HOW TO: MAKING MAP VARIATIONS ---This is a quick-n-easy tutorial on how to include multiple variations of your own map within a single ZIP file without having to duplicate all your objects. For this example, I'm going to be using my Verglas Velodrome map (which comes with a couple variations) Note: I highly suggest you do this after you have completed the initial "base" version of your map. This wouldn't be possible without @meywue 's help with coding. Things you need: Notepad++ Your map A light snack Knowledge of filepath editing Winrar Instructions: Note: I'm using a seperate directory for this, yours will be under C:\Users\YOURNAME\Documents\BeamNG.drive\levels (unless you changed that) --- 1. Open your "base" map - this is the first version of the map you have. For my example, "freeze" was the initial version. 2. Go back to your "levels" folder and copy your first map version You see that "thumbs.db" file? It's dumb and I don't know what it does, so ignore it. Doesn't seem to effect anything. 3. Paste your copied version and rename it to something else (freeze_test in this example) 4. Delete the "art" folder in your copied version, you won't need it. 6. Open your info.json file and change the map's name and the preview image. (Original on right, new map variant on left) 5. In your map variant's level folder: Go through and rename all remaining filepaths to point your map variation's name. Same process as if you were creating your map from scratch, except you don't have to worry about the art folder. This step is important, if your map loads broken - it is likely because of this step, go back through and check all filepaths. For example, all filepaths in the new map variant that originally said "levels/freeze" now should say "levels/freeze-test" 6. Download the attached "LoadParentFiles.cs" and paste it into your map variant's folder as such: 7. Open the LoadParentFiles.cs file with Notepad++ 8. Where the text says "NAMETHISAFTERYOURINITIALMAP" you want to change that text to the folder name of your initial map. For example, my initial map's folder was called "freeze" so I'd change that text to say "freeze". 9. Now, save this file. 10. Start BeamNG.drive 11. Your new map variant might be a black square with a question mark in it, no big deal, you just need to make a new preview screen such as below: 12. Open up your new map variant in-game 13. If you did everything correctly, this new map variant will appear exactly the same as the initial map. 14. To test, open the "sunsky" object in your map and change the brightness to something crazy like 5000, just remember what the number was before. 15. Press CTRL+S to save the level 16. Close out of the world editor 17. Close out of the game 18. Re-open BeamNG.drive 19. Re-open your new map variant. If the sunsky brightness is still 5000, you did everything correctly! 20. You can now change the sunsky brightness back to normal. 21. Your map variant is now up-and-running, you can make any changes you want _______21 A. Add any objects your want (that will be exclusive to this map variant) .... ... PACKAGING YOUR FILE 22. Go back to your documents/level folder 23. Select both level versions 24. Right-click -> send to -> compressed (zipped) folder 25. Rename this zip file to the name of your map (or whatever you want it to be called on the BeamNG mod repository) 26. Move this .zip file to your mods folder (I renamed my zip file to verglasdwff, call yours what you want) 27. Delete the "documents/levels" folder, it's no longer needed. 28. Start BeamNG again 29. Load both of your map versions and make sure they still work (if they don't, you didn't zip them up properly) 30. You're done. 30 A. Upload your mod to the BeamNG mod repository and wait for approval. If something's broken, the Repo Guys will tell you. 31. *****SUPER IMPORTANT STEP****** Have fun. @Danny Werewolf
By "base map" do you mean after you have totally finished editing it, or just not doing anything major?
I suggest doing this after having finished your initial "base map". You can do it before finishing it, but expect to have to manually update every object you've since added into the base map into your new map variant.
