Level Design Can we get the SDK early

[Drecks]

Its quite simple architecture, but will add other things to nice it up.

On the old board there was this UT3 topic. I was told there tat the future was the use of static meshes. When you take a look to the stock UT3 maps
you can see they use a lot of them, but still use bsp for walls, ceilings and floors. Off course it was easier to use bsp to build architecture, but as Xendance said its a performance thing.

Optimizing has changed there is the culldistance volume now. For more info read this tutorial.

http://www.evilmrfrank.com/Optimizing.htm

 

[Xendance]

Yea, BSP building shells still apply. Just the most simplest forms. One reason is that smeshes don't cull sounds. BSP does.

 

[worluk]

http://www.jmchristopher.com/index.html

Of course this is a "design" level mostly, but afaik it's done entirely with meshes.

 

[Psycho_Sam]

Sweet map.

 

[SchutzeSepp]

Yea, BSP building shells still apply. Just the most simplest forms...

so all this BSP trashtalk in UE3 was just BS? woosh! for a moment you all had me scared, what advanced mapper would use BSP in UE2.5 for anything but the most basic building shells in the level anyway?
if i understand the difference is that you should make as much in SM as possible in UE3 for optimisation just like before, but now it won't look as crappy anymore?

 

[Drecks]

Just get the Unreal Tournement. Load up the editor and look at all stockmaps.
You get a good view on how they build their levels. As an example Heatray.
Its the urban map. There you will have an idea how they use BSP and SM

 

[Xendance]

so all this BSP trashtalk in UE3 was just BS? woosh! for a moment you all had me scared, what advanced mapper would use BSP in UE2.5 for anything but the most basic building shells in the level anyway?
if i understand the difference is that you should make as much in SM as possible in UE3 for optimisation just like before, but now it won't look as crappy anymore?

Yea, pretty much all details (and big stuff too) are done with static meshes. And lighting on them can look better now since static meshes can be lightmapped like BSP surfaces are now.

 

[SchutzeSepp]

Just get the Unreal Tournement. Load up the editor and look at all stockmaps...

let the rats jump off the sinking ship first
i will see it only when my curiosity for the new engine will outweigh my greediness that stops my from buying a game i will never play :/


... and mostly the fact that im

 

[Mr Milkman]

let the rats jump off the sinking ship first
i will see it only when my curiosity for the new engine will outweigh my greediness that stops my from buying a game i will never play :/

I'm in the same boat as you... I wanna play around with UT3 engine to get a feel for it and practice some mapping... I wonder if there is a demo out there or something that will allow us to edit? haha...

 

[smokeythebear]

It's 8$ on steam.

I hope that's not putting a hole in anyone's wallet...

 

[Mr Milkman]

It's 8$ on steam.

I hope that's not putting a hole in anyone's wallet...

$8?? U.S?? Are you kidding?! Why couldn't it have been $7?? NOOOOO!!!! NOOO!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Drecks]

When you have it you will get more familiar with importing textures,meshes and create a material for it. I can lend all you cheap gamers 8 EURO. Off course I need to calculate a little interest but you can spread your investment on a longer period.

 

[smokeythebear]

When you have it you will get more familiar with importing textures,meshes and create a material for it. I can lend all you cheap gamers 8 EURO. Off course I need to calculate a little interest but you can spread your investment on a longer period.

I'd like to take out a loan of UT3. I can pay you back in semi-annual checks over the next 35 years.

 

[fiftyone]

Maybe they are adding to the new editor as they go along.

I doubt very much that the HOSeditor will be released before the game is finalized.

 

[fiftyone]

It may be useful to start working with the UDK that has been recently released by EPIC.

 

[ro_sauce]

you can start using the UDK from epic (just google it) for free, it includes about 3 maps, so you can see what they do in those to achieve the level of detail.
i am still personally learning the udk (it's quite different from roed/ued/kfed) but i suggest getting the "Mastering Unreal Editor" books, there are 2 volumes for the new udk, and they explain a lot.
my only concern is how translatable will my maps i'm working on now be when ROHOS actually comes out?, considering how ut2004 maps made with ued didnt port easily over to roed.
i know there will be differences conerning objectives/collision on meshes (to inherit the new weapon collision, so no more simple blocking volumes over no-collision s-meshes to cut down on cpu cycles) so maybe a post of mapping hints for those of us trying to get something ready for the release would be helpful.

 

[UncleDrax]

I'd recommend getting UDK rather then UT3 if you are OK with that. If nothing else it'll break you from the habit of relying on assets in UT3 that will not likely exist in Rojos.

 

[ro_sauce]

yeah that's all i have is the udk, i dont have ut3.
i'm currently learning 3dsmax, and at the same time trying to get the hang of udk (coming from ued25)
do you think it'll be a simple copy/paste to port what i have done to ro2?

 

[Lt_Kettch]

With RO2 you mean RO:Ostfront?

Porting from Ostfront to the UDK should be possible without to many problems. You can export the height map from RO and reimport it into the UDK. Brushes can be copied over (I think!). Textures (materials), meshes and actors have to be redone or you wait for RO:HoS until you add those.

 

[gyps]

For devs

Will tools to import directly from RO ie models maps etc be included in HOS ? if this info's out there sorry for dual post

Seems a shame if not as theres masses of stuff for RO would give mappers a big hand up possibly