Warcraft III World Editor

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Warcraft III World Editor

Developer:	Blizzard Entertainment
Latest release:	1.20 / October 2005
OS:	Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows, Mac OS 9
Use:	software development tool
License:	bundled with Warcraft III
Website:	http://www.blizzard.com/war3/

The Warcraft III World Editor is the official level editor for Blizzard Entertainment's game Warcraft III.

It is similar to StarEdit, the StarCraft level editor that preceded it; however, the Warcraft III editor is significantly more powerful than its predecessor.

1 Significant Improvements
2 Editors and Managers
3 Differences of the TFT Editor and the ROC Editor
4 Icon Gallery
5 See also
6 External Links

[edit] Significant Improvements

Important improvements over the StarCraft Campaign Editor include:

Enhancements to the user interface.
Ability to import and export sound effects.
Ability to edit every detail of a unit or building. Additional software required to edit models and textures.
Larger canvas for maps.
Ability to make cinema-like scenes.

As with the old StarCraft campaign editor, Blizzard does not directly support it and cannot fix most problems. However, Blizzard does have help sections for dealing with general problems encountered when working with the editor.

[edit] Editors and Managers

[edit] Terrain Editor

The Terrain Editor is the main screen which automatically opens with the World Editor. In this mode, the map's terrain can be edited, units and doodads placed, regions designated, and gameplay constants managed.

The six specific Tool Palettes within the Terrain Editor Tool Palette include:

Terrain Palette: Allows the editor to design the land with included tiles from either default or customized tilesets, raise and lower the terrain with or without changing the cliff level, and to create smooth hills or massive craters.

Doodad Palette: Allows the editor to add objects of interest to the previously barren lands. An editor can create immersive towns with buildings, lamps, and signposts, or mysterious forests with various tree models, flowers, shrubbery, and rocks, and can also add custom doodads created in the Object Editor.

Unit Palette: Place units, buildings, items and any other significant entities directly on the map. The total list includes the units used by each of the races, the campaign-specific units, neutral units, creeps and custom units defined by the world creator.

Region Palette: Define areas of the map by drawing rectangles known as regions. This is mainly used by triggers. For example, a region can be place around a town to trigger a welcome message when a hero enters this area of the map.

Camera Palette: Place cameras and set there various properties to achieve any point of view imaginable. Generally used for cinematic segments.

Gameplay Constants: the defaults of all melee maps are stored in this section.

[edit] Object Editor

The object editor allows editing of all game "objects": Units, Abilities, Doodads, Destructables, Upgrades and Buffs.

[edit] Sound Editor

The sound editor allows editors to pick sounds that can be used in your map and designate them as variables. Certain properties of a sound can also be edited, such as pitch and volume.

[edit] Trigger Editor

The trigger editor is where the map script is written, either in GUI triggers or directly in JASS. The map script controls any in-game events not dictated by the user. Triggers are essential for creating maps with complicated goals and atmosphere.

[edit] Import manager

The import manager allows importation of any type of file to be used in the map, such as custom models, skins, icons, images, sounds, or music. Too many imports can drastically lower download and load time. This feature should be only used for small files, as for example, a 3 minute song can make the file very large to download or even unable to download.

[edit] Differences of the TFT Editor and the ROC Editor

There are quite a few differences in the World Editor that came with Reign of Chaos and the one that came in The Frozen Throne. Namely:

The Ability Editor - This makes it possible to create custom Abilities or edit old Abilities without using SLK Spreadsheets.
More Triggers - Triggers have been added so that one If/Then/Else can have Multiple Actions.
More Units - The units in the Frozen Throne are available in the World Editor. There are also other units/items that weren't used/were obscure but are in the World Editor.
Custom Environment - One can create a custom Environment setting without using Triggers.
Improved Import Manager
Buff Editor - Allows the user to create custom buffs, such as Phoenix Fire or Flame Strike.