Need Help w/ Ability Editing!

How can I create my own abilities? I've seen created ones on maps like Tides of Blood and I was wondering how to make my own abilities like that.
Any help would be great

Look on the object editor in the World editor. There should be a Abilities tab. You just need to learn how to use the options. Create new spells and learn what all the settings do by playing around with them. If you are trying to make new spells for the first time, start off with simple ones like changing the chain lightning spell so it has the graphics of mana burn or changing slow to haste by putting in negative values and making the spell target friends instead of enemies.

Ok, THank you, but I still have a problem: I'm trying to add skins to my map. I know how to do the Game Interface one, but I can't do the model file selection. The file I downloaded doesn't show up and I've already imported the file w/ the import manager. Can u help me?

To change a skin for an existing WC III model you have to import the skin and then use a custom path that is the same as the skin that WC III normally uses so your skin will overwrite the Blizzard's skin in your map. For example the footman skin path is

units\human\Footman\Footman

The skins might not show up in the editor but should in the test or actual playing of the map.

also, how can I edit the maximum levels the hero can grow to? I am having a little trouble with the abilities. How can I change the color of the ability art and the ability icon? I also have a little trouble with the skins still. What should i change the custom box to to overwrite the Blizzard code? It starts as

units\human\HeroBloodElf\HeroBloodElf

OK to adjust the of heros u go to the gameplay constants which is under the advanced tab and then go to the b) section and find max level. Umm if ur making custom spells and you want really cool 1ns like in dota and tob you should eitheir learn jass or use triggers which makes awsome spells. for a tut on trigger spells c the tutorial section.

As 4 ur blood mage path im still having trouble getting any blood mage skin into my mpa. I prbably have a rong path or something but ohh well.

Ohh ya and if this path works plz tell em because it doesn't work in my editor.

Edit: I just found a blood mage path that mite work try it out.
Textures\HeroBloodElf.blp

To change hero max level go into: Advanced->Gameplay Constants->check Use Custom->Change hero Maximum level.
(I believe this is in the FAQ a lot of people complain about ppl reasking the same questions over and over)

To change the color of ability art i believe you have to do .mdl editting which i haven't really spent the time to figure out so i can't help you there.


I believe what you were looking at was the model path.

When you import the image file you can double click the file in import manger and get a menu to create a custom path that matches Blizzard's original for the skin.

To find the skin path you can use WarCraft III viewer which I believe is in the download section.

For icons you can either do what is above or double click the icon setting in object editor and pick from the import list.
If you take the 2nd option when you go to pause the game you will see green square where your icons would be. That is why i like to take option 1 and also import a disable icon.

ok, I've got the icons and abilities down, but I can't get the model file still. I've tried making the custom file units\human\HeroBloodElf\HeroBloodElf to overrwrite the Blizzard one, but it still hasn't worked! Also, when I choose the spawn points for the players in the center of the map, hence it's similar to a TOB, it still makes the town halls spawn! Is there a way to prevent this?

For the town halls, go to the Trigger Editor, there should be Melee Initialization triggers, delete em.

ok Thanks for all your help, but I still can't figure out the models. Like, should I download skins or models? or do they work both ways?

Contrary to what Falitain said, you DON'T nescessarily need Jass or whatever to make über custom spells. I've been able to make some incredibly cool + original stuff just thru ability and unit editing, and some simple triggering. Here's a few examples:

Twitching Nightmare - puts a target enemy to sleep. Attacking the unit will wake it, but if the sleeping unit is melee and the unit waking it is melee, the waking unit will lash out as he snaps out of the Nightmare, attacking his awakener (be he friend or foe) with bonus fear damage.

Cool Effect: cast on enemy heroes to get them to accidentally hurt allies.
Methods: Sleep, dummy unit w/ reverse +dmg cripple, triggers.

Day of the Tentacle (ultimate) - summons a Forgotten One, a mighty but stationary mutant creature with Spawn Tentacle and Hypnosis Call (taunt with very large range) and which creates 5 corpses in a medium-short radius around itself from which to raise Tentacles. Has a long-ranged attack.
-Tentacle - mighty tentacle summoned by the Forgotten One which produces 5 corpses around itself in a close radius, from which it can raise Lesser Tentacles. Has Spawn Lesser Tentacle, and a long-ranged attack.
-Lesser Tentacle - small but swift tentacle with a quick melee attack.
Cool Effect: Tentacles are spawned in perfect symmetry, and very quickly. The Hypnosis Call (long-range taunt) of the Forgotten one can lure enemies to their doom. Since the Forgotten One is surrounded by five Tentacles and twenty-five Lesser Tentacles at this point, units (especially melee) meet an almost certain doom when they approach the Forgotten One. Also, the Spawn Tentacle and Spawn Lesser Tentacle abilities are based off Spirit of vengeance, meaning killing a Tentacle kills all the Lesser Tentacles it's spawned and killing the Forgotten One kills them all.

Methods used: Pocket Factory (base ability), Spirit of Vengeance, NO TRIGGERS. If/when you see this you will be awed by the über powers ability editing alone can achieve!!

Borealis (ultimate) - summons the north wind, Borealis, to smite enemies. Damages buildings on contact and randomly tosses enemy units into the air. Also shoots lightning bolts in random directions, damaging enemies.

Cool Effect: Tornado with unit-killing capabilities. The lighning is achieved thru a method a friend of mine developed which allows tanks to have archers shoot out of them independantly of the tank (and choose multiple targets).
Methods Used: Tornado (only slightly tweaked), Orc Burrow, Inventory, Phoenix Fire.

Hydra of the Abyss (ultimate) - summons the mighty Hydra of the Abyss, a deadly three-headed beast. the Hydra loses health gradually and continuosly, and can use the Absorb Life ability to borrow health from allied units. Upon death, the hydra's Heads split off into seperate units with incredible speed and which can kamikaze to harm enemy units.

Cool Effect: Killing the hydra can often be worse than letting it live. Also it can stay alive with Absorb Life to preserve it's kamikaze effect until the right time. Plus, since it belongs to a Summoner-type hero, the summoner's minions can be absorbed in place of more valuable allied units.
Methods USed: Phoenix (no reason really), Spawn Hydra, Kaboom!

Just a few examples of how a little creative editing can go a long way. :8 screw jass!!

well ty that helped my abilities even more, but I still cant get the model stuff workin. Like I said eariler, should I download skins or models, or does it matter? And how do I use them as Game Interface AND Model File?

models don't really matter that much, I prefer to improvise personally. Icons though are easy to download, take up less space, + do a lot towards breaking the tedium of normal stuff. Try downloading Wc Image Extractor II, which lets you look at a lot of hidden icons + skins. I don't think it does TfT stuf though... :\

I see your point. However, while I've been working on my map, I've run into ability problems. I've been trying to make an aura that includes Brilliance aura, Command Aura, and Unholy Aura. However, I can only improve the mana regeneration per level and not the command or unholy aura effects. Can you help?

How do you suppose that you can just combine those three abilities? You'll need a separate ability for each of those intended effects. And these abilities all take icons in the command card.
In order to have all of them based off of one learnable skill you'll have to use triggers to give the hero an ability or to upgrade it to a higher level, and each aura will still take up icon space.