====== A beginners' guide to making a map for TA Spring with L3DT ======

** By [[user>Dead.Rabit]] **

<note important>
Before continuing please note that this is unfinished and still a work in progress.
</note>

ok to get started, this is the reference page for this tutorial but to make a map in TA Spring you need 4 layers of a map

**dimensions.** as you may know the TAS client has a way of measuring dimensions
less then 10x10 is a tiny map
16x16 - an average sized map suitable for 2v2 - 3v3's
greater then 28x28 is a large map
  * the numbers MUST be even

[[tutorials:ta_spring:dead_rabit:design_map|the first step: design map]]

[[tutorials:ta_spring:dead_rabit:heightmap|heightmap]] - I find this the best thing to start off with, for the rest of the layers it acts as a kind of reference guide to where water is etc.  

this is a grayscale image that denotes how high or low a position is
  * white refers to a higher point
  * black refers to a lower point
this file must be saved as a .bmp file format. 
its size is 1/8th the size of your texture map + 1 \\ 

[[tutorials:ta_spring:dead_rabit:texture|texture map]] - after making the heightmap I then go on to develop the texture map, I don't know why and I don't think it really matters, only that after seeing my texture map it will either encourage me to finish the map or make me want to quit
this is a full resolution image of your map
  * its in full colour
  * can be saved as either .jpg or .bmp
  * must be less then 600mb total size
  * if you choose to save it as a .jpg file it must be a baseline image
  * as always bit depth/quality dont matter

[[tutorials:ta_spring:dead_rabit:feature|feature map]] - i do this after my texture map as it is the most depressing part of map making.
the basics are it is a black map with different coloured pixels to represent where to put grass, rocks, trees or buildings.
  * it is 1/8th the size of your texture map

[[tutorials:ta_spring:dead_rabit:metal|metal map]] - this is what normally makes your map playable or not
  * this is an image containing only red. the more red their is on a pixel then the more metal will be received from placing a metal patch over the point that that pixel refers to

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