Table of Contents

ArmA 3 Beginner Editing Guide

ArmA 3 Forum, ArmA 3, ArmA 3 Config, ArmA 3 Missions, ArmA 3 3D Modeling, ArmA 3 Scripting, ArmA 3 Terrain, ArmA 3 Texturing, ArmA 3 Tools

ArmA 3 Beginner Editing Guide by PMC

It is required that you read ArmA 2 Beginner Editing Guide as almost all of the info works in ArmA 3 also. Below is the list of specifics where necessary.

ArmA 3 in Steam

The largest change in the OFP/ArmA series is that bis has chosen to put ArmA 3 in the piece of shit STEAM.

This forces you to install the game into “<something>\SteamApps\common\Arma 3” directory which is really stupid, what kind of moron puts spaces in path/file names, not to mention forcing a install path is the lamest ever, sigh.

So because of this every time you reference ArmA 3 dirs/files using DOS .bat files / command lines or even windows short cuts (.lnk), you must use quotes because of the idiotic space in the directory.

Otherwise the basic ArmA 3 root directory is pretty much what it was in earlier titles.

PBO's what are these?

Same as ArmA 2.

Config.cpp (or .bin) what is it?

Same as ArmA 2.

P3D's what are they?

Same as ArmA 2 and now Object Builder edits P3D files.

Textures?

Same as ArmA 2 and now we have new tool ImageToPAA along with TexView and Pal2PacE.

Terrains?

Same as ArmA 2… well not quite ;)

Terrain Builder is the new terrain tool, also we have Terrain Processor which uses all kinds of advanced stuff to place objects.

Also GIS stuff has been introduced for example QGIS software to edit road shape files etc. Complex stuff.

Missions?

Same as ArmA 2.

Campaigns?

Same as ArmA 2.

ArmA 3 RPT file?

RPT file has been changed for ArmA 3, it now saves “arma3_<YEAR>-<MONTH>-<DAY>_<HOUR>-<MINUTE>-<SECOND>.rpt” for each time you start ArmA 3.

If you want to keep your profiles directory clean, just make .bat file in that dir and write there:

if exist *.rpt del *.rpt
if exist *.bidmp del *.bidmp
if exist *.mdmp del *.mdmp
if exist clipboard.txt del clipboard.txt

Then just run the .bat everytime you want to clean up the files.

Tools and Utils?

Terrain Builder, Terrain Processor, Object Builder, Addon Builder, ImageToPAA, TexView, Pal2PacE

What you want to do?

Same as ArmA 2.

What you should NOT do!

Same as ArmA 2.

And do not put your missions or addons in steam workshop, just don't!

Don't do LIFE monetization ;)

Config Editing

Same as ArmA 2.

Modeling

Same as ArmA 2.

Texturing

Same as ArmA 2.

Terrain Editing

Same as ArmA 2.

Mission Editing

Same as ArmA 2.

Campaign Editing

Same as ArmA 2.

Notes

Same as ArmA 2.

Obviously these pages are work in progress, stay tuned more to follow.