My Very First Area Conversions, Comments / Advise Please Options

[Minotaur]

Hi all,

I have posted something like this one other place, let me say that up front.

I find I like making bitmaps For Areas. So many people do portraits I am thinking of trying to carve out a little nitch for Area making. With that said, though I am now working on my own original areas, I started by doing a couple of bitmap coversions (From maps I got here at Blackwyrm, though that section is down now)

So, with that in mind, could I get some comments/suggestions/thots on the two conversions I have made?

The first is a dungeon and I am pretty happy with it, certain sections of the floor and pillers notwithstanding.

The second is a conversion from the Dead Nations (PS:T) and although it is okay, I HATE the long hall branching offf to the right. Needs a bit more..."fluidy" I believe. It looks choppy.

Thots and comments please?

Minotaur

[Rabain]

PST area's tend to be very "open" with not too many things like tables and chairs around. This makes them a lot easier to convert to BG2 areas manually as there is less work on wallgroups, searchmaps etc.

It shouldn't take you more than 2 or 3 hours to make an area from start to finish.

The hard part is getting used to whichever tool you've chosen to use for your conversion. Once you've made 10 wallgroups you might as well have made 1000...it's really that simple and whichever of the tools you choose the concept for creating wallgroups, search maps, height maps etc is the same. Once you've completed wallgroups and searchmap you will have an area that can be used in game...the rest is gravy (containers/traps/doors etc)

Wallgroup = area the game considers as a "wall" in the sense that you can't see through it or it shades your character if you are on the "other side" of the wall.

Searchmap = area the game considers valid for characters to walk on / not walk on. It also specifies what footstep sound is heard when you walk on that surface i.e does it sound like sand, wood, stone, water etc

Heightmap = area the game considers at a different level to another of a different height. Doesn't have much effect in game.

Lightmap = area the games considers as having a different colour lightsource i.e if you had a giant glowing red diamond in your area you might consider placing a red colour on the lightmap around where that item would be...this would mean any characters walking near the item would show a red hue on them when in that area. The norm is for mods not to use this (leave it white) as there is little notice of its effects in game...adds atmosphere though!