goldsrc-mapping-notes

Creating Map Overviews

A map overview requires two files: a bitmap (.bmp) image and a description file (.txt). Both files are placed in <dod>/overviews and should be added to the map’s .res file.

Acquiring Image from In-Game

• Set -dev for the launch options in Steam
• Launch the game
• Configure Video Settings
  • Set Display Mode to Normal (if on Widescreen)
  • Set Resolution to 1024x768
  • (Recommended) Check Run in a window
  • Apply Settings (this will restart the game)
• Start the map with map <mapname> in console
• Set the following cvars:
  • sv_cheats 1
  • _cl_minimap 0
  • developer 0
  • net_graph 0
  • dev_overview 2
  • hud_draw 0
• Ajust the view using the commands in the table below
• Take a snapshot (default F5)
• Set dev_overview 1 and copy the parameters shown in console
  • Example console output:

    Overview: Zoom 1.24, Map Origin (-717.67, 196.00, -96.00), Z Min 449.00, Z Max -641.00, Rotated 1
    

• Clean up:
  • Set Display Mode back to Widescreen
  • Set Resolution back to desired resolution
  • Uncheck Run in a window
  • Apply changes
  • Exit the game
  • Remove -dev from the launch options

View Adjustment Commands

Command	Action	Corresponding Action in a Normal Game
+forward	shifts the screen to the left 1	walk forward
+backward	shifts the screen to the right 1	walk backward
+moveright	shifts the screen up 1	strafe right
+moveleft	shifts the screen down 1	strafe left
+jump	increases Z max value (removes floors from the bottom)	jump
+duck	decrease Z max value (adds floors from the bottom)	duck
+moveup	increase Z min value (adds floors from the top)	move upwards on a ladder or in water
+movedown	decrease Z min value (removes floors from the top)	move downward on a ladder or in water
+attack1	increase zoom factor	primary firing button
+attack2	decrease zoom factor	alternate firing and zoom button

Editing Overview Image

The bitmap (.bmp) must be edited to be used for a map overview. The file must be saved as <mapname>.bmp.

BMP Image File Format

• Image Mode: Indexed
• Color Count: 256
• Transparency Color: 0x00ff00
• Compatibility: Do not write color space information

If transparency is needed/used, one of the 256 colors should be assigned as 0x00ff00.

Overview Description File

Create <mapname>.txt based on the following template using the parameters obtained with dev_overview 1 where HEIGHT is the Z Max value.

// overview description file for <mapname>.bsp

global 
{
	ZOOM		1.11
	ORIGIN		-150.75	-1021.05	-576.00
	ROTATED		1
}

layer 
{
	IMAGE	"overviews/<mapname>.bmp"
	HEIGHT	-2305.00
}

1. If the map is rotated, the forward/backward and moveright/moveleft will be swapped ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴