the problem.

I haven't had that happen to me before. I'm so baffled by that.

Ok, a reinstall of the game fixed the unit model issue.

About mod publishing, I havnt tried it out, but the editor says that you must have a valid published file as dependency if you want to pulbish a map with that dependency. In other words, you publish the mod seperately. I havn't tried it out and havn't noticed any mod on bnet.

@MeltAge: Go

Nice find. I guess we need to upload the dependeny first, and then the maps?

Also, I wonder if players downloading the maps will also download the .sc2mod files, and so be able to play offline.

Updated to include creating Mod files with custom imports and data.

The picture is taken from creating a mod using Maverck's Broodwar 1.5 mod.