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During the 2020 map update, I created a QA checklist spreadsheet which (by the time I was done) guaranteed that I had performed all of the necessary steps for each map and would do so in the future.
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During the 2020 map update, I created a QA checklist spreadsheet which (by the time I was done) guaranteed that I had performed all of the necessary steps for each map and would do so in the future.
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| 2 |
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| 3 |
These are roughly in the order that the task is best performed:
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3 |
These are roughly in the order that the task is best performed:
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| 4 |
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4 |
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| 5 |
* [b]Design[/b] - Draw the map on paper to visualize what you're trying to achieve. Included mexes and geos.
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5 |
* [b]Design[/b] - Draw the map on paper to visualize what you're trying to achieve. Included mexes and geos.
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| 6 |
*
Basefiles
-
Create
a
folder
containing
all
of
the
initial
base
files
for
that
map.
Copy
generic
map
files
for
doing
so.
Then
edit
the
mapinfo.
lua
to
match
your
new
map.
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6 |
*
[b]Basefiles[/b]
-
Create
a
folder
containing
all
of
the
initial
base
files
for
that
map.
Copy
generic
map
files
for
doing
so.
Then
edit
the
mapinfo.
lua
to
match
your
new
map.
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| 7 |
*
Heightmap
-
Produce
a
greyscale
PNG
which
will
instruct
the
engine
on
how
to
shape
the
terrain.
I
used
photoshop
for
this.
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7 |
*
[b]Heightmap[/b]
-
Produce
a
greyscale
PNG
which
will
instruct
the
engine
on
how
to
shape
the
terrain.
I
used
photoshop
for
this.
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| 8 |
*
Initial
Textures
-
They
don't
have
to
be
pretty,
just
enough
to
get
the
map
play
testable.
Also
used
photoshop
here.
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8 |
*
[b]Initial
Textures[/b]
-
They
don't
have
to
be
pretty,
just
enough
to
get
the
map
play
testable.
Also
used
photoshop
here.
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| 9 |
*
Startboxes
-
I
used
the
Startbox
Editor
widget
ingame
to
produce
this
file
of
co-ordinates.
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9 |
*
[b]Startboxes[/b]
-
I
used
the
Startbox
Editor
widget
ingame
to
produce
this
file
of
co-ordinates.
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| 10 |
*
Mexes
-
There's
also
a
mex
placement
widget.
Or
you
can
just
put
the
co-ordinates
into
the
file
yourself.
It's
useful
to
have
a
tool
to
calculate
opposing
mexes
on
symmetrical
maps.
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10 |
*
[b]Mexes[/b]
-
There's
also
a
mex
placement
widget.
Or
you
can
just
put
the
co-ordinates
into
the
file
yourself.
It's
useful
to
have
a
tool
to
calculate
opposing
mexes
on
symmetrical
maps.
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| 11 |
*
Features
-
Trees,
rocks,
geothermal
vents
etc.
I
recommend
using
the
SpringBoard
program
to
import
your
map,
then
begin
placing
your
features.
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11 |
*
[b]Features[/b]
-
Trees,
rocks,
geothermal
vents
etc.
I
recommend
using
the
SpringBoard
program
to
import
your
map,
then
begin
placing
your
features.
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| 12 |
*
Reclaim
-
After
the
features
are
placed,
you
will
want
to
apply
the
correct
properties
to
them:
How
much
energy/metal
they
give,
and
at
what
speed.
Also,
whether
they
are
crushable
or
able
to
be
travelled
through.
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12 |
*
[b]Reclaim[/b]
-
After
the
features
are
placed,
you
will
want
to
apply
the
correct
properties
to
them:
How
much
energy/metal
they
give,
and
at
what
speed.
Also,
whether
they
are
crushable
or
able
to
be
travelled
through.
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| 13 |
*
Feature
collisions
-
Using
springboard
again,
alter
the
collision
volumes
(
only
if
necessary)
to
better
match
the
feature
in
question.
For
some
features
like
small
bushes
and
grasses,
it
may
be
best
to
turn
collision
off
altogether.
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13 |
*
[b]Feature
collisions[/b]
-
Using
springboard
again,
alter
the
collision
volumes
(
only
if
necessary)
to
better
match
the
feature
in
question.
For
some
features
like
small
bushes
and
grasses,
it
may
be
best
to
turn
collision
off
altogether.
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| 14 |
*
Wind
-
Check
that
the
wind
levels
are
balanced
in
the
areas
that
you
have
created.
Unfortunately,
I
couldn't
alter
these
via
the
file
as
easily
as
I
wanted
to
and
had
to
alter
my
heightmaps
retrospectively.
This
is
a
very
problematic
thing
to
do
if
you
have
already
placed
features
-
as
you
will
need
to
do
that
all
over
again.
This
doesn't
effect
mexes
though.
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14 |
*
[b]Wind[/b]
-
Check
that
the
wind
levels
are
balanced
in
the
areas
that
you
have
created.
Unfortunately,
I
couldn't
alter
these
via
the
file
as
easily
as
I
wanted
to
and
had
to
alter
my
heightmaps
retrospectively.
This
is
a
very
problematic
thing
to
do
if
you
have
already
placed
features
-
as
you
will
need
to
do
that
all
over
again.
This
doesn't
effect
mexes
though.
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| 15 |
*
Playtest
-
Get
a
collective
of
players
to
hammer
your
map
with
as
many
factories
as
possible.
This
will
help
you
to
see
problems
in
your
map's
design,
with
pathing,
with
resources,
with
map
play
strategy
etc.
This
should
be
a
very
thorough
phase
with
as
many
people
as
you
can
get/trust.
That
said,
you
are
the
executor
with
your
map
and
outside
of
real
problems,
remember
that
their
feedback
is
just
that.
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15 |
*
[b]Playtest[/b]
-
Get
a
collective
of
players
to
hammer
your
map
with
as
many
factories
as
possible.
This
will
help
you
to
see
problems
in
your
map's
design,
with
pathing,
with
resources,
with
map
play
strategy
etc.
This
should
be
a
very
thorough
phase
with
as
many
people
as
you
can
get/trust.
That
said,
you
are
the
executor
with
your
map
and
outside
of
real
problems,
remember
that
their
feedback
is
just
that.
|
| 16 |
*
Geofix
-
Always
double
and
triple
check
that
all
geos
can
be
placed.
If
the
height
of
the
map
has
changed,
geos
may
break.
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16 |
*
[b]Geofix[/b]
-
Always
double
and
triple
check
that
all
geos
can
be
placed.
If
the
height
of
the
map
has
changed,
geos
may
break.
|
| 17 |
*
Pathing
-
Put
that
pathing
visualization
view
on
and
go
over
each
factory.
Make
sure
that
they
all
can
path
where
you
intend
for
them
to
without
issue.
This
step
is
difficult
because
it
requires
you
to
make
many
small
adjustments
to
the
heightmap.
|
17 |
*
[b]Pathing[/b]
-
Put
that
pathing
visualization
view
on
and
go
over
each
factory.
Make
sure
that
they
all
can
path
where
you
intend
for
them
to
without
issue.
This
step
is
difficult
because
it
requires
you
to
make
many
small
adjustments
to
the
heightmap.
|
| 18 |
*
Textured
-
Now
that
you've
playtested
the
map
and
fixed
any
gameplay
issues,
it's
time
to
produce
the
high
quality
base
textures.
I
did
this
in
photoshop.
|
18 |
*
[b]Texture[/b]
-
Now
that
you've
playtested
the
map
and
fixed
any
gameplay
issues,
it's
time
to
produce
the
high
quality
base
textures.
I
did
this
in
photoshop.
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| 19 |
*
DNTS
-
If
you
want
your
map
to
really
look
good,
implement
DNTS.
Texture
splatting,
specular
etc.
This
can
be
a
very
fiddly
step
to
learn
but
once
you've
figured
it
out
the
results
are
great.
As
@Anarchid
puts
it
"DNTS
is
cruise
control
for
cool
around
here".
|
19 |
*
[b]DNTS[/b]
-
If
you
want
your
map
to
really
look
good,
implement
DNTS.
Texture
splatting,
specular
etc.
This
can
be
a
very
fiddly
step
to
learn
but
once
you've
figured
it
out
the
results
are
great.
As
@Anarchid
puts
it
"DNTS
is
cruise
control
for
cool
around
here".
|
| 20 |
*
Typemapping
-
If
your
map
has
varying
terrains
(
stone,
sand)
it
would
be
good
to
create
a
typemap
so
that
you
can
alter
things
like
whether
tracks
appear
or
various
other
terrain
specific
things
(
hardness
is
one)
.
|
20 |
*
[b]Typemapping[/b]
-
If
your
map
has
varying
terrains
(
stone,
sand)
it
would
be
good
to
create
a
typemap
so
that
you
can
alter
things
like
whether
tracks
appear
or
various
other
terrain
specific
things
(
hardness
is
one)
.
|
| 21 |
*
Team
support
-
Make
sure
that
the
game
is
still
playable
and
has
appropriate
start
boxes
for
all
variations
of
team
sizes.
Example,
my
maps
were
1v1
maps
but
I
made
them
have
3v3
startboxes
that
also
scaled
into
higher
numbers
of
players.
Without
this,
the
map
can
crash
on
load.
|
21 |
*
[b]Team
support[/b]
-
Make
sure
that
the
game
is
still
playable
and
has
appropriate
start
boxes
for
all
variations
of
team
sizes.
Example,
my
maps
were
1v1
maps
but
I
made
them
have
3v3
startboxes
that
also
scaled
into
higher
numbers
of
players.
Without
this,
the
map
can
crash
on
load.
|
| 22 |
*
Skybox
-
If
necessary.
I
used
Nvidia
tools
for
photoshop
to
produce
mine.
|
22 |
*
[b]Skybox[/b]
-
If
necessary.
I
used
Nvidia
tools
for
photoshop
to
produce
mine.
|
| 23 |
*
Water,
Fog,
Sun
-
Tweak
the
way
they
look
in
your
basefiles.
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23 |
*
[b]Water,
Fog,
Sun[/b]
-
Tweak
the
way
they
look
in
your
basefiles.
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| 24 |
*
File
cleanup
-
Remove
any
development
files
and
images
from
your
map.
|
24 |
*
[b]File
cleanup[/b]
-
Remove
any
development
files
and
images
from
your
map.
|
| 25 |
*
Zip
it
up
-
Produce
an
.
sd7
|
25 |
*
[b]Zip
it
up[/b]
-
Produce
an
.
sd7
|
| 26 |
*
Upload
-
Upload
on
the
ZK
maps
page.
You're
done.
|
26 |
*
[b]Upload[/b]
-
Upload
on
the
ZK
maps
page.
You're
done.
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| 27 |
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| 28 |
There are many sub steps inbetween these checkpoints (like using the compiler, lots of booting the game up, testing etc) and those are more the domain of tutorials. This is just a set of rails to stay on.
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28 |
There are many sub steps inbetween these checkpoints (like using the compiler, lots of booting the game up, testing etc) and those are more the domain of tutorials. This is just a set of rails to stay on.
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| 29 |
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| 30 |
Good luck!
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30 |
Good luck!
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Making Maps - Tutorials + Resources