From Paper to Pixels

By: Chris ‘Plutonic’ Blundell

http://www.planetunreal.com/plutonic/

plutonic@planetunreal.com

Making maps for the Unreal Engine.

by Chris 'Plutonic' Blundell

I always enjoy reading articles by other level designers about their process for creating maps, so, I thought to myself: "Why not take the time to describe my process of level design?"

Over the last year and a half, I have been involved as a contract level designer on three commercial projects and created a number of maps for the UT community, including CTF-Conquest, CTF-Revenge and DM-Frantic. During this time I have experimented with different processes for designing and creating maps for the unreal engine and have found the following to be most efficient (for me at least).

Before opening UnrealEd

I usually start sketching and writing in my ‘ideas book’, which I keep with me as much as possible. Sometimes I sketch features, such as rooms, a base for a CTF base or a decorative feature. Other times, I write descriptions of game play elements. In moments of absolute creative clarity, a whole map will appear in my mind and I slave feverishly to get it onto paper.

When I feel that I have a reasonably good idea of what I want the map to be like, I start sketching the layout. About six months ago, this process involved me drawing the map to scale on graph paper, but I no longer work this way. Instead, I now draw the essential layout of the map, including information about the relative heights of the levels in the map and any other important considerations.

I should note that, even though I start with a reasonably detailed idea of the layout for the map, it still evolves and changes as I create it with UnrealEd.

Bring on UnrealEd

1 Creating the 'flow geometry'.

I start a map by creating all the geometry that makes up the flow of the map. As each brush is created, generic textures for the floors, walls and ceilings are applied to the respective surfaces. This allows for easy realignment of textures after vertex editing and/or scaling. I try not to get side tracked into adding decorative details at this point (though I will sketch a really good idea on paper for implementation later).

During construction I add what I call ‘interim lighting’ - these are just lights with default settings placed in the map - and a player start point so that I can wander through the map in UT. This way I can check that playing space is appropriate, without having to wait for a long rebuild to finish.

2 Details, textures and lights

Only after I am happy with the flow do I add the elements that bring the map to life. I will usually create decorative geometry at the same time as I apply textures to the map. Ambient sounds, movers and meshes are also added at this point. The map is usually zoned before I start applying lights.

Once I am happy with the details and textures, I select all the ‘interim lights’ and delete them. I then go through the map and apply lighting with settings that are specific to the decorations, textures and intended theme. The sky box is usually added last. This phase normally involves a lot of play testing to check that the lighting levels are okay.

I will normally try to give myself a break from the map at this point in the process. Usually I try to take a day or so away from the map, though sometimes I really have to force myself to step away for that long. This allows me to come back to the map and review my work more critically

3 Weapons and game play elements

Where possible I try to place weapons, power ups and associated elements to promote strategy in game play. It helps to have the geometry finalised before doing this. Game play elements, such as CTF flags and defence points, are also added at this time.

4 Path noding

As you are no doubt aware, bot paths are dependent on geometry and game play elements. So I tend to add them only after I have placed everything else. After I have looked at and then tweaked the paths in UnrealEd, I then load the map from inside UT and watch the bots play the map. This often results in me going backwards and forward between UnrealEd and UT, trying to get the bots to play the map effectively.

5 Tidying up

Music, the screen shot and level information are normally added last.

6 Beta testing

I find the opinions of others invaluable because they can look at the map through fresh eyes and quite often see things I have not noticed. I try to incorporate as much of their advice for changes as possible because, more often than not, they suggest things that everyone else will want to see in the map.

7 Releasing the map

There comes a time when a shipwright must stop working and watch his/her creation sail into the great unknown. The same is true of a map designer’s work.

End note

This article is only an expression of how I go about making maps. Given the fact that most people have more or less taught themselves to use UnrealEd, I am sure that there is a multitude of processes for designing and making maps for UT. I would not presume to think that my technique is any better or worse than other designers use. What I can tell you is that this technique helps to avoid the problems and distractions that plagued me when I first started making maps for Unreal a couple of years ago. In particular, it forces me to consider the flow of the whole map first, before being caught up in the process of decorating it. Thereby maximising the potential for the map to work as a whole unit, rather than it becoming a interconnected collection of 'pretty geometry'.

Chris ‘Plutonic’ Blundell
[15-12-00]

http://www.planetunreal.com/plutonic/

plutonic@planetunreal.com

UT Maps by Plutonic (in chronological order from most recent):

CTF-Revenge, DM- and DOM-Frantic, CTF-EventHorizon, CTF-Conquest, DM-Fool’sBravado, and DM-AggressiveTendencies][

CTF-Revenge |  | DM- and DOM-Frantic
CTF-EventHorizon |  | CTF-Conquest
DM-Fool’sBravado |  | DM-AggressiveTendencies][