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Absolute Newbie Question About Tutorials
Posted: Mon Feb 21, 2005 7:35 pm
by Mercury
Howdy,
First, I'd like to thanks AEon for the mapping file links (gtkRadiant, q3map, and q3map2toolz). I've downloaded all three of them (a pretty good feat for dialup <G>).
Having played computer games all the way back to the days of Pong (I'm nearly 50), I'd like to try building some Q3A levels just for my own enjoyment.
Is there a good, basic "how-to" article that you're aware of that covers the real nuts and bolts of getting started?
My thanks in advance for the help......................
Posted: Mon Feb 21, 2005 9:45 pm
by voodoochopstiks
http://www.levelsource.com/pages/site/tutorials.html 
that's my recommendation. Its for RTCW but they are very very similiar in mapping technique, so that's my advice.
Thanks!
Posted: Mon Feb 21, 2005 10:42 pm
by Mercury
Thanks for the link! Reading over it at work, it sure sounds simple enough, though I realize there's a lot more to it than that.
What I'm wanting to do (eventually) is map a particular existing building. It was built in 1922, has been added on to at least three times, has a variety of halls, floors, architectural changes, etc. All in all, about 75 rooms in three main buildings, I think.
I do appreciate the rapid reply. It's nice to have help when it's needed! :icon14:
Posted: Mon Feb 21, 2005 10:52 pm
by voodoochopstiks
No worries, feel free to ask if you have any more questions. Its usually rather hard to make locations that exist IRL, but if you feel you can handle it, very cool

Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2005 1:05 am
by redfella
Those tutorials are intended for use with gtkradiant 1.1 thru 1.4. They do not apply to gtkradiant 1.5. Just feel like I should say that. I'm also probably going to update them sometime and also add a "walkthrough"... This walkthrough will take peeps from beginning to end on how to make a map and demonstrate some the steps and principles to mapping quickly and efficently. That's been something Ive been wanting to do for awhile now. Maybe after I finish redq3dm5.
Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2005 1:08 am
by redfella
Let me also say, Mercury, if you're looking only to experiment with mapping and it's really only for your enjoyment, then q3 is perhaps one of the best platforms to work from. There is a bunch of content avialable for q3 and it is superb for development. Good luck!

Thanks for all the help
Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2005 3:39 am
by Mercury
What a great group of responses. Looks like I'll be getting to sleep later than usual tonight <G>.
Again, my thanks to all of you for the links, guidance, and counsel!
Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2005 11:50 pm
by bork[e]
One of the sites I lived off of when I started mapping, and still use as of today.
http://fps.brainerd.net/ Everything from jumpads to teleporters to shadow problems etc...There are many many more over in that thread you grabbed Gtk and the rest from, just scroll down to the
Tutorials part of the thread.
One of the biggest problems I had was configuring
Q3map2 Toolz to run on my system, just due to n00bism on my part. So just in case you haven't got this part working...
The
Quake3Arena.exe is obviously located in your
Quake 3 Arena folder.
The
q3map2.exe is once again, located in the
q3map2 blah blah folder.
The one that gave me the most problems, the path to your
BSPC.exe. This is located in
C:\Path\to\Quake3Arena\GtkRadiant\bspc.exe
That should get you going as for compile options...for other info go
http://www.xs4all.nl/~lamanj/webstuff/f ... rence.html
That's all I can really think of atm, any more questions just post away.
Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2005 3:21 am
by venus6001
First off, Absolutely must read, AND understand. Might take you a few reads, but keep at it, n ask questions. You'll get it eventually...
http://www.planetquake.com/spog/stuff/technical.html
Simply, caulk everything that is not seen. Anything that is not meant to block vis (visibility) should be made into Detail (ctrl-M in GTK Radiant), everything else should be structural.
Make sure when your brushes meet, they don't meet at T junctions. Where you need a T Junction, split the brush your attatching to, so the vertices of brush A touch the vertices of the split brushes. Always build so vert touches vert. If you don't you get nasty effects.
NEVER use the CSG functions, Subtract, Hollow, Thicken etc. Merge is fine.
Lastly, read lots of tutes
good luck, tis great fun
Venus
Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2005 2:33 pm
by Meridanox
Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2005 6:14 pm
by Lukin
I'd recommend to take a look at articles mentioned in
this thread.
Posted: Thu Feb 24, 2005 1:14 am
by bork[e]
There is a thread going that talks about the possibility of the mapping community dying pretty fast. From the looks of this thread alone I don't see that happening any time soon.
Few new faces around (names rather, so it seems?) But I don't see this community dying anytime before at least q4 is out.
Anyway, yeah that is pointless in this thread...but ya know.