Custom Maps That Use Low-Res Textures

[Fred]

While many custom maps I have installed in Unreal use the high-res textures that I installed in the regular Unreal Testures folder, some custom maps use their own low-res textures.  These low-res textures are stored somewhere, but I don't know where.

For example, the custom map series called Redux, for some reason uses low-res textures, despite all the high-res textures available in the Unreal Textures folder.  I would like to know whether it is possible to get such maps to use the high-res textures from the regular Unreal Textures folder.

Mucho thanks,

Fred

[Hellkeeper]

Aren't these simply MyLevel textures?

[Fred]

Hellkeper,

Actually, my above example map name Redux is not a good example. It's actually installed in UT99, and not in Unreal like I said. It's full name is NaPali Heaven Redux.

Even so, it uses low-res textures. I've also installed all the hi-res textures available in UT99, just like I have in Unreal.

I haven't gone through all the custom maps (30 of them) i've installed in Unreal to see which ones, if any, use low-res testures.

So, lets just talk about UT99 for now. Some of the custom maps (17of them) I've installed in UT99 use low-res textures, and the previous example (NaPali Heaven Redux) is one of them, even though I've installed all the hi-res textures in UT99 currently available.

I've examined two of the custom maps, out of the 17, and the maps NaPali Heaven Redux, and Operation: NaPali both use low-res textures.

Maybe the answer is that the textures they use have no hi-res resolutions in the Textures folder, but I doubt it.

For example, the hi-res grass texture is available in the Textures folder, but these two maps use low-res grass textures. Maybe take a look.

Also, I don't know what MyLevel textures are.

In addition, I'm no expert about these things, so that's why I'm here to become enlightened.

Fred

[Stead-Z]

Skytown Redux and Operation: Na Pali (along with several other SP packs of that era) don't have S3TC (hi-res) counterparts for any of their custom textures and won't do unless someone makes them. So you'll just have to make do with some textures being of a higher resolution than others I'm afraid.

[Fred]

Stead-Z,

I was thinking that what you say (no counterparts) might be the answer. No big deal. I can contiue to play such maps as is.

Thank you,

Fred

[ahaigh01]

Hey Fred,
I’m one of the people involved in continuing the creation of HD textures for Unreal and UT99.  Lightning Hunter is also actively working on HD skins projects. 

We are actually working towards doing HD upgrades for many of the best Unreal SP mods on the UT99 platform.  A lot of the textures and skins are already complete.  There are a few things that will come before the SP mods are completed though. 

I have been working on a UT99 HD texture pack that is almost ready to release.  Just squashing the last bug or two right now.  This pack covers all of the remaining textures for UT99 and its bonus packs that had never been HD before.  Here’s a little preview (video not made by me):



Lightning Hunter has a couple HD skin packs almost ready for release as well.  The problem is that all this new HD content pushes UT99 to the breaking point memory-wise.  Fortunately the upcoming 469 patch for UT fixes the memory issues, so when that comes out it will be a beautiful thing!

Concerning SP custom mods: as Hellkeeper pointed out many of those low-res textures are MyLevel.  That means the map creator embedded the texture into the map itself.  That’s an easy way to go for the map maker but it makes it hard to upgrade them to HD later on- something they weren’t thinking about back then.  So we are contemplating how this will be done…

So stay tuned.  It’s in the works!

[Fred]

ahaigh01,

Good to hear that you guys are continuing your good work in this graphics area.  I've installed some of your other good works, including the NaPali Ultimate Edition.

Yeah, I'll keep watching for the graphics upgrades for these custom maps.  They need it bad.  When those upgrades come available, I'll download more custom maps, at least some of those that get the upgrade.

I already have installed Seven Bullets, Operation: NaPali, Xidia Gold, Unreality, and some other such large map packs.  I have quite a number of smaller ones, too.

Pulling those MyLevel textures out from the maps themselves sounds like a real hair puller to me Ha!

Some of those custom maps are great!

Fred

[Hellkeeper]

Pulling those MyLevel textures out from the maps themselves sounds like a real hair puller to me Ha!

They are not harder to pull than any other texture from any other package. The problem is that "MyLevel" is not a real package but an alias for the map file itself. A texture in MyLevel is stored in the map. This means two things:

1- You can have different textures with similar names in the mylevel package of two different maps because the engine knows, when the package is MyLevel, that it has to take it from the map itself. On the other hand, you cannot have two textures with similar names in the same "normal" package because... Well because there's no way to tell them apart then.

2- You cannot make a replacment for MyLevel textures because if you create a "normal" package with the name "MyLevel", which is something warned against everywhere, the engine will no longer be able to access textures (this also works for sounds, scripts, anything really) stored in the map, as it tries to find them in the external package with that name instead of looking in the abstract "mylevel" thingy.

Think of it as if everyone had a chest at home but suddenly, a company called "Chest" offered to keep you goods. Suddenly, everytime you're told "It's in the chest" becomes confusing.

[Fred]

Hellkeeper,

I already have trouble understanding much of what I already know. Given that fact, does what you say mean that any upcoming replacement textures for custom maps have to be stored in the maps themselves, just like the MyLevel ones?

To me, that seems like the case, since the engine "knows" to look there, and only there, just like it did before the replacement textures arrived.

No wonder I couldn't find the textures for these maps with MyLevel technology. They are hidden in the Maps!

Oh well, I'm out of my league here.

Fred