Chapter I

CCMap Tutorial

by mgP <parker@telis.org>


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Introduction

I know you're anxious to get started on your map... But you have to know
how to use CCMap before you can make your map. Why? Because CCMap is the
utility which you will be making your map with! But don't worry, it's
simple to learn, and youll be creating your first map in no time.

So that's what Chapter I is about. After this, youll learn how to edit
the .ini file to make your mission more advanced, then Ill teach you how
to implement it in to the game (play it). And maybe, if I get around to it,
teach you about some utilities which will make all this a little easier.

So let's start... and please don't skip around in the chapters.

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ALSO, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT ANYTHING HERE, OR ANYTHING NOT
LISTED HERE, DO NOT EMAIL ME. INSTEAD, ASK THEM AT OUR WEB BOARD AT
http://www.io.org/~isarog/c-c/php.cgi/~isarog/c-c/wwwboard/wwwboard2.html

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   Table of Contents: 
 
     1. Installing CCMap / Getting it to run 
     2. First look / Menu options 
     3. Starting your map 
     4. Unit / Structure / Infantry options 
     5. The second toolbar 
     6. Menu shortcuts 

     7. You're done!

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1. Installing CCMap / Getting it to run

The first thing we will do is install CCMap. With CCMap creating your map
will be painless and effortless, but only if you know how to use it. First,
you must unzip CCMap into any directory. I suggest you unzip it to it's own
specific directory so it does not get mixed in with other files. Once done,
you will need to copy the following files from either Command & Conquer CD
to the directory where CCMap is installed to:

    TEMPERAT.MIX 
    WINTER.MIX 
    DESERT.MIX 

Once this is done, go to the directory where CCMap is located and at the
DOS Prompt, type:

    CCMAP TOTALWAR 

If CCMap says it can not find either TEMPERAT.MIX, WINTER.MIX, OR DESERT.MIX,
turn your computer off and then on. That message was only a glitch, and
rebooting your computer should fix that. Also make sure you have your mouse
driver loaded, for CCMap will not run without one. Give the CCMAP TOTALWAR
command again.

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2. First look / Menu options

You should now be looking at a box which gives author's information on CCMap.
Click on the box with the left mouse button, and it will disappear. Before
you should be a pre-made map. This map is just showing you what is possible
with CCMap, and nothing else. No units, GDI or Nod structures, or infantry
are placed on the map.

Run the cursor to the edges of the screen, and the map should scroll around.
You will notice roads, cliffs, civilian buildings, rivers, and other things
already placed on this pre-made map. Chances are that you will want to start
a new map from scratch, and not add on to this one. To clear the whole map,
you must choose the correct options from the menu. You should learn all the
menu options first. Click anywhere with the right mouse button, or use the
left mouse button to click on the tab Menu at the upper-right hand corner of
the screen. The menu should appear, and the following options:

    Save Map: This will save the map to your hard drive. 
    Erase Area: This will bring up a series of sub choices. Choose from: 
       All: Erases everything which is enclosed in the box. 
       Map: Erases all things classified as map tiles enclosed in the box. 
       Terrain: Erases all things classified as terrain tiles enclosed in the
        box.
       Overlay: Erases all things classified as overlay tiles enclosed in the
        box.
       Structure: Erases all structures enclosed in the box. 
       Unit: Erases all units enclosed in the box. 
       Infantry: Erases all infantry enclosed in the box. 
    Clear: This will bring up a series of sub choices. Choose from: 
       All: Immediately clears everything from the map. 
       Map: Immediately clears all tiles classified as map tiles from the
        map.
       Terrain: Immediately clears all tiles classified as terrain tiles from
        the map.
       Overlay: Immediately clears all tiles classified as overlay tiles from
        the map.
       Structure: Immediately clears all structures from the map. 
       Unit: Immediately clears all units from the map. 
       Infantry: Immediately clears all infantry from the map. 
    Undo: Reserves the last action, just in case you did something which you
     didn't want to do.
    Overview On / Off: Brings up a mini-map in the upper-right hand corner of
     the monitor, kind of like C&C's radar.
    Zoom In / Out: This zooms in closer or further away on your map. There
     are two levels of zoom.
    Tooltips On / Off: This will turn off the box which tells you what each
     thing on your map is when you hold the mouse cursor over it.
    Info: Gives the author's information box again. 
    Quit: Exits CCMap. 

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3. Starting your map

Since you will want to clear everything from the map, go to Menu, then Clear,
then All. This clears everything from the map instantaneously. Now we are
going to place some things on your map. Hit the F1 key. On the right-hand
side toolbar, you will see a series of 'tiles'. Hitting the Page Down and
Page Up key will let you scroll through the Map tiles, as does the Down and
Up arrows at the bottom of the toolbar. All the tiles which are viewable are
classified as map tiles.

To place these tiles on the map, click on a tile which you want to place.
Move your mouse cursor on to the map, and click where you want to place the
tile. When you move the mouse cursor away, the tile should be on the map.

Going to the Menu, then Erase, then Map will erase ONLY Map tiles enclosed
in the box. To crate a box, go to the commands above. With the left mouse
button, click on a place on the map which you wish to be the upper-left hand
corner of the box. Now move the cursor down and right, thus creating a box.
When you have the box the size you want, double click the left mouse button
to clear all map tiles inside the box.

Going to Menu, then Clear, then Map will instantaneously erase all map tiles
from the map.

There are other tiles and objects which you can choose from other than map
tiles. Hit the following keys to view new sets of tiles / objects:

    F1: Map Tiles... Cliffs, rivers, roads, rocks, waterfalls, etc. 
    F2: Terrain Tiles... Trees and Blossom Trees. 
    F3: Overlay Tiles... Sandbag walls, concrete walls, chainlink fences,
     barbed wire, wooden fences, and Tiberium.
       Note on the Tiberium: Tiberium with a value of 1 is the least dense
       per tile, Tiberium with a value of 12 is the most dense per tile.
    F4: Structures... Buildings and structures. 
    F5: Units... Vehicles and mechanical units. 
    F6: Infantry... Soldiers, troops, civilians, technicians, engineers, etc. 

You can delete or clear any of these types of tiles by repeating the same
procedure as above via the Menu, just change the last value of 'Map' to the
correct type of tile.

Place a bit of everything on the map. It doesn't matter if it looks good or
not... Don't forget, you're still learning how to use CCMap.

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4. Unit / Structure / Infantry options

Now that you've put a bit of everything on the map, ask yourself: wasn't that
easy? Of course it was. You have the basics of making a map down, now we need
to just learn a few more things.

Now that you've put structures, units, and infantry on the map, you have a
few more things to figure out: How do you designate which side each is on?
How much health they have? What actions they will undertake? Very easily.
First, click on a structure. A box should appear, listing:

    Owner: The side, or house, it belongs to. Choose from: 
       GoodGuy: GDI 
       BadGuy: Nod 
       Neutral: Civilians 
       Special: A house which can build both GDI and Nod structures. 
       Multi1 - Multi6: Individual teams which can be assigned anything. 
    Power: This value ranges 1 - 256. 
       1: Very much dead. 
       256: Full health / life. 
    Position [Pos]: This is the 'cell' which the structure is placed in.
     Think of cells as places to put things. Each cell is a 1 x 1 square,
     with the first cell in the upper-left hand corner of the map. On the
     size map you are operating on (62x62), it should be cell 65.
    Name: The name of the structure (i.e. Obelisk of Light, Power Plant,
     etc.).

The only values which you can change off hand is the values Owner and Power.
Changing the location of the structure and the type of structure will change
the other two values.

Now click on a unit or a infantry person. Again a box should appear, listing:

    Owner: The side it belongs to (see above for available sides). 
    Action: What action it is currently undertaking. Choose from: 
       Guard: This unit / infantry will only attack units which attack it. 
       Area Guard: This unit / infantry will attack any enemy units which
        come within a few cells of it.
       Hunt: From the instant the mission starts, the unit / infantry will
        seek out enemies to destroy.
       Sticky: Unit / infantry will stay in that cell and not move, no matter
        what happens.
       Harvest: The unit / infantry will go and harvest Tiberium. Only useful
        with Harvesters.
       Sleep: The unit / infantry will not be visible on the map, nor the
        radar map. It will appear when found by another unit.
    Power: 1 - 256 (see above). 
    Position: The cell the unit / infantry in. 
    Name: The name of the unit / infantry (i.e. engineer, minigunner, etc.). 

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5. The second toolbar

Almost done! The only thing left to know is what everything at the bar
running across the bottom of the screen means:

    Map X: The horizontal position of where the cursor is. 
    Map Y: The vertical position of where the cursor is. 
       Note: The upper-left hand corner of the map has a value of X:1 and
       Y:1.
    Position: The cell number the mouse cursor is over. 
    Owner: You can change this to any one of the sides. Once you designate a
     side, any structures, infantry, or units you put on the map will belong
     to that side.
    Action: You can change this to any one of the actions. Once you designate
     an action, any units or infantry you put on the map will have that
     action.

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6. Menu shortcuts

Here are some shortcut keys for the Menu:

    M: Brings up the Menu. 
    S: Saves the map to your hard drive. 
    E: Erase Area. Brings up the sub-choices: 
       L: All 
       P: Map 
       A: Terrain 
       V: Overlay 
       R: Structure 
       N: Unit 
       F: Infantry 
    C: Clear Area. Brings up the sub-choices above. 
    U: Undo, reserving the last action. 
    T: Tooltips On / Off. 
    I: Brings up the authors info. 
    Q: Quits CCMap 

Notice that all the commands, except for the sub-choices for Erase and Clear,
can be bought up just by hitting the shortcut key. There is no need to go to
the menu first.

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7. You're done!

Well, that's all that there is to know about CCMap. Happy Mapmaking!
