I want to make a Q2 map

[PalaceGerbil]

I want to make a Q2 map.  Is there software I could compile for my system that would help me make maps?  What is the standard for map making anyway?  Built by hand and compiled, or like a CAD sort of a system?

[Whirlingdervish]

What operating system do you use?

There are a variety of windows based applications for building maps for quake games, and most of them have a multiple viewport cad-like setup where you drop in blocks and alter them to get the shapes you want. They then compile from this 3d layout to form a working q2 map.

If you are on nix or a mac, GTK Radiant would be the best way to go.

http://icculus.org/gtkradiant/downloads.html

It's probably the most actively developed editor out there in terms of quake 2 modding, and one of the devs who maintains the project is a regular here at tastyspleen: Jdolan.

[PalaceGerbil]

I use x86 gentoo linux.

I downloaded the GTK Radiant and did not have to compile the binaries (I don't know if it is an option or not).  It works well but it seems to want Q3 maps.  I am able to load the one initial demo basemap.  Then I kind of screwed up and it is having directory problems with me.

I took a little CAD and it drove me nuts.  This seems to be a bit more responsive and realistic.  I just need to fix The Edge.  I could probably do CAD assignments with it though.   

[Whirlingdervish]

if you are wanting to manipulate a copy of q2dm1, you will need something other than the q2dm1.bsp file as your base.

you will probably want to look for a .map version of it, where the geometry and skinning has been ripped out of the .bsp otherwise the editors don't tend to handle it well.

 

[M^tster]

I use Qoole for my map making, compiles things just fine and it makes a .map version when you load a map..

 

[[BTF] Reflex]

you will probably want to look for a .map version of it, where the geometry and skinning has been ripped out of the .bsp otherwise the editors don't tend to handle it well.

http://panjoo.tastyspleen.net/downloads/q2dm1_sourcemap.zip

[Flesh420]

you will probably want to look for a .map version of it, where the geometry and skinning has been ripped out of the .bsp otherwise the editors don't tend to handle it well.

http://panjoo.tastyspleen.net/downloads/q2dm1_sourcemap.zip

What are the hint brushes for in that map source, why do they appear to be separating the map into chunks?

[Whirlingdervish]

http://dervish.tastyspleen.net/rust/tutorials/hint/hint.htm

when you make the .map into a .bsp file for q2, you will run it thru a program called qbsp.exe that will cut the map you made up into the final triangles used to render it in-game. hint brushes are only used at this stage and don't appear in the final product.

they are used to define planes that the map creator would like used preferably during this cutting-up process, in order to minimize the program cutting stuff up poorly or making too many triangles where fewer would do the same thing using less resources. sometimes it is used to insure that a certain spot is cut a specific way to avoid one huge map area being seen from another huge or complicated area.

in this old q2 engine, the total number of rendered triangles in the final map are very limited and if they consistently go over a certain number they cause the game to chug noticeably and drop framerate. if you can only "see" the area you are in, and not the other one around the corner, the renderer will draw a lot less triangles every time it draws a frame and this will make it draw that frame faster.