Map Creation ut2k4

[Primus]

Ok, I have an idea for what I think would be a pretty cool map. It is ONS but what i'm looking at is your basic battle map. Such as Primevil, and Frostbite. 3 node map but with a twist. I don't know, nor do I even want to try to figure out how to make a map so I'm calling on anyone who would like to give it a try.

 

I have the design on paper and how it will all work, just need someone to build it for me. I'll be happy to talk via Vent or e-mail to get across the look, sounds and feel of the map. Let me know here of PM me or e-mail me---primus@gamersrow.com if you know anyone that is interested. Thanks guys!!

[dragonfly]

I could help you with getting started... You're talking ut3 or 2k4? I started a 2k4 map for fun, but didnt get super far. I also did a bunch of junk fora ut3 map, but that was more just goofing around with the program.

I'm also guessing you're wanting it outdoors? This could be fun (and a great distraction from me doing school work!)

 

EDIT: Of course ut3 doesnt have ons. scratch that one question.

Edited February 5, 2009 by dragonfly

[Primus]

Ut2k4 map. Its kind of outside but more like an arena style. Distance to the nodes would be compared to say Dawn primaries. I think I have a pretty fun idea. Let me know how you want to do this and we can get started. I can scan and e-mail you the floor plan if you want. You'll get the idea if I do that so I guess we can start there.

 

If you want I'll PM you an image of it. I'll do it tonight after work. I left it at work

[dragonfly]

Sounds like fun. I haven't worked with terrain yet at all, so it's a good chance to learn, no? Just so you know, I'll be away from my 2k4 pc until the end of the weekend, so I'm useless until then

Edited February 5, 2009 by dragonfly

[Primus]

No problem dude I can wait. Talk to ya soon.

[Primus]

Ok dragonfly, I've sent you a PM with the link to the folder that has my map idea. just download it and we can start working with it. I'm kind of excited to what we can both come up with on this. Thanks for giving this a try.

[dragonfly]

Mapping Tutorials

[dragonfly]

Ok, I got started. I'll just post up what I have so far.

 

This is just me learning the editor... fun times.

 

I made sides to it (sort of) and deepened the lake, etc. I also added a raptor just so you can see size. Obviously not a big map.

 

A similar shot but with textures (only 2).

 

Top view.

Edited February 10, 2009 by dragonfly

[Primus]

Sent a new PM there buddy. I can't wait to see it start developing into something great. Again, thanks so much and great job!!!

[dragonfly]

Dude, you should take a crack at it too! It's fun. Just a VERY steep learning curve.

[Primus]

I'll have to try it, do you need anything other than UT editor?

[dragonfly]

I'll have to try it, do you need anything other than UT editor?

 

No ma'am!

 

This is a good one for just starting. Follow those steps precisely and you'll get what I have so far basically

Edited February 11, 2009 by dragonfly

[dragonfly]

Just doing more work. I finally figured out how to scale the terrain. Yay!

 

Moar grid view. The middle-bottom patch is going to be part of a lake, and the middle-top patch is a hill. Hurrah.

 

And with some textures.

[Primus]

NOW WE'RE TALKIN. However, judging by the size of the raptor, in comparison to the size of the map, we may have to add a manta at each base rather than a scorpion. With the size of the lake and considering where its at we'll have to put the cores in each corner. Thats ok though, it will make it more interesting. LOOKS FANTASTIC!!!! I LIKE IT I LIKE IT I LIKE IT!!!!

Edited February 13, 2009 by Primus

[dragonfly]

Ok, I started working on the building. Who needs to do homework when you have this fun stuff to doodle with?

 

 

 

 

 

[dragonfly]

For those of you interested, I added more. I need some help with the below building (I've been googling tutorials, etc, and can't find the info). I need to convert the building to a static mesh, but since it has subtractive and additive, I read I have to intersect all of the brushes first, otherwise they all become additive. I dont know how to do this, so if you know how, either post here or pm me plz!

 

Oh, and yes, I use rocketdock. I'm not doing this on my old G4 mac

 

 

 

 

And some terrain pics. Distance fog isn't final at all, just looks pretty at the moment

 

Edited February 15, 2009 by dragonfly

[Primus]

Try this buddy.

 

see if this is what you're thinking:

1. make an additive brush that's a cube.

2. make two separate subtractive brushes that pass through the first cube to make a cube with 2 holes in it.

3. select the outer cube BSP and hold CTRL (or SHIFT or some key to select multiple items)

4. select the 2nd and 3rd subtractive BSP, and then do the "convert to static mesh option."

 

OK, so I don't know if that last "convert" step is the right term, but with all 3 brushes selected, you should able to convert them all to a mesh at once.

[Flitterkill]

Better be symmetry here guys or we'll never be able to play competitively on it...

 

cough...

 

 

-Fk

[dragonfly]

If you select multiple brushes and convert them, all the selected brushes will be put into one mesh. However if you have made a shape by using different additive and subtractive brushes, you first have to intersect the whole thing into one brush, because otherwise all the subtractive brushes become additive.

http://udn.epicgames.com/Two/StaticMeshesTutorial.html

 

This is the problem I've run into. I've put a SS here too, to show you the issue. Once the brushes (all selected) are converted to the SM, it's as if all brushes are additive, which suuuux. I dont know how to "intersect the whole thing into one brush".

 

 

And flitter, of course it's symmetric! I mean, some would even grade it as an "A", as in asymmetric!

Edited February 15, 2009 by dragonfly

[Primus]

I don't mean to sound like a noob but...

Better be symmetry here guys or we'll never be able to play competitively on it..

 

Meaning?

[Flitterkill]

Sorry Primus, just poking y'all.

 

One of the big complaints for competitive UT2K4 was the lack of map symmetry, that is, blue or red would have a distinct map advantage based on length to primary, etc.

 

Red Planet is a good example. Forget which side but one side had a 4 or 5 second advantage at getting from base to primary over the other side. Stuff like that.

 

-Fk

[Primus]

Ah I thought thats what you might have meant. No these nodes will hopefully be pretty near exact distance apart. I think you guys will find it rather interesting when dragonfly gets it finished. I'm hoping it will be lots of fun. Think of it along the lines of Primevil only without all the walls to get in the way.

 

Oh ya, I'll give you this much, the primary nodes are on opposite sides of the map in retro of the cores. 3 nodes thats it.

[dragonfly]

Yeah, I got it Flitter. Good thing we have an extensive community to try it out before it's final, eh?

 

That is, if I ever finish it. I am just able to do the basics now. We haven't even looked at lighting, nodepaths, optimization, or any of those other cool things that make you feel like a noob.

[Primus]

I know what your trying to do and I don't think you can.

 

Anytime you make a brush a mesh (lets say its a hollow brush or something you can go into) when converting it to a mesh it will make it all solid. I have been trying this the last few days. On a new map I am making (Comming soon!!!) I had to make static mesh that makes up a hallway and are connected to a big room, the last piece of the hallway has to be a brush (no SM) in order to intersec both brushes (hallway and big room) so you can go into the big room. Example: If you make a box or somthing with a hole through it, converting to a static mesh will fill the hole back in (if I remember correctly)

 

Parts of the object would need to be a brush and joined to a static mesh.. if that makes sense.

 

The way around this is to build a room (box) or what ever, but it can't be a subtractive brush, you actually have to build the walls floor, ceiling all seperate and put them together (Each being a SM). Like building a house, you have to create each peice first (2x4's, plywood, flooring, sheet rock etc..) then build it like legos, in the end you can convert the entire thing to a SM but it will be very complex and could crash the editor.

 

You can create a brush from a SM by righ clicking and --> Convert--> SM. Then you have an exact copy of the SM, but its a brush, which will allow you to intersec with other brushes. You can't intersec brushes and meshes.

 

Quote:

Once the brushes (all selected) are converted to the SM,

it's as if all brushes are additive,

 

They will be additive since you converted them, they are now like solid lego pieces. (no longer brush)

 

Quote:

I dont know how to "intersect the whole thing into one brush".

 

Since you started out with 2 pieces, you can't intersec them, its too complex for the editor. You would have to build the entire thing as one piece.

 

On my room for the UNK Collab map, if you open that you can see how I made the cylinder with the stairs in it, then the horizontal tube that goes through the wall is 2 brushes, a subtractive brush and a addtive brush, this way I can make a hole in a solid wall (Additive) then I had to create a hollow cylindar as an subtractive brush, then I put another cylindar in it as a additive brush. (These are not SM, since if I converted them they would turn into solids)

 

Quote:

see if this is what you're thinking:

1. make an additive brush that's a cube.

2. make two separate subtractive brushes that pass through the first cube to make a cube with 2 holes in it.

3. select the outer cube BSP and hold CTRL (or SHIFT or some key to select multiple items)

4. select the 2nd and 3rd subtractive BSP, and then do the "convert to static mesh option."

 

OK, so I don't know if that last "convert" step is the right term, but with all 3 brushes selected, you should able to convert them all to a mesh at once.

see if this is what you're thinking:

1. make an additive brush that's a cube.

2. make two separate subtractive brushes that pass through the first cube to make a cube with 2 holes in it.

3. select the outer cube BSP and hold CTRL (or SHIFT or some key to select multiple items)

4. select the 2nd and 3rd subtractive BSP, and then do the "convert to static mesh option."

 

OK, so I don't know if that last "convert" step is the right term, but with all 3 brushes selected, you should able to convert them all to a mesh at once.

 

 

 

This is what I was saying where you have to build each peice seperate then assemble it as you would like legos, and convert them to SM, then after everything is built, convert the entire object as a SM again... This will preserve the 3d of your object as a static mesh.

 

 

 

I think this is what you are doing... let me know if I am way off!!! I am getting pretty good with these maps now

[Primus]

I just converted that tube to a SM which is a additive and subtractive brush, I was correct as it sealed up the tube.

 

Notice now that the ends are sealed

 

 

I tried to covert both additive and subtractive brushes to a single brush and it would not allow it.

 

 

I think the way most of these complex SM are built in the game (Default SM) are built with another type of editor, like 3D max or something that is more robust.

 

Why do you need to convert them to one brush any ways??? Are you trying to replicate the object?

 

 

Here is the map I am creating now. Notice the hallways go into a big room, the big room was a shape made with the 2D editor, Initally I tried the adding a box, then intersecing the brush into the box, this is similar to what you are doing (combining brushes). I will now have to build the big grey box as a hollow box, them put a lid on it, this way I can intersec the last section of the hallway into the big room making it all connect but using a subtractive brush to connect them.

 

Since my hallway is multiple panels that make up the hallway, it leaves gaps and you can see through the ends.. still trying to figure this out.

 

 

The last section of this hallway is a brush, if the grey box was a hollow box it would have intersected perfect, but givin the complexity of the shape, I have gaps....

 

 

 

I just confirmed you cannot convert to SM and preserve the 3D. It has to be 2 brushes that intersect (Additive/Subbtractive)

 

To replicate this as a complete SM you would need to build each piece by Brush, then convert to SM, then possibly select all SM and convert again to SM.