How to start for an absolute beginner ?

[Joe98 92]

I have the editing screen open in front of me.

There is a menu on the right hand side.

What do I do next?

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[texkaz 33]

screw around with it.

[demonized 20]

1st thing to do is to click on unit on right side menu, then doubble click somewhere on map and press enter.

Now click preview on right side menu.

Or........

there is already a noob thread, or are you trying to start another, or just training the troll ? ;)

1st thing to do, would be to test leftclick on mouse.

2nd thing to do, press alt f4, enter MSDOS mode, type format c: press enter, close eyes and repeatedly press y for 5 minutes while humming puff the magic dragon....

[Craig_VG 20]

These links should help you out. The first is for the Arma mission editor, but it mainly still applies to Arma 2.

ArmA Mission Editor

Youtube video tutorials are in abundance, just some simple searches on youtube are needed.

Also Mr. Murray made an excellent guide for the original ArmA. It also mainly applies to Arma 2.

Mr. Murrays Editing Guide

Once you learn the basics you can also look into Modules.

The Wiki is also a great place to look for any other help.

[twirly 11]

@Joe 98....

With 110 posts I would think you would already have the editor figured out!

[kylania 568]

Here's a good place to start:

OFPEC's Beginner's Tutorial

[-)rStrangelove 0]

Actually, just a double click in the mapscreen would've helped, it places the player and then you can already click PREVIEW on the right side.

The rest is up to what you want to do. :)

[cyop 10]

http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?p=1934374#post1934374

[Joe98 92]

there is already a noob thread, or are you trying to start another, or just training the troll ?

I had presumed there would be. There are no sticked threads for absolute beginners and nothing in the FAQ’s

I searched the editing forums for “absolute beginner†never thought to search for “noobâ€. Still can’t find that thread.

1st thing to do is to click on unit on right side menu, then double click somewhere on map and press enter.

I clicked on the map. One click. Never thought to “doubleclick and press enterâ€. Whoo !

The first is for the Arma mission editor, but it mainly still applies to Arma 2.

This has all the items listed and explains them quite well. Nowhere does it say “double click and press enterâ€.

..Youtube videos…..

I never thought to look there. Found this very useful thank you

..Mr Murray’s editing Guide…..

This is not in PDF format. It’s not in Win Zip format. Its not in the recent RAR format. It is in “ZZ†format whatever that might be so I can’t read it.

Here's a good place to start: OFPEC’S Beginner’s Tutorial

This is for a 10yo game and all the screen shots are big red “Xâ€s.

http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?p=1934374#post1934374

This is a thread discussing the position of the sun in ARMA 3.

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[demonized 20]

This is not in PDF format. It’s not in Win Zip format. Its not in the recent RAR format. It is in “ZZ†format whatever that might be so I can’t read it.

you must be doing something wrong, click on one of the 2 download links at the bottom of Mr murrays editing guide deluxe at armaholic, open up your downloads folder or wherever you download to.

download winrar from the internet, its free.

install winrar, rightclick on the rar file from armaholic, click on extract to name of the file.

make sure you have adobe pdf reader installed, thats free too, double click the guide, and you have the best tool to this date for any new mission editor/scripter in arma2, the guide says its for armed assault but dont mind that, it applies to a2 as well.

[cyop 10]

Joe98, this is only the second time here that I have ever mentioned anything about a 'situation' like this (your thread).

Here are my results for absolute beginner...

http://forums.bistudio.com/search.php?searchid=1817807

And yes, that thread I referenced about the sun is where you said you have designed multiple missions. And, there is a great deal of info in the stickies that took me all of seconds to find. So, what's up?

Anyway, check the stickies again, and use the info from this thread, and you should, well, I am going to say, learn more than you already know. Also, download one or more missions from some one and open them in the editor, to see if you can learn anything more that way. However, if you want to play any mission you download, you will need any mods that the mission will require, if any, and you will probably need something to open *.pbo files with.

[kylania 568]

Joe, editing is apparently beyond your abilities. Keep to playing the game and you, and all of us, will enjoy things more.

[cyop 10]

Joe, editing is apparently beyond your abilities. Keep to playing the game and you, and all of us, will enjoy things more.

Well, you have a point, definitely. :) However, if I can learn (some things about editing) anyone can!

And about Joe98, at this point, I still do not know if he was trolling, or if he was (previously) lying. :confused: I guess we will know if he responds.

EDIT: BTW, Joe, kylania is one of the people here (as well as others in this thread) that knows his stuff. You could learn a lot just from looking up his posts.

Edited May 27, 2011 by CyOp

[Joe98 92]

....that thread I referenced about the sun is where you said you have designed multiple missions.

Thats in "My Missions" not in the game editor.

"My Missions" does not alllow use of certain maps. Hence I looked at the editor.

And, there is a great deal of info in the stickies that took me all of seconds to find. So, what's up?

Yes lots of info. But nothing for a beginner!

Where for example is "Double click and press enter" ???

Where is "The mission editing is complete. To start the mission you must select which side you are going to play."

Also, download one or more missions from someone and open them in the editor......

I have Operation Arrowhead and Reinforcements.

I don't have Arma 2.

Some missions require ARMA 2, or it requires a mod and I only play vanilla flavoured so that eliminates those missions.

The remaining missions don't work.

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[gammadust 12]

I feel your pain Joe...

Yes... information is too scattered all over. Let me suggest you an approach.

Simply put:

Breakdown your mission into a subset of events.

And try to solve each one by one.

Checking BIS reference, checking examples along the way. bobtom gave you some good pointers in this regard:

These links should help you out. The first is for the Arma mission editor, but it mainly still applies to Arma 2.

ArmA Mission Editor

Youtube video tutorials are in abundance, just some simple searches on youtube are needed.

Also Mr. Murray made an excellent guide for the original ArmA. It also mainly applies to Arma 2.

Mr. Murrays Editing Guide

Once you learn the basics you can also look into Modules.

The Wiki is also a great place to look for any other help.

If checking examples and you bump into some command you suspect is crucial to what you need to do, search for it here.

I did not find any other way .

There is a lot of trial and fail along this way, but if you keep track of what you learn you start to get some results. Keep yourself to simple/minor things, you can build on complexety from there.

It will depend on your pacience, in my case I was terribly motivated to solve something I didn't like in vanilla Arma.

Edited May 27, 2011 by gammadust

[Freebie 10]

You tube tutorials got me started from nothing....

[cyop 10]

I feel your pain Joe...

Yes... information is too scattered all over

Yes, and so do I, as well as others. That is why people help each other. And information is scattered all over because of redundant threads!

However, I, as well as others, again, know what can be done by actually trying, and looking. And there is so much information available. A person just cannot put in a search one or two words and then give up. BTW, which, using Joe's own search words, and the stickies, I found everything Joe wanted, everything, including answering his 'clicking' question.

As mentioned, this is only the second time I have questioned a thread starter about this. I did not like doing it the first time. And I did not like doing it this time. But, I am a person that uses search a lot! Redundant threads makes it even more difficult to use search. I hope 'you' feel my pain.

Last note... Joe, there is no insult intended. I just felt, key word being, "felt", that you did not try very hard from what you posted, and because I used your own search criteria and found what you were looking for, with minimal effort. (Yeah, you have to follow a few links, but, still.)

[gammadust 12]

...

A person just cannot put in a search one or two words and then give up.

...

So much true! But I don't think there could be a community self discipline enough to reduce that, which is a symptom of the main problem: Official information is not structured as well as centralized enough.

Wikis are very usefull but don't solve the problem, let me illustrate: (EDIT: the following deserves a spoiler, it is indeed misplaced, got carried away sorry OP)

Basicaly we are on the left side there (click image for full res, you have to to understand my point).

Leaving us with a long iterative process to discover structure. Something which only BIS can be authoritative on.

Edited May 27, 2011 by gammadust

[cyop 10]

When I first saw that, I was like... WTHeck? :)

Joe,

To a stickie... http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?t=78089

follow a link for Arma 2 mission editor... http://community.bistudio.com/wiki/ArmA_2:_Mission_Editor

in the sticky link... http://community.bistudio.com/wiki/ArmA_2:_Mission_Editor#Units_Mode_.28F1.29 (BTW, second sentence. :p)

when you have a unit placed, give him a squad (by adding units), start there.

Think of a simple scenario... two opposing sides meet in 'no mans land' and just attack each other,

or, one side defends a town and the other attacks... anything simple to start.

Once you have thought of something, make yourself the squad leader or a unit in the squad you created.

Decide what that squad is going to be doing, place that squad where you want.

Now, create another squad of opposing units. Place them where they need to start.

Make waypoints for each squad, with the appropriate waypoint command, such as a defender can have a hold waypoint, an attacker can have a search and destroy waypoint.

The only thing you will have to learn right away is...

placing the units, and how to move them around, like selecting all units in a squad and dragging them to where you want,

how to give a squad a waypoint, or waypoints, for example an attacker can have 3 'move' waypoints, then the last (fourth) can be 'search and destroy',

play the mission,

keep reading the wiki and the forum, get more complicated as you learn.

Again, you can also try and learn from other missions that people have available for download. (And yes, you will get frustrated, and you will have to search, a lot!)

If you have already done the above, then good, you are on your way.

[Joe98 92]

When I started this thread I was an absolute beginner with the editor and didn’t know how to start.

If anybody else is an absolute beginner with the editor, I have made some comments below:

========= = = = = ====================

Whilst you are opening the editor you will be asked to select a map.

The first step is to Save the file. Select "Save".

Here you name the mission. You might choose to name it Red Widget Seven.

Later on, when you go to play the mission, you will see it named "Red Widget Seven"

However, if you ever went looking for it on your hard drive it will appear as Red20%Widget20%Seven.

Which is very confusing!. So, the best name is Red_Widget_Seven.

Then, wherever you look, the mission will be named "Red_Widget_Seven"

There is a drop down below with 3 options:

User

Export to single player mission

Export to multi player mission

If you select "User", you can't play the mission on your own computer. Instead you need to select "Export to Single Player Mission"

========= = = = = ====================

Now click on the weather button. At the top is a cell where you can type a name. You can leave this blank. Or type any name you want.

If you type a name here, this name will override ‘Red_Widget_Seven†and then you get confused so use the same name!

If you leave it blank, The computer then adds the name of the map onto the name of the mission. On the Desert map the name is now "Red_Widget_Seven_Desert"

This is useful but can also be confusing.

General rule: Dont leave that cell blank!

========= = = = = ====================

To zoom in and out of the map you use the mouse wheel just as you do in the game.

To move around the map, hold down the right mouse button and drag the map around.

========= = = = = ====================

Select “F1†and double click on the map. Here you add individual soldiers to the map.

One soldier on the map must be set as “Player†( that’s you). If nobody is set as “Player†you cannot play the scenario.

Other soldiers can be set to “Playable†or set to “Non-Playable†as you see fit.

========= = = = = ====================

Again, select “F1†and double click on the map. Play with the drop down menus and learn that you can add fortifications, burnt out vehicles and a great list of items to the map.

========= = = = = ====================

Again, select “F1†and double click on the map. Place a second soldier on the map. Note a blue line drawn from the leader to the subordinate.

Now select “F2 Groupsâ€. Now you can drag the blue line away so he is no longer subordinate.

Now select "F1". You can no longer drag the blue line around. If you are not currently in “F2 Groups†mode you cannot drag the blue lines around.

========= = = = = ====================

Select “F4†and place 3 waypoints on the map. Now select “Preview†and have your soldier walk from one waypoint to the next.

Exit and return to the Edit screen. Now double click on each waypoint. The screen opens and you can give each waypoint a name. Now hit Preview and again walk the soldier through the 3 waypoints. Note the names on the screen.

========= = = = = ====================

Again, select “F1†and double click on the map. Place an Opforce soldier on the map.

Now click on each of the 3 soldiers on the map and give each a name. Blue1 Blue2 and Red1 will do as names.

Now we are going to create triggers to end the scenario.

The first ending is that you have killed the Opforce soldier.

Select “F3 Triggers†and double click on the map.

Name this trigger “Opforce_killedâ€

From the drop down select “ending 1â€

In the cell named “ Condition" type (!alive Red1) including the brackets

The second ending is that you are killed

Select “F3 Triggers†and double click on the map.

Name this trigger “I_Am_killedâ€

From the drop down select “ending 2â€

In the cell named “ Condition" type (!alive Blue1) including the brackets

The third ending is that the mission ends after 2 minutes.

Select “F3 Triggers†and double click on the map.

Name this trigger “Out_Of_Timeâ€

From the drop down select “ending 3â€

In the cell named “ Condition" type time > 120

========= = = = = ====================

[kylania 568]

Good hints Joe, well done. :)

[twirly 11]

Yeah.... Wow!

[cyop 10]

Thanks for sharing. :)

For anyone reading, if the below is not clear, the 120 is the time in seconds.

The third ending is that the mission ends after 2 minutes.

Select “F3 Triggers†and double click on the map.

Name this trigger “Out_Of_Timeâ€

From the drop down select “ending 3â€

In the cell named “ Condition" type time > 120

If there is a fairly large squad (or not), you can start your units, as desired, with an assigned squad color, such as...

call {[this] spawn {sleep 2; (_this select 0) assignTeam "BLUE"}};

by putting that in the units init box. I do not have a server, so I do not do any designing for MP. That may need to be changed a little for MP. Anyone?

Another small tip that is often over-looked by new people editing... when wanting to copy and paste from one map/mission, to another mission with the same map, you can copy, then go into the other mission, and...

hold down... SHIFT+CTRL+V

and it will put what you copied in the exact same place in the new mission (with the same map).

[[frl]myke 14]

It is in “ZZ†format whatever that might be so I can’t read it.

It's not "ZZ" but "7Z": http://www.7-zip.org/

-------EDITH------

Whilst you are opening the editor you will be asked to select a map.

The first step is to Save the file. Select "Save".

Here you name the mission. You might choose to name it Red Widget Seven.

Later on, when you go to play the mission, you will see it named "Red Widget Seven"

However, if you ever went looking for it on your hard drive it will appear as Red20%Widget20%Seven.

Which is very confusing!. So, the best name is Red_Widget_Seven.

Then, wherever you look, the mission will be named "Red_Widget_Seven"

There is a drop down below with 3 options:

User

Export to single player mission

Export to multi player mission

If you select "User", you can't play the mission on your own computer. Instead you need to select "Export to Single Player Mission"

Upon saving, it isn't supposed to name the mission. It is supposed to give it a filename. If the Mission doesn't have a Missionname defined (as described later), filename will be used instead. So you shouldn't have any spaces in the filename as they will cause these ominous 20% addition as described.

Some words about the saving options:

User: The mission you're actually working on is saved for continuing work later on it. Means it remains in a editable format and isn't exported to be played either in SP or in MP.

Export to Singleplayer: the mission will be packed into the .pbo format and saved into the SP missions folder. The mission is immediately selectable in the SP Single Missions.

Export to Multiplayer: the mission will be packed into the .pbo format and saved in the MPMissions folder. The mission is immediately selectable when hosting a MP or can be uploaded to a dedicated server.

Now click on the weather button. At the top is a cell where you can type a name. You can leave this blank. Or type any name you want.

If you type a name here, this name will override ‘Red_Widget_Seven†and then you get confused so use the same name!

If you leave it blank, The computer then adds the name of the map onto the name of the mission. On the Desert map the name is now "Red_Widget_Seven_Desert"

This is useful but can also be confusing.

General rule: Dont leave that cell blank!

Actually it's not "weather" button but "Intel" button, weather settings being part of it. And as said above, here you give the mission a name that will be displayed ingame. If the Mission name field remains empty, filename will be displayed instead.

And as a final note: playable units are important for MP as those units will be shown in the slot selection screen in MP.

Edited June 19, 2011 by [FRL]Myke