Editing Fallout maps with Official F2 Mapper

[Sorrow]

One of the biggest problems with modding Fallout is lack of proper mapper. Dimms Mapper is unfinished and lacks many necessary functions.

I'll post my experiences with the official mapper.
1. I extracted Fallout .Dat files into Datax folder in Fallout2 folder.
2. I made following the modifications to Fallout2 mapper .cfg file:
music_path1=C:\Fallout\data\sound\music\
critter_patches=C:\Fallout2\datax
master_patches=C:\Fallout2\datax
3. The mapper worked but edited maps didn't work in Fallout.
4. I changed the 14h at offset 3 to 13h. It allowed me to run most of the maps that I edited in the official Fo2 mapper.
5. Some maps still didn't work. I recently discovered that it's caused by ladders. I suspect that if there was a possibility of somehow fixing the ladders after editing, it would be possible to edit every Fallout1 map with Fallout2 mappers.
I don't know much about the file structure of Fallout maps and how ladders work so I'm stuck.

Any ideas?

 

[Jotisz]

Hi Sorrow
I also don't know much about the file structure but I know less or more how the ladders work. They transport the char to a given hex on a given elev (and map). So first lets put the two scenery on your map on two diferent elev then go to the hex where the char should be transported ( http://img377.imageshack.us/img377/7241/scr00133ge5.bmp ) after that lets click on the ladder edit and write the hex number to the dest tile ( http://img134.imageshack.us/img134/8036/scr00134qs2.bmp ) then choose the dest elev ( http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/1875/scr00135ug6.bmp ) and map if dest map remain to none then the chars will just moves through the elevs of the map.

 

[Sorrow]

Thanks for the info .
Now I understand how the ladders work and I know what went wrong . There's a difference between how they work in Fallout and Fallout 2:
In Fallout a ladder script is used for moving the character between areas. In Fallout 2 they use the data in the ladder.

My solution is to remove the ladder in F2 mapper, convert header the map to F1 format and then re-add the ladder in Dimm's mapper . I tested it and it works .

 

[Glovz]

@Sorrow
So will you be putting together a package of all F1 maps that you are able to convert over to F2 for all those here that are not as technically savvy?

 

[Sorrow]

F1 maps don't require converting to be edited in F2 mapper - they are automatically converted by mapper.

The only change needed is extracting F1 dat files to aforementioned folder and converting critters .pro files by a chsize.exe program (it can be easily found in internet). It needs to be placed into proto/creatures folder and ran with command like:
C:\FALLOUT2\DATAX\PROTO\CRITTERS\CHSIZE.EXE *.pro 416

 

[Sorrow]

I made next step towards editing Fallout with Fo2 Mapper.

I managed to pinpoint the change that makes edited maps with ladders unreadable by Fo1. Fo2 mappers adds a double word to all ladders in the saved map file. It adds it probably because the way the ladders work changed in Fallout 2. The added double word contains information about a destination map for the ladder.
Deleting it makes the map playable in Fallout 1.

Here's an example how it looks - a manhole in Junkent.map.

00000227 0000332B 00000000 00000000 0000017E 00000052 00000000 00000000 02000252 A0008018 00000000 02000248 FFFFFFFF 00000000 00000000 00000000 03000002 000001ED 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 FFFFFFFF 00000228

00000227 0000332B 00000000 000000 0000027E FFFFFEEA 00000000 00000000 02000252 A0008018 00000000 02000248 FFFFFFFF 00000000 00000000 00000000 03000002 000001ED 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 FFFFFFFF 00000228

00000227 0000332B 00000000 00000000 0000015E 000000B2 00000000 00000000 02000252 A0008018 00000000 02000248 FFFFFFFF 00000000 00000000 00000000 03000002 000001ED 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000065 2C004E20 00000228

Green - PiD
Red - (added - needs to be deleted) Dest Map
Violet - Dest Tile
Olive - Unknowns (changed by editing destination)


Here's a list of the offending objects along with their PiDs and maps that use them:

139 Ladder: Laadytum, Vaultbur, Junkent, Hotel, Hallded, Vaultnec, Watrshd
PiD: 0200008B

140 Sever Hole: Hotel, Watrshd
PiD: 0200008C

197 Manhole: Laadytum, Hallded, Watrshd
PiD: 020000C5

583 Ladder (Hole): Laadytum, Vaultent
PiD: 02000247

584 Ladder (Hole): Junkent
PiD: 02000248

Now we need a converter to eliminate the need for hexediting .

 

[Sduibek]

I've gotten them working fully, read here:

http://www.nma-fallout.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=894884#894884