noggit3
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add support for adding new maps
@jimmsta suggests, for good reason:
I think it may be time to start planning a function of noggit where it is able to generate the necessary files and DBC edits in order to build an entirely new map without resorting to using a handful of other tools. As it stands right now, I'm not even entirely sure what the best way to go about creating a blank map is - what do we use as a template ADT file? It would be ideal to wrap all the necessary bits together into this function, so as to decrease the amount of manual work it takes to get up and going with a new map.
- Ask user for map name (Folder/File names/DBC entry)
- Ask user for map description (DBC)
- Ask for dimensions, or have the user 'draw' a selection box from an array of 64x64. (WDT, ADT)
- Offer an option to Add New Area to a pre-existing map (WDT/ADT, in menu's once map is loaded)
- Ask user if the map is for a WMO or not, and if it is for a WMO, whether or not the user wants a blank slate full of ADT's to be created or not
- Generate WDT and WDL on initial creation of new map. Generate new ADT's and place them in the appropriate folder *- Upon saving a map, the WDL generation should be re-run
- If/when we have minimap generation working, it should be an option to re-gen minimaps upon a map save. Ideally only changed ADT's would be applicable (unless it's not possible)
- Option to save the new map as a pre-built MPQ with all necessary assets built in (DBC/ADT/WDT/WDL/???)
I think this outlines a lot of the expected functionality from a map editor. There's a lot of functionality that is sorely needed in order to get up and running from nothing. We can all continue using tools from ages ago that are un-maintained or otherwise unruly to get working, or we can plan this feature out from a usability standpoint, and leave a lot of options open for the eventual implementation.
This would also open up the ability to expand on the new map concept - add terrain generators to the mix, and the user would be able to, say, ask for a mountainous region by selecting a portion of the 64x64 adt array, input some values into some sort of algorhythim, and get some pre-built terrain output. Something akin to Bryce3D's fractal terrain generation.
Ultimately, I think a lot of this functionality already exists in noggit, but it just needs to be tied together, into a neat little package. Making the price of entry lower doesn't necessarily mean that we'll see a boom of map makers, but it should make noggit more user-friendly to those that are already making maps.
was Option to save the new map as a pre-built MPQ with all necessary assets built in (DBC/ADT/WDT/WDL/???) ever added?
was Option to save the new map as a pre-built MPQ with all necessary assets built in (DBC/ADT/WDT/WDL/???) ever added?
This version of Noggit does not include capability to create MPQ files. I don't know whether there are versions that do.