Introduction:
This is my first guide and well before we get into this whole thing i'll tell you more about me. I specialize in GFX and levels, people say I suck at scripting and I agree to an extent. I know 95% of GS1 and 50% of GS2. I've made 2 and a half GMaps, about 30 levels, 20 shields, 10 custom heads, 30-50 repaint heads, 5 bodies from scratch, 20 repaints of bodies, 30+ hats, and 4 swords.
What is a GMap?
A GMap is a text file that tells graal in combination with a file called 'loadgmaps.txt' to make a group of levels appear as one big level.
How do I make a GMap?
there are 2 programs that I find useful for making GMaps.
-Level Generator
-terrain generator(for graal kingdoms)
I have never made a level for kingdoms but I have read some guides on how to use the terrain generator, here is a link
http://wiki.graal.net/index.php/Crea...rain_Generator
How do I use Level generator?
The level generator takes .PNG files and converts them into .GMAP files.
The level generator uses a colour code to make the .GMAP file.
First you have to open your drawing application(i use Paint.NET because it is easy to use, but MS Paint would work too) and then you begin to construct your gmap by drawing landforms using the colour code.
Can you explain more of how to use the colour code?
Here is the colour code;
-Green - RGB(24,140,24) grass
-Light green - RGB(181,239,189) green trees
-Blue - RGB(0,0,255) rivers and seas
-Maroon - RGB(128,0,0) Mountains
-Red - RGB(255,0,0) Flowers
-Light brown - RGB(150,110,0) sand, note this is not dessert.
-Brown - RGB(113,82,0) small sand rocks
-Dark gold - RGB(83,61,0) Big sand rocks
-Dark green - RGB(0,106,0) Swamp
-Dark dark green - RGB(0,66,0) Bushes
-Cyan - RGB(0,255,255) Puddle
-Dark cyan - RGB(0,179,179) Puddle stone
You draw these colours on the .PNG file, if you want a field made completely of grass, your file would look like the first attached file. If you wanted to add some mountaints your file would look like the second. Now say you have your field with the mountains, and you want an ocean, look at the third attached file. You can keep adding more and more stuff till you have a finished file.(Look at fourth attached image)
What do I do once I have my finished design?
Once you have you finished design you open Graal and install the package with the file 'levelgenerator.exe' in it, and then go to your Graal folder and open the level generator, then you browse and click on your file, then you choose your destination for the files.
I did that and all I see is a bunch of files, did I do something wrong?
No. Next you have to open notepad and create a file called 'loadgmaps.txt' and put it in your graal folder. Then you have to open the file and add the name of your gmap file to the first line.
Example:
Now when you open your graal editor, all the levels should appear as one.
Trouble shooting:
If this doesnt work, check that:
-all the files that the level generator are in your graal folder.
-you spelled the name of your world correctly in the loadgmaps.txt file.
If you checked both of these and your gmap still wont work, open the file called myworld.GMAP with notepad(the file may not be called myworld.GMAP, it will be called whatever you named your .PNG file with .GMAP at the end.) and check that there isnt anything edited from when you generated the files.
DO NOT EDIT THE GMAP FILE AFTER YOU HAVE GENERATED IT.
The only reason you would ever need to edit it is if you were adding a map, or adding more levels to it.
What should I do finally?
The final step to making a gmap is the NPCs,buildings, and houses, you add these with the leveleditor.exe file.
Thankyou for reading this incredibly long guide, rep+ if it helped you!
If you have any questions put them in the replies, or send me a pm.
EDIT:
Finished fixing gramm
ar.