Battlefield Mapping Tutorials

Converting Your DesertCombat Map To DC_Extended

 

This tutorial was written to teach you how to convert your Desert Combat map to DC_Extended, so you can have all the sweet additions that the Desert Combat Extended mod brings!w This will create a very small file size RFA. Anyone you want to share this with, will also have to have the BF1942 version of your map. I'll be using my DC_Lost_In_Iraq map as the conversion example for this tutorial.

Tools used for this tutorial:

Battlefield 1942 (obviously you need the game)
Battlecraft 1942 (not used for this tutorial, but needed it to create the DC version of your map, hehe)
• RFA Extractor 1.1
(
download here) 11kb
GMakeRFA (
download here) 796kb
PreCache.con (
download here) 2kb
Your Existing DesertCombat version map

Step 1:

Create a folder on your desktop, give it the name of your map, but add DCX_ before the name of your map. Naming isn't important, but if you follow this tutorial, you'll have no problems. So, my map is named DC_Lost_In_Iraq so I created a folder on my desktop called DCX_Lost_In_Iraq.

Step 2:

If you haven't done so already, use RFA Extractor and the entire contents of your Battlefield version map somewhere.

If you have, go to the folder where your map has been extracted. Delete everything you see in the image below highlighted in light red, and keep everything you see highlighted in light green. Note* In my map, I have both Conquest and CTF modes enabled and working and wish to copy both game modes to the new DCX version. Your map may have more or less modes, but most definitely should have Conquest.

Your new directory, should now look something like this:

 

After you're all done that, its time to open up the files and make the Desert Combat Extended changes to them.

Open the Conquest Folder, delete all files, except these:

ControlPointTemplates.con, ObjectSpawns.con and ObjectSpawnTemplates.con

If you also have TDM, CTF or COOP modes, you'll need to delete and keep the same files as listed above.

Go into the MENU folder, and open up the Init.con file with Notepad. You'll want to add/edit the line for the Server Icon, so your map shows the MOD ICON next to it.

game.setServerInfoIcon ../../Texture/DC_Extended/MapIcons/serverInfo.dds

This will show the little DCX logo next to your map name in the maps list for when you are selecting which maps to play in game.

Next, in the same Init.con file, you'll need to make sure you have this line set, or changed from DesertCombat to DC_Extended

game.setMapId "DC_Extended"

Save and close that Init.con in the Menu folder, you're done with that file.

Next, open the main Init.con file, located in the main directory of the folder you have all your other files in. You'll want to scroll down to the bottom and replace the Desert Combat classes with the Desert Combat Extended Classes, which are here:

game.setTeamSkin 1 IraqSoldier
game.setKit 1 0 Iraq_Sniper_Light
game.setKit 1 1 Iraq_Assault_Grenadier
game.setKit 1 2 Iraq_AT_SA-7
game.setKit 1 3 Iraq_HeavyAssault
game.setKit 1 4 Iraq_Support_Nades
game.setKit 1 5 Iraq_SpecOps_Silent

game.setTeamSkin 2 USSoldier
game.setKit 2 0 US_Sniper_Light
game.setKit 2 1 US_Assault_Grenadier
game.setKit 2 2 US_AT_Stinger
game.setKit 2 3 US_HeavyAssault
game.setKit 2 4 US_Support_Nades
game.setKit 2 5 US_SpecOps_Silent

Save it.

Ok, now you need to change the vehicle names so that the new DesertCombat Extended vehicles will show up in your map.

Now, go into the Conquest folder and open the ObjectSpawnTemplates.con file with notepad.

You'll only want to edit the areas circled in GREEN  not Red. Change the ObjectSpawner name, and you're in for some headache!

This is where you change the vehicles to spawn. Instead of a DPV, spawn a DPV with Jet Engine!

So basically, in the first example under Humvee_Spawner, you could throw a DCX_TAXI instead of a HUMVEE_TOW, and a DCX_HUMVEE instead of a HUMVEE.

You can get a full list of vehicles from this link:  DesertCombat Extended .71 List

Save the file when you're done. If you have your map setup for DeathMatch or CTF, you'll have to also edit the ObjectSpawnTemplate.con file in those directories too.

Now you are ready to use GMakeRFA and pack this bad boy up to play your Battlefield map Desert Combat style!

Open up GMakeRFA, you should see this:

Now you want to click on the Set Manager button you see circled in red in the image above.

Then you'll see this.

In the Origin Folder box, you want to browse to the folder you created on your desktop, that contains the remaining map files you didn't delete.

In the OutPut RFA box, you want to browse to your DC_Extended maps folder in your Battlefield 1942 install directory. With a default install, you'll find it here: C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\Battlefield 1942\Mods\DC_Extended\Archives\bf1942\levels

Be sure to name the OutPut RFA the same name as your DesertCombat version, so in this example, DC_Lost_In_Iraq.rfa

In the Base RFA Folder box, circled in yellow, you want to simply put:  bf1942\levels\YourMapName

Now, just click on the CREATE button and in a few seconds, it'll be finished, and you'll have a very small file sized RFA file for your DC version of your Battlefield map.

One thing to check, and I don't think it matters, some versions of GMakeRFA create the RFA with an ALL CAPS extension instead of the default lowercase extension (ex.  DC_Lost_In_Iraq.rfa   but this GMakeRFA version makes DC_Lost_In_Iraq.RFA). I'm not sure if this will cause the map not to load, but you can easily rename the extension to be lowercase with no worries.

Thats it! If it works, you did everything correct and you can now zoom around in those fast ass DPV's!

If it didn't work for you, first double check all steps, then contact me if it still doesn't work. tfcmaster@tfcmaster.net

And of course, if you want a custom loading screen and thumbnail, you'll have to add those in as well, using a combination of GMakeRFA and my other tutorials for adding custom loading screens and thumbnails.