UT99 Map making thread

[Pileyrei]

So..................

I've decided to try my hand at map making.
Only 13 years or so after the game came out but hey - better late than never eh

I appreciate this is not a mapping forum but I know there are some clever folks here who will know the answers I need

Just to reiterate, I'm a complete beginner to mapping.
Yes I can make a cube, fill it with weapons and call it a "map".
But thats not really a map if you ask me. I'm drooling about making a map with many levels, lifts (movers), water/lava zones, secrets rooms, triggers, events, etc. But for now all my brain can comprehend in UED 2.0 is a single room and pretty textures

Anyway, gotta start somewhere.

First questions:

1. After making a cube/room, can you resize it and if so how?

2. I'm struggling to fully understand the add/subtract options. I know you create a room/cube and subtract it from the mass void. When would you use the add? I think its when you want to add something to the subtracted space? Yes? . I need some basic examples.

Many more questions to come but this is a small start.

Thank you.

Piley

[UTrustedPlayer]

Go here:
http://www.birrabrothers.com/drac/index.php?dsps=3
The dude on the page is BBDrac and he's a super nice guy. He likes helping new mappers and he's been doing it a very long time.

UT99.org is also a fairly active mapper forum.

[Pileyrei]

Originally Posted by UTrustedPlayer

Go here:
http://www.birrabrothers.com/drac/index.php?dsps=3
The dude on the page is BBDrac and he's a super nice guy. He likes helping new mappers and he's been doing it a very long time.

UT99.org is also a fairly active mapper forum.

Thanks, I've been using those tuts!

It looks like the only way to contact him is by email, no forums?

I could be his super new pest

Thanks again.

[YouKnowWho]

I used to hang out at: http://www.unrealplayground.com/forums/index.php

I don't know if the mappers are still arround, but if they still are they are all you need

Originally Posted by Pileyrei

1. After making a cube/room, can you resize it and if so how?

Yes, just go into the properties of the brush, go into Brush>MainScale>Scale , here you'll see the variables X,Y and Z. These are defaulted to 1.0, setting e.g 2.0 for the Z axis will make your brush twice as high. Remember that the brush will have to be rebuild in order to make the changes to the level.

2. I'm struggling to fully understand the add/subtract options. I know you create a room/cube and subtract it from the mass void. When would you use the add? I think its when you want to add something to the subtracted space? Yes? . I need some basic examples.

You got it right, many mapper (me as example) just subtract one big room, and then add the "decorations" to that room. e.g. you want to make a corridor with pillars, your subtract one big cube for the corridor, then you add brushes to that room afterwards. In short, the unreal universe is one big solid rock, you'll need to dig holes into it in order create space for the battleground.

[Pileyrei]

Thanks very much

[Pileyrei]

welll......


Finally worked out how to make a simple lift, with thanks from bbdrac great tuts.

Simple stuff but not that simple IMO.
Didn't fully appreciate how hard mapping can be.

I have a long way to go

[YouKnowWho]

Mapping is one of the most time demanding aspects of ut development.... unless you ofcause settle for a funnel cube with a zillion weapons which is fun to play for about ..... 1 second (IMO!!)??

About the lifts(movers), they are not as simple as they appear, once you fiddle arround with it you'll se it can do quite a lot other than "just" to transport the player up/down :-)

[Hook]

Hey, NOW is a very good time to make maps for UT99.
We can ALWAYS use new maps - especially maps made from fresh ideas and new viewpoints.
Mapping does not have to be difficult at all, or even that time consuming either.
It is only as difficult as YOU want to make it.
I find mapping rather easy, and after doing it a while, it will be for you also.
If you want, you can whip out a pretty darn good map in no time at all, at least after you know most of the basics.

So YES - just do it!
Thank you for starting to map! (anytime is a good time to start mapping)

PS: we have some good mapping tutorials and help on our site also.

[Pileyrei]

Hi Hook

Thanks for the nice post

I'm busy learning how to make simple lefts, water zones, etc.
Baby steps first!

I keep flooding my entire level and haven't worked out if you need to add or subtract a sheet to cover a cube of water I made in the ground.

Keeps the brain going!

Piley

[Pileyrei]

Ok, worked out a simple water zone and how you have to ADD a sheet over the hole so as not to flood the map. I was subtracting it.

Now to work out a fun DM map, how it could flow,etc.

Hmmm!

[Pileyrei]

Simple door and lift working fine now.

BBDRAC's tuts are great!

Even if you dont get it right first time, the tuts give you enough info to work it out.

Messed around with a skyzone......bit trickier.

[Pileyrei]

Can anyone tell me the significance or use of the camera (eye symbol) when making a map? I see it's there by default but don't understand what its used for?

[YouKnowWho]

, i have made 50+ maps (DM/CTF/AS/MH/SV/DOM) from scratch and never cared/known about what to use the camera for, so my advice for you is to simply ignore it :-)

[Pileyrei]

Originally Posted by YouKnowWho

, i have made 50+ maps (DM/CTF/AS/MH/SV/DOM) from scratch and never cared/known about what to use the camera for, so my advice for you is to simply ignore it :-)

This is the kind of answer I was hoping for, one less thing to worry about

[Sp0ngeb0b]

It's the actual point of view which the 3D viewport of the UnrealED uses

[Pileyrei]

Originally Posted by Sp0ngeb0b

It's the actual point of view which the 3D viewport of the UnrealED uses

Nice!
That makes sense.

As long as it doesn't affect the map play so I'm happy. Thanks for the info

[Pileyrei]

I've worked out how to make jump pads using the kicker actor.
I want to put some jump boot sounds on it when the player jumps/is kicked.

I created a trigger to call a special event. In the special event I put the jump boots sound.I made sure the tags are correct. However when I hit the jump pad there is no jump sound. How is the trigger triggered?

I must be doing something wrong.

[Sp0ngeb0b]

Did you set the InitialState of the SpecialEvent to 'PlaySoundEffect'?

I would advise, doesn't matter which problem you have, to think of maps/mods/whatever which achieved what you want and check how they did it

[Pileyrei]

Originally Posted by Sp0ngeb0b

Did you set the InitialState of the SpecialEvent to 'PlaySoundEffect'?

I would advise, doesn't matter which problem you have, to think of maps/mods/whatever which achieved what you want and check how they did it

Thanks - I'll check that setting.

Also - I opened up Woot and had a look at how it was done. I think I may well have missed that simple setting you mention. Will confirm.

Thank you!

[Pileyrei]

Woohoo!!

You were right Sp0ngebob, initial state was set to none *smacks forehead*

Thank you!!