I originally posted this guide in the following thread, but decided to give it its own: Teching Buildings
Guide to morph one building into another, step-by-step!
Example: Barracks -> CC
1. We have to create an ability for the morph itself. I'm going to do so by copying the values of the ability "Command Center - Upgrade To Planetary Fortress" but any other morph ability works too.
2. Then were going to adjust the values to fit our needs. I've marked them on the screenshot.
2.1 Go to the Commands+ field. We have to add a build button to the execute value and you can add any requirements you wish for the morph. For the example, I added the Build Command Center button and removed any requirements to let me morph whenever I have the necessary resources.
2.2 Now we're going to define the Cost of the Ability by editing the Cost+ field. It's all up to you what your morphing will cost, mine costs nothing at all.
2.3 With this step we determine the actual result of our morph and its duration. We go to the Info+ field and set the unit to the one we want to have after the morph is finished. In the durations field you just set Ablilities Delay ,Actor Duration and Stats Delay to the same value to set the time the morph will take.
3. Now we add the ability we just created, in my case MorphBarracksToCC, to the unit that should be morphed into another. So change to the Unit tab and select the unit thats going to receive the ability. Then just add the Ability to the abilities+ field.
3.1 Let's add a button to the CommandCard to let the morph take place when we click it. Go to CommandCard+ and create a new one with the button you like and set Command Type to Ability Command, Ability to the created ability and Ability Command to Build...(the new building). Now the button is functional and all thats left is to add the events to the actors.
4. Now thats where the magic happens and i failed MANY times before it turned out to be extremely easy :)
Change to the Actors tab and select the actor of the first building. Now go to the Events+ Field and add the marked ones from the screenshot (modify "morph from" and "morph to" to fit your needs).
edit: Actually you only need the AbilMorph.*.Finish event with the destroy immediate trigger to make it work. But if I remember correctly i got issues with some morphs, could be my imagination though :)
4.1 Thats the final step: Select the actor of the second building and add this single event. Thats it.
Now if you followed my instructions, the building will change its model and abilities after the morph is complete.
This was very helpful! Thanks, my second model wasn't appearing before but I could select it with an area select and it had all the properties. This fixed it.
Now I just want to find a way to show the construction animation during the upgrade.
no one had this issue yet and can point me towards why this is happening? :( have tried it from scratch several times already but always no dice :(
-> create unit with pathing footprint and not able to move with model of a unit and an attack (obviously)
-> create second unit, same as first but different dmg (or different model and different dmg)
-> create morph ability, add it to unit1
-> create events for unit 1 and 2
-> unit 2 can be build, unit 1 can be build, they both attack
-> if unit 1 morphs into unit 2, it looses it's command card and weapon window in the ui, in addition it does not attack
just verified again, if I give hatchery and lair both weapons it works, if I change it to morph to my tower (with changing the even), it doesn't, so It has to be something with my tower. Warping the tower directly in does work though :( *sigh*
hmm I guess I will just make it via hatchery and lair instead of creating the towers out of marine and reaper. let's see how that will work ... still very confused as to what I am missing :(
so i want to morph my tower from level 2 to level 3 but when i upgrade my tower ingame it's model switches back to level 1
this happens when i only use the AbilMorph.*.finish
using the AbilMorph.*.finish aswell results in the correct model BUT everytime I upgrade another cope of the model is created, so I have 3 towers standing into each other (2 towers on level 2)
Why not re-post this in the Tutorial Section of mapster? I think it'd make a great addition.
That way it won't drown in the masses of help requests in here.
hmm don't know what i changeg but now it works, no more downgrading to model 1.
But I spotted another error. when I upgrade too fast (hammering on the upgrade key to upgrade from 1 to 3) it's model first changes from 1 to 2 but after that not to model 3. (the upgrade itself works flawless, just the model isn't updated)
edit: just forgot to change the minimum scale of tower lvl 3 -.-. it was the actual model, was just set to rnd scale 1.0-1.4
ok fixed it my bunker now morphing with other build, but the problem now is this: my bunker not morph in to barracks but in command center... how i can fix it? pls?
Thank you so much.. I'd been having a problem with my towers scaling when upgraded in my TD map. The damage and such were changing, but the scale wouldn't. This fixed that problem easy. Been having issues with it for days. Thanks again.
Very helpful! I went through another tutorial and it seemed to miss some steps or I wasn't seeing exactly what was being shown in the ss's. But this is very step-by-step, something this novice map/unit/morpher builder needs :D Thanks for your attention to detail!!
Great Tut, thanks, but how do I change the morphing animation?
For my map I want a CC morphing to a CC (sounds silly but there is a reason for that :D)
So after clicking the button for morphing, the building disappears, so there is no model while morphing is in progress (after morphing is complete the cc appears again), I need to see the normal CC Model then, so that none will see that anything changed.
First of all, thank you very much! This is exactly what I am looking for. However, I don't seem to be able to change my new model's scale? I can change the model when the morph is complete, but the model SCALE won't change ....
Any suggestions?
Edit: I got it. For those who are still searching, It is adjusted under the Model, NOT actor. So if you don't want to mess with in game data (ie keep the data clean) make sure you duplicate the model, and then change its scale
This tutorial helped me out a lot, but i suggest you remove the abilmorph.*.start part from step 4, for turrets it creates an additional turret model in the old model, thereby really screwing up the looks of the Morph proces(but it does still work)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
GUIDE
I originally posted this guide in the following thread, but decided to give it its own: Teching Buildings
Guide to morph one building into another, step-by-step!
Example: Barracks -> CC
1. We have to create an ability for the morph itself. I'm going to do so by copying the values of the ability "Command Center - Upgrade To Planetary Fortress" but any other morph ability works too.
2. Then were going to adjust the values to fit our needs. I've marked them on the screenshot.
2.1 Go to the Commands+ field. We have to add a build button to the execute value and you can add any requirements you wish for the morph. For the example, I added the Build Command Center button and removed any requirements to let me morph whenever I have the necessary resources.
2.2 Now we're going to define the Cost of the Ability by editing the Cost+ field. It's all up to you what your morphing will cost, mine costs nothing at all.
2.3 With this step we determine the actual result of our morph and its duration. We go to the Info+ field and set the unit to the one we want to have after the morph is finished. In the durations field you just set Ablilities Delay ,Actor Duration and Stats Delay to the same value to set the time the morph will take.
3. Now we add the ability we just created, in my case MorphBarracksToCC, to the unit that should be morphed into another. So change to the Unit tab and select the unit thats going to receive the ability. Then just add the Ability to the abilities+ field.
3.1 Let's add a button to the CommandCard to let the morph take place when we click it. Go to CommandCard+ and create a new one with the button you like and set Command Type to Ability Command, Ability to the created ability and Ability Command to Build...(the new building). Now the button is functional and all thats left is to add the events to the actors.
4. Now thats where the magic happens and i failed MANY times before it turned out to be extremely easy :) Change to the Actors tab and select the actor of the first building. Now go to the Events+ Field and add the marked ones from the screenshot (modify "morph from" and "morph to" to fit your needs).
edit: Actually you only need the AbilMorph.*.Finish event with the destroy immediate trigger to make it work. But if I remember correctly i got issues with some morphs, could be my imagination though :)
4.1 Thats the final step: Select the actor of the second building and add this single event. Thats it.
Now if you followed my instructions, the building will change its model and abilities after the morph is complete.
I hope this helps :D
This was very helpful! Thanks, my second model wasn't appearing before but I could select it with an area select and it had all the properties. This fixed it.
Now I just want to find a way to show the construction animation during the upgrade.
@deadpica: Go
everytime i do this with my dmg tower, the tower losses all abilities and it'S weapon in the process, didn't manage to find out why yet :(
no one had this issue yet and can point me towards why this is happening? :( have tried it from scratch several times already but always no dice :(
-> create unit with pathing footprint and not able to move with model of a unit and an attack (obviously) -> create second unit, same as first but different dmg (or different model and different dmg) -> create morph ability, add it to unit1 -> create events for unit 1 and 2 -> unit 2 can be build, unit 1 can be build, they both attack -> if unit 1 morphs into unit 2, it looses it's command card and weapon window in the ui, in addition it does not attack
just verified again, if I give hatchery and lair both weapons it works, if I change it to morph to my tower (with changing the even), it doesn't, so It has to be something with my tower. Warping the tower directly in does work though :( *sigh*
hmm I guess I will just make it via hatchery and lair instead of creating the towers out of marine and reaper. let's see how that will work ... still very confused as to what I am missing :(
so i want to morph my tower from level 2 to level 3 but when i upgrade my tower ingame it's model switches back to level 1
this happens when i only use the AbilMorph.*.finish
using the AbilMorph.*.finish aswell results in the correct model BUT everytime I upgrade another cope of the model is created, so I have 3 towers standing into each other (2 towers on level 2)
@thekaatz: Go
Why not re-post this in the Tutorial Section of mapster? I think it'd make a great addition.
That way it won't drown in the masses of help requests in here.
hmm don't know what i changeg but now it works, no more downgrading to model 1.
But I spotted another error. when I upgrade too fast (hammering on the upgrade key to upgrade from 1 to 3) it's model first changes from 1 to 2 but after that not to model 3. (the upgrade itself works flawless, just the model isn't updated)edit: just forgot to change the minimum scale of tower lvl 3 -.-. it was the actual model, was just set to rnd scale 1.0-1.4
I have a problem with your step, my bunker don't change into barracks, stay always a bunker.
ok fixed it my bunker now morphing with other build, but the problem now is this: my bunker not morph in to barracks but in command center... how i can fix it? pls?
I can't get the ability to appear in the bar to be added to my barracks
Nevermind i just forgot to add it the abilities to the values
Thank you so much.. I'd been having a problem with my towers scaling when upgraded in my TD map. The damage and such were changing, but the scale wouldn't. This fixed that problem easy. Been having issues with it for days. Thanks again.
Wouldnt this be easier to do by using the Zerg Building Morph as a base?
That one includes the building process animation. you could prolly duplicate the main components of it and be pretty set to go.
Moved to tutorial section :)
@thekaatz: Go
Very helpful! I went through another tutorial and it seemed to miss some steps or I wasn't seeing exactly what was being shown in the ss's. But this is very step-by-step, something this novice map/unit/morpher builder needs :D Thanks for your attention to detail!!
Great Tut, thanks, but how do I change the morphing animation? For my map I want a CC morphing to a CC (sounds silly but there is a reason for that :D) So after clicking the button for morphing, the building disappears, so there is no model while morphing is in progress (after morphing is complete the cc appears again), I need to see the normal CC Model then, so that none will see that anything changed.
How do I get this working?
First of all, thank you very much! This is exactly what I am looking for. However, I don't seem to be able to change my new model's scale? I can change the model when the morph is complete, but the model SCALE won't change ....
Any suggestions?
Edit: I got it. For those who are still searching, It is adjusted under the Model, NOT actor. So if you don't want to mess with in game data (ie keep the data clean) make sure you duplicate the model, and then change its scale
@deadpica: Go
have you found it ?
This tutorial helped me out a lot, but i suggest you remove the abilmorph.*.start part from step 4, for turrets it creates an additional turret model in the old model, thereby really screwing up the looks of the Morph proces(but it does still work)