[Maxoff]

Local references:
- Program
- How to create simple city
- How to add your own object to city
- How to add grass effect
- Objects description
- Description of configuration files

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This instruction shows how to create a simple city using MM2CT and 3DStudio MAX (you can also use ZModeler, or any other 3d software capable of exporting in 3ds format). You have to know how to use 3d software, because this tutorial won't explain it! Before you start, you should also read objects description

You should use MM2CT 0.24.
Download this tutorial, city and textures

City structure

First, we have to prepare directories structure for your city. It will make the work easier.

Run MM2CT


and click Tools/Create directory structure for new city


A new window will be opened. Click Browse and select directory for your projects


Then type directory for your city, city basename and city name. After that click Create


The directory structure will be created, it should looks like this


Close program, first stage is over.

Textures

You need textures for grass, roads, sidewalks, buldings, etc. They must be in TGA format (24bit or 32bit) and saved in _texture directory of your project, in this case D:\SampleCity\_texture. You can use textures from sample city with MM2CT.

Create 3d objects

We are going to build a small city which contains: ambient traffic, police cars, a few roads, some offroad terain and two buildings.

First, we create roads. Because there is currently a problem with road that have no sidewalks (named ROAD_), we are going to use roads with sidewalks (named ROADS_). Don't forget that outer vertices must be higher than inner (check objects description for details)


ATTENTION!! Roads and grounds can have only upper faces, bottom faces are NOT allowed.

Next we create some roads and intersections (everything in one object):


Then fill space between roads:


Now, we have to divide our object into smaller pieces, select faces and create objects as shown here:


Remeber that outer vertices for roads and sidewalks must be higher than inner vertices.


We set names for all our new objects (check objects description for details about how the names must be set). Don't forget that:
1. Count of CWn_ (crosswalks) must be equal to count of roads connected to the intersetion
2. Count of SWn_ (sidewalks) must be equal to count of roads connected to the intersetion


Next, we want to assign textures. For roads we need three textures (but we only assign then first one to the ROADS_ objects), intersections also require three but ground objects require only one material.


We use multi/submaterials so we need to assign material id for faces (in this example for IS1_,IS2_)


We assign materials for objects (only assign, we don't need to use UV Mapping, because MM2 ignores it)


Next, we are going to add some buildings. The buildings that MM2CT uses are all separate objects. like car, etc. You have to model them, map materials on them (you should also use UV Map) and name the high detail level object PH1_.


Copy it and rename the copy to PB1_ (this will become the collision boundary of the building).


We want to have an identical building in another position as well. We don't need to create it once again, we can just copy the object, move and rotate to the position we want. After that, we just name the new building PA1_ (This indicates an alias for the original building). You can have as many aliases as you want.


Now we are going to add cop cars to our city. These are represented by simple boxes named COP1_, create a few and place them where you want them:


Finally, we add some offroad terrain and name it GROUND_, apply a material to it, the same way as before.


The whole city should now look something like this:


Important informations!

1. Roads and ground are different objects (blocks), but they must be connected.
2. Border vertices from different blocks must be in the same position, so MM2CT can find it and mark these as perimeter points.
3. All objects except cops, should have assigned at least one material.
4. There could be problems with object scale, so use the sample city to check if it's too big/small.

Export to 3ds, import in MM2CT and build MM2 city

Export your city to D:\SimpleCity\simplecity.3ds. Then run MM2CT and click Advance/Import 3DS/ASE:


Click Open 3DS/ASE and select D:\SimpleCity\simplecity.3ds:


Type in a prefix, simple_city and click Make a city and AR archive. The prefix will be added to textures, objects and other files in your city and will make it less likely that your city will conflict with other MM2 mods.


In current version, the MM2CT requires mapping file. Open notepad, write

[fre_ber]

Absolutely first-class! If this isn't enough to teach everyone, I don't know what is.
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<[4D]JoeShmo> what we have here, is a failure.. to communicate

[Rippance]

Wow, you make it look so easy. Brilliant!

fre_ber, perhaps an idea to sticky this?
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[fre_ber]

Err... Right... I'm a moderator... I remember how to do this...
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"He who re-invents the wheel, understands much better how a wheel works."

<[4D]JoeShmo> what we have here, is a failure.. to communicate

[modelerchris]

Hey, Maxoff, you forgot 1 thing:

How do you add ambient traffic and/or civilians?
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Thank you very much!!!

[Ammaar]

Dude, traffic and civilians are automatically added when you name a road as ROADS_. Though be sure to have the outer vertices higher than the inner ones.
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[Power^Steer|nG]

but I am sorry to say that this tutorial is not that helpful to a total newbie..just like me

though the author has done well... but he did not explain thoroughly.
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[maxii1]

This has helped me to see how to make a city though it still looks hard so maxii1 CITY just might not be made

thanks mate to an insight into the complete chaos of map building!!
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[EuropaCar]

i will have to try this over the weekend, and make a simple city like the one in this tutorial, because traffic has never worked for me

can i ask this though: how does mm2 know how many lanes you have if it's all one texture on the road? for instance, if i make a wide road of 8 lanes, will mm2 base the number of lanes on its width, or would it just make 2 lanes (and if the latter, how would one make more than 2 lanes?)

also, how do you make one-way roads?

and finally, i don't understand the sidewalks: it seems as though you only have one slanted face in 3dsmax, but in the game there's a corner.. is this automatic too?
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[Ammaar]

[Maxoff]

[EuropaCar]

i always get errors in mm2ct when i add ROADS objects


i checked to make sure my roads' vertices were all connected, and they were...
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[Maxoff]

Please post screenshots of the road from ZModeler or upload your .3ds, then I will be able to say more. I think that you should also create new topic for your problem, because this one is mainly for tutorial.
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[EuropaCar]

right you are i apologize

ok i made a new topic as you suggested
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[Delorean_4]

Thanks alot for the Tutorial. I guess I'll give it a shot this summer once I get at least 2 or 3 cars working in MM2 (or dare I say MM1 as well? ), but at least I'm improving in ZModeler thanks to the help of the members here on the forum.

Though just out of curiosity, has anyone ever made a city with moving bridges like in London (MM2) or Chicago (MM1) or made one with alternative cops (by using the name vpcop2 for example)?
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