Mapping guide and files

by Caeno and Lobo

Index:
How to change the flag type to FH2 folded one
Rendering lightmaps for barbwires and cammo nets
Other tips

Files needed
barbwires_nets.rar

How to change the flag type to FH2 folded one

GamePlayObjects.con

Example of a flag using the folded one:

rem [ControlPointTemplate: CP_64_Supercharge_Tell_el_Eisa]
ObjectTemplate.create ControlPoint CP_64_Supercharge_Tell_el_Eisa
ObjectTemplate.activeSafe ControlPoint CP_64_Supercharge_Tell_el_Eisa
ObjectTemplate.modifiedByUser "Propietario"
ObjectTemplate.setNetworkableInfo ControlPointInfo
ObjectTemplate.isNotSaveable 1
ObjectTemplate.hasMobilePhysics 0
ObjectTemplate.hasCollisionPhysics 1
ObjectTemplate.physicsType Mesh
rem -------------------------------------
ObjectTemplate.addTemplate flagpole
rem -------------------------------------
ObjectTemplate.setControlPointName CP_64_Supercharge_Tell_el_Eisa
ObjectTemplate.radius 4
ObjectTemplate.radiusOffset 0/-2/0
ObjectTemplate.team 1
ObjectTemplate.controlPointId 106
ObjectTemplate.ForSoldierOnly 1
ObjectTemplate.hoistFlag 0
ObjectTemplate.hoistMinMax 0.2/0.9
ObjectTemplate.flagTemplateTeam0 flag_folded_neutral
ObjectTemplate.flagTemplateTeam1 flag_folded_de
ObjectTemplate.flagTemplateTeam2 flag_folded_gb

ADD
REMOVE

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Rendering lightmaps for barbwires and cammo nets

1. Theory
Our wires and nets are bundlemesh. Reason: the alpha transparency looks crap done as staticmesh (all statics are staticmesh), an is even worse at distance. Con: bundlemesh doesn't cast shadows over terrain or other statics when we render the lightmaps

Each static with wire or net has 3 models:
a) flakCammonet, the model you place
b) flakCammonetW, this model is the bundlemesh wire or net, attached as child of the first model. You can place this model alone if you don't want the logs model (flakCammonet one)
c) flakCammonetWdummy, this is a staticmesh version of the second model, this is a dummy model we use just for rendering, not used later ingame

2. Practic
I have attached the files to automatize the rendering process, just extract the Lightmaps.rar into your FH2 installation and it will substite the flakCammonetW child (that doesn't cast shadows) with flakCammonetWdummy (this one casts them), render terrain and statics lightmaps.

Later extract the Backup.rar into your FH2 installation to revert this change and have the final models used ingame.

Exception: if you place alone a flakCammonetW model then you need to place manually the flakCammonetWdummy model, just copy the transformation of the W model and paste it in the transformation of the dummy model

barbwires_nets.rar

Ah, one tip

I suggest you erase the trenches right before rendering terrain lightmaps, then the skirts don't cast an ugly shadow, very visible from air

IMPORTANT: don't flame me if you save the map when you finish the render...remember you erased the trenches...don't save!

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Other tips:

Making a shortcut for FH2 so it automaticaly chooses the mod and you don't have to select it: Add ' +loadMod "fh2" ' into the shortcut so it looks like something like this:
...\BF2Editor.exe +loadMod "fh2"
Backup is a nice thing, be sure to make backups and I have a custom to take down the size and scales of my maps so if I screw up something. I can just do a new map and copy/paste the stuff I need to get back (for example lightmaps or something...)
Overgrowth.raw can be just renamed to undergrowth.raw and vice versa. (Might be useful in some cases when you have big areas you want to have in both under- and overgrowth and you're too lazy to paint them.)
Converting a real map into colormaps *long story* ...
*colormap .dds format: 8:8:8:8 ARGB (32 bit); No Mipmaps
(someone made a tool for this, but can't find it...)
Be sure that you don't check any boxes in the "save" screen IF you haven't edited those areas/files of your map. Saving stuff when you haven't actually done any changes to them, can cause crashes for your maps.
Be sure you save only those things you have actually worked on!
Creating too many under/overgrowth materials/types can cause a crash. So far, I've had 10 different undergrowth materials/types and the map worked.
You can create multiple spawn points in a large base by selecting a spawn point and setting it's group setting to 1,2,3...... in the tweak bar.
Be aware that any other scale than scale 2 may result in some bug, glitchtes or errors with your map. A fix for scale 4 is known, a dice dev posted it in the editor forum. Still think twice before creating a map so big: gameplay reasons and likely the performance will be crap
If you just created your map it may crash if any of your settings are on low. So be sure to test in medium or high settings!
If the map still crashes run the game in windowed mode (this should give an error message with some details on what crashed the game). To run in windowed mode modifiy the BF2/FH2 shortcut to - "C:\...\Battlefield 2\BF2.exe" +menu 1 +fullscreen 0 +szx 1024 +szy 768

Packing your map might help aswell:
-Press the "Mod" tab and select "Package Mod"
-See that you have "Package this level" ticked (You don't want to package a mod when you want to pack your map only...) and press OK. Then it packs the map up.

A word of caution though: The packaging tool in BF2 editor isn't perfect and it leaves some stuff out when it's packing, but we'll get on that later...
The static arti guns are destroyable and repairable, code 999 as spawn time. This will likely happen too with mortars and emplaced mg's in the future. The same for commander radios.

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