SP tutorials

Started by Tycon, March 27, 2012, 09:58:50 AM

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Tycon

Hey y'all, Tycon here with a little pile of SP mapping tutorials I whipped up a while back but never posted. If you like them, Sandcrawler, you can add them to the site. Here's the first:
Basic level(pathing):

create a map about this shape:

                               ___
                              |_ _|
                               [ ]
                               [ ]
                               [ ]
                             __[ ]__
                            |       |
                            |   X   |
                            |_______|


with you starting at the X and moving to the other end.
Bad guys will be in the hallway in the little dent/cave thingies in the wall.
Add the 3 members of Delta Squad.
Add Trandoshan Mercs in the dent/caves, 1 per cave.

Now if you right-click on any of the floors, a little menu shows up. click on Add Path Node.
Add a number of Path Nodes around the map.
Build Paths.
Right-click on the 3D window and check Show Paths. You will see green, white, orange, and red lines connecting your Path Nodes.
Try to get rid of the orange and red lines by moving nodes around and adding new ones.
Nodes are what the pawns use to get around the map. the lines are like roads that they use to navigate.
Green and white mean there is a good connection.
Orange means a poor connection, but the pawns will use it anyway.
Red means Unreal editor wants to connect, but can't. Pawns won't use these.

Go into the Actor Browser and expand Navigation Points. Select CoverPoint. Add some in your map where the O's are:

   __________
  |          |
  |          |
  |__O    O__|
     |O  O|
     --  --
     |O  O|
     --  --
     |O  O|
     --  --
     |O  O|
     --  --
     |    |
_____    ______
|               |
|               |
|      \/       |
|      /\       |
|               |
|_______________|


You will notice that the CoverPoints have an arrow. Rotate them until they all point down towards the starting room.
Add some CoverPoints facing up as shown:

   __________
  |          |
  |          |
  |___    ___|
     |O  O|
     --  --
     |O  O|
     --  --
     |O  O|
     --  --
     |O  O|
     --  --
     |    |
_____    ______
|    O    O     |
|               |
|      \/       |
|      /\       |
|               |
|_______________|

CoverPoints are what the pawns use when the take cover.
Their AI will tell them to go to the nearest CoverPoint facing the enemy.
The CoverPoints facing down are for trandos to use when fighting you on your way up.
The points facing up are for your commandos to use on their way up.

Build Paths and see how the CoverPoints are linked to the nodes. Adjust them as needed.
Build All and save.

Open in singleplayer mode as follows. Start a LAN server. type in 'start mapname'.
Enjoy!


I just do this to show off my brother's photoshop skillz :D

Tycon

Well, since I have not heard people crying out for me to stop, I shall continue.
Adding doors(Advanced Movers/Events and Squad Actions I):

Find a door static mesh and add it as a mover(see mover tutorial).
Move the door to the doorway between the starting room and the hallway.
Set the door so that Base 0 is down and Base 1 is up out of the map(again, see mover tut).
Add another door between the hallway and the finishing room in the same way.

At the first door, on the starting room side, add a ScriptedTrigger(Actor Browser > AIScript > ScriptedSequence > Scripted Trigger). ScriptedTriggers are the 'brains' of your maps. You will be using them to organize events and other things.
Double click on the ScriptedTrigger. In the AIScript tab, select Actions and click on Add.
On the pull-down menu, select WaitForTimer, then click New.
In the new section that shows up, set PauseTime to 5.
Select Actions and Add again.
This time, get TriggerEvent in the pulldown menu, and click new.
In the new section, set Event to FirstDoor.
Double click on the first door, and set Events > Tag to FirstDoor, and Object > InitialState to TriggerToggle.

What this means is that the ScriptedTrigger will count 5 seconds after the start of the map,
and then trigger the event FirstDoor. That means anything with the Tag FirstDoor will be activated and do whatever they do.

Moving on to the second door:
In the Actor Browser, go to ActivateItem > HackTerminal > HackTerminalRAS and add one next to the second door, on the hallway side, like this:
Terminal goes where the '>' is.

_____[DOOR]_____
   |        >|
   |         |
   --       --
   |         |

Set the second door's Tag to SecondDoor, and InitialState to TriggerToggle.
In Actor Browser, open MarkerIconActor > SquadMarker > CTMarker > MarkerHackTerminalNative > MarkerHackTerminal and add one.
The marker looks like a hologram of a clone hacking a computer. put it up by the wall, and adjust the terminal so it lines up with his hand.
Double click on the marker, and while it's properties are up, select the terminal.
In the marker's properties, in the Marker tab, select Anchor and click Use. Also, select Actors, click Add, and click Use.
If these steps are confusing you, don't worry. The exact method is kinda hard to explain, but easy to do once you've got it. If you need more information, look at the droid factory tut.

Open the terminal's properties, and select the marker.
In the terminal properties, select Marker > SquadMarker and click Use.
Still in the terminal properties, select HackTerminal > HackedState > Event and set to SecondDoor.

This will make it so that when the terminal is hacked, the door will open.

Build All.

Open map in SinglePlayer mode. 5 seconds after the level starts, the door will open, showing the Trando ambushes.
Fight your way past them and hack the computer to get into the next room and end the level.


I just do this to show off my brother's photoshop skillz :D

Sandcrawler

You can add them to the website.

Just save them as a tutorial.txt file inside a folder, and upload it. The link below gives an example of how/what to do.

Help:
http://forums.sandcrawler.net/index.php?topic=1415.0

Link:
http://umh.sandcrawler.net/index.php?page=tutorials&command=new
This is my super cool signature, if you think you can best it then make one and Personal Message it to me. :)

Tycon

OK will do soon! And I will add better pictures. 8)


I just do this to show off my brother's photoshop skillz :D

kram

If you still look at this, i thought you want to know that i actually know quite a bit about SP mapping and the trigger system.  I have made rappelling, ai scripts, cut-scenes like in the game (only not as big), gunship and other vehicle and character animating, and a bunch of other stuff.

If you, or anyone else wanted i could do a very quick explanation or you could just ask questions, because this game (including mapping/editing) is pretty much dead, so i wouldnt want to spend too much time on it.


frazscotland

Feel free to upload any maps or mod files you have made KRAM... 8)
XFIRE  FRAZSCOTLAND

kram

Well i would but i dont really have any SP maps worth uploading. They are all pretty much just tests. I have a few MP maps though.

Tycon

Quote from: kram on May 06, 2012, 12:14:32 PM
If you still look at this, i thought you want to know that i actually know quite a bit about SP mapping and the trigger system.  I have made rappelling, ai scripts, cut-scenes like in the game (only not as big), gunship and other vehicle and character animating, and a bunch of other stuff.

If you, or anyone else wanted i could do a very quick explanation or you could just ask questions, because this game (including mapping/editing) is pretty much dead, so i wouldnt want to spend too much time on it.
Amazing. I've been gone like a month and there's been 3 posts.
But anyways, first I'd like to say that there are probably a whole lot of poeple who would say the RC isn't dead. but they probably won't come here though...hence my lack of motivation getting these tuts ready. Mebbe you're right.


I just do this to show off my brother's photoshop skillz :D