So You Want To Be A Designer..., Tips and Links to getting started

If you're looking at this thread then you have overcome the first hurdle to becoming a ZT2 Designer. Congratulations! However, before you start downloading programs, posting new topics in the forums, and pestering current designers for help, you should ask yourself a few simple questions:

1. Are you willing to spend hours trying to solve one bug?
2. Are you prepared to handle the stress of people asking you the same question over and over again?
3. Are you willing to carefully analyze and discover for your self that which cannot be easily explained on the computer?
4. Are you willing to dedicate countless hours to creating just one project?
5. Are you aware that there are limitations associated with creating that cannot be overcome?
6. Are you prepared to have your project not work the first time, or even the 20th time?
7. Are you prepared to have your download rejected an undefined amount of times before it is finally accepted?
8. Are you prepared to have other members negatively criticize your work?
9. Are you prepared to dive in, use the tutorials provided, and get through the bumpy process mostly unassisted?
10. Are you prepared to check every file multiple times before asking a single question?

If you answered "no" to any of the above questions, than perhaps making an entirely new project isn't for you just yet. If however, you still think you want to try to code something new for the game, then continue reading!

First off, a few rules of designing:

- DO NOT contact designers as a first method of answering questions
- DO NOT automatically start new topics asking for answers; you are not the first person to want to try to make something; chances are, you are not the first person with that question.
- DO NOT start a project if you intend to ask for a coder or skinner. Have these planned out before you decide that you can make a project.
- DO NOT start a current projects thread until you have actually started work on something.
- DO NOT think that you are going to get it right the first time...ever.
- DO NOT depend on untested technology to get a finished product (example: model editing)
- DO NOT use another designer's project as a base for your project unless you have written permission from that designer.


- DO use the search feature to find answers.
- DO plan on doing the coding and skins by yourself, especially from the beginning.
- DO check and recheck the files if you are experiencing problems
- DO try to solve the problem yourself first
- DO look at at other designer's work in order to figure out problems in your own

Next a few extremely helpful links

Common Problems: when you have a problem, this is the thread for you! It contains some of the most common errors that people get when they code, and should be the first place you look if you have a problem!

Animal Attribute Changing: here you will find a collection of the most common attribute changing directions. Want to change that fame level? Can't find how to change the conservation status? Wondering how to turn a meat eater into a vegetarian? This is a one-stop shop for all of the common changes.

Zoo Tycoon 2 Desinging Reference Guide: Here is a useful list of all the common file types in ZT2 designing and what purpose they serve, and many beginners might find quite useful.

Zoo Admin : while not as dedicated to designing as ZT2DC, this is still a great place to get many downloads, help, and meet people who share your interest.

Designing Programs List

Here are a list of all of the programs you will need in order to design, including downloads for some.

DXTBmp: Allows you to open and save the .dds files, the files that give color to the game.
WinRar: Allows you to open up .z2f files as well as save your projects as .z2fs as wellNotepad: Allows you to view and edit a number of files, including .xml, .dl, .bfm, .beh, and .tsk files
Xvi32: allows you edit the text in .nif files
Some sort of graphics program: You can use Adobe Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro, even Paint. A free Graphics program called GIMP is also used. Whatever program you feel most comfortable using, or whichever one you can afford, is perfectly fine to use.
If you do have Photoshop, the nVidia Photoshop DDS Plugins allow you to open and save DDS files directly in Photoshop.


Helpful Programs

These programs are not necessary, but make the lives of many designers much easier.

Nifskope: Tired of waiting for Zoo Tycoon 2 to load everytime you want to test out your skin? The waiting stops now! Simply have the .nif file in the same folder as the .dds you are working on, and it will load the skin with the model, allowing you to preview it much less time than it takes for the game to load!
Flash Renamer: need to rename 20 files? This program will make it easy work. Just type what you want replaced and with what, and with one click, it does them all for you!
ReNamer: Does a very similar thing to Flash Renamer, but much more versatile and sophisticated.
Inforapid Search and Replace: actually changes words inside of files, saving you the hassle of having to replace the original codename with your codename in a bunch of different files individually

Helpful Topic

Before you begin, and while you are coding, it's a great idea to have the Reference Guide handy. It will provide very helpful information on file types and language.

Where to start?

Want to create something, but aren't sure if you are ready for an animal just yet? Based on the level of ease, this is the order that you should follow to becoming a great designer. Included under each are links to guides you may find helpful as you progress.

1. Variant

The best route is always, no matter what you want to create, to try your hand at an Animal Variant (also sometimes spelled "varient" around here). We have a great guide here, written by Penguinman and Csleesburg, called the Variant Creation Tutorial. These are the only type of file that ZA does not require a .dl for

2. Scenery Object

Park benches and trash cans might not sound so appealing, especially if you want to make an animal, but it really helps to start with something relatively simple before trying to tackle something as complex as an animal.

Penguinman's Object Creation Tutorial (OCT) is an awesome resource for making objects.
For fences, try ShenTirag's Fences Tutorial.


3. Foliage

Download Foliage Design Tutorial written by Nique to create a foliage object. These can be tricky at times, but it is a good idea to try one to develop your skills more.


4. Animal

Here is the part where most people want to be! There are not many tutorials out there, but there is an Animal Creation Tutorial in the Designer Resources area which is a good place to start. You will know the bugs when you come to them; refer to Common Problems to get them sorted out.

With help on Lang files, consult Animalover44's Lang File Tutorial.
Every file submitted to ZA must have an accompanying .dl file. For help on creating this, refer to Gibbon-Fanatic's .dl Making Tutorial
If you want to change the area from where your animal comes from (it's location) check out Penguinman's Map Location Tutorial


5. Building

Yes, a building is harder than an animal, surprisingly. As such, there is not even a tutorial out for it yet. Much like you did for the Foliage, try using OCT and an already finished project from another designer as a guide to figure it out. When a tutorial becomes available, this post will be amended.

Note that clicking some of these links will open ZA in a new window.

Mesh Editing

If you are thinking that you are going to make an animal using the "Mesh (or Model) Changing Technology" please bear this in mind: it has limitations. For one, we don't know everything about it yet. The only successful models have been by Littlemog , those being the Unicorn and Fenris Wolf, and even those had minute flaws in them. Simba's Wyvern at ZA has a glitch that makes it blink. I strongly suggest that you wait till others have figured it out completely before you decide that model editing is for you. Otherwise you will just end up frustrated because there are inevitable bugs thus far that we just don't know how to fully overcome.

Also note that just because you get it to look good in Blender or 3DSMax, or NifSkope does not guarentee that it will ever appear in the game.

There is a guide for getting started with mesh editing by Gloria here.

A Note About Starting new Designing Teams
Quote from badisbadis101