2D Shape Editor for UnrealED 2
Tutorial by EZkeel

Ezkeel@nikodemus.co.uk
Accompanied files: 2D.UNR

Contents

The_Menu
Preparation
Building_your_shape

Introduction

This tool enables you to make brushes in various different shapes without causing some of those bad visual problems you get. I used to build a cube, or cylinder and then move each vertex to get the shape I wanted. But when you do this, weird things can happen. You don’t have this problem as often if you use this tool. Don’t be put off by the word "experimental", I haven’t had any unexpected problems with this so far.

Again, as I’ll admit in all my tutorials, I’m no expert, but I’ll share with you the parts that I know.

1) The Menu

Before actually making any brushes with this, we’ll take a look at the actual menu functions in this tool.
Open the 2D Shape Editor by clicking on the "2D" icon in the menu bar.
You will see another window open that looks like a grid with the outline of a triangle in the centre, and a menu list at the top. Before taking you through step by step I'll give you a very brief overview of all the functions in the menu. They may not make much sense straight away but it should all fall into place by the time this tutorial has ended.

File Has all the usual functions like new, save, save as and one extra tool which is very useful ...

Open Image Very useful. This enables you to load a bitmap image on to the grid and use it to trace an outline. This enable you to get a perfect fit for your brushes.

Edit Includes the following functions:

Split Side: This will add an extra vertex in between two other selected vertices.

Delete: Removes the added vertex

Rotate 45 and 90: Both these functions will rotate the shape

Flip horizontally and vertically: Again this just moves the shape accordingly

Process includes all the commands that you use to give a third dimension to your flat shape.

Sheet: Makes a 2 dimensional sheet in the shape you’ve just created.

Revolve: Oh this is useful! Create your shape in the window, but make sure that the little green square in the window is either way left or right of the shape. If its in the middle of your shape somewhere this won't work. What this does is very neat and as soon as you use this option you'll see just what you can do with it. Once you've positioned the green block, hit the revolve option and take a look at the new window that pops up. Type in somthing like 24 in the field that says "per 360" (this refers to degrees) and in the field that says "use" type in 6. Then hit OK. The brush that appears will look like your shape but pivoted around the position you put the cross at for 90 degrees. See what I mean? Play with it and see. Its awesome for making twisty passages.

Extrude: This will turn your shape into a 3 dimensional object, by giving it depth. When you choose this function, a box appears. It will give you the option to "extrude" it to a particular depth (default 256). So a square shape would then become a box.

Extrude to Point: Again, the same as above, but it brings it to a point instead of just stretching it out. (e.g. a square sheet will become a 4 sided pyramid).

Bevel: Similar to the extrude functions. This extrudes to a point, but stops short of reaching that point. (e.g. a square sheet would become a 4 sided pyramid chopped off half way)

All of these functions can be found on the icon tool bar just underneath too, and some of them by right clicking the mouse.
The mouse also allows you to change the grid size and if you hold the right button down and drag, you'll see the shape move around in your window so that you can position it centrally.

2) Preparing to make your shape.

Now you’ve been given an overview of the functions available you can have a try at making your own archway.First make a large, lit room, say 1024 x 1024 x 1024, and add a player start. Rebuild it and save it. We are going to put a bricked arch shaped corridor leading from this room

We need to know what shape our arch is going to be, so first we need to make some preparations.

Load in the texture file called "Ancient.UTX" and the subgroup called "Arches" should already be showing. Choose the arch that you would like to use and make a brush the size of this texture to fit snugly against the wall (say 256 high, 256 wide and 16 deep).

Add this to your room, rebuild and save.

You should now have a big room with an archway in the wall. Obviously the entrance of the archway will just be black and this is what we are going to hollow out.

The texture you used for this archway will also be used in the 2D editor, so we need to "export" it. To do this, choose export from the options at the bottom of the texture toolbar (make sure you have your archway selected in the toolbar). Now save the texture, it will be stored as a PCX format.

Unfortunately, the 2D Shape Editor won’t use PCX pictures, so you’ll need an application that will convert your PCX file in to a BMP file! (If you can’t do that then you’ll have to guess the shape of your arch later on, and use trial and error). You’re now ready to play with the 2D Shape Editor!

3) Building your shape.

1) Open the 2D Shape Editor.

2) Now click on "File" from the menu options and choose "Open Image". A browser will appear from which you can choose the BMP file you prepared earlier. Once you’ve selected that, the archway should appear on your grid.

3) Click on each of the bottom two vertices and drag them so they fit the bottom of the black part of the archway.

4) Click on the top vertex of the triangle and drag it to the top of the arch. The side that slopes down to the left should be slightly thicker than the other two lines. You won't see this because the lines that make up your image are black like the masked part of your texture, but you can still see the vertices. Now click on the top vertex at the top of your arch, and also on the bottom left vertex with the Ctrl key pressed down. Both vertices should turn red. Right click and choose "split side" from the drop down menu. You should see a new vertex appear with between the two selcted ones.

5) Now click and drag this new vertex to the next part of your arch on the left that starts to curve.

6) Continue steps 4 and 5 until you have enough vertices to mimic the outline of the arch.
Hopefully you should have something that looks like the picture above:

7) That’s most of the work done! Now click on "Process" and choose "Extrude". A small box should appear somewhere on your screen (probably behind the editor!) like this.

8) Choose your depth and then click OK.

On your normal editor screen you should now see your red brush in the shape of your archway. Position it (rotate it in one of the views if necessary) so that it meets the edge of your arch brush that’s in your room. It should look like it fits snugly in the 3D view. (You may have to change the grid size to do this). Then click on the "subtract" icon to add this to your map (2nd button down on the right of your icon toolbar). You should now see your amazing arched hallway extending from your room. That’s it!

You may also want to experiment now using the "Bevel", "Extrude to point" or "Revolve" functions.

Ezkeel.
Ezkeel@nikodemus.co.uk