[PROTOTYPE] [WIP] DM-HeatRay PhysX-UT4

[Mitch Mitchell]

HeatRay PhysX

For my sins...

It's extremely early days, but y'all may be interested to know I've taken on a side project to convert this map into UT4. This was part of a pack of maps that Nvidia created/submitted to the players way back in 2008? [citation needed] and was a showcase of the Unreal Engine and Physx, in particular the vortex/turbulence system.

https://youtu.be/xeEUQvG-bu4

So far, all I have done is the following which has taken me roughly 16 hours:

 

Spoiler

Still yet to do:

-4,959 static meshes aligned with the map (ha!)
-Over 170 materials with multiple parameters and instances
-35 independent terrain's
-Destructible physics on about 300 meshes (ha!)
-Brush flipping and ordering of the 743 additive and subtractive instances (ha!)
-Darkwalker animation, rigging and blueprint vehicular setup (lol!)
-Rain/hail and other weather effects.
-Tons of other stuff I won't bore you with.

The biggest pain is the static mesh alignment and nomenclature, as this is all manual and for each position on the map, I have to locate and find its original static mesh ID# inside UET3 and match it to an imported mesh inside UET4 and hook them.

As for the physics, this will prove to be an interesting learning experience for me, and certainly with the vehicular setups for the Darkwalker, will be good for future vehicular maps that others may wish to use moving forward.

Wish me luck!

[DDRRE]

Sounds awesome!

[RattleSN4K3]

Looking forward to play this map. Beside the Darkwalker, it was a fun map, even for 1on1.

The biggest pain is the static mesh alignment and nomenclature, as this is all manual and for each position on the map, I have to locate and find its original static mesh ID# inside UET3 and match it to an imported mesh inside UET4 and hook them.

That's what I planned for so long (even before UT4 was planned). I do have every map from UT3 ported to UDK (straight), and being able to port every custom map. An automated tool (which I was working on occasionally) could be so helpful. UT4 Converter isn't currently supporting static mesh exporting IIRC.

[e1vp]

Want to see that map in UT4 but without physics and without Darkwalker, like it was in UT3 pro version of this map.

[aniviron]

Wish me luck!

Good luck! I admire your ambition. ;]

[zedmaster]

Good luck, make us happy! . I really loved the visual design of this map back then and would like to see it in the new UT :3

[Frostbite83]

Yes was a cool Map from UT3

[Mitch Mitchell]

Update picture:

 

Spoiler

I am speeding through this at an incredible rate for the basic blocking and meshing, looking at about 10% complete. Don't let this picture fool you into thinking that it's about 75% complete...it's just the big chunks that are falling into place currently, and I can work inwards with the detailing. Then, then, I can work on the destructible meshes....hahahaha.

[Mitch Mitchell]

29-OCT-2015

 

Spoiler

Unlit:


Lit:




Lit + Atmosphere:






Today I have been mixing it up and running a few hours of static mesh importing and material creation. Still some way to go but it's a million miles from where I began, and I may even have something approaching playable by this time next week - but still have a ton of mesh work to do plus over a hundred materials to re-jig into something useable.

Gameplay is everything, and getting the basic mechanics done first is primary - for that I need meshes...lots of ******* meshes...

[aniviron]

You really are incredible, just amazing. Keep us posted. :]

[RattleSN4K3]

I wouldn't even start to do that manually .

[FreEp]

Great work Mitch. I'm really impressed by your work speed. HeatRay was one of my favourite UT3 maps- I think that you should go first with non-physx one, release it and then work on the second one.

Making vehicle and all blueprints for it? That's a big challenge. Fingers crossed!

[Mitch Mitchell]

Great work Mitch. I'm really impressed by your work speed. HeatRay was one of my favourite UT3 maps- I think that you should go first with non-physx one, release it and then work on the second one.

Making vehicle and all blueprints for it? That's a big challenge. Fingers crossed!

Positive backslapping thanks to you all!

I believe what you are asking for FreEp and ev1p is going to happen as I deliver updates periodically, so I will not be holding back an initial release of the map until I get all the PhysX jazz completed; I'll be releasing incomplete versions as I move forward.

As it stands now, there are no spawn points or even a floor to walk on, as 90% of the floor is actually a terrain broken up into 35 sections, 1 large non-symmetrical/non-equilateral and uneven piece; and 34 subsections which constitute the floors inside the rooms. Although converting the terrain(s) is a very big job, I understand why they did it versus just having a basic BSP with a texture, as this map is very 'rubble/ruins' and the floor has a lot of unevenness/moss/dirt piles/soda-pop cans and lest we not forget EXPLODING BARRELS!!!!! Man, I've missed those...

So yah, releases will come in stages and the first stage will be minus PhysX and vehicles, and probably a lot of the weather SFX.

[UTSkaarj]

God yess!!! Porting and remaking one of my favorite maps from UT3 !! Lots of respect and good luck! I cannot wait to play a "Playable" build in the near future. This map sounds like quiet a feat , but id say release once you got those floors solid and some player starts and some weapons, just to concept it out for community feedback. However im not totally up to par or understanding about the PhysX feature to this map???? Could you please explain? Thanks

[RattleSN4K3]

The PhysX maps used a lot interacting particles and destructible environment. The map wasn't released with the game but made public after it.
http://www.moddb.com/games/unreal-to...-mod-tutorials
http://web.archive.org/web/200807130..._physxmod.html