What do i need for mission making?

[FallenPaladin 0]

I wonder what are the best tools for a mission maker. What do you think (and/or use) ? And where can you get it. Sum up what are the best tools in your opinion and the best tutorials or helps for newbies.

[LauryThorn 0]

I think that all these fancy "editor"'s and "assistants" are not needed.

Of course, DePBO is handy sometimes.

Just use mission and text editor, and maybe some program to convert

.wav files to .ogg.

Instead of using notepad, I use WinElvis,

which is a vi clone for Windows. It's very fast and feels light-weight, plus

it doesn't try to convert every file type to ".txt"..

If you want tutorials, I suggest OFPEC's tutorial page,

which has it all.

In addition to this, I suggest that you download the command reference guide or whatever,

and the "unofficial command reference", which has also the action, movement, ammo and weapon names.

Go for it, man!

[FallenPaladin 0]

I`m already running

Fun aside: I had some problems in the beginning with making the briefing and overview files, because of the html-code. But after a while it works fine! But I have terrible problems with the camera and shooting of scenes for cutscenes. That`s what I work on nowadays.

[Tales_From_Topographic_Oceans 0]

FallenPaladin: do you have the 2 manuals? (unofficial editor's manual and the command reference). They are about 300+ pages. I printed them out and have them next to my computer. Let me know, and I will get the links for you.

I have never done any scripting or html coding. LauryThorn and LEAF have been very helpful. I copied and pasted a sound script from them and changed things around to fit it to my needs. Also, I searched my OPF directories for both a Overview and a Briefing html files. I copied them to my mission folder and opened them up, right clicked on the page and was able to go in and change things around and add text. Other than adding scenery and things, most of the work can be copied and pasted.

I noticed something else the other night. You can copy and paste an object/trigger/marker..etc in the editor. It saves time if you need 2 or more of the same. Just select (left click) an object/trigger and press CTRL-C and then CTRL-V and then drag the object to another location--saves time.

What is a .aap file? It appears that this is an image file that appears in your overview. What format is this? Do you rename a JPEG file to a .AAP and place it in your mission directory?

I need to know how to make a .AAP file and where to place it.

[FallenPaladin 0]

Please give me the link to the unofficial manual, that would be great! I have a 100+ pages manual from Mr-Murray so far, but not the one you mentioned.

You can use JPG-files for your mission overview pictures! But they must have a certain size (don`t know yet, have to look after the details today evening) something like 256x78 or so.

Then you have to put the JPG-file into your mission folder before pbo-ing, after that write the name of the picturefile into your overview.html.

That`s only very undetailed, I know. You`ll get better information tomorrow!

[Tales_From_Topographic_Oceans 0]

FallenPaladin: Here we go. Let me know if you have trouble.

Go here: Click here

Click on this to get the manual.

Click on this to get the command reference.

Scroll down to Public Server and click any of the 2 FTPs

[FallenPaladin 0]

Thanks, great!!!

[LauryThorn 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">FallenPaladin: do you have the 2 manuals? (unofficial editor's manual and the command reference). They are about 300+ pages. I printed them out and have them next to my

computer. Let me know, and I will get the links for you. <span id='postcolor'>

I would appreciate if you would post those links..

[Tales_From_Topographic_Oceans 0]

LauryThorn: go to my last post and click on "Click Here." That is the link to the 2 sources. Let me know if it does not work.

I am now moved on to trying to put a picture on my overview. The one I am tinkering with has a .aap file. Do you know if I can use GIF or JPEG or do I have to rename them to .app?

[Tales_From_Topographic_Oceans 0]

I did some research and the .aap files are official OPF. We can only use JPEG.

I found this at the Editing Center:

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">How to put JPGs in your Missions Overview and Briefing

By Fishion

Actually this is a very simple process.

OFP can use any JPG that has sidelength to the power of 2 (in Pixles), so basically all you have do is make sure you pictures have sidelengths of 2,4,8,16,32,64,128,256,512. Please note that OFP does not give all that much space in the Overview and Briefing to show a picture. In the Overview 64x128 works fine sizewise.

"What the heck, I wanna make a picture with 170x23 pixels"

No biggie, all you have to do is resize the picture the next higher allowed resolution, in this case 256x32.

Now the picture looks somewhat wierd. Well, but most of you should know that the Briefing and Overview are actually HTML files, and all you gotta do is put your original Width and Height values in there. And voila, it shows as it was suppost to in the Briefing.

A Mistake that seems to be often made is to put the picture with some sort of HTML-Editor in which also inserts the name. The line with the picture should look like this:

img src="mypic.jpg" width="128" height="64"

Make sure there is no URL or Pathname where the picture name should be, only the name of the picture.

A few notes on the side:

To make it look somewhat fitting with the already existing official Paa's, I usually create a small white border around my picture (I use PSP), and add a little noise before that. I also noticed that the size you give in the HTML files seem not to be the size it is actually shown. I usually go to a higher resolution and let it scale down by OFP via the HTML files because somehow it seems to be a better quality then.

Goto the briefing.html file tutorial.

Comments? Email Fishion.

<span id='postcolor'>

[JAP 2]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (FallenPaladin @ May 16 2002,13:18)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I wonder what are the best tools for a mission maker. What do you think (and/or use) ? And where can you get it. Sum up what are the best tools in your opinion and the best tutorials or helps for newbies.<span id='postcolor'>

Idea's

[FallenPaladin 0]

LOL, but that`s only step one in the mission design progress

[JAP 2]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (FallenPaladin @ May 17 2002,12:36)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">LOL, but that`s only step one in the mission design progress  <span id='postcolor'>

true. But the most important one.

I would say Comref and Uberthingy (always forget the name )

And aloooooooot of time

I m working more then 1 month on the same mission now, it s already great but every time i m almost done i get new idea's and start to implement them

This editing is just crazyyyyyyyyyyy

[DestroyerX 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">This editing is just crazyyyyyyyyyyy <span id='postcolor'>

Me Agrees

[SFG 1]

Remember to always go to OFPEC . For all your editing needs.