Composite Editor

for Age of Empires and Age of Empires: The Rise of Rome Expansion

Using the Composite Editor: Features: Marker Tool

Important: Please install the Marker graphic before using the Marker Tool. The Marker graphic must be installed in order for the Marker Tool to appear correctly.

Each unit has a corresponding Marker that appears directly below it in the units list. The Marker has the same name as the unit, except instead of a space between the prefix and name, there is the letter m.

Since the AoE/RoR scenario editor doesn't have undo, I recommend practicing using the Marker first before actually using it in any serious scenarios. When you do use it on a serious scenario, remember to save often.

The Marker makes it very easy to spam large numbers of units. Please exercise moderation and avoid placing too many units, especially if they are all in the same area. Placing too many units may cause the game to lag or even crash. You may be able to get away with more or less units depending on what kind of units they are. Purely eye candy units, such as rocks or grass clumps, are the safest. Units that have AI, such as soldiers or towers, are more likely to cause lag and possible crashing. Units that can shoot missiles are the worst.

To make straight lines of units in any direction, place a unit's Marker at one endpoint of the line you want. Then move the Marker slightly past the other endpoint. A line of units should appear between where you placed the Marker to where you moved it. Delete the Marker. It's OK to have several Markers in a scenario when editing it, but be sure to delete any Markers you place as soon as you're done using them, in order to avoid clutter and potential bugs. Do not leave any Markers on the map when you save a scenario.

Notice that the last “unit” is just a preview that is part of the Marker. It will disappear when the Marker is deleted.

Also, moving the Marker very short distances will cause units to be placed much closer together.

The Marker Tool also lets you choose the rotation angle before placing many identical units. Place a unit's Marker, select Rotate and click the Marker until the preview is at the desired angle. Then move the Marker to generate the units, and delete the Marker when done. You can do this outside the final area the units will be in, then move them into their final locations after deleting the Marker. This can be very useful when you want only one angle of a unit in large numbers, such as when using Beach Articles in RoR to make snow.

Note, some units have previews that rotate but they are not affected by the Marker's rotation, and instead appear randomly rotated.

Also, some units have previews that rotate but they do not actually have rotations and thus appear in only one angle.

It is also possible to place units on restricted terrains, such as Fog, if the restricted terrain is in between normal terrain. Place a unit Marker on normal terrain, then move it across the restricted terrain to the other side with normal terrain. A line of units should appear on the restricted terrain. Delete the Marker and all the extra units, leaving only the units in the location of the restricted terrain that you want.

(Refresh the page to restart the animation from the beginning)

Finally, the Marker Tool gives you the ability to place building foundations for any player. You can place foundations for any building, even ones you can't build normally like the Trade Workshop (except the Laser Tower, because is not really a building, and anyway, you shouldn't use the Laser Tower because it is known to cause the game to crash). Place a Marker for a building where you want the foundation and just move it slightly. Delete the Marker and any extra foundations that appeared. However, it is not possible to move building foundations. They would just turn into regular buildings if you move them.

Interestingly, computer players will build foundations that you place for them. For example, if you give a computer player a town center foundation and some villagers, one of them will build the town center. (Note: I haven't tested this yet, but I suspect you might need to put an entry for the building in the player's AI file in order to make it build the foundation.)

(Refresh the page to restart the animation from the beginning)

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