Area Creation...

[Grim Squeaker]

Ok, here's the big question: How do I make a new Area? Don't worry, I don't want to add it to the world map (so that should make it a helluva lot easier). Basically waht I want to do is create a copy of AR0318 but without stuff spawning in it. I'm gonna use some scripting stuff to jump the party to it, so I don't need entry points or exits for that matter. Its just really for some cutscenes and some dialogue.

 

Is there some rule for what I can call the area? Does it have to begin with AR?

 

Is there some slick WeiDU way I can do all of this?

[Meira]

Well, the easiest way to accomplish this would be to simply use IETME (http://www.teambg.net/?page=tools/graphicalarea) and open the original area, remove all unwanted elements and save it under a different name (it doesn't have to begin with AR). After this you can write a new script for the area (or leave it scriptless if you don't want anything special to happen). Then you can just include all the necessary files in your WeiDU package and you are all set. This is the method we used for all of our new areas.

 

There is, however, the downside that you will end up with a new .tis (tileset) file, which will unnecessarily increase the size of your mod. Thus an alternative method that would allow you to reuse the original tileset as is would be in order, but I just cannot figure one out off the top of my head. Does someone remember whether the .tis file used for an area is referenced somewhere in the .wed or .are files or is it just determined on the basis of file names? If there is a reference somewhere, it should be possible to recreate just the "structural" files of the area and reuse the "graphical" ones in the game.

 

On the other hand, if all you want to do is use an existing area with its spawn points (and possibly travel regions) deactivated, you could always use the are as is, and deactivate (and later reactivate) the spawn points using SpawnPtDeactivate(O:Object*) and SpawnPtActivate(O:Object*) in the cutscene script along with Deactivate(O:Object*) and Activate(O:Object*) to hide possible creatures and TriggerActivation(O:Object*,I:State*Boolean) to deactivate travel regions and other trigger regions.

 

Meira & Darios

[Grim Squeaker]

Yeah I expected you could do something like that although I was hoping for something that copies the old area and pastes it as one with a new name and after some writing of bytes etc it would be sorted.

[Idobek]

If you are going to use the same tileset you can just change the area file. You could do it with WeiDU but it isn't worth the effort. Open it up in DLTCEP, clear out everything and save it with a different filename.

[Grim Squeaker]

Ok, I'll do that. Thanks.