How to make a basic Island!

[KillerSkaarj]

Hi all, I'm just here to share a little trick with those of you who are UEd-incompetent: making basic Islands using the 2D Shape Tool!

NOTE: This Tutorial uses UEd2 from patch 227f. I HIGHLY DO NOT RECOMMEND USING UED1 2D EDITOR!! The 2D editor in UEd1 was an experimental tool, and thus not fully implemented, meaning it's prone to crashes.

First off, go into the 2D shape editor.


[URL=http://img20.imageshack.us/i/tut1f.png/][img]http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/7953/tut1f.png[/img][/URL] [URL=http://g.imageshack.us/img20/tut1f.png/1/][img]http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/tut1f.png/1/w640.png[/img][/URL] It's so flat...
With this, we will make the general shape of the Island. Do this now using the Split Side (Ctrl-I) option on the vertices. You need to select the vertex with left click before splitting a side.


[URL=http://img40.imageshack.us/i/tut2mfk.png/][img]http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/8301/tut2mfk.png[/img][/URL] [URL=http://g.imageshack.us/img40/tut2mfk.png/1/][img]http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/tut2mfk.png/1/w640.png[/img][/URL] And no, we're not trying to make the square laugh really hard...
Once you're satisfied with how your island will look, hit the Extrude to Bevel option. A dialog will then pop up.


[URL=http://img220.imageshack.us/i/tut3p.png/][img]http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/3843/tut3p.png[/img][/URL] [URL=http://g.imageshack.us/img220/tut3p.png/1/][img]http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/tut3p.png/1/w640.png[/img][/URL] How interesting...
Enter any value you wish in the two boxes, but make ABSOLUTELY sure the Cap Height is smaller than the Depth. Cap Height is how tall your Island will be, and Depth is how large the flat part is compared to its base.


[URL=http://img220.imageshack.us/i/tut4.png/][img]http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/439/tut4.png[/img][/URL] [URL=http://g.imageshack.us/img220/tut4.png/1/][img]http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/tut4.png/1/w640.png[/img][/URL] The image speaks for itself
If Cap Height is = to Depth, then your island will become pointed (great for making mountains, but I recommend you use the Extrude to Point option for that instead) If Cap Height > Depth, then the brush will come out looking like sh*t (not pictured here).


[URL=http://img188.imageshack.us/i/tut5a.png/][img]http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/3218/tut5a.png[/img][/URL] [URL=http://g.imageshack.us/img188/tut5a.png/1/][img]http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/tut5a.png/1/w640.png[/img][/URL] Pointy!
Hit OK and you are DONE! You can use the Resize tool to adjust the size of the Island if need be.

You can use this method not only to make islands, but rocks too! Try it!

There, I'm done now.

[[§Ŕ] ŤhěxĐâŕkśîđěŕ]

I used 2d shape editor to create a sheet of light above the Nali statue in my map.

[Spazzpez]

lol great tut!

I generally use the 2d shape editor to make everything, except the basic shapes..

[GreatEmerald]

I really don't recommend the 2D Shape Editor. It wreaks havoc on your BSP tree. Use vertex editing and brush clipping - these methods will keep your BSP tree nice and clean.

[Spazzpez]

I really don't recommend the 2D Shape Editor. It wreaks havoc on your BSP tree. Use vertex editing and brush clipping - these methods will keep your BSP tree nice and clean.

Not if you know what your doing oh padawan!

the 2d editor can be a powerful tool. It can create custum shapes from textures to your own mind. I've made brishes you would never believe possible that doesnt mess with my bsp its sexy

so plz dont discourage people from using the 2d editor, it can really work in ones favor

[GreatEmerald]

It can, but it usually doesn't. Besides, if you use the 2D editor in UT without the new alignment options, the textures will be horribly aligned, and that doesn't happen with brush clipping. And you can't create subtractive brushes with it. And the polygons inside of the brushes you get slows down the map without any visual gain. So if you can, use clipping and vertex editing.

[Hellkeeper]

And you can't create subtractive brushes with it.

This is simply not true. :-?

As for the degraded performances, it's mostly because 2Dshape is used to make complex shapes. It wouldn't be a lot more optimized if done with normal brushes, and anyway, Unreal is more than 10y/o now, even an intel chipset can run it lighting fast.

[KillerSkaarj]

My map is almost 20% 2D shape editor created shapes by now, and that's only from the Islands, and some tables and chairs in the base. What I do is, everything I make with the 2DSE is then immediately turned into a Semisolid so as to avoid BSP holes.

[Spazzpez]

the textures will be horribly aligned, and that doesn't happen with brush clipping.
And you can't create subtractive brushes with it. And the polygons inside of the brushes you get slows down the map without any visual gain.

I normally dont have any issues at all with texture alignment..

I agree with hell, you CAN subtract with it, I've made several subtractives with the 2d ed.

and the visual gain part, thats bs.. You can get some very nice detail and eye candy from it.. you just have to know what your doing

[GreatEmerald]

This is simply not true. :-?

As for the degraded performances, it's mostly because 2Dshape is used to make complex shapes. It wouldn't be a lot more optimized if done with normal brushes, and anyway, Unreal is more than 10y/o now, even an intel chipset can run it lighting fast.

You CAN create subtracts with it, BUT it will have sheets blocking the path. Then you can use another brush to subtract those sheets, but again it's suboptimal.

Nope, my old laptop has an intel chipset, and Unreal runs on only 25-35 FPS on lowest settings.

[[§Ŕ] ŤhěxĐâŕkśîđěŕ]

Eh my Unreal never has over like 40 FPS so ya... I could say 2D shape editor isn't a kick in the butt, but big open maps w/ fuckload of polys *are* a kick in the butt.

[Hellkeeper]

You CAN create subtracts with it, BUT it will have sheets blocking the path. Then you can use another brush to subtract those sheets, but again it's suboptimal.

Never had this problem. I used it a lot and never had theses sheets in my way. It may come from heavily concave shapes, since UnrealEd was never fond of these.

[Spazzpez]

touche' that may be it.

In any case.. the 2d editor is still one of the only tools i use

[Buster]

All of the 2D Editor pros and cons aside, great little tutorial !!

[Spazzpez]

All of the 2D Editor pros and cons aside, great little tutorial !!

agreed =]

[KillerSkaarj]

Wooh! Thanks guys!