What map making program should I use?

[Lt-Kirby2007]

Okay, I have successfully made 2 maps using BZEdit, but I feel that BZEdit just doesn't provide what I want in a map anymore. I want to move on to more advanced map making, and also learn how to do textures.

My map making skills are pretty basic at the moment, but I am willing to improve them if somebody will help me out if neccessary.

Could somebody suggest a good map making program where you can make maps that would rival Loumans or at the very least, a map making program where you can use textured objects?

As well as this, suggestions of where I can obtain the program will also be useful.


Thankyou in advance for your help.

[Winny]

There is no map editor that supports textured objects, you need to use a text editor.

You can use a 3d editor to make the objects, but you must texture, and group them in a text editor.

[eagle]

Wings 3D is a good 3D editor which can make models and you can put textures on them. It also exports to .bzw to make it easy. Wings takes some practice to get good at, though.

you can find more about it at www.wings3d.com

[anomaly]

Both wings3d and blender can create meshes and apply images to the mesh as a U/V mapped texture. Both have 3rd party support for importing/exporting BZW maps. Look for BZWTools for blender and there is a wings3d to bzw plugin available. Search the forums.

Wings3d is easier to use at first. blender has a non-standard interface and is harder to learn. Both have their pros/cons.

You can always create meshes in whatever 3d editor you choose and then export the mesh in (wavefront ) .obj file format. Then use modeltool to convert. This is the approach I use.

If you want to include standard BZW objects in your map you might try BZWorkBench. I have not tried it but I hear it is good.

[Tanner]

BZWorkBench is only at a standard 1.0 map level. It has no other features than parsing, displaying, and adding 1.0 objects.

-Tanner

[CUPCAKE]

Take a good look through the wiki. There are plenty of 3D shapes on there to try, and it says how to make textures too!

http://my.bzflag.org/w/Main_Page

Some things to look up: Material, Sphere, Cone, Arc, Meshbox, Meshpyr, Define, Group... theres so much to learn.

[Lt-Kirby2007]

ok, thanks for the load of responses. all of them are very useful. I will look into this more later tonight, but atm, from what I've read up, I will probably end up leaning towards Wings.

Thankyou.