Since making maps is new to most :) I will step you through some things.
A Simple Map
This map will be very simple and will allow you to verify that you can create your own maps.
- Put an alias to your shapes file in the same folder as Phorte.
- Backup or change the name of Marathons map file!
- Run Pfhorte. The shapes will be loaded in, and saved.
- Set up the defaults palette. Set the floor, wall and ceiling textures. Set the lights both to 1. Set the floor height to 0 and the ceiling height to 2000.
- Choose new map from the file menu.
- Choose new level from the level menu.
- Double click on the untitled level in the levels window. You should get a dark grey window.
- Select the poly tool from the tool palette.
- Click four points to form a square about 1" on a side in a clockwise direction. DOUBLE CLICK when you are creating the last point in order to close the poly. Not closing the poly in this way is the biggest cause of map problems. You should now have a polygon on your screen.
- Click four more points to form another square next to the first one, again in a clockwise direction. Ensure that two of the points you click are two points from the first polygon you made. You should end up with two connected square polygons. (check out the simple map if you cant do it).
- Select the object creation tool.
- Click in the first polygon and set the object type to player.
- Quit and save your map as "map".
- Put this map into marathons folder and run marathon.
- If this doesnt work, or crashes marathon, then check out the simple map file supplied and figure out what went wrong.
A Platform
This map will show you how to make a platform and a switch to control it.
- Follow the simple map tutorial to create the first part of this map.
- Make two more square polygons so that you now have a row of four.
- Select the arrow tool.
- Double click on the third polygon. You should get the polygon edit dialog.
- Set the polygon type to "platform" using the type popup menu.
- Click in the "Edit Platform Data" button.
- In the platform data dialog, check the following check boxes: Stops at each level, Initially Extended, Floor to Ceiling, Floor, Use native Heights.
- Set the speed and delay to normal and the heights to -1, -1.
- Click OK. Click OK.
- Now, using the arrow tool, select a wall near the platform, but NOT one of the four walls that makes up the platform. The wall should also be on the same side of the platform as the player.
- Select "Make Platform Switch" from the magic menu.
- You should see a very small polygon that got added to your wall.
- Option click on the outside wall of this new small polygon and drag a line to the platform. You may have to try several times to click exactly on the wall. You may want to zoom in first.
- Quit and save your map as "map".
- Put this map into marathons folder and run marathon.
- If this doesnt work, or crashes marathon, then check out the platform map file supplied and figure out what went wrong.
A Teleporter
This map will show you how to make a teleporter.
- Follow the instructions for the platform tutorial to create part of this map.
- Double click on the polygon on the other side of the platform. That is the side you can not get to until you lower the platform.
- Select teleporter from the type popup menu in the polygon edit dialog.
- Click OK.
- Option drag a line from the teleporter to the polygon your player starts in. (It may already be set to that polygon, but do it anyway, for practise).
- Quit and save your map as "map".
- Put this map into marathons folder and run marathon.
- If this doesnt work, or crashes marathon, then check out the teleporter map file supplied and figure out what went wrong.
A Light Switch
This map will show you how to make a light switch.
- Follow the instructions for the Teleporter tutorial to create part of this map.
- Select the line on the wall directly opposite the platform switch, or any other convenient wall (not the platform).
- Select make light switch from the magic menu.
- Double click on the new polygon that was created. (zoom in if you need to).
- In the polygon edit dialog you will see a small drawing of the polygon you are editing. Each wall in it is numbered. Click on the edit button for the outside wall on this polygon. That is the wall that has no other polygons connected to it. ( you may have to look at the map)
- You should have the side editor dialog. The type of the side will already be set to light switch.
- Set the permutation to 0. (should already be 0). This indicates that this switch controls light 1. (off by one bug, I know). This will later be changed to a popup, so dont have a cow :).
- Close the dialogs.
- Select edit lighting types from the level menu.
- In the dialog that comes up, set the minimum intensity of the light to 0.
- Quit and save your map as "map".
- Put this map into marathons folder and run marathon.
- If this doesnt work, or crashes marathon, then check out the light switch map file supplied and figure out what went wrong.
Making Stairs
To make stairs you must first set the height in the defaults palette to the height that you want the last step to be. You need to also set the ceiling height of the staircase in the defaults palette. Then set the individual step height, and the left and right width of the step. The left and right width are how wide the step polygon is at either the left side of the step or the right. 512 is a good width, and 200 is a good height. If you make the left and the right widths different, then the staircase will curve, and if it curves enough, it will spiral. After doing all that you must then click on a side of the polygon that you want the steps attached to. Then select make staircase from the magic menu. Thats it.
