Topics On Mapping
This page is the starting point for all topics of Mapping, the design and creation of gaming areas (aka, maps or levels) with the Unreal Engine. Beginners should first acquaint themselves with the Mapping Lessons before going over these topics. Also, check out Basic Procedure for directions on tasks commonly performed when mapping.
Layout Design
This section covers general planning, layout, gameplay and flow.
- Gameplay – Super topic on concepts and elements of satisfying game design
- Gametype – A hub page on mapping for each Unreal gametype
- Map Design – Game concepts and elements related to map design
- Map Flow – Maximizing the value of a map's gameplay through design
- Z-Axis – Layout designing in the vertical dimension
- Placing PlayerStart – Placing player start positions within the layout
- Inventory Item Placement – Item, weapon and goal placement within the layout
- Vehicle Gameplay – Vehicle spawn placement with the layout
- Map Planning – Techniques to define and refine a map layout design
Construction
The technical specifics of creating the world. BSP, terrain, static meshes, skyboxes, PlayerStarts. For a gentle introduction to this, follow the Mapping Lessons. The technical concepts involved are explained on Unreal World.
- UnrealEd Interface – articles on the Wiki should explain as they go, but here we have the full reference for working with UnrealEd.
- General Scale and Dimensions
- Building with CSG
- Building with Static Meshes
- Terrain
- Map Optimization – How to Use Zoning and Antiportals to Get the Best Performance
- Map File Prefix
Visual Design
Using textures, lighting, materials.
- Using Materials
- Creating A Material
- Lighting
- Adding Polish To Maps
- Map Atmosphere – Comparison between maps' atmosphere between UT and UT2003
Bot Support
This section covers the standard practice of supporting AI players (aka, Bots).
- Bot Support – A hub page for bot support
- Bot Pathing – Concepts and elements of the bot path network
- Basic Bot Pathing – A tutorial for a basic bot path network
- Strategic Bots – Advanced bot activities and maneuvers
- Bot Mind – Understanding bot behavior and troubleshooting
- Testing Botplay – Ensuring reliable bot support
- Bot Pathing – Concepts and elements of the bot path network
Miscellaneous AI Support
This section covers non-standard AI support: Monsters, NPCs, etc.
- Artificial Intelligence – Super topic for all AI, including bot support, custom NPCs and monsters.
- Trigger Systems – Complex behavior through Triggers and other actors
- Monster Support – Unreal monsters
- NPC Support – Custom non-player characters
Unrealed Tools
This section covers lessons about the UnrealEd Tools.
Brush Editing
- VertexToolTutorial
- Description Need Description!.
- 2D Shape Editor Menu
- Description Need Description!.
Dynamics
This section covers Effects, Triggers, Custom Components, and Interactivity.
Effects
- Making Windows
- Fans
- Blood Effects
- [Electrical Storms]
- [Cyclones/Whirlpools]
- [Bent Space & Escher Worlds]
- Making an Interpolation Path – How to Set Up the Camera For Your Own UT Cutscene
- Making Sparks (UT) - For making sparks in UnrealTournament GOTY Edition.
Exploding Stuff
Liquids and Water
- Making Liquids (UT): Making Water, Lava, Slime, Etc.
- Rising Water (UT): Rising Water
- Rising Water: Rising Water in Unreal Tournament 2003
- Fluid Surfaces
- Holes in Fluid Surfaces
- Making Liquids
- xProcMesh
Miscellaneous
- Trigger Systems – Complex behavior through Triggers and other actors
- ParticleEmitter Cookbook
- Karma
- On ParticleGenerators (U2) – Brief Notes and Examples from Scott Dalton and Aaron Leiby (Legend) R.I.P
Movers
- Moving Parts (Movers)
- Create A Mover A Basic Tutorial
- Making Doors
- Making Lifts
- Further reading: Mover Topics
- Making Multi-Story Elevators
- Teleportation
- Create a Jump Pad
- Lifts vs Jumppads A discussion of which is better and when
Others
Outdoor Areas
Sounds
Static Meshes
- Static Mesh
- Building With Static Meshes (needs work)
- Static Mesh Modeling
- Static Mesh Package
- Static Mesh Ideas
Terrain
- Terrain – Making Landscapes
- Creating a Terrain
- Terrain Mode
- [Quick UT2003 Terrain]?
- Using The Terrain Tool
- [Caves And Caverns With Terrain]?
Texturing
- Decorating Rooms with Textures
- Texture Topics
- Texture Import And Export
- Dynamic Texture
- 3D Studio Max Advanced Texturing – How to Skin Terrain or Align Textures On a Sphere
- masked textures
- Import The Texture
- Texture Import And Export
Mapping Tips
- UnrealEd Tips
- Unreal Mapping FAQ
- Adding Polish To Maps
- Mapping Checklist – Last minute double-checks before release
Troubleshooting / Documents
- Actor Overview – Adding Actors and Setting Their Properties
- Playtest
- Embedding Code and Other Packages Into Your Map
- [Using the Console]? – Getting Some Additional Functionality by Using the Console.
- Gimbal Lock or, why rotation in UnrealEd doesn't always do what you want it to.
- General Scale and Dimensions
- Crashing UnrealEd
- Help, I Have Lost My Map – OH NO!! I think I lost my map! HELP!!! (Document on trying to recover a map in progress that seems to be lost.)
- The Snap to Grid feature
- Making Actors Snap by Default to the grid
- [Break the Hierarchy]? will write about this later... —Tarquin
- Basic Procedures
- MyLevel Package
- Mapping Checklist: What to Do Before You Release Your Map
- Map Build Errors – Errors that you may encounter when Rebuilding or Map Check-ing your map.
Related Links
- Architecture
- CSG Architecture?
- Static Meshes.
- Mapping Lessons
- Map Build Errors
- Map Ideas
- Testing Lab
- Terminology – Common terms and abbreviations explained
External Links
- UDN's [Unreal Tournament 2003 Level Design and Art Links]
- [3DBuzz] has DivX5 encoded AVI movies on most mapping topics. Free registration with valid email verification is required.
Discussion
CorDharel: I always wanted to know: Do I have to know how to work with actors if I don't map and just code? Or did I oversee the page where this is described for coders? If you are a coder, can you map?
EntropicLqd: There isn't much you can do in code without working with/touching on an Actor. Every object the player can interact with is an Actor (at least I can't think of any exceptions off the top of my head). Also, just because you can write great code doesn't mean your maps will be great, or even that you'll understand everything you need to do to make them. I can write mods for Unreal Engine games pretty easily. I have no idea how the new materials/texture stuff works in UT2003, and my maps are generally pretty awful. In the next version of the Unreal Engine I'm fully expecting to not even be able to build DM-OnNoNotAnotherCube.
MythOpus: I am a mapper myself and I work with actors ALL the time. However I don't know a lot about coding and if you have to end up coding and actor its probably because your trying to make something advanced. I generally do not have anything to do with coding. I just place an actor, and change its default properties.
Erika: I map a lot, and know the basics of the 2D shape editor. I know how to code as well, and often I make new things to put in my maps. You don't really need to know how to code to make maps, but knowing how to code can possibly make your maps better.
WheatPuppet: Do we want to put in a topic on Karma objects? I don't see one here, but they're certainly important if you want dynamic physics.
Foxpaw: Well, there's Karma. Or is that not what you were thinking?
WheatPuppet: Thanks. I put a link to it above near particles. They're in the same class of special effect.
Fragatta: Hiya I just wanted to say that in the effects section, "Glass" and "Making Windows" are both almost identical except the latter is slightly more detailed. Please feel free to flame me if i'm wrong!
Tony: You seem to be right. They have the same images as well... Maybe someone should combine / get rid of them or something.
OlympusMons: Ok there seems to be some stuff on this page under the dynamics heading which isnt dynamics Ive added a title for this other misc stuff. I wasnt exactly sure what to do here, plus I didnt want to stuff anything up.
I Found this as well. Dynamics
Bob_The_Beheader: I'm thinking tackling some of that reorganization TODO stuff. I'm going to re-arrange
some of the ordering of the lists, change the descriptions on some of the items in order to clarify their meaning a little better. The major change is dividing the list up into sections:
- Conceptual aspects
- Procedures
- Tips and Tricks
I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but some of the descriptions will be in the form of a question. i.e.:
- Placing PlayerStart – Where is a good place for a player to spawn?
I think this makes it seem like Placing PlayerStart is on a more conceptual level, rather then simply a page describing the procedure for placing a playerstart.
The big problem here is that so much of the items on this page intersect with those in Map Design and Basic Procedure. I think that some (well, many) items here should be refactored into those pages. Either that, or the items can be removed, and this page is left with pointers to other general pages like Basic Procedure and Map Design.
This is one of the most important, if not the most important 'hub' on the wiki, imho, and currently it is very disorganized and much refactoring is required.
Graphik: Mapping information here has always been something like a nice meal ground up in a blender and served. It's good information in a fairly useless form.
What it really needs is someone to come through wielding a massive +2 Sword of Cutting (and Pasting)™ and a bit of writing ability to hack up something useful. The trouble is, well... scroll up and down this page and you'll see what I mean. It's no small task.
SuperApe: By all means, work on the new structure on the new Graphik/Mapping Reconstruction page. Let everyone contribute, so as to avoid someone else complaining about how it was re-organized. (a typical problem) One thing to note about Bob's complaint: there is a difference of opinion on what a hub is. The current re-organization of this page was the result of a compromise between explaining the concepts of all these ideas (several volumes of text) and simply giving the needed links to the pages which go into detail about the various topics. Tarquin convinced me that a hub is just that: a list of useful links, related by topic heading. Above all, I'd like to reenforce the idea that you work on the re-organization first, allowing for the discussion to hone it, then apply it to the page. To that end, I'm going to back up a couple of revisions, removing a couple changes which frankly are causing some serious organizational conflicts, imho. See the RecentChanges link to check what I'm talking about. Good luck.
Bob_The_Beheader: Ok, sorry for rushing into things... So the Graphik/Mapping Reconstruction page is sort of a prototype for the changes to be made on this page? - Good idea. So Map Design and Basic Procedure are not hubs, but this is. I'd like to help, I don't have a sword like you describe, Graphik, but I know a guy who knows this blacksmith 
.
Category To Do – Organization work done on Graphik/Mapping Reconstruction
