You have to admit it - the ManiaPlanet map editor can be annoying. But that's why we're able to personalize it with plugins! Grab the Essentials - a plugin, unifying multiple QOL improving tools bundled inside one script!
How do I download and install it?
Simple! Just visit the manialink essentials and it will download the plugin for you. Alternatively, you can grab it from my GitHub repo and stash the file inside your \Scripts\EditorPlugins\ folder of the ManiaPlanet user data directory (game restart required).
Once the plugin is here, press P in the map editor and click on the Essentials to toggle it on/off.
How can Essentials improve my map editor experience?
Essentials throw a wide variety of options at you, each serving something you may find useful.
Cursor coordinates and camera direction
While this was always available via stock plugin, Essentials gives you a pretty compact widget with easy to read values. Compass always points the North direction. This widget is also your entry point to all other features of the Essentials plugin.
Automatically enable Ghost Blocks and Air Mapping on launch
How many times did you press F2 in order to mix some blocks with another, only to discover you forgot to enable Ghost Blocks, again? Forget about it - Essentials let's you access these options directly via the widget itself, as well as keeps them on next time you enter the editor. But wait - there's more! By simply pressing the mouse wheel button, you can quickly toggle between Blocks / Ghost Blocks modes.
Completely new and improved skin selection window
Which one of your hundreds of signs was the right one? Where was it? It's no longer a problem with the new skin selection window - it lists all of your skins in their dedicated directories, as well as shows their live previews! No more browsing tons of pages just to select that one ugly "wrong way" sign you downloaded from some even uglier manialink. But wait - there's more! it even lets you choose a skin incompatible with the current block, sometimes providing good looking results, or just some funny looking crap.
Take a look at the Nations-themed inflatable or this gorgeous Danger sign Storm tree!
Your 8 latest blocks on top of your screen
This also was available as a stock plugin. But who said it couldn't be done better? Essentials can list up to 8 blocks you've been recently using - for sake of your comfort and quick access.
Automatically switch to the underground mode
Again - a feature available via stock plugin. But hey, it's Essentials - a compilation of useful tools, so why not throwing it here as well?
A reminder to place the podium block
Now that's something new. Did you happen to finish your beautiful track, set an insane author time and validate ULTRA HIGH shadows, just to then notice "shit, I forgot to place the podium again". Essentials will help in preventing such situations from happening ever again - until you place a podium, your "Validate" button will turn the manliest colour ever recorded and yell at you for forgetting to place exactly one podium block.
Autosave
Don't bother with it - it's not working and I can't fix it. But it's there, in case Nando ever fixes it, lol.
Beautify the terrain to HD quality
Finally something rather useful - one click and all terrain blocks on your map get covered with their HIGH DEFINITION block counterpart. Works only in Storm and Valley as of now.
Shortcut to super fast shadows calculation
Last but not least - this little button lets you calculate super fast shadows, in case you need a quick preview on how the lighting may look like on a finished product.
