Tutorial: Editing walkable.dds

[Nightmare]

Walkable.dds is a file which contains, as the name kindly suggests, the area which is walkable on a map. Here are simple instructions on how to edit that file, in order to add or remove walkable areas to our new maps and thus removing some pains in the ass such as Brangulvs Dam and Athos Refuge.

1. Download a program called DXTBmp
2. Install it and and start as usual


3. Select File - Open


4. Find the map folder you want and select walkable.dds (you might need to change file extensions to get it visible). Also make sure you have unpacked this file out of the prelude.pkg


5. Find the 3rd icon at the bottom (Send to Editor), this should open up the image in MSPaint


6. Zoom in on the area you want and little by little add white dots to places you want to be walkable
7. Save the image in Paint (just regular save will do)

8. Click the 4th icon at the bottom in DXTBmp (Refresh after Edit).
9. Save the walkable.dds via File - Save in a DDS 888-8 32 bit format. Replace existing while when prompted.
10. I rule

[Nightmare]

In a very high likelihood the same instructions can be used to edit the map.dds file also (just need to save it in DXT1 format), meaning that we can edit the actual textures of the map, and most interestingly this opens up possibilites to actually create completely new maps. The only problem is the map heights which are stored in a seperate file (heightMap.hm) and which is yet to be cracked. So no mountains or valleys yet.

[Persus]

If you do edit a map.dds let me know the results.

[Nightmare]

I actually tried that the other day, even got myself the brand new Photoshop, but for some reason the changes made in map.dds didn't have any effect... Don't know why really, guess we (I) have to mess around with it some more.

[Qso]

Were the bots getting stuck issues fixed (walkable.dds) in Mod Pack 1 ?

[Persus]

As far as I can remember we fixed what we could. Adaman island being the main culprit.

[Nightmare]

Some of them were fixed but not all as I got lazy.

[Faro]

If I remember correctly, the gates were removed from the light side of Adiman to keep the bots from getting stuck.

[Qso]

I'm just wondering about the walkable area. White is walkable, simple, but why does the file contain shades of grey.

[Nightmare]

That's for levitation ofc.