Pretty self explanatory really. Does anyone know how to make and add a minimap to my map?

You have to make an overveiw file. I wish more people knew how, it would be so much easier to learn their maps.

http://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Creating_Level_Overviews

Sweet! More people need to look at this thread since so many maps out there don't have overviews!!!

Thanks GL!

Ah great, thanks for the replies chaps.

Should help ad an extra level of finished-ness to the map :D

is it possible to create overviews for any finished map using this method?

I might just have a go at making some for myself (1. for the practice and 2. so I know my way round new maps that don't have overviews made. I really hate trying to navigate through an urban setting and all my mini map shows is a neon green grid over a black background)

Originally posted by prone ranger
is it possible to create overviews for any finished map using this method?

I might just have a go at making some for myself (1. for the practice and 2. so I know my way round new maps that don't have overviews made. I really hate trying to navigate through an urban setting and all my mini map shows is a neon green grid over a black background)

From what I can tell yeah, it is possible.

Never mind I got it sorted, some reason its a but wrong :S and im not showing up but im gonna keep trying

this doesn't work for me. once i use cl_leveloverview 1, it's too zoomed in to see anything. is there a way of changing the zoom scale? jump/crouch just controls the spectate options.

Originally posted by TheSurgeon
this doesn't work for me. once i use cl_leveloverview 1, it's too zoomed in to see anything. is there a way of changing the zoom scale? jump/crouch just controls the spectate options.

try changing cl_lelveloverview to something like 8, then if its too far out zoom in by changing it to 7 then 6 etc etc

Yeah. the wiki is a bit confusing.

they should have put "cl_leveloverview x where x is the zoom factor"

Someone who has access to edit the wiki should change that.

you can use decimal values in cl_leveloverview as well such as 6.2 or 0.4 etc.

One thing I found was that a 3d skybox really made overviews a pain, I couldn't seem to turn it off in the game and it hid the 1024 line marker.

Two ways I found to get around that, recompile the map without the 3d skybox for the purposes of making the overview or second just keep taking screenshot after screenshot until you happen to luck into the right alignment.

r_3dsky 0?

Yar the miracles of an poorly-documented SDK relying on users to generate information about them.


I looked for cvars to turn the sky off but couldn't find one ):

Thanks.

I know this thread has been dormant for a while, but I'm a tad confused.

I've followed the level overview instructions to the letter and produced the necessary tga's, vtf's, vmt's and the text file, but just doesn't work for me!

I created a little script that made all the console changes, get the red line for positioning etc.. so that's all ok.

I've even converted the vtf back to tga to check if the file was converted ok - all ok.

I've taken the time to create a stack of images for about 15 maps, recorded all the correct xy co-ords for each one, but it just doesn't want too work for me!.

I get no errors when using vtex. I've tried using it with or without the config text file (e.g. dod_lerouge_hdr_v.txt, with the co-ords and other data). I have the correct game set in the SDK, it puts the output vtf into the correct folder.


When I load the map, no mini-map appears.

Can someone advise?


Yossa

what does your txt file looks like and where is it stored?

Using dod_lerouge_hdr_v as an example.

Here are the contents of dod_lerouge_hdr_v.txt, which I've stored in dod\overviews

// overview description file for dod_gausser996.bsp

"dod_lerouge_hdr_v"

{ "material" "overviews/dod_lerouge_hdr_v" // texture file

"pos_x" "-3600"

"pos_y" "2318"

"scale" "5"

"rotate" "0"

"zoom" "1" }

Here is the VMT file from the materials\overviews section

"UnlitGeneric"
{

"$basetexture" "overviews/dod_lerouge_hdr_v"
"$vertexcolor" "1"
"$vertexalpha" "1"
"$no_fullbright" "1"
"$ignorez" "1"
}

As I mentioned, the I've converted the vtf back to targa and the image appears perfectly fine.

I'm stumped..

Cheers

Yossa

I couldn't say....

After a lot of practice I got it working myself. I made overviews for a bunch of maps, which I'll release soon. I posted them to a few places but I'm waiting to make sure there's no bugs first.
And yep I made .res files too so if you put it on your server, all your players will be mapped up automatically.

This is what I did


1. Load DoD, Create server with desired map (res a 1024*768)
2. plonked myself in middle of map.
3. ran a script that turns off hud, panels, fog etc. Sets leveloverview to 768 and levelview to 6
3. grab pic
4. load jpg in fireworks and resize to 1024x1024. Save as PNG
5. Use XnView to convert to Targa
6. copy targa to %sourcesdk_content%\dod\materialsrc\overviews
7. run VTEX on targa
8. It places the output VTF in dod\materials\overviews
9. I create a VMT (see previous post)
10. create the text file and copy it to dod\overviews

Now at step 7, I can create the text file with the relevant params and then run VTEX to use this config file whilst generating the VTF, but regardless of which version of step 7,I still have no luck and have no clue as too why. I've read and re-read and re-read all the FAQ's/How to's and I'm doing all the things in order specified.

Before I crumple into a heap and start sobbing at my keyboard, can anyone shed light on this? I've chatted with a few other gamers, who've done exactly as I, based upon the instructions and they have the same problem.

Humbly yours...

Yossa
*sigh*

Sorry Ratty, was posting that when you replied.

Can you see from the steps where I'm going wrong?

There's a virtual pint and lifelong admiration in it for you, if you can tell this numpty where he's going wrong!

Cheers

Yossa

I just updated that valve wiki with everything I learned about 30 seconds ago, so when I say "it wasnt in the tutorial", it is now.

Originally posted by Yossa
[B]This is what I did


1. Load DoD, Create server with desired map (res a 1024*768)
2. plonked myself in middle of map.
3. ran a script that turns off hud, panels, fog etc. Sets leveloverview to 768 and levelview to 6
3. grab pic


Ok first I would recommend just saving a screenshot as .tga format, why have loss if you dont have to? Bind a key to "screenshot" and use that. Another thing not in the tutorial is if you use fog_override 1 you will also want to use fog_enable 0, or you might end up with blackness.

4. load jpg in fireworks and resize to 1024x1024. Save as PNG
Make sure you're just changing the canvas size and not resizing or it will look all squished.
And I used GIMP, since its awesome and free, I'm assuming fireworks can make transparencies, you'll want to make the parts of the map that are outside the map transparent so people can see whats on their screen behind it. Just a minor thing, but its nice.


5. Use XnView to convert to Targa
6. copy targa to %sourcesdk_content%\dod\materialsrc\overviews
7. run VTEX on targa
8. It places the output VTF in dod\materials\overviews
9. I create a VMT (see previous post)
10. create the text file and copy it to dod\overviews

the .txt file should go in dod\resource\overviews
And the vtf and vmt files need to go in dod\materials\overviews

Now at step 7, I can create the text file with the relevant params and then run VTEX to use this config file whilst generating the VTF, but regardless of


Just so youre not thrown off, vtex doesnt need a textfile at all, it just uses the .tga file you point it at.
I just typed vtex.exe -mkdir hl2\materialsrc\mapname.tga
and out popped the vtf file, it says something about text file missing and will make a blank one, but ignore that.

You make the other supporting textfiles by hand with notepad and put them in the right places with the right filenames.
And don't forget every place in that tutorial where it says mapname you put the map name, its all over the place in both txt and vmt files.

Another tip is move the camera in spectator mode to someplace above the map, and look forward (not up or down), then do the cl_leveloverview 4 thing, now move around! Thats how you can center the map and get it filling the screen perfectly. You are still in spectator mode, and you can still move the mouse and it will change where you're looking even though you cant really tell. If you looked at the horizon before entering that mode, just use the arrow keys to shift the map around. I figured that out after making tons of maps and had to redo them all, so I just wanted to pass that on.

p.s. http://dayofdefeat.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=61870

There's one thing I cant figure out, and hopefully some of you smart mapper people can tell me if its something obvious and stupid.

On dod_passage_b2, when trying this on a server with players on it, it only shows my own little circle with directional arrow, but no teammates! Is there some entity or something you have to add to get it to render teammates on the map overview?

Originally posted by ratty
On dod_passage_b2, when trying this on a server with players on it, it only shows my own little circle with directional arrow, but no teammates! Is there some entity or something you have to add to get it to render teammates on the map overview? Um.. I'm not sure about others (pretty sure though), I think that bug is just you... because the players render fine when I'm playing.