Creating a New Map

Running the Mapper

The Mapper tool in Rayman Designer is a Windows 95/98 program. Place your Rayman Designer CD in the drive and the opening menu should automatically start. Run Rayman Designer and select the "Mapper" button.

Open One of Rayman's Worlds

Choose the "Worlds" pull-down from the Mapper menu bar, then "Open ...". A dialog box with icons representing each of Rayman's six worlds (Jungle, Music, Mountain, Image, Cave, Cake) will be displayed. Choose the world for your new level by clicking on the corresponding icon.

Types of Maps

A list of maps for the world you chose will appear in a pop-up window. There are four types of maps; however you probably do not have all of the types at this point.

Template Map - This map contains the library of all the blocks required to assemble the world's platforms and non-moving scenic elements. To make things easier, certain blocks are pre-assembled. You will use the template map to select and copy blocks to paste into the map you are creating. 

User Map - These are the maps that you have created. In the example shown, "Map 2" and "Map 3" are User Maps.

Original Map - These are maps that other people have created and you've downloaded from the Internet. In the example shown, "Map 40" is an Original Map that was downloaded and imported into the Rayman game. (For more information on downloading levels from this web site, see the section on Downloading Rayman Levels.) You may not have any Original Maps at this point. You can not directly modify an Original Map in the Mapper or Events Editor, but you can copy an Original Map. Once you copy an Original Map it becomes a User Map which you can modify.

Example Map - These are maps that contain only a few platforms, some bits of scenery and the Rayman character. They serve as starting points for levels that you create. They are not modifiable until you copy them. When they are copied, they then become User Maps.

Each Example Map has different dimensions. You must always use an Example map that matches the layout of the level you are creating. The Example Map sizes (in blocks) are as follows:

Example A: horizontal map	600 x 40
Example B: vertical map	40 x 200
Example C: square map	200 x 200
Example D:  vertical rectangle map	100 x 200
Example E:  horizontal rectangle map	200 x 100

Copying a Map

To create a new map, you have to copy an existing map, either one of the five Example Maps, an Original Map that you downloaded, or an older User Map. In the list of maps window, place the cursor on the map you would like to copy, click once to highlight the name of the map, then in the "Maps" pull-down in the Mapper menu bar, select "Add user map". 

The Map Number dialog box is displayed asking you to select a map number for your new level. Valid map numbers are 1-99. We recommend that you accept the number that appears in the fill-in field. When you press the OK button, your new level will appear in the list of maps as a "User Map". 

Changing the Map Properties

You need to next change the properties of your new map. By default, your new map has inherited the properties from the map that you copied. Place the cursor on the name of your new User Map in the list, click once to highlight the name of the map, then in the "Maps" pull-down from the Mapper menu bar, select "Properties". The Properties dialog box is displayed. You can change the properties at any point while you are building your new level.

Title,Author & Comment - When playing the new Rayman levels, the Title and Author information is displayed at the top of the screen as you use the ARROW keys to scroll through the "Other Maps". The longer Comment is scrolled across the middle of the screen.

Level - Determines how many lives Rayman has at the start of the level: Easy - 1 life, Normal - 3 lives, Hard - 5 lives.

Powers - Lets you select which powers Rayman has in the level. Some of the powers are mutually exclusive. For example, if Rayman has the Super Helicopter power, he can not also have the normal Helicopter power. In the Jungle World if you give Rayman the ability to plant seeds, he can not also have the power to run because the power use the same 'X' key. We recommend always giving Rayman the Fist, Hanging, Helicopter and Run powers unless you are building a special level where Rayman needs the Super Helicopter or Seed powers.

Landscape - You may have either background scenery 1 or 2 in your level. For example, in the Jungle World background scenery 1 is the image of the green swamp with trees; background scenery 2 is the blue background with the giant vines. The background scenery that you choose is entirely your personal preference. In the section of this manual on "Designing for each of the Worlds", there are screen snaps that show you examples of the background landscape  scenery. 

Music - Again, entirely your personal preference.

Congratulations!

You have created a new Rayman level and are now ready to use the Mapper to add some scenery. If you play Rayman you will see your new level listed in the "Other Maps" for the world.