Houdini t3d Export to UnrealEd

[dart.weider]

Hello everyone,
I'm new to this forum, and what I can say about myself...I'm interesting in mapping and scripting for Unreal Tournament, and I'm glad that I found resource like this))
Currently, as my hobby project I'm working on procedural tools to create levels for UT99.

And now I just want to share one tool that I'm using for this. This tool is exporter from Houdini's geometry to t3d file. It is written in python, so anyone can modify it for 3d package he likes.

Here it is archive with script file, some tools for Houdini(Unreal UV maker) in otl, Houdini example scene file, Unreal Map and t3d exported file.
http://cordof.com/UnrealMapTool.zip

And this is my small video presentation ->
https://vimeo.com/76265371

[UT99.org]

For t3d to
utbpsr T3D polygon splitter/recomposer. http://unrealtournament.99.free.fr/foru ... =51&t=1661
UEditor_Developing XC_PathMaker http://unrealtournament.99.free.fr/foru ... =51&t=2175
UnrealEDDungeonMaker 1 & 3 http://unrealtournament.99.free.fr/foru ... =51&t=1924
ASEtoT3D http://unrealtournament.99.free.fr/foru ... 457&p=5422

[UTPe]

hello and thanks for the infos mate
procedural methods/tools are very interesting in mapping and imho this has been an understimate argument in the past years, I really think more could be done
unfortunately Unreal Engine 1.x is an old game engine so nowadays people are more interested in developing methods for UDK

regards,
Pietro

[dart.weider]

@medor
thanks for your links))

@UTPe
Yes Unreal Engine 1.x is old, but procedural ways always will be procedural ways for old engines as for new ones))
I've seen very cool realization of procedural ways for modern UDK, but I think making procedural tools for old engines is an interesting challenge too

[Dr.Flay]

Will this work with files from "Houdini Apprentice" ? (Free version)
BTW. if you want copyright-free music for your vids, just tell me what track or band you need a remix of.
Odd choice of intro-music, but I approve

There are a few other converters you may be interested in.
http://darendash.home.comcast.net/~dare ... erter.html
You may also find "Biturn" useful for a few other formats.
http://mirex.mypage.sk/index.php?selected=1

Check here for a bunch of other converters and tools
http://my.opera.com/Unreal-Tournament/b ... -resources

[dart.weider]

Yes, all this examples are made with Apprentice, so it will work) I used here Houdini Apprentice 12.5.469, but it should work with any other Houdini Apprentice version

Thanks for your links! You're right I'm interested in links like this.
My next video will be not earlier than 2-3 weeks, but it might be usefull to have coptyright-free music. Thanks.
I will think about tracks, what I need))

[dart.weider]

Hello again!)

I just finished second video and I again showed there "How to use houdini to produce maps in procedural way"



All tools I showed there are available here - http://cordof.com/UnrealHellTool.zip

There are:
- unreal_outdoor - geometry creation tool - suitable for creating some mountain-like levels. It is easy to create tunnels there and because it is procedural it is possible to get many different results (map testing for example) in few minutes.
- updated exp_t3d.py script. I added there possibility to export Players Start positions and lights (there is one problem in houdini viewport, it does't show properly many lights at same time, but I just used because It was faster for me to setup light in houdini.
-examples with using VOP SOP (visual programming in houdini). VOP SOP to create geometry from image, and VOP SOP to create spiral.

[Dr.Flay]

Nice work again
and

[Metalfist]

How is the performance of such a map, because I'm a bit worried as it looks like it has many polygons and off the grid?

[dart.weider]

@Dr.Flay
Thanks

@Metalfist
Full map consist of 7536 triangles. It is not large as for map) But you are right, because of construction of this map (I can see entire map from top (all 7536 polygons)) performance of THIS map is not good. And because of that this map is not good for playing, but it is great to demonstrate some cool technique, which mappers can use in future

For example here:
-Create geometry from simple image
-Convert this geometry to voxels representation
-Make tunnels and holes there using other volumes
-Convert volume representation back to polygons

Procedural approach is cool because it is not destructible. I can achieve any polygon density without destroying previous pipeline, then go back and do additional tunnel and all this will work:)
For example here is main geometry for map with different quality and it can be exported with any of them.