How to use the 3d Editor. [Tutorial]

[DeclaredEvol 10]

Some of you may believe that the 3D Editor is useless. Well, you are quite wrong. This editor is how they made the game so dynamically detailed. Now getting started. Here is one of the flaws of people I have figured out myself. "How to add units". It was strange my self at first. But then I started selecting things. It seems that you can build a squad customarily. So you don't have to do scripts to replace guns. There are about 50 to 60 soldiers in each army. Each soldier has a name like Rifleman(M107). You can literally build your own squad. Not only this, but the ai is so much better. You can actually watch your team fight... while you edit. But so far the only flaw is the Game crashing. They might need that fixed. Now here is how you use the editor.

1. Go to your Main Menu, that is the First menu you start ArmA2 with.

2. With your keyboard, hit Ctrl+E.

3. It will give you a list of islands. Click on whatever. [My Fav is the CAA1 Project :P]

4. Now the editor is up. Ok so yes. Now the first thing you want to do is look to the right side of the screen. It should say, Center[F10] somewhere in the list of things.

5. Select Center, then go to the map and double click on it... then it will ask you what side or army.... and its loyalties to other armies. Click on side and scroll down to the last one that says "Game Logic" and hit ok. (Makes the AI less buggy and smarter.)

6. Now notice to the top left corner is says Prefix etc. This is your Class Tree. When ever data has been created into the map. It shows the data there. So what you want to do is go to the right hand corner and select groups.

7. It should now say Center Game Logic. Hit ok. Now you have game logic in your class reference. Next, you want to select Unit at the top right corner. And double click on your map.

8. Then it should say Group "_group_0". And under type, make it Game Logic. You might have to scroll down to find it. Now hit ok.

[Now as you can see, this is pretty much how you add squads. Its the same order of steps... and its very easy. Plus, you have more control over the game. But what i suggest, is only using the 2d editor for waypoints, tiggers, and markers. If you go into the 3d editor your basically scripting any waypoints etc with the class tree.. Because you can't see where they are. So I will run over the steps once more. Add a center to the map. Give it whatever side you want. Then add a group. It should be a group number. Remember the number so you don't mess up adding units. Then you want to add a unit, with the Group number you added. The unit can be any variety of AI or Players. As in it gives every kind of soldier with every kind of gun. Now, when in the 3d Editor. If you look to the left. You will notice the groups. And the units under them. If the person you added isn't in the right group. Right click on him in the 3d editor or the class tree. And click on the Edit Object. It should be fixable there. Now Enjoy.

All credits to the tutorial go to DeclaredEvol and BIStudios for this magnificent game. If you have any questions. Add or email my Hotmail account. "Zplea@hotmail.com" (take out the quotes)

Edited September 6, 2009 by DeclaredEvol

[Vandrel 10]

Nice tips,

3D editor is 90% like how VBS2 is for the Offline Mission Editor (OME) and best part about VBS2 is the Real Time Editor (RTE) which looks just like the OME but does it in real time during a mission.

[plumose 219 0]

Do i need arma 1 to run this program ? only it saids path to arma 1,i have not got arma 1. :)

[kylania 567]

Do i need arma 1 to run this program ? only it saids path to arma 1,i have not got arma 1. :)

ArmA 1? Are you talking about the Yoma Addonsync thing you used to install CAA1? (Mentioning CAA1 in a tutorial about something completely unrelated was probably a bad idea...)

The thing he's mostly talking about in this "quick description of his experience with it" is the (alpha state and buggy) 3D view editor that was left in ArmA2 when it was released. You don't need ArmA at all.

[manzilla 1]

Hey nice thread, very informative but check this thread. About half way down the page in Cadmium77's 3rd post on this page. He's got some tutorial videos.

http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?t=80598&page=2

[breeze 0]

So as we do this say we go in and place down a base and some units we don't have to do any importing? we are good to go?

Then we can go into the 2d editor and plan out triggers and such?

Can we flip back and forth easily?

[kylania 567]

Nope, you need to export the 3D mission in 2D editor format then merge that with your 2D editor mission. You'll lose all playable units in this process.

So, place your Empty units and objects how you want them, save the mission. Use the 3D -> 2D editor exporter tool to create a 2D version of the mission. Then load up your 2D editor and merge that 2D version with your current mission and enjoy the base.

Or make the whole thing in the 3D editor never using the 2D editor.

[katipo66 94]

Im currently using it to attempt to build a campaign/mission thanks to ArmAIIholic, spawning the missions is a piece of cake, the only real problem i have with the editor in its current form is the inability to select the correct units, all units are just clumped together.

What i really want to know is how can i sync in the 3d editor?

[ArmAIIholic 10]

Yes, just right click at any waypoint and set SYNC link. You can do the same with triggers ;) It works the same as classical sync in 2D editor.

[esham 1]

Is there is specific way I can add enemy AI in 3D editor and convert them from 3d to 2d. I managed to get it to work with objects but having a hard time with AI.

[Lolpie 10]

I still can't get it to work ;(

[opusfmspol 273]

I still can't get it to work ;(

These videos by Dany Mitchel helped me out: