Max to Unreal converters

[Zeph]

Hey, I'm looking to take a scene from Max and export it to Unreal 2k4 as a BSP. I've taken a good look, but have only found static mesh exporters. Any Unreal people out there know of one?

[Kornman00]

Does U2k4 use the Unreal 3 engine?

[Zeph]

No, and I believe there have been changes in the BSP structure that keep them from being backwards compatible.

[Tweek]

you can export it as staticmesh, and use it as a blueprint to build it off with brushes

[Kalub]

Couldn't you just use a skybox and place your staticmesh bsp in there?

(I have never in my life touched a UT editor)

[Zeph]

I'm looking to avoid working with static meshes. It's for a class and the professor wants us to focus on using brushes as he's just wanting to illustrate the basics right now. He's never seemed to work with any engines that brings its bsp data in from a modeling program similar to what Halo does. He understands that it's possible and knows how it'd have to be accomplished, but has never seen it done. I'm hoping that if I can find a .max->.ut2 (or whatever the map file names are) converter I can fall into the "above and beyond" category and get an A.

Pretty much, every single person who has ever done 3D modeling before hates the brush tools provided and is seeking salvation in the form of a converter.

As for using a skybox and placing all my stuff inside as a static mesh, from what I've seen, it doesn't work like that. It might be something like that if you're working with terrain, but we haven't gotten to that point in learning/working with the editor yet.

[Tweek]

:\

dont tell him you used a staticmesh as blueprint

[TheGhost]

Oooh, I put Blood Gulch into UT2004 before but I have absolutely no idea now what I did.

[Phopojijo]

I'm looking to avoid working with static meshes. It's for a class and the professor wants us to focus on using brushes as he's just wanting to illustrate the basics right now. He's never seemed to work with any engines that brings its bsp data in from a modeling program similar to what Halo does. He understands that it's possible and knows how it'd have to be accomplished, but has never seen it done. I'm hoping that if I can find a .max->.ut2 (or whatever the map file names are) converter I can fall into the "above and beyond" category and get an A.

Pretty much, every single person who has ever done 3D modeling before hates the brush tools provided and is seeking salvation in the form of a converter.

As for using a skybox and placing all my stuff inside as a static mesh, from what I've seen, it doesn't work like that. It might be something like that if you're working with terrain, but we haven't gotten to that point in learning/working with the editor yet.In UT2k4 from all I know BSP is ONLY generated from Brushes.

UnrealEngine2 is designed to have it's basic volume cut out using brushes -- with Static Meshes as decoration.

Halo's take on BSP from meshes is actually very very odd, like you said.

UnrealEngine3 is built around NOT using BSP however. For most UnrealEngine3-based maps -- you'll want to have almost exclusively static meshes imported.

Also -- lighting on Smeshes versus BSP in UnrealEngine2 is kinda -- weak. Meshes REALLY look ugly when lit.

I mean -- you probably could build your entire level using meshes... but -- yea -- BSP would definitely benefit you... at least for the level's shell itself.

***

If you want to import Static Meshes into Unreal Engine 2, however -- they need to be in ASE format.

[jahrain]

You can import custom brushes from ActorX which. But it has to be an enclosed surface with no leaks. It will also lag unreal editor unbearably if it has more than a few hundred polygons.