1.	How to start the editor?

- Load Cossacks
- In the main menu press <ctrl> (keep it pressed) and use your mouse to click on Intro. 
- Wait some minutes while the map-editor is loading

2. What to do now?

First of all save the empty map:
- Press <p> and create 5 civilians and troops
- Press <2> on the num block
- Press <p> again and create 5 civilians 
- Press F12  - Opens Main Menu
- Press the second button from the top (=save)
- Type in a name for your map, for example “new map”
- Press the first button from left
From now on you can start your map again if you want to cancel further activities
 
** Remember to use F9 to stop the creation of troops, otherwise you’ll keep creating troops every time you click on the left mouse button.  

3. The functions of the map editor:

<F2>: Define terrain (many textures for the ground are available)
<F3>: Build hills
<F4>: Add different stone-types and mines
<F5>: Add fields (all different periods available) 
 attention: before you press <F5>, save your map! The “add fields” function is not bug-free!
<F6>: Define structure of ground and hills
<F8>: Add trees, bushes etc.
<F12>: Game menu
 the game menu consists of the following options: 
              - Back to main menu
              - Save game
              - Load game
              - New map - is not active!
              - Graphic/sound options
 the menu works like the English/German one.
<1-9>: Define brush (the brush that adds textures, trees, stone etc.)
<W>: Activate peace mode: important before you place units!
<R>: Define start resources
<T>: Could have something to do with the size of the map
<U>: Unit menu
<I>: Info menu
<P>: Place units
<S>: Blockade mode
<F>: Fog of war on/off
<G>: Not clear yet
<H>: Map compiler
<L>: Do not press!!!!! 
<C>: Add water; erase water with F6: the brush adds ground again on water-areas to add water again, press <C>
<V>: Day/night mode (yes, there is such a mode in Cossacks!)
<N>: Delete objects
<M>: Size of the mini-map
<Ctrl + C>: Select defined area (like copy/paste in word)
<Ctrl + V>: Copies with <Ctrl + C> selected areas at another place
<Ctrl + R>: Enter dll path (for AI)
<Ctrl + I>: The AI program
<Ctrl + S>: AI parameter
<Ctrl + G>: coordinate system
<Ctrl + X>: Necessary to build walls and move units
<Alt + F4>: Don’t press!!!!
<Numpad + Numlock>: define player 1-8
<Esc>: Quit current tool
<F9>: Stop the Creation of peasants, troops or building after using <P>

4. Small manual:

4a) Add hills:
<F3>: Select “add hill” tool
<F6>: Select “hill-menu”

Possibility 1:
keep <shift> pressed, then you get a straight line, then creation of a polyhedron. Then let off <shift>. 
Define a height in the appearing menu.
Or keep <shift + draw lines> pressed and draw a form, then let off.

Possibility 2:
press F3, select a brush <1-9>, then raise or let down either with <PageUP/DOWN> (plateau if you have a big brush) or with <+/-> (hill gets steep). Take care that you don’t raise too much. It’s difficult to undo! 

Translation of the words in the hill-editor:

Controller left:
R1: Height of the hill
R2: Radius of the hill
R3: Width of the passage 
R4: Number of furrows
R5: Depth of the furrows
R6: Phase of the furrows 

Bottom keys:
Top left: type of passage
Top right: "size" (a kind of altimeter. if it’s selected, R1 shows the height)
Bottom left: type of function
Bottom right: type of brush

4b) Change terrain: 
press <F2> and add new skin

4c) Problems with water:
Take care when you place water. Look carefully at the brush you use. If you add a lake on a hill, the water destroys the hill and up to now it’s not clear how to undo this action

Blockade area: 
To define blockade areas (for example if you create deep forests) go into the game menu and select “show blockade areas”. Then press <S> and as long as the blockade mode is active you can block areas
by drag and drop.

4d) Create units:

Possibility 1:
- Create a new map and add about 2x4 civilians
- Start a random game with this map
- Press <Enter>
- Type <www> into the chat box
- Press <P>
- Place units in the map

Possibility 2:
- Create a map without units
- Press <W> for the peace mode. Otherwise units start to fight on the map!
- Press <P> and add units to the map

5) Editor tips, tricks and news:

If you create a map and want to save, you cannot add more units later on. Before saving, define resources for all players <R> and then save!
The reason for this is the start resources. If you place any buildings, the resources the building would cost in game are subtracted. 

How to build rivers with the map editor (by Mr.Wichtig)

1.first steps

for designing the river open the texture editor (F2) and choose the texture 96 one time, 102
Six times, 103 one time and draw a line (with <shift> you will see the texture numbers, with <ctrl> you can select more than one texture at once. With every click the factor increases +1, with right click decreases.

2.The edge of the river

for creating the edge of the river I used a mix of textures (54, 57, 58, 63, 83, 99, 107 - all one time). This causes a stony river-edge, but of course you also can make a river-edge with sand.

3.placing trees

Place the trees directly in front of the river, use multi-coloured trees. You also can choose trees in the tree editor (F4), with <ctrl> you can place different trees, and unfortunately you can’t increase the number by clicking.Error! Unknown switch argument.

4.Reed - at the end of the tree editor list - could both improve but also change to the worse. It depends on your design whether it’s good or bad. Only place it at the river-edge, or on the grass at the riverside. If you place reed on land textures, take care that you don’t use reed with shimmering water, because this could look strange 

5.the last details

Use some different textures for the grass and implement some stones, bushes etc. 

How to build bridges with the map editor (by Warlord)

Start with the map and place a bridge.

Now add water on the map, but not under the bridge!

Build two small hills on both sides of the bridge, chose 20 for the height of the hills
Then save the map.

Now press "Q" (or "A" if you have a qwerty keyboard). The bridge has to be free, this means no blue pattern on the bridge, but there needs to be a blue pattern on the water. You can change this by pressing  "S" for selecting which areas have to be blocked and which not. When your blockade-areas look like on the screenshot, your bridge will work. Finally save the map again.

Check the blockade-patterns again and if everything looks good, design your bridge so that it looks realistic and then press “P” for placing some units. Let them walk over the bridge and look if everything works. Also try to move them over the river in order to control that the river-area is blockaded.

CREDITS 
Stefan Hertrich did this Map editor with the help of Sergiy Grygorovich Director of GSC, the Makers of Cossacks.  http://www.cossacks.4players.de/englishversion/

Thank you also Mr.Wichtig and Warlord from the above website for sections on Rivers and bridges.