Recommended:

TextPad v4.4 (Helios Software Solutions). I cannot recommend this program enough. Take it as read, that almost every accomplished mapmaker uses this, and those that don't use MissionMan. Its free for unlimited evaluation so nothing is stopping you! Textpad is fantastic for swapping between open text files, you can have hundreds open at once and still be in complete control of the situation. A mere 2.4meg download, smaller than most game patches these day.

So why am I pushing this so hard? I'll let Aged field this one with a post I snagged from the OMO Map Editing Forum:

Grumpy: I just use wordpad. What advantages do the other programs [Textpad] have?

Aged: Why TextPad is great! It's kind of hard to explain why until you use it. Basically, it does a great job of file management along with the text editting capabilities. It also has smarter cut and paste and find and replace functions.

When I read the map making primer, I saw that and was skeptical - until I started running into problems with keeping track of the other-than-.txt files that maps require. So, I took Grunter's advice and d/l'd TextPad. I can't go back. He's spot-on with that recommendation.

 

 

MSExcel

Because all the map files are simply text files, there is nothing stopping you opening them up in Excel, a comma separates every value and Excel uses these to differentiate between columns when loading or saving. It allows sweeping changes to be made in seconds, as you would expect in any spreadsheet package. (more)

Because its so useful a small number of spreadsheets have been released into the community; Dylov’s Strands, Rings and Distances Excel Utility (The SRD-XL Utility includes TAKER’s Tilting Ring Maker Utility - for more details on what it has to offer click here) is by far the best. Create streams of asteroids or complete rings in seconds, save the results as a *.csv file and copy into the relevant map files. Its that simple. TAKER's Excel Ring Maker utility is also available separately, but that version does not support tilting rings. Also, new from Aged-OMO is Aged's Sphere Maker XL Utility, take a look at his map 'Azreal' to see what it can do.

 

 

Windows

Tycho's Random Derelict Placer and Tycho's Random Resource Placer are both simple windows programs that allow you to create random maps in minutes. You copy the text output direct into the resourcesphere.missphere files. The results may look weird from time to time but they always work fine.

Jacelor’s JUICY Distribution Maker deals with the *.dist files and allows you to see the changes that will incur while changing the *.dist values of your maps resources. A bit tougher to get the hang of but once you know what you are doing with it its invaluable.

 

 

Miscellaneous

Taleisin’s Big file viewer/extractor With this utility you can open up the homeworld.big file and extract almost everything from the game, useful for he single player missions so you can see how Relic achieved aspects of the single player campaign and the included multiplayer maps.

The Background Tool of the Geeks (Relic Entertainment Inc.) Using this tool you can create your own backgrounds from scratch or starting from a picture. A number of Backgrounds have been created, most noticeably by /Downslope\ and Fox, both of whom can usually be tracked down on the Relic Forums or on mIRC should you require any help.

 

[Top] [About The Primer] [Cover] [Main]

 
 

© Dylov 2000. Written by Dylov. Original Page Designs by Dylov & Panther.