copyright © 2015 curt hill building a simple level adding some standard actors

Copyright © 2015 Curt Hill

Building a Simple Level

Adding Some Standard Actors

Introduction

• BSP brushes and CSP are used to make the substrate– This is the skeleton or basic shape on

the world

• Static Mesh Actors are used to give the character that the environment needs for realism


Static meshes

• Usually created elsewhere• Creation is usually by an artist• These become assets that are

imported into the UDK• UDK comes with several, which we

will now import


Previously• We created and saved a new level• This had a hollow rectanguloid• It had port hole windows and two

doors• Now we add actors• Recall that actors may be many things

– Props– Agents– Among others


Content Browser

• Manages assets among other things

• If not present, click on the Unreal button on the toolbar

• See the next screen


Content Browser Button


Assets

• We will now add some static meshes

• These are usually a textured shape• We can obtain these from the

content browser


Before


Content Browser


Notes• On the left are several collections

– Shared collections– Private collections (currently has nothing)

• The Shared collection has four collections– Building Meshes– Ambient Sounds– Materials– Particle Effects

• Today we are mostly interested in the first


Asset Categories• If you click All Assets you will see various

categories of asset:– Texture2D – a picture – SoundNode Wave– SoundCue– Archetype– Music– DecalMaterial– StaticMesh– Among others

• StaticMesh is in view today


Insertion

• When we select one of these we can just drag it into the location

• Once there we can use the various widgets to move, rotate and size

• This particular light will fasten to the ceiling– We will see why momentarily

• Alas, it is a little large


After


Size Reconsidered• The size of the lamp is too large• How do we fix this?• Two approaches

– Scale Widget– Using Content Browser

• Next screen shows the Scale Widget– On tool bar next to transformation and

rotational widgets

• The Content Browser is more precise


Scale Widget


Content Browser Again

• We may select the item in the Scene tab which gives us the ability to see and or change some parameters

• We can change window sizes in the Content Browser– Overall size– Boundary between things

• In the next screen we see the light selected with the Scene tab open


Light Selected


Seeing Both


Commentary• What is hard to see in the last picture

is some of the categories• The first is Static Mesh Actor

– Underneath this is a checkbox that is labeledDisable Auto Base On Proc Building

– This is why the thing attached to the ceiling

• The second was Movement– It contained values about position– These can be changed by the

transformation and rotational widget


Display

• The third category was the Display• This shows how it is displayed• It has three things that are

changeable:– Draw Scale– Editor Icon Color– Hidden (a check box)

• The first will allow us to shrink it


After Shrinking


Commentary

• Now we will add some other props• We go to the Content Browser• Under the Object Type click on

Static Meshes• In this case a barrel and a rocket

launcher• See next two slides


Looking for Static Meshes


Items Added


Duplication

• We can make copies of objects that are already present– Select the item – Use the Edit menu and Duplicate– We can place them with the widgets

• We will try this with a chain link fence


Ready to Drag


Drug, But Too Low


Raised Via Widget


Positioned


Selected and Edit Menu


Now There are Two


Positioning Second


Different View


Finally

• Remember to save early and often– Some things can be undone on the Edit

menu– Others are not so easy to do

• Also walk through the level often• We should be able to create a level

– At least the basic contents

• Of course, there is a lot more than what we have seen– Rest awaits more presentations


copyright © 2015 curt hill building a simple level adding some standard actors

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