How to Add a Map to Your Mod

DaFool · Defense Minister **Joined**: 07 Nov 2006

How to Add a Map to Your Mod

Requirements: A completed map, notepad, campaign.ini, mapcache.ini, your mod.

Step 1: Your Map.

This tutorial assumes you have a completed map, be it a skirmish or mission map, and you wish to add it to you mod so it becomes one of the “official” maps, or accesable in the campaign mission. If you made your map in World Builder, then you are going to find it with the rest of your custom maps in My Documents-Generals Zero Hour-Maps. For good measure, start the game up and see how your map is. Good, now we can move on.

Step 2: Setting Up.

Your mod will have a directory just for maps, that goes along with the Art and Data folders. In this Maps folder, you will need Mapcache.ini which you can extract from MapsZH.big. If you wish to add a campaign map, you will also need Campaign.ini, which is found in INIZH.big, and in your mod’s directory belongs in Data/INI. Once you have all this set up, you can move on to the next step

Step 3: Adding the Map.

You’ll need to drag and drop your map’s folder into your mod’s Maps directory (If you copy and paste, remember to delete the original in the My Documents-Generals Zero Hour-Maps folder. Next, you will need to open up the Mapcache.ini in the My Documents-Generals Zero Hour-Maps folder and find the entry for your map. Copy the entry, add it to the Mapcache.ini in your mod’s Maps folder, and then delete the original entry. Now you’ll need to edit your map’s entry in your mod’s mapcache.ini.

Step 4: Editing Your Map’s Entry

The map’s entry will look something like this:

Code:

MapCache c_3A_5Cusers_5Ctimmy_5Cdocuments_5Ccommand_20and_20conquer_20generals_20zero_20hour_20data_5Cmaps_5Cyuriplot_5Cyuriplot_2Emap
  fileSize = 20574
  fileCRC = 3636659378
  timestampLo = 1778598336
  timestampHi = 30041634
  isOfficial = no
  isMultiplayer = yes
  numPlayers = 3
  extentMin = X:0.00 Y:0.00 Z:0.00
  extentMax = X:5500.00 Y:5500.00 Z:0.00
  nameLookupTag =
  InitialCameraPosition = X:0.00 Y:0.00 Z:0.00
  Player_1_Start = X:2718.79 Y:4747.85 Z:0.00
  Player_2_Start = X:4401.76 Y:1217.67 Z:0.00
  Player_3_Start = X:982.41 Y:1400.67 Z:0.00
  techPosition = X:4300.70 Y:2596.51 Z:0.00
END

First thing you want to do is delete the first line from the space after MapCache all the way to the 5C before the word “map”. Everything after that is pretty self explanatory. Change IsOffical from no to yes, and if make a string name for you map if you please and reference it at the appropiate line. The coordinates you see, they are for the minimap (player position selection points, where to draw the stars and dollar signs, etc). Once you have made your edits, save.

Step 5: Editing Campaign.ini (For Mission Maps only)

Open up campaign.ini you will find a complete list of the campaigns and the missions they include, ranging from the tutorials, the game’s faction based campaigns, and the General’s challenge campaigns (one for each general). What you can do is tack your mission onto the end of one of the campaigns or replace a mission altogether. Creating a new campaign is something you are unable to do at this point. So, pick a campaign and look at the mission list. The codes look as follows:

Code:

  Mission Mission04
   Map Maps\MD_CHI04\MD_CHI04.map
   IntroMovie MD_China04
   NextMission Mission05
  END

All you have to do is replace the map line to include your map folder and the map it’s name, exactly as they did it above. You can comment out the intro movie ( put ; in front of the line) if you want the map load a lot faster (perfect for testing purposes!). If you add your mission to the end of a campaign, remember to edit the entry of the mission before it to have it go on to your mission.

All you have to do now is compile your mod, and your map is now in your mod!

Key Words: #Tutorials #Modding #Mapping #Generals #ZeroHour #WorldBuilder

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