SandboxMapping:Lavillastrangiato

Mapping describes creating maps for away sites, non-Horizon ships, and even editing the SCCV Horizon and its general structure. Despite the overwhelming nature of the programs you are expected to learn, once you make your first few maps and minor edits, mapping can become very easy to the point where anyone can contribute and learn to map.

In this guide, we will go over the basics of using a mapping tool, shaping your map, giving it features, and making it functional. This guide assumes you understand basic computer linguistics, such as extracting ZIP files, what a folder is, and keyboard shortcuts.

Programs You Will Need

1. A GitHub account.
2. Visual Studio Code.
3. StrongDMM, an independently-developed mapping tool that is way better than BYOND's built-in mapping tool.

How to Open (and Use) StrongDMM

This guide is going to assume you already understand the very basics of making changes to Aurora's code, as detailed here (LINK TO CODING GUIDE PROBABLY).

1. Download StrongDMM.
2. Open StrongDMM.
3. Click "File" in the upper left corner.
4. Click "Open Environment".
5. Navigate to the folder where you store Aurora's code.
6. Open "aurorastation.dme".
7. Wait at least half a minute for the environment file to open. It is normal for this to take long.
8. Once the file is loaded, click "New Map" in the upper left corner. The height (Y) and width (Z) should both be 255. Keep the levels (Z) at 1 for now. Save the map as TGM; it'll be converted to .dmm later.
9. Save the map outside your Aurora repository folder for now.
10. Now you have a wide-open space for you to play around in!

Basic tools

The shortcuts on StrongDMM are pretty much the same as you might expect on another editing program: Ctrl + S is save, Ctrl + C is copy, Ctrl + V is paste, and so on. Ctrl + Z will also work for quick undos.

Your top toolbar on StrongDMM has the following:

• Add: Place an object you selected.
• Fill: Click and drag to create an area that you'll fill with a selected object.
• Grab: Click and drag to select an area which you can drag around.
• Move: Move a single selected object.
• Pick: Select an instance of an object, highlighted in green.
• Delete: Delete an object you're hovering over, highlighted in red.
• Replace: Replace an object you're hovering over with another object, highlighted in green.

To your right side, you also have Settings, which control the size of your map. You can also take a high-quality screenshot!

To find objects in StrongDMM, you can look through the drop-down menus of areas, turfs, objects, and mobs, or use the search bar. For example, if you wanted to find a wall, you by typing "wall" in the "Filter" bar. Once you select it, you can place it or fill an area with it as you like.

Layers

If you open up an already-made map in StrongDMM (which are in the maps folder in your repository folder), you might notice it's covered in some sort of overlay. These are area layers; we'll get to them later. You can toggle them on and off by pressing Ctrl + 1 in StrongDMM. They don't magically vanish; you're just toggling whether or not they can be seen at the moment,

You can also toggle turfs (walls and floors) with Ctrl + 2, objects with Ctrl + 3, and mobs with Ctrl + 4.

Getting used to StrongDMM

Getting the hang of using StrongDMM, and having a sense for editing maps in general, takes a bit of work. To build your confidence, it's recommended you do some simple edits to maps; these can be away sites, the Horizon, or even the Central Command layers. This is also a great way to get the hang of using GitHub and VSCode if you're not very experienced with them. Make a couple PRs, and don't be afraid to ask developers and contributors for help!

Making Maps

Once you feel confident enough to try making a full map of your own, it is time to create your own map. To best understand how mapping works on Aurora, let's go through how ships work.

We'll use the Dominian Corvette as an example. You can find it in [your repository]\maps\away\ships\dominia\dominian_corvette.

As you can see, there are three folders inside the Dominian Corvette folder: a .dmm file, a .dm file, and a .dm file for ghost roles.

• A DMM file is the map itself. This is where all the visuals of your map are defined.
• A DM file is the code of the map. This is how the map knows it is a ship. It is also where your areas are defined.
• The ghost roles DM file determines what ghost roles will spawn, where they will spawn, and with what equipment they will spawn.

So, to create the very basics of a functioning away site map, you will need the actual map, a file for the code, and a file for ghost roles. You will need to put all of these in a folder, titled after your off-ship map. Then, these will go in the folder for off-ships (ships).

Don't worry about the code of the map or the ghost roles yet; for now, let's focus on actually making a map. Which leads to...

Mapping Standards

1. Every area must have:

# An APC
# An air alarm
# At least 1 scrubber
# At least 1 vent
# Light sources
# Emergency shutters on all airlocks

Glossary

Room: Self explanatory. Area: These are defined in the map's .dm file; they're that colourful overlay that can be toggled off with Ctrl + 1. If something is in an area, it'll be affected by that area's power or alarm status; for example, if an area is vented, the air alarm within that area will automatically trigger emergency shutters and shut off the vent and scrubbers. If a light is placed within an area with an APC, it'll be powered until that APC stops being powered. This will make more sense as you learn more about mapping.

Other essentials

• Engineering and atmospherics
• Carbon dioxide tanks
• A medical bay, or first aid kits
• A holopad
• Extra uniforms
• Food, rations, or a kitchen
• A shuttle