Mac Mapmakers?

Questions and answers about the how and why of making maps.
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Ragnarok
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Mac Mapmakers?

Post by Ragnarok »

Hi.

I would like to know if there are any simple mapmakers for macs? I have always wanted to make maps, but none of the ones people mention are for macs :( . Also, i would like it to be very simple, for i do not really know coding.

If there is one, please tell me.

—Ragnarok
"Before all else, be armed." -Niccolo Machiavelli
"It is not titles that honor men, but men that honor titles." - N.M.
"If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared." - N.M.
"He who is prudent and lies in wait for an enemy who is not will be victorious." - Sun Tzu
"I am not afraid of an army of lions lead by a sheep, but I am afraid of an army of sheep lead by a lion." - Alexander the Great
"War does not determine who is right - only who is left." - Bertrand Russell
"To win a war, you don't die for your country, you make the other guy die for his country."
"The way to win a war is to make certain it never starts." - Omar Bradley
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Strakowski
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Re: Mac Mapmakers?

Post by Strakowski »

hmm.... simple mapmaking for Mac without coding?

Well, first of all, let me tell you: it's pretty simple to learn to make a maps through coding, and I prefer it a million times more. If you check the wiki (http://my.bzflag.org/w/BZW) and look at just the introduction and some of the objects (box, pyramid, cone, arc, teleporter, base, etc.), I'm sure you'll have the hang of it in no time. :wink: It's actually just about as easy as placing objects with a mapmaker anyway, except you have a lot more flexibility (namely the use of group objects).

However, if you're really bent on using mapmaking software, you have a few main options:

Blender plugin is a 3d modeler and animation software (http://www.blender.org/) that Teppic made a BZFlag plugin for. It's very, very functional, but it's definitely not simple. You could probably learn to code faster than use blender. The plugin has a few bugs to be resolved but nothing major.

Wings3d plugin I've never used wings3d to make a map, but I've heard great things about the interface. It's another 3d editor plugin, apparently much simpler to use.

iBZEdit is an abandoned project that works well enough to use. It can be difficult at times, and it's got a few, large bugs, but it works for simple things. Again, it's really not all that easier than just making one with text, except it lets you preview your map as you go. (I do not recommend using this, as it is no longer in development, but hey... whatever floats your boat)


Really though, there is no doubt that learning to hand code maps will benefit you in the long run, and, even if you don't learn it now, you should definitely give it a try at some point.
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zaphod
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Re: Mac Mapmakers?

Post by zaphod »

basically Strakowski said it all!
i would just like to add that it is with everything in life ::: only to practice gives you practice ;-)
only way to learn is to do it, reading, asking, trying and redoing it.
i guess all mapmakers went through a difficult time in the beginning and only after some time they started to master to make a map.
and even myself i have to still look up for information either in the wiki or forum of this site!
but luckily great folks around here that are always willing to help you out and share their knowledge with you!
just get started by experimenting, reading and asking ::: the super masterpiece map you might come up with, is certainly not the first one you'll make ;-)
good luck and most important ::: have fun doing it!!!



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Ragnarok
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Re: Mac Mapmakers?

Post by Ragnarok »

Thanks Strakowski and zaphod :) ! I had thought that coding would actually be really hard. I guess not.
"Before all else, be armed." -Niccolo Machiavelli
"It is not titles that honor men, but men that honor titles." - N.M.
"If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared." - N.M.
"He who is prudent and lies in wait for an enemy who is not will be victorious." - Sun Tzu
"I am not afraid of an army of lions lead by a sheep, but I am afraid of an army of sheep lead by a lion." - Alexander the Great
"War does not determine who is right - only who is left." - Bertrand Russell
"To win a war, you don't die for your country, you make the other guy die for his country."
"The way to win a war is to make certain it never starts." - Omar Bradley
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