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World Editor Tips

Ralle

Owner
Level 79
Joined
Oct 6, 2004
Messages
10,183
Introduction
This is a collection of several frequently asked questions and short tutorials about performing different tasks in the World Editor. This FAQ is by no means definitive; it serves as a basic reference and should assist mapmakers of all skill levels.

Object Editor
Speed up Object Editor
Open Terrain Editor, Click the menu called Window, then disable the brushlist.
NOTE: This makes the Object Editor up to 10 times faster.

Copy objects (doodads, units etc) from map to map
Right-click the object you want to move, press Copy, then open the new map, right-click and press paste.
NOTE: Some units custom abilities may be messed up, just reselect it's abilities. This wont delete any of your objects.

Make new heros
Pick a hero (paladin, warden etc.), rightclick and press copy, then rightclick again and press paste, then edit the new heros stats as you like.
NOTE: This is the only way to make a new hero.

Heros above level 10
Open the Terrain Editor and click Advanced, then Gameplay Constants, then find Hero Maximum Level and edit it to what you feel like.
NOTE: Maximum is 10,000.

Heros creeping above level 5
Open the Terrain Editor and click Advanced, then Gameplay Constants, then find Hero XP Gained - Creep Reduction Table and remove the last value 0.

Viewing raw object name
If you need an objects raw name, hit CTRL + D to see it.

Autofill information
When making skills with many levels it's good to rightclick on the first level and click Auto Fill Levels and set how you want it to be.

Terrain Editor
Placing Objects without Collision-size
Hold down SHIFT key and place the doodads.

Changing doodads height
CTRL + PgUp for moving the doodad Up.
CTRL + PgDn for moving the doodad Down.
NOTE: this is very useful for placing bridges correctly.

Rotate an object
Select the object you want to rotate, hold down CTRL, then left-click on the terrain in front of the object where you want it to point; or you may use the keyboard number pad keys / and * to rotate objects.
NOTE: You can only rotate some objects.

Placing doodads close
Hold down Shift and place your doodads, this will make them ignore collision size.

Controlling camera
Zooming: Use the scrolling wheel to zoom in and out.
Changing angle: Hold down CTRL and hold down rightclick while you rotate camera in any direction with the mouse.
When zooming far out, black mask will appear, hold down CTRL and use the scrolling wheel to make it disappear.

Different views
x change to letterbox view.
v change to game view.
c change to camera view.

Selecting / deselecting objects
Hit SPACE to select the last selected object and again to deselect it.

Quick move objects or regions
Hold down ALT and click wherever you want to move the selected thing.

Speed up terrain editor
When working with many doodads / units in the Terrain Editor, it's a good idea to hit i to turn off player start locations.

Select ALL objects
CTRL + A selects all objects in Terrain Editor According to which palette you use.

General Editor
VergilThazaar said:
Ctrl + Z = Undo (go back / remove the last action)
Ctrl + Y = Redo (go forward / recover the last action)
Easy backup
If your map has been corrupt, go look in the Maps/Test folder, there is always a backup of the last time you tested.

Disable auto-save
File/Preferences/General and uncheck Autosave.
NOTE: Disabling autosave is usually a good idea, it can often be annoying and can also ruin your map if you do something wrong and it suddenly autosaves.

Taking screenshots
Hit PrintScreen (just over the Insert button) to take a screenshot.
NOTE: Screenshots will be saved in the Warcraft 3/Screenshots Directory.

Trigger Editor
Remove starting units
Remove the Action "Melee Game - Create starting units (for all players)" from the trigger "Melee Initialization".

Remove starting resources
Remove the Action "Melee Game - Set starting resources (for all players)" from the trigger "Melee Initialization".
 
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An Intruder!

So, that, the brushlist is the shit that caused hero copying so loooooooooooong. Its 14798/3+135613575642-5.256+1365789*465297-5+4567893456345X FASTER!
...and yes... Dont give me ban because of exclamations! I've started WE Obj Editor tutor for n00bs... Just Kidding... BEGGINERS!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Level 10
Joined
Oct 22, 2006
Messages
599
Very Good, but you forgot the most important and usefull keys.
Ctrl + Z = Undo (go back / remove the last action)
Ctrl + Y = Redo (go forward / recover the last action)

*edit by Wolve*

Thanks VergilThazaar!

I included your addition. In a few days, I'll delete this post (your post count will not be reduced).
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Level 3
Joined
May 1, 2007
Messages
29
Reopen Tool Palette

This is really important, I think. If you accidentally closed the Tool Palette for editing Terrain, Doodads, regions, etc. go to
Window --> New Palette --> Terrain.
 
Wow, this can be extremely useful to people new to the editor, gj! +rep

Taking screenshots
Hit PrintScreen (just over the Insert button) to take a screenshot.
NOTE: Screenshots will be saved in the Warcraft 3/Screenshots Directory.

That isn't entirely true though. Not all screenshots are saved into the directory unless it is a picture of the terrain. I strongly suggest that you include that when you are taking screenshots of something such as the object editor/trigger editor, it will not say screen captured. You must click CTRL + C then open an art program such as Photoshop, Ifranview, Paint Shop Pro, even Paint and click CTRL + V then crop it and save it as JPEG or something that takes up less space. This has been troubling many people before because many times I hear people saying "Sorry, I can't take screenshots" though they can, but they don't know how. :emote_smile:

myydraal said:
This is really important, I think. If you accidentally closed the Tool Palette for editing Terrain, Doodads, regions, etc. go to
Window --> New Palette --> Terrain.

You can also go to Layer | Terrain, though sometimes you can't always use that.
 
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Level 13
Joined
Aug 31, 2005
Messages
823
Great tutorial for beginners. Something I use that you left out. If you want to speed up the load time on WE you can go under File -> Preferences and uncheck 'Create New Map on Start-Up'.
Also, you didnt say anything about enabling negative values in the WE which allows you to create all sorts of crazy abilities and rotate doodads along the z axis.
 
Level 2
Joined
Sep 5, 2007
Messages
14
WC3 World Editor Icons?

hey im sure this is relevent but i want to find out how to change the small icons like the gold lumber food upkeep Icons and the small icons on the units next to the DMG and Armor, if anyone know how to change them can you please give mke a reply:thumbs_up:
 
Level 2
Joined
Sep 5, 2007
Messages
14
also seeing people saying they close the Pallets you can just press the U,T,D keys to bring up unit terrain doodads pallet ^^
 
Level 5
Joined
Aug 16, 2007
Messages
149
@ lordolly to change the food/lumber/gold icons (can change text too) go to advanced/game interface, check the use custom game interface checkbox then scroll down to Icon-Food, Icon-Gold or Icon-Lumber and change them to what you want. Theres loads more in there that you can change to enhance the game interface besides just those.
 
Level 1
Joined
Mar 11, 2008
Messages
1
How to make items stack?

Hello, my question: I want to find out how to get items to stack like it does in DotA, for example: if you buy a healing pot (x1), then you buy another one it will instead of be one and one (fill 2 slots) be 2 in one (fill one slot) :eekani:.

Short version :xxd: : I want to know how to make x2 of an item stack to x1 with 2 charges if you know what I mean. It's a trigger, isn't it?

If you have time please mail me the answer at "[email protected]"
Thank you! :thumbs_up:
 
Level 2
Joined
Jun 15, 2007
Messages
30
I was just browsing... I dunno.
(btw) 3rd way: click on the hero you want/click create new hero/type the hero name (not proper name) and ok.
Oh and sorry if I came off like an ass commenting on a 2 year old tutorial.
:)
 
That is not the only way to make a new hero.

Yeah, he's right! You can create a custom hero by hitting the New Custom Unit button and then choose an existing hero and not just by selecting a hero then copy paste

Also using the New Custom Unit button lets you change the hero name (not proper name!) before creating the unit while if you copy paste you should change the name directly in the unit property.

I think this is also the same way that Squiggy and TheCheat is saying.

PS: For those who don't know what proper names are here's an example:
Hero Name: Lich
Proper Name: Kel'Thuzad
 
Level 1
Joined
Oct 24, 2013
Messages
8
he forgot how to pitch all roll in less
doing the steps (well is short but I goes well):
-Go to object editor
-Go to editor - all pitch roll and press
-press - with sustained shift
, then press the number (no shift)
, then press the button located on the right of the p
with shift held (not drop), continue holding until you press enter.
 
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