Sdk-faq

[Para941]

Hi there,

So I thought especially for newcomers it would be nice to have a FAQ for the SDK and Modding.

I will frequently update this thread with new Questions or delete obsolete ones.




I am totally new to the RS2-SDK. Do you have any ressources for me to get into it?


The RS2 SDK ist based on the Unreal Development Kit(UE3). There are lots of Tutorials on the Internet on how to get started with UDK.
For example:http://www.chrisalbeluhn.com/3D_Tutorials.html

When you want to know more Rising Storm specific things, you can first of all use Red Orchestar 2 Tutorials by nymets1104:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...nLVD3gHPJ40KBf

Furthermore he also has started a videoseries on RS2:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...nLVD3gHPJ40KBf

He also made a test map with all of the nessecary assets ont it. Thats why it is good to use as reference, if sth doesnt work.
https://forums.tripwireinteractive.c...or-new-mappers




My SDK is crashing constantly. Can I do anything?


There is no real fix to this. The SDK is based on UDK and therefore has a lot of bugs. But here are some advices soit runs a little bit smoother:
1. SAVE OFTEN, especially after big changes, so you dont lose anything when it crashes
2. Disable autosave (lower righthand corner-> uncheck the checkbox)
3. Before loading your map in fully load the packages in your Content Browser (right-click on external->fully load)
4. Use the Content Browser in Listview
5. Use Unlit mode to edit the Map




I can't find all the assets in my Content Browser.


This is because the fully load does not load everything . You can load certain or all packages manually:
In Content Browser->
click on the Folder icon next to the Import-Button->
navigate to: 'SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Rising Storm 2\ROGame\BrewedPC\Packages' ->
Select the wanted packages or all and click on open.
You will get warnings, that some packages already exist. Just click ok.


Why are some areas of the material of my map black/white althought its the same material elsewhere?

Make sure you recache ur Materials (TerrainTool toprighthand corner, there is a red Button with "RM" in it, press it)



Why is my terrain Rainbowcolored?

this has something to do with to many Terrain Material Layers and/or too complex (too many instructions) materials. Try to reduce the amount of layers



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[Kaleun]

Can someone clarify more on the rainbow texture error, I read it occurs if the terrain material is too complex for the layers. This occurs if I layer terrains that cause to much complexity?

 

[Para941]

I am pretty sure it is as you told. but for me it usually happened when I put more then 3 terrain layer on eachother

 

[Beskar Mando]

Can someone clarify more on the rainbow texture error, I read it occurs if the terrain material is too complex for the layers. This occurs if I layer terrains that cause to much complexity?

You have too many textures (total, throughout all layers, it's cumulative), which is why the rainbow shows up. Try reducing the number of layers you have or simplifying the materials you are using.

 

[Kaleun]

Another question, is there a quicker way to scale just one directional plane other than manually entering the numbers into the objects properties? When I drag the square/lines to scale an object it constrains proportions, there surely must be some option that disables this?

 

[nymets1104]

Another question, is there a quicker way to scale just one directional plane other than manually entering the numbers into the objects properties? When I drag the square/lines to scale an object it constrains proportions, there surely must be some option that disables this?

Click this button to change to single axis scaling

 

[Kaleun]

Spoiler!

Click this button to change to single axis scaling

Thanks Nymets, I actually used your first few RO2 videos as an introduction to the SDK. Currently I only made into the first two videos though, I wanted to learn more on how to build the terrain before I started doing the other technical stuff you were showing. You spread out stuff on terrain over the other videos in the series, so I might have missed some things, good tutorials series for beginners nonetheless.

---

(I haven't watched all the videos so I probably missed a lot of stuff...)


Some other questions:

I see buildings come in pieces, given you have to put the floor into the interior along with things like the roof or railings. Same thing with trees that have matching vines you can place on them. Is there a simple way to align these objects automatically? Or do you have to go in and inch them closer together by eye or copy & paste the coordinates.

I haven't found much on bodies of water, for things like rivers I'm using the static meshes built for An Lao, and I know you need to later create a volume area for the river to act as if it slows down people and stuff. Is this the proper way to make river/body of water?

Is there any better way to make roads? I am currently using the D_DirtRoad DecalActors from Cu Chi for my roads, but apparently it is very difficult to make any curves in the roads as you are working with rectangles. So I just have to change the width of the decal into several thin bars in order to make curves on my road. With decals is it okay to drag and drop or is there a key you hold down while clicking them, as with static meshes where you hold S?

 

[Beskar Mando]

1) 99% of assets come in pieces, so yes you'll have to manually align them unless say it's part of a unique building which some of the assets are, an example of this is the gas station on Cu Chi, all the pieces have the same origin point, so it's easy to align them. The biggest and the most important thing I feel a lot of people forgot is two things when learning the SDK, the powerful use of the powers of two (pun intended) and using the gridlines. I never ever go below 16uu (unless it's something really small like say aligning an ammo belt properly on the ground) I normally work on 32 - 64uu gridlines. For the current map I'm working on a majority of the placement of objects is aligned on 128uu+. Keeping to the gridline streamlines the process, removes potential errors with alignment and just makes it easier in general. The editor's GridLines can be easily adjusted using the [ ] keys. Using these two things you can make levels that feel very clean and easy on the eye when viewing them in the editor, maybe it's some for of SDK OCD for me, but it's satisfying and worth it.

2) For water, it's a two step process. You need to make a planar surface using BSP, then convert that to a static mesh and apply the relevant material. The next part is adding a water volume.

3) You should be able to find more decals under the Common folder and FX folders. If I don't have a curved decal what I do is adjust the adjacent or next decal by 3-6 degrees to create a smooth curve. You can easily create a decal by selecting the desired material in the content browser and in the viewport Left Click + D to create a decal with that material.

 

[Kaleun]

I have a problem with the trench exits, when the player hugs the wall of the trench while moving they get thrown up a bit, I can't seem to see why this is happening, the meshes are perfectly aligned and I even copied and pasted over some trenches from vanilla maps but it still happens. Is there something I am doing wrong?

The collision model seems to look normal too...

 

[Nebaka]

1. Some materials look too light or glossy in shadows. Is there any way to change this without editing material?

2. Is it possible to change default roles for map (like RS1 guadalcanal)?

 

[MadManu]

Hi, thx for this topic, i have a question, my sdk is not able to save a new map, i am not able to see the new map created, but in recent files, it's still there.I am not able to reach the file using windows browser, and in the sdk too, is that a problem some of you have too ?
Thx for reply.

 

[Kaleun]

Spoiler!

1. Some materials look too light or glossy in shadows. Is there any way to change this without editing material?

You need to build lighting, what quality shadows you get to see in editor is chosen in there. Or you mean in game it looks this way, if so then it is under world properties and lightmass settings you can tweak.

2. Is it possible to change default roles for map (like RS1 guadalcanal)?

I don't remember exactly what you mean, but guadalcanal had only Springfield rifles for rifleman class, I think? Are you talking about what weapons default role got? As far as I know you can change how many of each class the teams have, but to change weapons loadouts and customize classes items requires a mutator.

Hi, thx for this topic, i have a question, my sdk is not able to save a new map, i am not able to see the new map created, but in recent files, it's still there.I am not able to reach the file using windows browser, and in the sdk too, is that a problem some of you have too ?
Thx for reply.

Where are you putting the saved map? Nymets talks about file directory things in beginning part of this video:

 

[MadManu]

The files are saved in sub folders of D:\SteamGames\steamapps\common\Rising Storm 2, i don't have unpublished file, anyway, i create a folder outside this folder, D:\custom_maps, and it works for now, waiting for next tutorial of Nymets.

 

[Kaleun]

MadManu
At this time I also save outside the game directory, in A:\Documents\RS2 MAP. Maybe I will get your problem when I eventually start to test a map.

 

[Beskar Mando]

...\Unreal\Unreal 3\Modding\Rising Storm 2 Vietnam\Projects\Custom Maps\*MapName*
That's the setup for my RS2 Maps. And yes I highly recommend you setup it up outside the game's & Steam's directory.

 

[Kaleun]

How do you successfully delete/copy/paste BSP surfaces? I found that several maps in RS2 have them and it is impossible to interact with them. I can try to delete it, nothing happens, I rebuild geometry and nothing happens. These are immovable surfaces to me.

 

[StmRtn]

How do you successfully delete/copy/paste BSP surfaces? I found that several maps in RS2 have them and it is impossible to interact with them. I can try to delete it, nothing happens, I rebuild geometry and nothing happens. These are immovable surfaces to me.

Select the bsp volume around the bsp surface.

 

[Kaleun]

Select the bsp volume around the bsp surface.

So make a volume around the bsp surface, since none presently exist.

And after that?

Because I can't find anything even in overview port of these surfaces.

 

[BOH-rekrut]

How do you successfully delete/copy/paste BSP surfaces? I found that several maps in RS2 have them and it is impossible to interact with them. I can try to delete it, nothing happens, I rebuild geometry and nothing happens. These are immovable surfaces to me.

in all standart maps u will not find any Brushes( only compound), TWI use static meshes only .....



1. cut, copy and paste doesnt work for materials

2. u can move materials on the brush surface manually

3. or u use this, pan in Unreal Units and Rotation

4. to find the material on the Brush surface

5. to apply a new material to the Brush surface



Was that helpful or do you want to know more

 

[nymets1104]

Looks like you may have BSP volumes disabled in your overhead view. Hit Q to toggle them off and on. To delete one, click it in the wireframe view, Hit DELETE and then rebuild geometry, blue cube top and center of the SDK window.