many people should of all heard of the game Unreal if not visit here www.unreal.com. Well with every version (i think) Epic games released a map editior for the game. I personally have found a use for this editor, make maps for bzflag. But how? when unreal only exports to t3d and unr? Well there is not a well known converter called 3d object converter (how original) and this will export to numerous different 3d formats. Visit here for the program. http://web.axelero.hu/karpo/ Unfortuantely its an evaluation download but you can pay a small fee for the save feature (or the full version). With this converter i can export from t3d to obj. Knowing the wonderous progam called model tool made by JeffM2501 (i think) that converts obj to bzw, yay big wonderous 2.0 maps here we come!.
But with the editor its not all that easy, theres learning afoot, if one wants to make the map with another game editor. Because unrealed builds levels which are mainly inside (i.e. and e.g. one is shooting monsters in a tunnel or prison) epic decided that the build space was primarily solid so when you press the build button for a cube or sphere it would be taking away that area. Before making any level with the editor it is strongly sugested that you build your map inverted. i.e. know that when you take away the area you are infact adding to that area if there was a big empty space. This is important to keep in mind other wise when you come to export the level you will infact have a solid object instead of a hollow one. This is becase the t3d export is designed for making custom meshes for when u build an unreal map. if you put the t3d file into 3d exporter it will come out solid and some times split apart. This is because of the nature of the exporter. Epic games found a way to encrypt the export so when you look at it through a native viewer it dont look right but when you view it in UnrealEd it look ok. So remember to think opposite!
When exporting the level it is best (in my opinion) to export diffrent sections of the level or as i prefer to call them Layers. this is due to the fact that when you build the level in unreal (as i found out) you have to add textures to the mesh entity in order to get the object built or rendered there.Sso when you come to export the level you will export everything in one go! So, the outcome is that you will have one mesh not multiple. This results on only one texture used in bzflag due to the nature of the bzw code system. The way i got around this single from multiple mesh problem was as i said about the layers.
Yes it is a drag but its the best way if one plans on using unrealed for map making for bz.
the final thing is to build the map above the center horizontal line as this resembles the ground in bzflag.
HEh thx for reading this if you ever got through it i thought it might help peeps if anyone was to use unrealed.
Ps theres a pic on unrealed in the flash so you can understand the what the interface is.
what you see in the editor windows in one of the unreal levels.
using UnrealEd to make bzflag maps
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dango
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how bout you use blender+BZWTools+the interface thingy at blender.org?
That unreal editor looks very complex.
That unreal editor looks very complex.
