Map Editor

SOM_MAP

This is part of the Tutorial. The next section covers the System Editor Menu.

Definitions

For the purpose of this tutorial, a space on the map will be called a "tile". A graphic that can be placed within a tile will be called a "piece".

For the purpose of this tutorial, the sections of the Map Editor will be named as such:

The Map Grid takes up most of the window, starting in the top-left.

The Piece Selection Grid is located on the right side of the window.

The Tile Attribute Editor is located towards the bottom of the window.

The Mode Select buttons in the middle of the screen towards the bottom control how you interact with the Map Grid. There are three Modes:

Assembly Mode allows you to physically construct the map using the Piece Selection Grid.

Activity Mode allows you to place or alter the Events, Enemies, NPCs, and Items that exist on a given tile.

Set Zone Mode does............. uhh. Information forthcoming.

Controls

General Controls:

• Arrow Keys: Move the active Grid Cursor.
  
• Home: Toggle the active Grid Cursor between the Map Grid and the Piece Selection Grid.
  
• Tab / Shift + Tab: Select the next / previous Menu Button.
  
• Space Bar: Access the currently-selected Menu Button.
  

On any 3D preview window:

• LMB: Rotate model.
  
• RMB: Move model sideways.
  
• LMB + RMB: Zoom in /out.
  

Map Grid (Assembly Mode):

These functions are available when in Assembly Mode.

• LMB: Place currently-selected piece.
  
• Ctrl + LMB: Select a tile without placing a piece and "pick up" the piece's attributes.
  
• Shift + LMB (Click): Select a tile without placing a piece and without "picking up" the piece's attributes.
  
• Shift + LMB (Drag): Select an area of tiles.*
  
• RMB: Rotate the piece in the clicked-upon tile 90 degrees counter-clockwise. (rotation +90 degrees)
  
• Shift + RMB: Rotate the piece in the clicked-upon tile 90 degrees clockwise. (rotation -90 degrees)
  

The following keyboard functions may be used when the active cursor (red cursor) is in the Map Assembly Grid:

• Enter: Place currently-selected piece into currently-selected tile.
  
• Shift + Arrow Keys: Select an area of tiles.*
  
• Numpad Plus/Minus: Raise/lower the elevation of selected tile's piece by 0.5 units.
  
• Ctrl + Left/Right Arrow: Jump 37 spaces left or right.
  
• Page Up/Down: Jump 22 spaces up or down.
  
• Ctrl + C: Shortcut for Copy button.
  
• Ctrl + V: Shortcut for Copy button.
  
• Delete: Clear selected tile (shortcut for Delete button).
  

*Note that there is sadly no way to "fill" tiles into the selected region, but you can change the region's elevation. If your cursor is currently resting on an empty space when you change the region's height, the change will *not* be reflected on-screen since the elevation of tiles without map pieces is always 0.0. The change will, however, have been made.

More Information:

On various text lists such as Item/Object dropdowns and Event command lists, you can push a letter key on the keyboard to jump to the items that start with that letter. For example, you can press "w" in the item dropdown to jump to "weapon" or "b" to go to "Begin Screen Effect" in the event command list. Pushing the same letter again will cycle through entries that start with that letter.

Portions of this section were lifted from HwitVlf's thread "Helpul SoM controls" in the Forums.