Ued question

[-SHA-Schrapnel]

I've been messing around with Ued the past 2 days, starting to get the hang of it...again. I followed a tutorial, but it left me a little confused, even though I was able to build my first "box". The problem I had was there was hardly any room to move around in..
I've always been into Giant maps, well at least since back when Planet {LASA} was around. These are the type of maps I want to build, but I have a couple questions..

1) What is a good size for a giant map.
2) Textures, furniture, and stuff like that. Where can they be found?

The tutorial I followed built a box of 256x512x512. That was far to small to even take a pee in the corner without getting noticed.

I figured I'd ask here since I've seen the maps that MPC have done, and love them.
Thanks

[THEXFILES]

256 x 256 is about the size of a tunnel for the player, for a big map lets say like MPC FAMILYROOM its about 10,000 x 10,000 x 4000 high, now some people like to go about half that size like 5000 x 5000 x 2000 and then when they are all done they scale the map up to the size they want. textures......well for a good quality one like a poster or a picture some where about 512 x 512, smaller objects of a solid color you can go anywhere from 64 x 64 , 128 x 128 , 256 x 256 the smaller the size the smaller your map file will be when all done.And where to find textures is a good one, if im looking for a certain texture like wood, I google a image and it will bring up tons of pictures of wood, then you save it and can mess with it in photoshop then import it into the map, static meshes is a different story, you have to make them or know someone who can make them..........alot of times if there is a mesh from a map you would like to use just email the author and ask for permission to use his mesh. Hope this helps.

[MAD]

I'll try to explain this as simply as I can.

In the digital world everything is built with and around a pixel. A single pixel is square. So if everything you build in U E is square, everything will line up and fit better when your finished. For example, the files you import for textures have to be sized by divisors of 2, 32x32, 64x64, 128x128 and on and on, based on a square.

They key to making a big map with a small overall file size is, start small and use smaller textures. Say you make a map thats 6144 x 6144 x 8192 (which are all multiples of 2) and in that map you have a few pics. That map will have to have textures for the pics at least 256 x 256 or bigger to make them look sharp. Now if you made that same map, but scaled smaller to start with, such as, 3072x3072x4096 (which is exactly half the first size), you now need textures exactly half the size of the one's you needed before. Therefore when your finished all the brushes and meshes, your map will be half the size of the map with the original dimensions.

Once all the brush and mesh building is done (if you scale pickups, lights and player starts they also become twice the size), you highlight and select all brushes and meshes in top view in U E, on the top tool bar you click Tools, go to Scale Map, default is set to 1.0. You can scale the map to whatever you want.

When I made the map DM-MPC-Launch, I didnt know about everything I just explained, so I started the room as one size and made the textures to fit, and the map when finished was 46mg I think. When I scaled from 1.0 to 2.0, the overall file size of the map only grew 1.4mg. I could now make that same map again, and using the info above, have a total file size of under 20mg, and it could be even bigger.

Trying to explain everything here in one simple post kind of leaves a lot to the imagination. For a starter map, assuming you want a rectangular shaped room, open U E and right click the cube builder and try using the dimensions of 4096x4096x6144 and make everything in it to fit a room of that scale and play with texture sizes until you get them to look right. Solid colour textures can be any size, from 32x32 to 1024x1024, but for solid colours you dont need them big, because you can just scale the texture to fit any brush and being one colour you see no "seams". Add a couple lights and a player start, build all and go in and play it, and notice the size of the room. Then open the same map in U E and delete the lights and player start, highlight and select everything in the map, top bar, Tools, Scale Map, change the default 1.0 to 2.0, add lights and a player start again, and go play it again and you'll see.

Making maps is VERY time intensive, and the little shortcuts you learn along the way really help you speed things up. I've been working on another map for over a month now and I've got a ways to go yet...

Between X, Cptn_Howdy and myself, we should be able to answer almost any questions you have.

Good luck and have fun.

[-SHA-Schrapnel]

Wow, nice information. I just woke up and was actually able to comprehend everything. I'm gonna go play in Ued for a while. Doubt I'll come up with anything that can be used though, but you never know.

Will let ya know if I run into any snags.

thanks again.

[-SHA-Schrapnel]

I just noticed that I should've posted this in the Unreal ED area.. sorry..

After seeing Obey Arena tonight, I opened it up in Ued.. Now I have some ideas..
Anyhow. I have a "very" basic, but VERY big arena map going now. This map is just for my learning the in's and out's of Ued. I've got some ideas for maps though..

Hillybilly Courthouse
Car audio install shop

Maybe when I get done the map I am doing will be good enough to put out in the public.. doubtful though.

[MAD]

Hope I gave you a step in the right direction with what you were asking for.

Any more question's, feel free to ask.

[Nightreapor]

Ok. I love gaint maps in all but, I would like to create one!


Questions:
1.What program is the best for 3-D Maps

2.Any good tutorials on Animation/3-D

3.Where are good texture brushs

4.When I learn the detail, Anyone want to make a map with me?

Please answer ASAP

[ghost_writer]

1. Unreal ED for all the map making..Brushes/movers/weapon placement, etc. For custom Models MAYA/3ds-MAX/Lightwave

2. www.3dbuzz.com

3. Paint your own , Photoshop/Deep Paint/ Paintshop pro or by a cd....www.marlinstudios.com

4. NO

[THEXFILES]

4. NO

What capt.howdy means by no, him,Mad and myself do all the maps and our
plates are full as it is, not alone taking on the task of making more maps, we will give you advise but to start maps with someone is something we dont like to do, its like a painting, you start it you want to finish it all by yourself.But we are allways here for the advise on issues.

[MAD]

NO

Thats the only word in the english language he has no trouble spelling. LMAO.

[blinky]

were do u acses unreal ed
how do u acses it

[Nightreapor]

im confused how do you move objects?

[MAD]

Unreal Ed is in your UT system folder, green icon.

Keep playing with it reapor and you'll figure it out.

Here's a link you might find helpful...

http://www.unrealwiki.com/wiki/Category_Mapping