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--- ixe:mapmaking:custom [2024/12/06 17:38] – Grabz
+++ ixe:mapmaking:custom [2025/02/14 14:57] (current) – external edit 127.0.0.1
@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 ====== Making Custom Units ======
-This page will teach how to create a custom unit.
+Custom units have two or three components:
+  * image (typically a JPEG or PNG file) - how the unit looks
+  * description (JSON file) - what components and behaviors go with the unit
+  * behavior ([[ixe:irpl:start|IRPL]] file - what the unit does (if the unit is decorative, this is optional). In some instances, a pre-defined behavior may be all that is needed. These pre-defined behaviors can be described by a [[ixe:controller:start|controller]] - a controller can be specified in the JSON, making the script [[ixe:irpl:start|IRPL]] file unnecessary.
+A more complex unit can have multiple components, where each component is named in the base or root JSON, and each component can be made up the same as the root or base component.
+To make a custom unit, the 2 required pieces are a unit image and a unit JSON, both of which will need to be placed in the map folder for the map you are making.  At time of writing this requires external tools and we do not yet have access to a list of the unit JSON parameters or IRPL calls; we intend to update this page as we get that information.
+===== Unit Image =====
+The unit image is an image file, at time of writing we do not yet have a list of what image formats are supported and have mostly been using png files.  Every 2x2 area of ship pixels will correspond to a single tile of terrain.  So if your image is 39 pixels wide and 15 pixels tall, your ship will be 20 terrain tiles wide and 8 terrain tiles tall.  Also note that the bigger the ship the higher the build cost will be.
+You want a program that can make pixel art png files, including deleting pixels so you can have non-rectangular shapes.
+To get to your Creeper World IXE files you can copy <code>%Appdata%\CreeperWorldIXE\gamedata</code> into file explorer or navigate to <code>Appdata\Roaming\CreeperWorldIXE\gamedata</code>  If the map you intend to change is in the map editor, click the 'mapeditor' folder and then the folder that shares the name of the map in your list of editor projects and you should see a save.cwi file in there.  You can just place the files next to the save.cwi file, but for organisation purposes and ease of copying the unit to other maps, it is easiest to place the unit inside a folder.
+===== Unit JSON =====
+At time of writing we do not have access to the full list of JSON calls, we are currently making unit JSONs by copying information from known JSONs and some guesswork.  Below is a standard setup for custom player units; there are a few fields that need to be filled out to function though.
+<file json unit.json>
+{
+    "type": "unit",
+    "displayname": "My Awesome Unit",
+    "image": "body.png",
+    "position": [0, 0],
+    "pivot": [0.5, 0.5],
+    "maxammo": 100,
+    "maxcammo": 3000,
+    "ammorequesttime": 6,
+    "cammorequesttime": 6,
+    "permanentinventory": true,
+    "movable": true,
+    "parts": [
+    ],
+    "controllers": [
+        {
+            "name": "ondestroy_sandexplosion",
+            "amt": 500,
+            "minvelocity": 1.5,
+            "maxvelocity": 3,
+            "color0":[0.2, 0.4, 2],
+            "color1":[0.2, 0.6, 2],
+            "sandtype": 98,
+        }
+    ],
+}
+</file>
+Copy paste this into a text editor and fill out the following fields:
+  - "displayname" is the name of the unit.  Place the name between the quotes after the colon.
+  - "image" is the image file name (including .png).  Place the name between the quotes after the colon.  Note that if the image is in a different folder you can write the path using the map folder as a base or $/ to use the IXE homepath for base game units.
+  - "maxammo" is the amount of ammo the unit can carry, this needs to be at least one for certain parts to load.  Place the number between the colon and the comma. Don't include this parameter at all if the unit isn't supposed to carry ammunition.
+  - "maxcammo" is the number of Anticreeper the unit can carry. Don't include this parameter at all if the unit isn't supposed to store AC.
+  - "ammorequesttime" is the minimum time in frames between ammo requests. The lower the number, the faster this unit will receive ammo.
+  - "cammorequesttime" is the minimum time in frames between AC ammo requests. The lower the number, the faster this unit will receive AC.
+  - "permanentinventory" when true, the unit will go to the inventory upon destruction.
+All that remains is to add the parts; below the "parts" line, paste any of the following to add that part to your ship.  Don't worry about position yet, it is easier to position the weapons once the unit is placed in game.
+<tabbox Cannon>
+<code>                {"part": "$/weapon_cannon/weapon_cannon.json", "position": [0, 0]},</code>
+<tabbox Rocket>
+<code>                {"part": "$/weapon_rocket/weapon_rocket.json", "position": [0, 0]},</code>
+<tabbox Lathe>
+<code>                {"part": "$/weapon_lathe/weapon_lathe.json", "position": [0, 0]},</code>
+<tabbox Freeze Cannon>
+<code>                {"part": "$/weapon_freeze/weapon_freeze.json", "position": [0, 0]},</code>
+<tabbox Sentinel Cannon>
+<code>                {"part": "$/weapon_sentrygun/weapon_sentrygun.json", "position": [0, 0]},</code>
+<tabbox Phantom Beam>
+<code>                {"part": "$/weapon_phantombeam/weapon_phantombeam.json", "position": [0, 0]},</code>
+<tabbox Sanddropper>
+<code>                {"part": "$/module_sanddropper/module_sanddropper.json", "position": [0, 0]},</code>
+<tabbox Maker>
+<code>                {"part": "$/weapon_maker/weapon_maker.json", "position": [0, 0]},</code>
+</tabbox>
+Save the file name as what you want your ship to be named in code (make sure to use the extension .json) and place that file with the image from the first step.
+===== Global JSON =====
+To add a global script to your map - one that will run without the need of a unit - you need to add a global.json file to the root of your project with the following content
+<file json global.json>
+{
+    "type": "global",
+    "scripts": [
+        {"name": "mission.irpl", "run_when_paused" : false},
+    ]
+}
+</file>
+===== Scripting =====
+===== Final Touches =====
+At this point your unit should be ready to be placed in game.  Go to the map with your unit and navigate to the scripting tab of the editor.  The 'Build Modules' button is in the top left corner of that tab, hit it and you will hopefully see "Success: Added Module:".  If this fails, welcome to programming; at time of writing we only have had access to this for about 5 hours so we can't provide much assistance in troubleshooting.
+Going over to the units tab you should see your creation added to the units list.  Place it in the map and now we can start tweaking the module and weapon positions.  In the copied blocks above, you should see [0, 0] in each line.  The first number moves the module left and right, the second moves it up and down.  A value of 1 corresponds to 1 terrain pixel or 2 ship pixels so don't be afraid to use numbers like 0.5 or -1.2 to get the positioning correct.  After you make the position adjustment, save the JSON file and hit the 'Build Modules' button again; it should reposition the modules on the placed ship.
+And with that, congratulations!  You have made your own ship.
+To see how all of the base game ships are constructed, you can check them out here [[ixe:mapmaking:unitreference|Unit Reference]]
-This capability is not available yet, therefore this page is a stub.

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