UEd BSP Sword vs Maya Sword

[legacy-moothecow2k]

I can (and perhaps, will, just for kicks) model and texture a complete sword item in Unreal Editor. Why would I do such a thing in Maya, instead, and import it as a static shade? Assuming I don't need overly complex modelling and texturing tools, I mean.

Intuitively, the understanding is that you use UEd for rooms and areas, not objects. So how do you decide what you make in UEd, and what you make in Maya?

This is all semi-hypothetical, btw, since I know (though not "why") what to do :noob:

[legacy-sandorski]

You'd be able to make a much nicer one in Maya.

[legacy-moothecow2k]

I'm sure there's more to it then that.
Maybe the fact that static meshes are hardware rendered (?) and faster if you have multiple instances...

But isn't there some reason based vaguely on the fact that BSP brushes are, eh, used to partition space efficiently and something something back-culling and hidden surface removal?

/me goes back to his "Intro to Real-Time 3D Rendering" book

[legacy-NiTrOcALyPsE]

The reason you don't use UEd to make static meshes: http://angelmapper.com/tutorials/uedmeshes.htm

[legacy-moothecow2k]

Uwee hee hee!

Yeah, that'll do it. I'm sure there are other reasons, too...but who cares?

[legacy-Ryandar]

Maya is much more powerful. I still suck at it, and have yet to discover much of its potential, but say you want to make a curvy sword; in Ued, it's pretty much impossible. The editor hates curves, but maya gets along ok with them.
That and what angelmapper says in her tut.
Oh, and UV mapping.

[legacy-sandorski]

Originally posted by moothecow2k
Uwee hee hee!

Yeah, that'll do it. I'm sure there are other reasons, too...but who cares?

If you want to use the sword as a weapon you need Maya to setup the skeletal system and the skinning(note:skinning is not texturing). If it's just a wall decoration or something like that it wouldn't matter though.

[legacy-Zynith]

And then there's still stuff like smoothing groups... (your meshes will look like lego if you use Ued)

[legacy-Kev_Boy]

So you can use Nurms just fine for a game?

[legacy-sandorski]

Originally posted by Kev_Boy
So you can use Nurms just fine for a game?

Only if you convert them to Polys first and you need to make sure the Polys are a reasonable amount after the conversion. It's better to just use Polys during the modeling process.