Mission Editor Overview

The Torque Mission Editor is a set of eight tools which allow you to perform a wide variety of tasks, such as place and manipulate objects, create and modify terrain and lighting settings, set up path's and other triggered events. To put it in simplest terms, the mission editor is where you'll be creating the world in which your game takes place in

Push F11 to open the mission editor. Once the mission editor is open, you have access to the following tools.

World Editor (F2)
This tool allows you to translate, rotate, and scale objects that have already been placed in the world.

World Editor Inspector (F3)
In addition to providing all the capabilities of the World Editor, this editor allows you to view and modify properties of individual mission objects.

World Editor Creator (F4)
In addition to providing all the capabilities of the World Editor, this tool allows you to place new objects in the current mission.

Mission Area Editor (F5)
This tool allows you to adjust the boundaries of the current mission as well as provides a means to mirror the current terrain.

Terrain Editor (F6)
This tool allows you to manually sculpt the terrain, as cut faces out of the terrain (useful for making things like tunnels).

Terrain Texture Editor (F7)
In addition to providing all the capabilities of the Terrain Editor, this tool allows you to select any number of textures and apply them using a set of algorithms to determine blending and placement.

Terrain Texture Painter (F8)
In addition to providing all the capabilities of the Terrain Editor, this tool allows you to select and subsequently to apply up to 6 different textures to the terrain.

This list may be succinct, but the true range of possibilities these tools provide will be demonstrated in the following tutorials. Before we get into how to use them, though, it's useful to have some general Mission Editor information under your belt.

The World Editor provides a traditional menu bar along the top edge for selecting the current tool as well as other features. This functions exactly as it would in any other program.

In addition to the menu bar, the mission editor utilizes a tool window which is used to display specific options for the active mission editor tool.

By default, the camera is attached to the player when you start a mission. While this is useful for playing/testing your game, it's not useful for mission editing. To be able to create your world with the greatest ease, you need to be able to move in all directions, instead of just along the terrain. This brings us to the camera options.  Following the descriptions of the camera options is a screenshot displaying the menu.

Free Look / Player View Toggle (Alt+C)
Free look is exactly what it sounds like: The camera isn't attached to any character and is free to move in all directions. Use W, A, S, and D to move forward, backward, and sideways, while using the mouse to pitch and turn. If you have the mission editor open, hold down the right mouse button while you are moving the mouse to pitch and turn.

Player view is the standard first person view you have when looking through the eyes of a player model

Free Look Camera Speed (Camera Menu > Slowest - Fastest)
While in free look, go to Camera menu bar item > Slowest - Fastest to adjust the speed of the camera.

Drop Character at Camera Position (Shift+F7)
This places the player character at the position of the free look camera as well as switches views from free look to first person player view.

Drop Camera at Character Position (Shift+F8)
This will place the free look camera at the player character's position, while staying in free look.

Once you place an object in your level, you will want to adjust its orientation and position to fit your design. The Mission Editor provides multiple camera angles, grid alignment, a multi-function “gizmo”, and other extensions for your editing needs.

Object Selection

Once you’ve selected your object, you will want to move your camera close enough so that you can see what you are doing.  In our example, shown below, we have placed a StaticShape object using the Elf model.  In the following image, the object is not selected.  However, when you hover your mouse over the object, the bounding box will display letting you know you can select it.

The Gizmo

Click on your object.  Your object’s bounding box will now change to a yellow color, signifying your selection.  Also, the Mission Editor Gizmo has popped up in the center/origin of your object.  The Gizmo consists of 3 arrows radiating out in the 3 standard coordinate directions/axis: (X,Y,Z).

Translate/Move

If you grab one of the arrows and drag it in a direction, your object’s location will adjust according to which arrow you pick.  In the image found below, we have selected the (Z) axis, which means our object will move directly up.  Alternatively, you can select the bounding box of the object and free move it in two of the three axis.

Rotation

You can toggle the rotation Gizmo pressing the [ALT] key before you manipulate your object.  You’ll notice that the Gizmo arrows have turned into circles.  Now, when you click and drag an axis (we’ve selected the Y-axis here), your object will rotate along around the axis.

Scaling

You can toggle the scale Gizmo pressing the [CTRL] and [ALT] keys at the same time.  You’ll notice that the Gizmo arrows have turned into boxes.  Move your mouse over one of the bounding box sides until it is shaded blue, as shown below.  Click on the side and drag it away from your object.  In our example, we have grabbed the bounding box that corresponds to the X-axis.  Once dragged outward, our object becomes much wider.

Snapping and Grid Viewing

Below, you can see a screen shot showing we have changed the camera from “Perspective” to “Top” by click on the drop down box in the top left corner of the editor.  We have also clicked and toggled the “Grid” and “Snap” options by clicking their buttons in the middle of the editor bar.  You can tell they are toggled by their light grey color.

What we are manipulating is a large DTS shape representing a base.  If you wish for your buildings align to specific locations on the map, say a road or designated building zone, using the overhead grid and snapping features.  When snapping is turned on, the objects origin will immediately move to the nearest grid point.  You can see the building’s origin by looking for the blue dot (which is actually the Gizmo’s Z-axis arrow shown from above).  We’ve placed a red square representing the next grid point below the building’s origin.  Note – The red square does not actually show in the Mission Editor.  It was added during image editing.

To demonstrate what happens to an object that is moved with the grid and snapping turned on, we’ve provided a screenshot below.  We clicked on the Y-axis of the Gizmo and dragged the building down.  Following the origin, the entire base snapped to the next grid point which is found under the red square.

That's it! You're ready to start building your own environment. When you're ready, continue on to the next lesson, Making Your Own Terrain.