Adept mesh maker wanted for UT99 map port to UE5.

[R3plicant]

Hi again folks,

LONG time no see!! I hope you're all well! I've been busy with life and other creative personal projects though as those of you who know me well enough by now, definitely not mapping (that 2018 map contest nearly killed me!!).

I was wondering if there's a UE4/5 creator here who's good at making trim meshes for UE4/UE5 to aid a friend in PROPERLY porting a UT99 map across to UE5 (UT4):

There will need to be platform edging/trim, light fittings, engine cowlings, jump pads, fan blades, glass and supports, asteroids, (as opposed to large rock meshes), triggerable signs and scoreboards etc etc etc. Textures/materials will likely be from the PK_Tech textures (PhillipK) I used in the original UT99 W007 (2018) map (link above).

If you're looking for a challenge and some un-rushed fun with this port (there's no deadline as such), please get back in touch with me or MetalFist so we can talk about what's needed and what ideas I have regarding the over-all feel of the colour palette and effects for the ported map.

The ported map will have the same layout and features (inc' some cosmetic) as the UT99 map but it'll be definitely well made enough to show to Epic Games (so, highly polished); it's got to be, if ever (as unlikely as it is) Epic Games ever decide to re-release Unreal Tournament 4 (or its future incarnation). Even if they don't, the game (in its Alpha form) is still playable.

So, yeah, get back to me if you want the challenge of making kick-ass meshes for the new UE5 W007 map, albeit meshes that are to be made to my specifications - the hope is that the map will be a faithful reproduction of my existing UT99 W007 map, but one which is classy and refined with proper meshes and features, not snazzy or cheesy/tacky. Oh gawd, I'm a snob!

Hope to hear from you soon! Here's hoping it can be made!!

[SilverSound]

It's not hard to port a map. Took me 5 minutes to take entire BSP sections of maps and import as static mesh. Automatic materials and everything.

all you have to do is export the map as a static mesh. Then export individual textures. Setting up the blender materials and then exporting as FBX to import to UE5. Shaders will be created automatically.

[R3plicant]

Hi SilverSound,

Thanks for the response, but the port isn't JUST a simple map BSP (etc) port, it's to help make the map look right, function right, play right and so it is wholly 'brought up to date' with a complete set of custom meshes that are designed specifically for the map so it maintains its uniqueness yet makes it look well polished, highly optimised and worthy of inclusion in a map-pack IF ever Epic Games re-release the UT4 (etc) game. Of course, I'd hope it'd be more than just custom meshes made for it.

I'm not wanting the (2018) map's existing BSP to 'simply' be converted into meshes. I'm hoping for many new, purpose-built meshes to aid the creation of what would essentially be a whole new map yet one which was recognisably based on my 2018 design/layout/colours/lighting/effects etc.

I really cannot do the mesh work, nor the rest; for the following reasons:

1). I don't care to learn Blender to make complex and well designed, well-fitted (connecting to others) and visually appealing meshes that don't kill the in-game (while playing) frame-rates. My learning it would be tantamount to studying it to possess long-term skills; I have no interest in gaining long-term skills with it because they'd not help me in my life - this map port is only ever going to be a one-off. I just want to see my best map brought up to date so it looks right for UT4 etc; it needs to at least look worthy of a commercial UT release (as unlikely as a commercial release of UT is).

2). I don't care to learn the UE4/UE5 editor either, I've actually tried and it's just one major head-f***, especially since many tutorials for it are woefully out of date and/or incomplete. The editor is extremely unintuitive for me and overly complicated plus, it'd take a LONG time [at least a year or two] to learn it well enough (and Blender) sufficiently to make, import, setup and optimise complex meshes, let alone to update the map, its textures/materials and other aspects too. It'd really not be at all straight forward for me. This project would best suit someone who's skilled with Blender brushwork, skilled with this UE4/UE5 editor and who's perhaps bored and fancies a serious creative challenge.

3). I don't have the time or patience, I'm pretty busy with other creative projects, I simply won't have even a few hours in the day to commit to this project like I used to have all my time with previous maps and especially the 2018 mapping contest.

4). Remember, we're also talking about designing/making/saving/setting-up/altering specialised textures/materials with the (loathsome, IMHO) 'Node Editor', to say I both hate it and don't understand ANY of it, is a total understatement. If I had several years' worth of knowledge with Blender and this UE4/UE5 editor, only THEN might I have a hard time getting away with saying I couldn't do work on this project. ALSO, don't forget, a lot of the tutorials for UE4 are well out of date since the software has been updated multiple times since 2014.

--

I would hope, my name would be mentioned on the new map's file name (i.e. [R3P]-W007-III.unr etc). The author for the new map would be named in the 'Level Info' and official ReadMe.txt file as the person/people who spent their time re-working it.

It's a decent enough design but it's absolutely no good for UT4 (or its future incarnation/s should it/they ever get a name/designation) and certainly the map wouldn't get released by Epic Games if it came without fully being 'meshed out' (so to speak).

Lastly, I suppose what I'm inadvertently trying to say is: If someone does the work, my hope is, they liked my initial design and felt compelled to make it suitable for the current (or future) version/s of UT to a genuinely high standard and that they would also relish the challenge. Plus, I might financially compensate them for their efforts if it impresses me and even Epic Games (as unlikely as the latter may well be, given how they've focused all their efforts on FortNite).

R3p'.

[EvilGrins]

It's pretty.