Overworld Editing

New Update as of 9-17-09... You can post ANY overworld questions you have here. Seriously. Now that my computer (Which had the ALOMOST FINISHED ENTIRE DOCUMENT) died, I have WAY more free time than I should. If any newbies have any overworld questions beyond this after reading this guide, Feel free to post them here to keep this subforum from overflowing...












Hello One and All! Since I've seen that a lot of people have been having Overworld problems, and that many of the Overworld guides go pretty in-depth, I have decided to make an overworld editing tutorial. This tutorial has pictures to guide you along the way, along with some excellent recommendations as to where to find other guides to overworld design.

For Now though, The Layer 2 section is a little rough and imcomplete. I'm working on it though!


-Table of Contents-

1 - Starting out
-Explains how to get into the Overworld Editor, how to find things on the screen, and how to acess the Editors.

2 - The Toolbar
-Explains everything on your toolbar, and has pictures to show what things look like.

3 - Making Mario move differently in the Title Screen
-Explains how to insert your own custom movements in the title screen.

4 - Title Screen and Credits
-Demonstrate how to acess the Title Screen and the Credits.
-Shows how the Title Screen and Credits may be changed.

5 - Layer 2 (Basic) Editing
-Explains the 8x8 editor (and how to use it).
-Tips on Overworld Design
-Example Overworld included

6 - Layer 2 (Advanced) Editing
-Explains Sub Maps and Main Maps
-Explains Palletes
-Explains how to avoid Cutoffness

7 - Layer 1 (Paths and Levels) Editing
-Explains acessing the 16x16 editor
-Has a Step-by-step Tutorial on how to place paths and levels
-Explains the differences between path tiles

8 - Layer 1 (The Intricacies) Editing
-Explains how to Set up Pipes and Exits
-Explains how to commingle your Layer 1 and 2
9 - Layer 2 Events
-Explains how to delete Layer 2 events
-Explains where to make your own Layer 2 events

10- F.A.Q. (Frequently Asked Questions)

11- Links






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1 - Starting out
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Alright. Assuming that you know how to get into Lunar Magic, Open up your ROM.

To acess the Overworld Editing Menu, You can either...

A) Click on the Picture of a Castle
B) Go to "Editors" and then scroll to the "Overworld Editor Window" Option.


If you are intent on using the picture (The quicker option), this is what the picture looks like;



Alright! Now we're in the Overworld Editor! That wasn't so hard, now was it?




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2 - The Toolbar
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From this point on, the toolbar is your friend. If you have no idea what I am talking about, then please scan the upper areas of your Overworld Editor Screen. If you do, You'll come across this picture...




...Now, All of those buttons can be divided into groups, each group seperated by the function it does. Here is an Example.



In the Above Picture, The First Group consists of the first two buttons from the left. We'll be calling this group the "DO NOT TOUCH UNLESS YOU ARE CERTAIN" Group, or the "DNT" group. We call this the DNT group because the two buttons are the most powerful buttons on the entire Overworld Editing Window. The First Button reloads everything from the last time you save. The second button Saves any changes you have made, and writes the changes to the ROM.



For instance, Say that you change the Overworld. If you press the Save button, your changes will be saved. However, if you change something, and press the reload button, then your Overworld will revert back to the state it was in before you changed it.

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The Second group in the picture is the "Editor" section. The Editors are used to edit various parts of your Overworld. Here is a picture of what it looks like...



The very First button on the left is the Layer 1 editor. The Layer 1 editor manages the levels and buildings used on the Overworld. Additionally, the Layer 1 editor is responsible for events, and allowing Mario to travel from one level to another.

The Second button to the left is the Layer 1 Events editor. Simply put, the Layer 1 events editor is responsible for changing Layer 1 tiles.

The Middle Button (The one with a Hill on it) Is the Layer 2 Editor. the Layer 2 editor is responsible for creating the Bulk of your Overworld. The Layer 2 Editor makes all of the water, land, hills, mountains, rivers, lakes, and empty space via the 8x8 Editor (which will be explained later). The Pieces of land that are used by the 8x8 editor and Layer 2 all respond to different palletes. This means that you can not only make your map, but that you may also different colors on it!

The second button from the right is the Layer 2 event editor. This button looks like the Layer 2 Hill, but it has a flash, or a star on it. Simply Put, the Layer 2 event editor is responsible for all of the changes throughout your Overworld that involve Layer 2.

The Final button on the Right (with the picture of the Lakitu in the cloud) is the Sprite Editor. Now, The sprite editor functions a little differently than the other editors. The Sprite editor is instead a drop down list of all of the different sprites you can have on your Overworld, such as Boos, Jumping Cheep-Cheeps, Lakitus. Blue birds, Pihrahna plants, and the smoke from Yoshi's House. you can choose a sprite to put into the game, or change a sprite by selecting one from one of the many drop-down windows.

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The Third group that we are being introduced to is the "Tool" group. the Tool group is composed of the 8x8 Layer 2 Editor, The 16x16 Layer 1 editor, and the Layer 2 event tile selector...





The First Tool we are being introduced to is the Layer 2 8x8 editor. As mentioned earlier, this is the tool that you will be usuing to build most of your Overworld with. The Layer 2 8x8 Editor can only be used when you are currently on Layer 2, by the way. When you have clicked on the icon displayed, you will get this screen...



...Which is essentially the editor. From here, you may choose what piece to insert, or even what pallete to use for a specific piece.

The next Tool we are exposed too is the Layer 1 16x16 editor. The 16x16 editor is mainly responsible for any levels we might want to put in, and also any paths we want to put in. The layer 1 16x16 Editor mode also comes with moving clous, fortresses, castles, Yoshi's house, pipes/stars, and screen exits...



To see the Paths available on the 16x16 editor, you can...
A) Press the "9" button on your keyboard
B) Click on the "Display Layer 1 Mario Paths" button on your toolbar
C) Go into the View area at the top of your screen, and select it.



When you go back into the 16x16 editor, you should see this...



...Which now shows you what paths you have.

The Final Tool is the "Layer 2 event Tile selector". The Event tile selector allows you to see the transformation of various Layer 2 tiles as levels (events) are passed.

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The Fourth Group (In the green box) is essentially the miscellaneous group. That being said because the group is composed of the Pallete editor, The Animation option, and the Layer 1 Mario paths Option.



The Pallete editor is what you want to go into if you wish to change the colors the Overworld uses. Mind you, the color change is not always a good thing, but nice ideas can come out of it. Because of the Pallete editor, ice or cloud themed worlds are not longer a wish from the past.

The middle button is the "View animation option". By pressing this button, you will be able to see what your Overworld will look like when playing your hack. In other words, everything becomes animated, such as rivers and lakes.

The button to the right gives you the option of viewing Mario's paths on layer 1. As said earlier, you could also just press the "9" button on your keyboard to get the same effect. If you press this button while on layer 2, you will still see the paths.

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We at Team 5 Star like to call the buttons in the Purple Box the "Layer 1 Helpers". We call them this because that is what they do: They help you out when editing Layer 1.



The First button on the Left is a picture of a level with only one exit (It's yellow). This is called "Initial Standard Layer 1 Tile Settings". This button lets you take a look at the intricacies of a level, allowing you to do thing such as:
1)Choose which level to use for a tile
2)Choose which direction one can go
3)Choose whether or not someone can save after beating a level
4)Allow or Disallow acess to a level after it has been compelted (A la Castles and Switch Palaces)



The Second Button to the left is the "Destroy Tile Settings". The Destroy Tile Settings button, when used correctly, allows either a Castle, fortress, or Switch Palace...



...to implode upon itself after the player has beaten it. This feature uses events that directly correspond with the event set to be triggered after a level has been beaten.

The Exit Tile Level Settings, or the picture of the Red Bridge, is one of the buttons responsible for allowing Mario to travel from one Submap to another. You see, each exit tile (A red Mario Path), is assigned a number. If you want Mario to be able to travel between submaps, then you must first enter in what number exit #1 will be using. Then, at the box asking for a destination, you must put in what exit you want to go to. Do this for the other exit as well. Now, if both exits are connected to each other, then Mario should not have a problem with travelling!








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11- Links
===============

A Basic tutorial at SMW Wiki can be found here:
http://wiki.smwcentral.net/wiki/Tutorial:Basic_overworld_editing

This is a great place to get help:
http://www.smwcentral.net/?p=forum&id=5

For General Tips:
http://www.smwcentral.net/?p=thread&id=8965

Can I help you with this tutorial? I can explain many thinga, so:


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3 - Making Mario Move Differently in Title Screen
===============

First, you have to have these:

-Your Rom
-Lunar Magic (LM)
-Zsnesw (ZS)
1-Open your rom in LM and edit level C7 (demo of Title screen)
2-After editing level C7, copy all the level and paste in a level 1-23 or 101-13B
3-Open the overworld editor, and place the level with the demo (the level you pasted C7's level) as a first level (just put Mario's sprite on the level)
4-Then play the level in Znesw (DON'T DIE) and make a savestate when you want to finish the movie.
5-Now, go to Overworld editor and click in File->Title Screen->Install Title Moves Recording ASM and click in OK.

6-Click now in the same directory->Insert Title Moves Playback ASM & Data and select the savestate.

7-Now, uninstall the ASM after you testing the demo and it worked correcty. If it didn't work, remake steps 4-6.


If it works, now you have the demo you want!

@Yanamanka: I REALLY LIKE Overworld Editing, so I can explain more and all things to n00bs.

---

Fierce Deity is cool.
Workin' in OW request...
Currently attendind Scape Santa, but I don't know what to do...

Oh yeah...
I can explain more things... tomorrow...
uahhh...
What does "You Rock Manuz" mean?

---

Fierce Deity is cool.
Workin' in OW request...
Currently attendind Scape Santa, but I don't know what to do...

Explain more:


================
9 - Layer 2 Events
================

1-To make your event tiles, first open Overworld Editor (after you opened the Rom in Lunar Magic). In the space with a lot of "x" tiles, you can draw 6x6 events (above) or 4x4 (below). After this, clik in the cactus button with light.
2-Press PageUp until all events are shown, then delete them (to delete layer 1 events-leels, bridges, erc., clik on the house with light button.).
3-When you're setting your level, memory the event shown after passed.
4-Go to Overworld->Change Events Passed, select the Event (it will appear a "Event Passed Message" and type the same number in the box at right. Now open the Layer 2 Event tile selector (white path button) and go to tiles you want, then paste the tiles you desire to make a new path!


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10 - F.A.Qs
===============
Yanamanka, I suggest you place here questions like "How do I place different tiles in Layer 1 Tile Selector?"(I had some difficults in OW too), so:

Q.: How do I place different tiles in Layer 1 Selector?
A.: Below the Forest of Illusion submap, there is a blue place. Paste your Layer 1 Tiles here (be careful! Don't replace empty tiles have green paths in 16x16 Overworld Tile Selector, to reveal the paths, click on green path button or press 9, 5 and-or-not 0).
And, May suggest creating of new sections of the tutorial?

Like:


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11- Level Names
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12- Messages
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13- Music in Overworld
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14- ExGFX in Overworld
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15- Sprites
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16- Palettes
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And THEN:

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17- Links
===============

---

Fierce Deity is cool.
Workin' in OW request...
Currently attendind Scape Santa, but I don't know what to do...

Stickyfied for great justice.

I hope the overworld exgfx section turns out good, i never tried to do that, and maybe i will after this.

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8- Layer 1 (The Intricacies) Editing
==============
==============
8.1- Pipes and Exits
==============
So let me explain how do you place pipes and exits in OW and make them work properly:
1- Open the Overworld Editor after the Rom in LM.
2- Pace the pipes/exits in places you want:


3- Click on the pipe button:

4- Now you may select options of exits in a window like this:


Entrance
Exit
5- For example: I selected options 0-1 in the entrance pipe. In exit Pipe, I'll set options 1-0:

6- GO to the settings of entrance pipe again (It'll show a message "No Exit Index" in Destination Index) and select options again (In my case 0-1).
7- FOr exits (red paths after Green path button pressed), click on red bridge button, and do the same you do with pipes, except now you have to select the direction.
8- (Case Sensitive) Test the pipe/exi in Znesw in a CLEAN Slot, if possible.
Tag (b) was not closed.

---

Fierce Deity is cool.
Workin' in OW request...
Currently attendind Scape Santa, but I don't know what to do...

Some other Questions for a FAQ, Yanamanka:

Q.: When I try to Insert the Savestate to make the demo level, appears a message "There is no data recorded in this savestate"!
A.: You probably don't click in option "Install Title Moves Recording ASM" before select the savestate in option "Insert Title Moves Playback ASM & Data".

---

Fierce Deity is cool.
Workin' in OW request...
Currently attendind Scape Santa, but I don't know what to do...

I'm Kinda Locked out of my normal account, so I'm being forced to post this via a new one.

-Yanamanka

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5 - Layer 2 (Basic) Editing
===============

-Explains the 8x8 editor (and how to use it).
-Tips on Overworld Design
-Example Overworld included

Hm... What's there really to say that isn't too complicated?

Overworlds end up setting the tone for the rest of the world. If you do a damp and rusty job, then people are going to expect less and less of your levels.

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To get to the 8x8 Editor, find and press the top button that displayed here:



As you may or may not know, the 8x8 Editor is responsible for all of the tiles you will find on Layer 2. By clicking on a specific tile on the 8x8 editor, you can paste that same tile onto somewhere in your Overworld.



Now, Looking at the 8x8 Editor, you can see a variety of options. Everything that is inside of the Black Box can be pasted into the Overworld. Everything on the Side of the 8x8 Editor black x cannot be pasted into your overworld...



..The Options inside of the Red Box are what I'll call "flip options: They are responsible for turning your 8x8 piece around and about. Your Pallete option uses an overworld pallete that you have created, or one that was already there. You will generally be using palletes 4 and 6 for your main map.

Now, In order to paste a tile into your Overworld, you generally follow these steps;

1) Select you tile from the 8x8 Editor that you wish to insert into your Overworld.
2) Select whether or not you want to flip you tile, and what pallete you want your tile to use.
3) Once you have found the spot in the Overworld that you wish to paste your tile unto, right-click.
4) Congrats! Your tile is now in the Overworld!

Some of you may be asking, "but what will flipping do to change the tile?" Well, here is your answer.







As you can see, checking the Vertical flip option will flip your tile upside-down. Checking the horizantal option will flip your tile to its opposite side, or at a 180-degree angle.

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---TIPS---

-People also generally do some of the same themes over and over again. It's one thing to have your first world be a grass world, but just going up and down hills is not going to be that exciting, now is it? Just like levels, worlds also sometimes need gimmicks.




-A lot of people also place value on how your submaps are handled. The forest of Illusion usually stays as a forest, or it becomes a jungle. The Valley of Bowser and the Vanilla Dome are the levels that usually always stay as caves (The Valley, however, gets turned into lava in some hacks).



-Palletes don't always needs to be changed, and for a colorblind person (such as myself) it can be a pain to do so. Changed palletes aren't necessary, but they are nice.

-Glitches in the Overworld aren't always easy to fix, but keep trying to fix them if you encounter any!





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6 - Layer 2 (Advanced) Editing
===============
-Explains Sub Maps and Main Maps
-Explains Palletes
-Explains how to avoid Cutoffness


When you open your Overworld Editor, you should have noticed that below the Main Map area, there were six smaller areas, each having a different theme.



In this diagram (crude as it is), 1 represents your Main Map. In the Original Super Mario World, The Main Map was where Worlds 2,3,4 and 6 were. The Boxes numbered 2 - 7 represent all 6 of your submaps. In Clockwise order, these boxes reprsent Yoshi's Island, The Valley of Bowser, The Special world, The Star World, The Forest of Illusion, and The Vanilla Dome.

The Catch about The Submaps, Is that they all use different Palletes than the Main Map, allowing for more level variation. by using Pipes, Warp Stars, and screen Exits, the Player can warp from one amp to another.

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---Palletes---
(See Chapter 16)

---Avoiding Cutoffness---
Cutoffness will be your main enemy. You don't want to have to deal with him. Wait, you don't know what cutoffness is?.. Well, here is an exmaple:



What do you see that is wrong in this picture? A LOT. Almost nothing matches with each other. Things look geographically demented. It's just plain lazy and it looks like dog guano.



But after making things intersect correctly, and fixing the errors of the clasing, we get a better looking map. Yay!






===============
7 - Layer 1 (Paths And Levels) Editing
===============

-Explains acessing the 16x16 editor
-Has a Step-by-step Tutorial on how to place paths and levels
-Explains the differences between path tiles


Well, First Thing is first. Acessing the 16x16 Layer 1 Overworld Editor. Shortly Put, The 16x16 Editor deals with The Paths and Levels inside you Overworld. To acess the 16x16 Editor, please click the second button (from the top) in the following picture:



The 16x16 Editor Looks like this:




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---Your Layer 1 Editor and Paths/Levels:---


1-Start Out by opening your hack and going to the Overworld editor.


2-After the Overworld editor has been opened, Look at the bars on the top of the screen. Click the Ghost House and you will be in Layer 1 Editing mode!



3-Now that you are in Layer 1 Editing Mode, you can either;
a) press the "9" button on your keyboard
b) Go to the "Editors" option at the top of your screen



4-Now that you can view The Paths mario can take, and also see where you place them. You can place a path or level (The Entrace tile to a level, that is) by going into the 16x16 editor and pasting a path (like you would in the 8x8 Mode).


5-It's very important to make sure that the paths are connected...



...If they are not, Then mario will get stuck on the Overworld, with no way to do anything or to even escape. You paths HAVE TO METT EACHOTHER EXACTLY!

6-Enabling the usage of paths is needed too. Once you have a path set up (between two levels preferably), you must go into the Layer 1 Editing Mode again.

Once there, A new set of options should open up to you...



...Click on the Yellow Level Icon, or the first Icon on the left if you are colorblind.

You'll get this menu...



...In this menu, you can choose the properties that you want your level to have, such as what directions Mario (or Luigi) can move in, what level to use for the tile, or even if Mario/Luigi can acess the level agian once it has been completed.

The Menu is composed of two parts...



...The Standard Layer 1 Initial Tile settings (on the left) and...



...The Intial Level setting Flags.

The Initial Tile Settings Control the Level and the Events associated with said Level. The Level number used for a Level is in Hex, by the way.

The Initial Level setitng Flags help to determine which direction Mario can move before he beats a level. As a general rule, Mario should always be able to go back to another place the way he came.




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That's all I've got for now. I'll start putting together the FAQ now.

-Yanamanka

Yanamanka, I found a good question for the FAQ:

Q.: When I edit Vanilla Dome's Palette, The Valley of Bowser changes too!
A.: In the normal SMW, Vanilla Dome and Valley of Bowser have same palette, no matter if in LM shows two equal palettes.

---

Fierce Deity is cool.
Workin' in OW request...
Currently attendind Scape Santa, but I don't know what to do...

Sorry if you already said this, if you did, i did not understand, but how do you use the pipes and stars?

Nevermind, i figured it out

I've aleady explained this here.

Yanamanka, you should add a new layout:



------------------
Overworld: the do1s and don't's
------------------

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Fierce Deity is cool.
Workin' in OW request...
Currently attendind Scape Santa, but I don't know what to do...

Here's a question that no one has bothered answering:

How do you insert .pal files to the OW as a palette?

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View my YouTube channel here!
View my website here!

You can't. Insert it into a level and then copy the palette.

This is a very good idea. After this is done (the thread), I suggest you put it in a document, so it can be downloaded, edited, etc.

Great job guys!

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Untitled Hack Progress:


YouTube: www.youtube.com/shodanwii