Larian Studios Forums Divinity: Original Sin 2 - The Modding Dungeon Divinity - Original Sin 2 - Modding General How to template a building

I spent the better part of the day trying to make an Inn that I could then prefab and quickly copy paste in any new adventure I would make.

This in an effort to find ways to decrease a GM workload in creating an environment.

However when I prefab my entire inn I get an amount of warning where I altered objects and these wouldn't be taken into the prefab. Fair enough, but then to my surprise the wall itself of the building wasn't in the prefab either.

So ... prefab is not the way to go. What is the best way to make a "library" of buildings that we can quickly copy paste in new levels ? My ultimate goal is making some kind of community library with structures in it , a jail, an inn, a barn, etc... Anything that will decrease adventure preparation for a GM

That would be epic! I too would like to know this. I'm trying to bring objects over into the GM palette and for the life of me I cannot figure out how to convert a wall object to a scenery object

Having a resource like you want to create as a method of fast tracking maps would be excellent. I can see it being super useful for veteran and novice map builders alike.

Doesn't help me with trying to get prefabs into GM mode, but I applaud your idea none-the-less

So I am by NOOOOO means an expert, but playing around a bit in the editor I think the answer lies in "Level Templates"

To make a level template you select all of your items (just the parts you want so I would say avoid the terrain obviously)

With them all selected right click and choose "export to a level template". This actually will save them as a level, but that "level" (ie your building) can then be brought back into any other level.

When you drag a level template into a level you get a bounding box you can slide around before clicking to place down the building or whatever. The editor will treat it as a solid object, but you can right click on it and choose "Explode Level" to break it apart into individual objects again.

The problem is I'm unclear how you see level templates you have created in the root templates tab... I can drag and drop the Larian created ones into my levels, but no idea how to access the ones i've exported (even though they do appear in the level browser when loading or creating a new level.

You'll have to play with that a bit I suppose unless someone can explain to us how to properly use level templates.

I also hope someone has an idea of how to convert prefab objects (or level templates) in scenery objects. I really want to get walls and houses into the GM mode palettes.

I'll experiment with the level templates tomorrow. I hope there is a way to actually do this. If we can make a library of easy to import prefab structures we have a basis to get somewhere. The GM mode is otherwise kind of a dud if we can't make quick adventures.

That is my thoughts on the matter at least. A GM should have to focus on his stories, not spend to long drawing his maps.

The problem with prefabs of buildings (that are basically walls) for me so far is, that when you place he prefab the building gets nullified to one wall tile, that has to be drawn again to a building.

How well MG mode does long term depends a lot on what comes if this. Now there will be hardcore GMs that use the editor but the growth of the community much less wothout the features like this and larger maps.

Having to load a chain of 10 small zones just to have multiple encounters for one quest like gets very old.

Yes absolutely. That is why my mod project is to increase the default map size and customization options as well as bring over loads of items from the campaign. I think GMs need as many "on the fly" options they can use during a game without resorting to the editor for every little thing. You can check out the progress here if you are interested:

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1140523854

It just can't be done, I tried with level templates, copy pasting between levels, between projects. The last attempts just crash the editor.

I wish they made an easy export, import function. As it stands now you cannot make a library of houses or anything that uses walls, nor can you edit objects once you placed them cause those changes are not taken into prefabs.

Another major disappointment for me

Sword Coast Legends + Larian Terrain Editor + NWN interior editor

Then we have a GM worthy game, can someone PLEASE make this ...

What was your approach with level templates that didn't work? I was able to use them very effectively to 'copy' one of the Game Master maps into my own project.

@Windmere - yes but that is an existing level template in the root assets. Even though the editor lets you save your own level templates (and they appear in your level list) how do you get those level templates to appear in the asset browser? It doesn't seem to work like scenery or any other asset in that regard.

You have to create a new root template and choose it from the Level Name drop down menu. Then you can add it to the level the same way as other objects. You see a yellow box outline of the level terrain and can place it somewhere in your level.

Ahh yeah I just came back from the editor to post that I figured it out, but THANK YOU yes this definately seems to be the answer (and I appreciate the screenshots etc. makes understanding so much easier).

So to Celludriel - just design your building as a level and then remove any terrain, start points etc so that the level is literally just the building and whatever you want in it. Then create a new level template the way Windmere explains above and choose your building level in the drop down. Then you will have a level template of your building which can be drug into existing maps.

What do you think would be the best way for Celludriel to distribute this though as obviously people will have to add this into the editor as a project in order to access his levels / level templates? This really doesn't fit a mod or addon since it targets the editor... (can a project even be uploaded to Steam Workshop? I suppose it could be zipped up and put on Nexus or the like...)

PS - @Windmere or anyone - is there any method you can think of to turn a prefab, group or level template into a single scenery object? I want to add wall, houses, lights and the like to the GM palette (and other items), but I can't find a good method... or even just groups of existing scenery objects turned into a single object - for example say a table with plates and food on it or shelves with books.

That would probably require some outside 3D work to merge meshes into one mesh (the shape of the object), I think.

Eh I've done some rudimentary 3D stuff before with Maya and worked with DDS files etc, but it's definately NOT my strength. I would prefer to avoid that if possible... plus DOS2's system of materials and GR2 files all seems very fiddly. That would require a whole pipeline to work out not something I'm too keen to dive into. Was hoping there was an easier "hack-ish" route I could find using the editor itself, .xls files, etc. etc.

Thanks Windemere this was the part I was missing, I couldn't figure out how to include the level template in the global level.



I was hoping Git could do it, but I'll have to investigate it further. It's also a huge workaround, we are basicly misusing the template system as a prefab system but if this is all we got, this is all we got. I'm glad it's figured out. Now if this works we should be able to build a big library project full of buildings for fast creating towns, outposts and other stuff.

My goal for now is give the tools to GM's to build the sunless citadel adventure in less then a weeks time. Although considering there are no twig blight creatures nor kobolds , there will have to be some artistic ... creativity. Maybe it's an adventure taking place after the sunless citadel conclusion ... I dunno ...

I've exported several buildings to a level template, and I got it working in my own level, but the function "Explode Level" doesn't appear when I right click it. Anyone got the same problem or am I doing something wrong? (I can't remove the source characters and the red prince when I remove everything from the copied map -> is this the problem?)