This post will follow the making of the Swat 4 Map Tenement Port for Swat 3. by map makers, Copy-Cat and Lord_Beckett
Step 1. - Preparing the reference map from Swat 4 -Tenement
Tasks in this step: 1. Rip map from Swat 4's editor, using 3dRipper. Trying to capture as much geometry as possible, and capturing the Textures. 2. Clean obj. file and fix texture assignments by running the obj file thru blender, and saving out to an obj file. 3. import the obj file into Maya and prepare the file for the port process. 4. Resize the map to a workable size .01 on all axis, 5. Square the map on all corners, flip geometry on the Z axis. 6. Create Layers, and sort map objects into those Layers: Cameras, Structural, Doors, Windows, Objects and unwanted geometry. 7. Resize map to size, by importing a known default door (MissionD, missionl), and resize the map to that door. 8. Test new map size by Recreate 2 rooms with a door and an object(table), and test the door size and character to table size. 9. Once the size of the map is set, begin recreating geometry.
Here is the screenshot of these finished preliminary steps.
In the second image, you can see the 2 doors on the left are from missionl (front door and inside door), the door in the middle is a Tenement door, the door on the right is the door from MissionD side entrance.
We are in testing phase at the moment, although most geometry can be recreated, it is best if we get the correct size of the map before recreating geometry, or else we will run into problems later.
There are 4 ways I plan to handle the static meshes. all involve categorizing the objects into categories. The waypoint system, overall look, map compliment, and ballistic/cover items are taken into consideration to choose what is best for an object.
1. WC meshes - Meshes that are large and are important to the waypoint system, considered cover objects with ballistic properties, and can be created with little modifications in wc. (example: washer machines, refridgerators)
2. LitActorsBound - Meshes that are medium in size and are important to the overall look of the map and affect the waypoint system. Mostly medium objects with high level of detail that cannot be easily created in WC (example: a chair)
3. LitActors - Meshes that are medium in size and not important to the overall look of the map and do not affect the waypoint system. Mostly medium objects with high level of detail that cannot be easily created in WC (examples: oxygen tank, trash bags)
4. Sprites - Meshes that are small in size and not important to the overall look of the map and do not affect the waypoint system. Mostly small objects that cannot be easily created in WC but too small to be considered a compliment to the map (example: a hammer)
I am looking into the possibility of using a LOD system, either in-game(needs to be tested) and or by use of Triggers that can combine 2 or more of the above categories.
