Level design

Start here.

This article contains all the tutorials and references you need to start creating your own levels.

Getting started

• Zone Builder tutorial – The technical basics of mapmaking in SRB2.
• Level header – Give your map a name, music, sky and other details. These cannot be set in the level editor itself.
• Level Design 101 – Articles on map design. The "what" of mapping, not the "how".

Advanced tutorials

These tutorials are more technical, and assume you know your way around Zone Builder.

• Egg Capsule tutorial – Make an Egg Capsule appear after the boss is defeated.
• Joining and merging sectors – Optimize your map (and improve framerate) by lowering the number of sectors in your stage. This technique does not remove any geometry from your map.
• Linedef executor tutorial – An in-map scripting system. Linedef executors allow the stage to respond to the player (or other Objects). All buttons use linedef executors, for example.
• Metal Sonic race tutorial – Make a Metal Sonic race, like in Black Core Zone Act 1.
• Minecart tutorial – Make minecart tracks, like in Arid Canyon Zone Act 2.
• Moving platforms tutorial – Make platforms that move up and down on their own or rise or sink when the player steps on them.
• Multi-property FOF – Make an FOF with different textures, effects, and flags on each side.
• NiGHTS tutorial – Make your own NiGHTS stage. This is the level type used for SRB2's Special Stages.
• Pegging – Explains the Lower Unpegged, Upper Unpegged and Peg Midtexture flags. Namely, these flags are required to create grass edges on platforms.
• PolyObject tutorial – Make platforms that can move horizontally and rotate.
• Pusher tutorial – Make wind, water currents, and other pushing and pulling effects.
• Reverse gravity tutorial – How to use reverse gravity.
• Rope hang tutorial – Make hangable ropes, like the rope pulley gimmick seen in Arid Canyon Zone Act 1.
• Scroller tutorial – Scroll walls and planes. These carry players with them, like conveyor belts.
• Sector-based spike tutorial – How to make sector-based spikes, which can be used to make retractable spikes and spiked crushers.
• Slope tutorial – How to make slopes.
• Stacking multiple FOFs – Add multiple FOFs to the same sector.
• Timed linedef executor – Set up linedef executors to trigger with a time delay, for periodic or delayed effects.
• Water tutorial – Create water and other liquids (such as slime and lava).
• Zoom tube tutorial – How to set up zoom tubes, like in Egg Rock Zone, that have the player dash through a small tube.

Additional resources

While these tutorials are not directly related to mapping, they show how to add various resources to WAD or PK3 files that you might want to combine with levels or level packs.

• Custom Object tutorial – How to create custom Objects, such as scenery items or enemies.
• Custom textures tutorial (SLADE) – How to add custom textures and flats to a file with SLADE.
• Custom textures tutorial (XWE) – How to add custom textures and flats to a file with XWE.
• Custom unlockables and emblems – How to add custom unlockables and emblems for level packs.
• Cutscene – How to add cutscenes, either between levels or replacing the intro or credits.
• Level select picture tutorial – How to add level select pictures for levels to a file.
• Sound and music tutorial – How to add custom music and sound effects to a file.

References

These reference articles list specific information that you might need during level design.

• Flats and textures – Lists all flats and textures, categorized in themes.
• Glossary – This is a listing of the more technical terms that people use when describing editing (including level design) in SRB2 and their definitions.
• Map – Explains the technical structure of a map.
• Thing types – Lists all the Thing types and their respective articles.
• Linedef types – Lists all the linedef types and their respective articles.
• Sector types – Lists all the sector types and their respective articles.
• Reserved tags – Lists all reserved sector tags that have special hardcoded properties.
• List of music – Lists all music.
• List of skies – Lists all skies.
• List of sounds – Lists all sound effects.