UnrealEd tricks

[Buggie]

Some possible useful tricks with UnrealEd. Some can be obvious.

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Fix many BSP problems caused by complicated brush (terrain for example), not on grid
1. Set grid to size 1.
2. Select problem brush.
3. in context menu choose
Polygons -> Snap vertices to grid.

Also you can do this with selected all brushes - can be solution for many BSP problems.
Also you can use grid less from 1, like:
MAP GRID X=0.125 Y=0.125 Z=0.125
but always keep it on power of 2: 1/2, 1/4, 1/8 etc.

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Change map mover textures properties (align, flags) without rebuild level
Useful for edit level with removed brushes.
1. Save map with some temp file.
2. In context menu of movers:
Movers -> Snow polys.
3. Change surface in desired way (align, flags).
4. Copy selected mover.
5. Open temp file, without save current changes.
6. Paste copied mover.
7. Delete old one and fix offset (32, 32, 32) for pasted one.

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Recreate mover BSP
Sometimes you need recreate mover BSP if you change it. For example rotate.
(If you rotate flat door you can find collide box on same place as before, while visually it appear in proper place.)
Exists few ways:
1. Copy and paste back.
2. Duplicate mover.
3. Copy polygons from mover to builder brush and add mover again.
After make new mover, old need delete.

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Move Brush (Mover) Origin
1. Select desired brush (Mover).
2. Enter into vertex editing mode.
3. Select all vertex of brush.
4. Move it in desired position against Origin (you can see Origin as unselectable vertex).
5. In normal mode move brush (mover) where it be back.

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Delete actor duplicate by name
1. Select and delete duplicate actor.
2. Save map with some temp file.
3. Load map from temp file.
4. Repeat until only one actor per name left.

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Automatically merged

Speed up Actor list
After time in actor list created gaps. For remove such gaps need send to first or last any actor.
I suggest use for this Player Start. Send it to last.
Also this able speed up path rebuilds and all iterators over all actors.
So this strongly suggested before make public release of map.

[Buggie]

Locate BSP hole
1. Make all surfaces near "High shadow detail"
2. Place big count lights in different places.
3. Rebuild lights.

Before:

After:

Also you can use solid textures:

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As another way do same:
1. Add light.
2. Set on It DrawScale = 100.
3. Move Light and see where it stop render.
Require use Software render.

[Buggie]

Calculate value by formula
UnrealEd support formula calculation for almost any place where need set value.
For example you can in BrushBuilder properties enter

Code: Select all

=4*1024

instead of 4096
When you switch to next field value calcualted.

This work in Actor properties too.

So if you need increase values in 2 times, just append

Code: Select all

=2*

before exists values.

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Change map geometry without rebuild (or without brushes)
You can edit map without brushes and without rebuild it.
You can add active brush or run Show Polys on mover and UnrealEd try embed brush into exists BSP.
Add can work. Subtract usually destroy BSP.

Anyway make often backups, because this is very hackish way.

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Restore map geometry if brushes deleted
you can try restore brushes one by one use intersect/deintersect option.
Make cube, place in world, use intersect or deintersect. Correct initial brush size and position until not get acceptable result.
Save as brush in another UnrealEd copy.
Run this one-by-one you can partially restore map.

[Buggie]

Locate BSP error in air
1. Make 3D array of light-weight actors (I use AssaultInfo).
2. Move into place of BSP error.

As result you can see shape of it:

You can also just make 1-actor thin 2d array and move it up and down and see 2d split of this BSP error. Can help too understand where it start, where end, and what shape of it.
Shape can help search cause.   
Auto merged new post submitted 6 hours 19 minutes later

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Fix many BSP problems caused by merge wrong polys on brush
1. Select all brushes.
2. in context menu choose
Polygons -> Separate.
3. Rebuild level.

Such allow fix very many BSP issues.

[Red_Fist]

If you can't see the path node lines in zone view, try the BSP or textures view for different color.

EDIT Ad.

I know these are not technical tips, but I want to write them down someplace in history.
Plus a lot of mappers probably already know this or even better methods.

But if you need to put plants or a lot of actors out. Select all of them and move them all so your first actor is placed and DE-select it. As opposed to selecting one and moving it each time and having to click and place one each time, you De select your way to nothing.

Same principal for aligning textures, rather than selecting a surface on a brush, select all the surfaces, the DE select one surface and align all the selected ones to the non selected surface, then select the surface back again.
So when you are done you will know you hit every side, De select your way to no surface. It saves a lot of clicking.

Working on already made maps or to change properties of a certain actor.
Just open the edit search-find then go click on the first actor in the list you want, gun1, gun2. etc
Leave the actor property window open to the property you want to change, each time you click on the search it jumps to the next one and the property window will be at the exact place to edit what you need. Also know that you got every actor of that type and not miss one.