Map makers/editors?

[[BTF]adam]

I want to make my own map, just as a test you see, first off, is it difficult? and can you reccomend any editors for a begginer? i used the unreal tournament editor once, it was too hard i didnt get anywhere lol. and secondly, what is map making like?

[XSiv]

I remember fooling around with qoole for a bit but never really accomplishing anything too spectacular.

I was trying to make a jailbreak map and had everything except my entities in check.

I hear quark is the prefered tool. http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~quark/

[magical pig]

GO HERE, it is a great place to start<--------- Click me

[Om3ga]

I want to make my own map, just as a test you see, first off, is it difficult? and can you reccomend any editors for a begginer? i used the unreal tournament editor once, it was too hard i didnt get anywhere lol. and secondly, what is map making like?

dont forget to add farm animals (sheep, horses, pigs, things you like f**kin) too 

[magical pig]

..... pigs, things you like f**kin) too 

wtf?
 
 
 
 
 

[X'tyfe]

mapping isnt as easy as you might think, it has a very steep learning curve

[magical pig]

This is very true, but Maric has a killer tutorial that will have you at least going through the motions, literally within minutes, I have seen some really great work come from people that have gone through the tut, then put what they have learned into practice. Being great at mapping is like most anything, it takes alot of work.

[Gorgut]

I sort of disagree with the coment that map making is hard.  All you need to get is the program Quark (Quake Army Knife).  It is extremely simple to use by anyone with a basic comprehention of a 3 axis graph (3 dimentional, X Y and Z axis).  The program even starts you off with a simple, ready to run map as well as the ability to directly import downloaded maps.  The basic map it starts you with is a small squair, four walls, a floor, a ceiling and a single spawn point (single player spawn point).  From there you simply copy and paste the walls and expand the map to cover a larger area with more rooms adding in items making it more complex as you trial and error diffrent functions of the map editor.  The program also has a very nice texture browser making texture selection very easy.  The only thing you will need to keep in mind is that a map is just like a water balloon.  if you fill it full of water you cannot have any holes in it, even in the top or the water will spray out.  Just make sure to start off with a simple flat map so that all floors and ceilings are at the same height on the editor making it very easy to ensure that all floors, walls and ceilings meet each other.  It may be even easyer to start with the basic given map and enlarging it into a very large box.  Then do all the editing you want inside it with no worries about ever having leaks (holes in map are refered to as leaks).  Another thing that comes to mind about Quark is the ability to select a wall, floor, ceiling, or any other item on the map for that matter, and then change the items dimentions and/or location while in the testing mode via three hotkeys on the top of the screen.  The "testing mode" is a fast running, lower resolution 3d model you can freely move threwout as if you were a ghost in the map.  The three hotkeys represent three diffrent graphical modes.  The first is a very low resolution but extremely smooth running graphical mode.  The second is similar to the first only it is in a higher resolution and requires more of the computers resources.  The last hotkey runs in open gl,  this mode has far greater texture details but may not be able to run smoothly at higher resolutions while editing a large map.

Hope this info helps at all.  I you have any other questions send a reply and I will check back with the forums every now and then.

Gorgut                                             

[plastik]

it's not map making that is hard, it is the programs that are available to make the maps that make it soo time intensive.  It would be soo much easier to be able to make a map layout in a 3d graphics program such as bryce (best way to go for that) or 3dsmax.  I heard of a 3dsmax plugin that allows you to export maps to quake .map format.  and I believe there is also a quake to quake 2 .map converter.  If anyone is familiar with bryce 3d, it is basicly like how a very easy to use/sophisticated map maker for quake should be, edit your rooms in that (and textures too) export to 3dsmax, then use the plugin, convert quake 1 to q2 .map, compile, boom!  you've got yourself a map...maybe.  another good thing about being able to use bryce is that you can import objects you wouldn't normally see in q2 maps, then if they do not have the correct polygons/faces, you can just use the unsmoothing tool to fix that up. If all this would work together, then you could have GREAT maps in less than a few hours, and at most a day.

[Quest]

In theory , that sounds like a good idea, but remember q2 cant handle circular surfaces and when making maps you really have to watch your poly count.  I have a feeling that if you were to design a map in max, maya ... you would run into crazy problems when porting it over.  Just my opinion tho. 

As for people just starting out w/ making maps, I'd reccommend checking out qoole or QuArk.  Both are pretty user friendly and good for begginers.  After you get used to the basics and make a few maps, try moving on to QERadiant.

[plastik]

yes, it is only in theory.  but as long as it is not circular and doesnt have more than 255(?) faces, then it shouldn't give you many problems.  and thats why I talked about the unsmoothing tool in bryce, it will convert something circular.  the main reason why it would be very nice is the ease of adding low poly objects (.obj,.3ds,.lwo,etc) into the quake 2 maps, so statues for a castle, or even a castle itself can be easily made.  im sure there may be some problems along the way with some shapes though.  since computers are alot more powerful today, i'm sure they could handle all of the extra polygons.

here is what i meant about the unsmoothing..
see how it is circular, this type of object could be easily compatible with the 3d engine.

[[BTF]Defiant!]

It is a big kick to make a map, get your buddies together and play on it.

A real challenge to take a concept for gameplay and make it really work.  Some maps I and my buddies have made get played in totally different ways than we had planned.  And, I've noticed, scaling your map to be the right size is tough.  Play it a lot before trying to work out the details.

Def

[plastik]

oh yes, scaling can be very difficult, you don't want a large room to look small or small room to look large.

[[BTF]adam]

I got QuArK and im bloody dumbfounded, easy gui!?! you must be kiddin..

[Gorgut]

it is easy, start by ignoreing every button on it, for a beginner i recommend doing the copy and paste method. it starts you off with four walls, copy the one that faces the way you want, paste it and resize.  can do quite a bit using only ctrl+c and ctrl+v.  then after that the first 6 buttons have the same function on the interface, 2 for each axis to rotate the object, as explained earlyer theres 3 buttons just to preview the map. widdle it down and it realy isnt complex.  its just very time consumeing.  you cant expect to make a  professional map in 1 sitting. i am too a beginner, i spent over 2 weeks learning the basic functions of quark and am just now getting to my first "real" map.  have worked probubly a week on the basic layout of this map, and then put another week in copying and pasteing walls and floors all over the place and testing it out to see how it feels in game. i still have yet to choose a single texture or place a single item or object on the map.  when i say it is easy i am refering to the learning curve.  if you can copy and paste your way threw your first few maps you will all the sudden find yourself doing very complex things to your map with the click of a coupple buttons.  by no means is map editing easy to master.

good luck, feel free to ask questions.  even thoegh i just began map editing i seem to have accomplished alot.  i am very familier with 3 dimentional design and interface design.

gorgut