Cliff...

[Mercenary]

Tutorials for making terrain in Radiant

 

http://www.planetquake.com/simland/pages/articles/rockwall1_1.htm

 

http://www.alienculture.net/team/megaman/tutorials/trisouping/index.htm

[lauser]

Yeah those are good Mercenary. Thanks for the links. But if you want easy nice looking smooth stuff that won't lag the map....learn ASE.

 

 

Put this batch file into your Radiant folder.....

 

Here is the batch file I use to convert brush work into ASE models:

 

"C:\Program Files\GtkRadiant-1.4\q3map2.exe" -meta -patchmeta -subdivisions 4 -game ja "C:\Program Files\LucasArts\Star Wars Jedi Knight Jedi Academy\GameData\base\maps\example.map"

"C:\Program Files\GtkRadiant-1.4\q3map2.exe" -convert -format ase -game ja "C:\Program Files\LucasArts\Star Wars Jedi Knight Jedi Academy\GameData\base\maps\example.bsp"

 

Here is a TUTORIAL from mslaf:

 

 

1. Create a model build with brushes and/or patches and save it as a Radiant's

prefab.

 

Result: You will have model separated from the rest of geometry.

###############################################################

 

2. Start a new map and load previously saved prefab. Move it

to the center (0,0,0 or |_ ) as this point will become the center

of an ASE model after conversion process.

You can adjust this position according to your needs.

 

Result: Your new map will contain the single model build with brushed.

###############################################################

 

3. Create a room surrounding the model - to separate it from the void and

avoid leaks. Apply the system/caulk texture on all room surfaces:

external and internal.

 

Result: You will have your further ASE model (currently build with

radian's polyhedrons) inside an empty caulked room.

###############################################################

 

4. Create an "info_player_start" entity inside the room. The entity will be

removed during BSP2ASE conversion but you need it to avoid "map

leaked" error during the bsp phase. Save your map as map2ase.map.

 

Result: You will have a model and info_player_start inside the caulked

room saved as “map2ase.map”

###############################################################

 

5. Compile the saved map with:

 

[ modify the "C:\Games\Jedi Academy\GameData" according to your installation

path ]

 

C:> q3map2 -meta -patchmeta -subdivisions 3 -game ja -fs_basepath "C:\Games\Jedi

Academy\GameData" "C:\Games\Jedi Academy\GameData\base\maps\map2ase.map"

 

and if there's no errors, convert it to an ASE format with:

 

C:> q3map2 -convert -format ase -game ja -fs_basepath "C:\Games\Jedi

Academy\GameData" "C:\Games\Jedi Academy\GameData\base\maps\map2ase.bsp"

 

Now, you can move the map2ase.ase model to "models\map_objects\youmap"

subdirectory.

 

Result: You will have an ASE model converted from the map file.

###############################################################

 

6. Now you must fix shader/textures names inside an ASE model. Open the

map2ase.ase

in your favorite editor and look for every line starting with:

 

*MATERIAL_NAME "

 

like:

 

*MATERIAL_NAME "\something\something\texture.jpg"

or

*MATERIAL_NAME "/something/something/texture.tga"

or

*MATERIAL_NAME "..\something\something\texture.tga"

 

The shader/texture names above are incorrect and should be modified.

The correct material name should be like:

 

*MATERIAL_NAME "textures/something/something/texture"

 

so you should:

 

- replace all "\" with "/"

- remove all ".."

- remove all extensions like ".tga", ".jpg" etc. no matter if it's a shader or a

'simple' texture.

- remove the "/" or "\" on the beginning of material's name as the shader name

must start with a letter.

- insert the "textures/" on the beginning of material's name if it's missing.

 

I use the linux's "sed" utility for this operation but if you don't know it or

don't have it you can automate these changes with an editor macros or other

techniques.

 

Apply the changes, save your ase2map.ase and try to load it in the Radiant.

Check the Radian's log if something is not right. If the model loads

successfully and looks fine in the editor it should be fine in the game. Try to

create a simple map with your model and check it out.

 

Good luck.

 

ms.-

[Mercenary]

I've heard a few things, but is .ase really that much better for performance?

 

map to ase to 3ds tutorial

 

http://members.lycos.co.uk/mmfsdjw/hpbimg/tutorial.html

[Druid Bremen]

I think I better clarify a few things: actually I do not want a cliff, like I said quite a few times previously, I simply want a tall vertical stone rock that looks natural.

[Jedi_Vogel]

Create a brush, give it one of the rock textures and cut it up a bit to give you your ledges?

 

It tends to be the textures that make rocks look real

[wedge2211]

Originally posted by Druid Bremen

That was very helpful Wedge, but how do I make it work on a circle/eight-sided pillar?

 

(I know circle is unlikely to work, as as far as I know, its not possible to use gensurf on a curve)

 

Okay, one thing you can do is just make a brush pillar and chop it up a lot, then drag the vertices around. Essentially it's the same idea as using GenSurf, only you have to create the triangles yourself instead of having the computer do it for you. What you should probably do is just make a tall, thin brush; switch to XZ view and cut it into evenly-spaced triangles (all the same size); then switch to YZ view and repeat. Then press V and drag vertices to your heart's content.

 

Another option is to simply create a cylinder - a patch mesh. Then, go to the Curves menu and select Insert > Rows (do this several times) and then Insert > Columns (do this maybe twice). These will place some new vertices on the cylinder. If you press V before inserting them and then watch the patch while you carry out these commands, you'll see what happens. With more vertices, you'll have finer control over the shape of the patch (though patches respond differently to vertex editing than brushes do).

 

If you use this method, you'll probably want to turn the cylinder into an ASE model as explained above. Basically as lauser said, you put your future model in a blank map with a caulk box around it, add an info_player_start, compile with -patchmeta -subdivisions X, and then run q3map2 on the .bsp file with -convert. I've never had to do any text editing on ASE models, so I'm not sure what that's about... Then you just add yourmodel.ase to your map as a misc_model.

 

If you don't want as much fine control, just use one of the defaulkt game models...I've gotten some great results with one of those Tatooine rock pillars and the _remap and modelscale_vec xScale yScale zScale keys. Check out the giant rock pillar supporting my cave roof in this shot.

[lauser]

Yeah Wedge, I don't know what all that text editing is about. I have never had a problem either even though when you open up the ASE file the directories are backwards a bit.

 

Mercenary, the advantage to ASE is less triangles are being drawn. NOT for patches but for brush work. When you use CAULK on brush work the triangles are not drawn.

 

SIDE NOTE: You do NOT need ASE files in your PK3 for them to show up ingame. They get calculated into the BSP.

 

/EDIT: Man...my spelling this morning is sad

[mslaf]

Originally posted by lauser

Kengo, mslaf recommends using models of objects and terrain as much as possible without going nuts.

I'm the Q3A engine rookie and this opinion originally came from ydnar. I was just repeating it.

 

Originally posted by Mercenary

I've heard a few things, but is .ase really that much better for performance?

 

Models give you a little FPS improvement but they have a lot of other advantages:

 

- no matter what modeling program you use it always be better than radiant, so modeling process will become fast and effective.

- models seem to be better phong shaded (like patches) and therefore they look smoother. I had never achieved the same effect with brushes, even with the highest shadeangle values.

- models are easy to rescale or to rotate – if you have ever tried to rescale/rotate a model build with brushes you should know what it means.

- terrain models could have much better UV mapping as you have three mapping directions instead of one - if the ivector tells you something.

- terrain models can be optimized. The mesh can be more detailed in some places and less detailed elsewhere.

 

And Druid Bremen, maybe you spend a few days or a week to learn a modeling program but you will do it only once and that will save you weeks or months in the future. And the modeling tools are the future and it's really worth to know them if you're planning to create maps for Jedi Knight 4 etc. Gmax is the best choice and actually only one you currently have. I don't like 3D studio but, you know: if you don't have what you like you must like what you have;)

[lauser]

Thanks for the TUTORIAL ms...and the heads up!

[Kengo]

Originally posted by mslaf

I'm the Q3A engine rookie and this opinion originally came from ydnar. I was just repeating it.

 

I'm not about to argue with either of you

 

Would you be happy for us to put your tutorial up at Map-Review BTW?

[mslaf]

Originally posted by Kengo

I'm not about to argue with either of you

 

Would you be happy for us to put your tutorial up at Map-Review BTW?

 

Sure, you don't need to ask .