Modding Maps

[GTheBlack]

Hi everyone, I've a question...
I would like to modify or create a map in this splendid game.
How could I do? what files should I change?
Thank for the reply!

P.S.
I've got a copy of Machines:Wired for War in Italian.
If you want, I can upload because I couldn't find it on the internet.

[mb]

The Machines store maps in its own binary format. A few years ago, I wrote tool (psbex) for extracing data from map files. Unfortunately I lost my copy of source files, second copy was on old forum. I hope that Hayden will be able to recover old forum archive with all files. I have no time for rewritting this thing second time. Without this tool creating new maps is nearly impossible.

However, creating new maps for machines is tough and time consuming. I managed to make
only one small map from four orginal tiles. Here you can read something more about this:
http://wiredforwar.wikia.com/wiki/Map_making_tutorial (don't bother with download links, they are all dead).

[StonerHate]

mb! =D I see you've found your way back, as well!

How's it going, broski? ^^ Can't wait till we have this thing fired up again ;)

[X-Lord]

@GTheBlack @mb
I have those files - downloaded yesterday from the old forums (it worked somehow, but is not available anymore).

Check these files here:
map_making.zip

The zip consists of all software needed to follow the http://wiredforwar.wikia.com/wiki/Map_making_tutorial.

I've just added a comment to the article, if you could support me I would be very grateful.

Good to see something's happening in Machines Community :)

[Warharvest_]

I'm trying to make a map, sadly, however, I need help.
I'm following the tutorial on here: http://wiredforwar.wikia.com/wiki/Map_making_tutorial
I have the cmd open, but I'm not used to using it. I'm on this step:

But the command it tells me to do wont work.
This is where my Machines is located:

This is what I get when I type those commands:

What commands should I be typing to get the same effect?

[M123]

@Warharvest_
That first command is for navigating Command Prompt to your Machines install folder. If yours is in the "Machines WFW" folder in your screenshot, then the command would be:
CD "C:\Users\[your_username_here]\Downloads\Machines WFW\"

For the second command to work, you need to have metaex.exe in the same folder as mach1.met. Extract metaex.zip into the Machines install folder if you haven't already.

[Warharvest_]

@M123
Thanks! That fixed the initial problem and with that done mataex worked fine. I made it all the way to the end of the tutorial and this happened:

I had just typed the last command and then it said that ^ and mataex crashed... I don't suppose you have a fix for this too?
This is just something I thought might help:

Thanks from your favourite liability,
Warharvest

[M123]

Hmm, everything appears to be in the right places...
I followed the tutorial myself and didn't encounter any issues (aside from black textures in DirectX Viewer, which it seems @X-Lord has also run into).

Maybe metaex has some problem with the formatting of the mini.csp file? It's hard to tell what the latter portion of that error is without being able to look up the line in the metaex source code.
I attached my mini.csp - can you see any differences?

If the files are the same, I don't know what's going on. Hopefully it's not some weird Windows 10 compatibility issue...

---

PS: Machines doesn't seem to like small maps like this at widescreen resolutions - the camera would flicker rapidly whenever I tried to pan around unless I zoomed in a bit.

[Warharvest_]

@M123
Well that is a shame. I checked your version and there's no mistakes on my end. I also got the black textures on the DirectX Viewer, but when I turn it so its almost completely vertical or horizontal, then its colours appear. I also fiddled around with the settings and turned off an option, something to do with shadows, and the colour came back (more or less). I might try going through the tutorial again, hopefully it was a small typing error that I missed. Thanks all the same.