Looking for mappers

[GPChannel]

Hey pals

Maybe you heared That i create a TFA Conversion mod for JKA With some jkhub members but in the mod we want to create some new sp map too.

 

And we need a guy who can use gtk radiant

 

If somebody can help us just PM me

 

Thank you very much and May the force be With you.

[dark_apprentice]

Good luck! Hope there will be at least one person to join TFA:JKA Conversion

[Circa]

Mappers are hard to find these days. Its the main reason that big mods are basically dead right now. Its why the Star Wars Saga mod isn't going to happen.

[the_raven]

Mappers are hard to find these days. Its the main reason that big mods are basically dead right now. Its why the Star Wars Saga mod isn't going to happen.

the what mod again?

it's not surprising, mapping in Radiant is a pain in the back  

[Teancum]

mapping in Radiant is a pain in the back :'(

Heard that. In almost 20 years modding games using BSP engine editors like QuaRK and Radiant have been the most frustrating. It's nice that you can create whatever you want without having to use external models -- though sometimes you still do -- but the finnicky-ness of errors is beyond irritating. Jedi Knight and Battlefront are infinitely easier. Still, there's something rewarding in modding JO/JA

[eezstreet]

I'm still waiting on someone to help me finish the lost level for JK:Enhanced. If it comes down to it, I might have to do it myself. It's just super time consuming.

[Teancum]

I'm still waiting on someone to help me finish the lost level for JK:Enhanced. If it comes down to it, I might have to do it myself. It's just super time consuming.

Yours is high on the list of I-wish-I-coulds. I love that project.

[minilogoguy18]

It's annoying too when you try to find someone who knows how to code to build some sort of .map exporter for a 3d package, tells you it's pointless and that there is nothing wrong with Radiant. >_<

 

Radiant is terrible, most who use it don't see it cause they've usually have never used a large 3d modeling suite. It would be so much easier to do it the way the Pandemic editor does it, model everything in Softimage then do all the script/code for the map in the map editor.

[Archangel35757]

It's annoying too when you try to find someone who knows how to code to build some sort of .map exporter for a 3d package, tells you it's pointless and that there is nothing wrong with Radiant. >_<

 

Radiant is terrible, most who use it don't see it cause they've usually have never used a large 3d modeling suite. It would be so much easier to do it the way the Pandemic editor does it, model everything in Softimage then do all the script/code for the map in the map editor.

 

Did Pandemic write a .map exporter for Softimage?

[Teancum]

No, Pandemic's engine is terrain-based. There's no such thing as a leak there. Basically if you want a modeled/indoor map you make the meshes in a modeling program, then import them as objects. It's so much easier to use, but admittedly doesn't fit this kind of game all that well.

[eezstreet]

It's annoying too when you try to find someone who knows how to code to build some sort of .map exporter for a 3d package, tells you it's pointless and that there is nothing wrong with Radiant. >_<

 

Radiant is terrible, most who use it don't see it cause they've usually have never used a large 3d modeling suite. It would be so much easier to do it the way the Pandemic editor does it, model everything in Softimage then do all the script/code for the map in the map editor.

But....there isn't anything wrong with Radiant...

...for placing entities.

 

I believe there is a .map exporter though for Blender. @@Silverfang has some kind of system in place where he is making maps using a combination of Blender and Radiant.

[ensiform]

What exactly is so terrible about radiant? It's better than using hammer.

[Teancum]

For me its the entire need to seal leaks in BSP engines in general. No other game I've edited has such a need, and I find myself just making a giant caulk box around every map just so I don't have to go hunting for a leak that in the end I can never see in-game. It's maddening, and 99% of the time the leaks are so small that I can't even find them. Then there's VIS, which, in concept, is great. But given that JA's PC specs don't even reach the 1Ghz CPU level I typically through VIS out the window as it's also maddening to constantly make sure your map is efficient enough to make great VIS portals in the end.

 

Radiant does have some high points, though. It's nice that it's almost a psuedo-modeling program, allowing you to create structure items on the fly. Doors are also ridiculously easy to put in. And then there's...

 

... no, that's really all I can think of.

[ensiform]

Then you're doing it wrong.

[Teancum]

That's a really easy thing to say, but if that's the case why are there so few mappers in comparison to everything else in the JKA community? I'm not wanting to start a fight, but the whole BSP concept, while great at runtime, is a chore to do right.

[ensiform]

But the fact that you have leaks is because either you aren't using snapped grid brushes, not caulk behind patches, or an entity is stuck in a wall that's about it.

[Teancum]

But the fact that you have leaks is because either you aren't using snapped grid brushes, not caulk behind patches, or an entity is stuck in a wall that's about it.

Fair enough. Still on that point caulking is more work than doing it in a modeling suite, and the leak path is of no help when the leak is tiny.

 

In principle it's very easy, but when you have to jump between lots of different snap settings you're bound to have trouble.

[ensiform]

You really shouldn't be jumping between snap grids in most cases IMO.  I try to stick to a specific brush width for the map if possible.  The compiler also generates a file which will show you the leaks if imported into radiant.

 

 

Another way to do it is:  Caulk hull each room as structural.  And then all of the textured brushes within the room are details.  If you need an example I can provide an example .map file.

[Teancum]

Yeah, it's just more me not handling this sort of paradigm shift well. As far as getting around I'm comfortable now, but it just feels so very much slower than any other level editing I've done. Still, like I said before, the ability to create worlds without having to use tons of prefabs is really nice.

 

I suppose the other issue I have is the ghost-in-the-machine set of bugs it exhibits. Four times now I've had to just randomly remove my info_player_start, my first trigger_once, target_scriptrunner and target_print, then rebuild and relink all of them to get it to work, without ever having had changed a thing on them. I've had a lot of backtracking like that. It's frustrating!

[minilogoguy18]

A .map exporter isn't enough for me to want to reinstall blender again. A software that requires immediate user revision to the UI to become usable is retarded. Yeah, it's free, open source so that means all the V neck wearing dorks love it but the UI is so bad that it keeps companies like Autodesk in business.

[Langerd]

Gtkradiant = bad Editor? Since when?? I worked many times on radiant and i was pleased about it.

Of course now there are many better programs .. faster terrain creating, better lightning (i must say .. in jk3 it is a nightmare) and many many options and possibilites. Not to mention - in newer program we can see everything .. with shadows , details and effects.

Hammer for Team Fortress 2 is for newer engine but in my opinion that program was pain in the ass and crushing many times for me... dont know how so many great map were created for TF2 in this shit.

And to be honest... If there are some problems with the program - it dont fix leaks, dont show any errors but later.. there are and You must cut Your map with hint brushes and use some areaportals because program will not make anything without baby sitting. I think ... yeah it is annoying but it also require from You how good You can actually use this program. Many times i learned by mistakes. And that helped me to understand more things and make pogress to achieve something better

[Langerd]

Hey pals

Maybe you heared That i create a TFA Conversion mod for JKA With some jkhub members but in the mod we want to create some new sp map too.

 

And we need a guy who can use gtk radiant

 

If somebody can help us just PM me

 

Thank you very much and May the force be With you.

I made a lot of maps.. but 95% of them are always WIP.. and I will not finished them i think...

 

I would help but .. I have no time lately ..

[GPChannel]

I made a lot of maps.. but 95% of them are always WIP.. and I will not finished them i think...

 

I would help but .. I have no time lately ..

Oh sorry to hear that :/

 

But if you want to help me just PM me

 

 

[eezstreet]

The biggest problem that I have with Radiant is with workflow. It's extremely annoying to use the clipping tool, and the selection tools aren't great. I feel like the differences are only plainly apparent when you've actually used a tool designed to make models and compare it to Radiant. Or even the earlier Unreal Editors were a lot easier to use once you understood the editor.

[swegmaster]

i remember @@GPChannel wanted .maps of the academy 1-6 cutscene maps to modify some scripts: https://www.mediafire.com/?dn7h5bq9q67hatv