Mapping

Headline text

this is the guide to mapping! stay tuned while its slowly, eventually filled out

Getting started

Look at the coding guide for how to download and set up a local Goonstation repository to start mapping on.

Before you open up your map editor, it might be useful to doodle a rough map layout so you can build in a more organized fashion.

How big do I make this thing

For Goonstation, station maps should be 300x300 with only 1 z level (station here meaning basically anything that'll be the main area where people will play).

For any setpieces (whether for debris field, oshan trench, or an entirely separate adventure zone), the dimensions don't matter too much since they'll be copypasted into an existing level.

SAVE. Also save

Whenever you make any change that took any amount of time, save and make sure there's a backup. Dream Maker can sometimes corrupt maps, or simply not save your work, and you'll either lose part of your map or break the whole thing.

If you don't have some sort of fancier version control (i.e. git) that automatically keeps revisions when you save the map, you can make a backup by doing "save as" and adding a version number to the filename, i.e. mapname_ver(number).

Okay but how do I actually make map

General order of map creation should be something like:

• Basic skeleton of turfs (walls, floors)

• Objects in rooms (airlocks, machinery, etc)

• Area placement (important for APCs, teleportation, etc)

• Wiring (including APCs) and disposals

• Detail work; lighting+switches, access spawners, firelock stuff, door names, bot waypoints, teleporter beacons etc.

It's okay to look at existing maps for reference when configuring objects, but it's heavily recommended you create new instances of objects and change any necessary variables when making your map - this is less likely to introduce unintended consequences, and makes you more familiar with var-editing.

I have a map and it seems to work, now what

For a general checklist, reference the Goonstation Map Submission Guidelines - they're an excellent source of ways to validate your map's functionality. As a rule of thumb, if your map hasn't been tested, there's something wrong with it - don't be afraid to ask for help fixing or testing things.

What is this about a disposal pipe tester?

To test your disposal systems, Haine and Spyguy made a handy little proc you can call as an admin to test if they actually work as intended! To use it:

• Use the Advanced ProcCall verb (found in the Debug tab assuming you've already made yourself an admin.)
• Run /proc/test_disposal_system. Next, enter the X and Y coordinates of where stuff that goes in a disposal pipe is supposed to go, right at the end of whatever disposal pipe adventure you've created. Usually this will be the final conveyor belt right at the crusher door.
• Wait a bit and you will be notified in your debug logs whether the test succeeded or failed.

Alternative programs to make maps

There are more programs that let you make maps for Space Station 13 than just Dream Maker! A few alternatives include:

• StrongDMM: Infrequently updated. At the time of writing, has started seeing a much more regular update cycle!
• SpacemanDMM: Map creation tool still in development and not functional at the time of writing, but it's still worth mentioning.
• QwertyDMM: Also known as QDMM, a more updated version of the more outdated FastDMM. Ceased development at the time of writing, but still works with the latest BYOND.
• FastDMM2: Like QDMM, this is based on FastDMM. Unlike QDMM however, it runs entirely in your browser!

But why use alternative mapping programs?

Because Dream Maker is peepee poopoo a little outdated interface-wise. Generating the object tree also takes an unreasonably long time, and Dream Maker's mapping interface does not have the quality of life features the above mentioned alternatives have, such as:

• A quicker object tree loading time
• Easier tree navigation
• Hotkeys for things like setting object directions
• etc.

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