Mapping difficulties.

[Whiplash]

I pinched that whole garage spawnroom from DXMP_HouseArrest.

Edit: I found a way to deal with my trackbed problem - I created a custom texture.

[ShadowRunner]

I pinched that whole garage spawnroom from DXMP_HouseArrest.

Not my business, but this is one huge slippery slope I don't want to be a part of.
If FGS are doing it, then everyone else will, then it will be map protection time again.
It's really unadvisable imo. Sorry to disagree.

[Whiplash]

Speaking only for myself, but ppl are free to pinch parts of my maps as much as they like. BTW I'm uploading the finished version today.

[Whiplash]

I have one last problem, before I release the map.

My skybox, that works in SP testing, does not work when I put the map on a test MP server. So instead of having a black starry sky with a moon hovering over the field, I just have one big purple square box with stars *everywhere*

It's very important that I know why this happened, because my next project is going to seriously need a decent skybox.

[Whiplash]

More info: I tested the map in a "Non Dedicated" server and the skybox looks fine there. It's only when I try it in a dedicated server that I don't see the skybox.

[~][FGS][Nobody~]

First of all, NEVER test MP relevant stuff on a non-dedicated server because for you as hoster, that is equal to singleplayer.
As for the skybox.. that's a weird issue.. I could just check it out myself because I have no idea out of the blue that could explain it.
..does it show the texture you used for the sky boundaries in the main map (that's replaced with the backdrop ingame) or is it something completely different?

[Whiplash]

Well, here's the new map.

[ShadowRunner]

for 100% no hassle, have two installations and a server, never some mistake/bug in testing a map/dependencies, it's an actual MP test, but offline LAN servers I never had a problem testing maps, especially on a separate installation.

[Whiplash]

Hey everyone

As Nobody guessed, I'm (trying to) use brushes for the overhead wiring of the DXMP_Greenwich project.

As you can probably also guess, I quickly ran into trouble with UEd crashing, though this time I knew why (thanks to Nobody and his excellent explanation some time back) - my wiring caused a spike in the nodes/polys ratio, somehow I saw one attempt pass 6! (Needless to say UEd crashed pretty quickly after that!

Now, I do have a fallback position which is to model the area as it was in ~2003 - one track left with the triangular wires and the other 3 with modern, but boring, constant tension wiring. Understandably, I consider this an option of final resort.

Before I do that though, I'd like to try to "game" the system a little bit, and I'd like to know if I can do anything with these, or if I might end up with a lower nodes/polys ratio but have other problems.

1) I'm considering putting minor "gaps" between the various wiring components, hopefully well designed enough that the user doesn't see them, but the game does, ergo having a relatively decent looking wire construct but with a low nodes/polys ratio.
2) Using a multitude of smaller brushes connecting, for example, each triangle with its neighbor, versus having a smaller number of long brushes connecting each catenary tower to the smallest triangle as I have now.
3) Semi-solid brushes? Can I do anything with those?

[ShadowRunner]

Wiring is poorly represented in DX, there are no actual transparent wiring textures at all.

Use semi-solids and use brush size 4 x 4 x whatever and make sure on grid. It's as simple as that.

If you want to get really sexy, you could make custom brushes that put together, form a curve and is more like wire.

Also don't build up massive amounts of detail with wiring if some other part of the map is practically empty.

For this map size, don't worry about nodes, you just need to aim for "average polys" 6 or 7.

Wiring made from cubic brushes will actually help lower that average polys.

I would recommend surfing the default textures as well, I can think of about 5 packages at least that have some form of wiring texture. Possibly Unatco, Airfield, CoreTexMisc, maybe some NY package too.

You can increase the realism with little junction boxes and sockets.

[Whiplash]

The New Haven RR style triangular catenary wiring is totally unique so I wouldn't have expected the DX textures to have accommodated it.

Anyways I have some good news and bad news about my latest project.

Bad news is UnrealEd has started trying to muck it up again by crashing for no aparent reason.
Good news is I figured out, if not why, at least a common thread between all these UE crashes where BSP/Nodes-Polys ratio was not the issue - in each and every case (this time at least) I noticed it was after I placed a light, perhaps modified it, then tried to move the 3D screen.

Short workaround is: I'm going to leave the 3D viewer in "Texture" or "Polys" mode, then leave any new lights to the very end of the list of modifications. All my polys will be laid down before I add any more lights.

[[FGS]Chees]

lighting can be an ass when rebuilding and in 3d view ued says nope wtf is going on and shuts down.

[ShadowRunner]

you should be able to light in texture mode, but don't go crazy.

You need to save after adding each light and move carefully in the 3D view and probably it's best just to add a handful then rebuild, then add a handful. Also don't try to do any other mapping with actors or brushes, save, rebuild and then the map is stable and you can continue adding deco, actors or brushes without bugs. Rebuild in wireframe mode in the 3D view and when I'm lighting, I keep the 3D view not too big.

[[FGS]Chees]

i take it those tips are for whip to acknowledge!

[Whiplash]

Yeah, UnrealEd has not been kind to me - I've had UE just lock up on me for no aparent reason in all 3 of my major projects to date: Railways, Moonlabs and Greenwich. Literally it would just freeze and the 3D window go to blank wireframe. Anything that helps me avoid that is definately welcome.