Q regarding 3ds max and editing

[CreepyD]

I just been looking at the roboblitz editor, and found that scaling the main red brush no longer snaps to the grid - the way I've ALWAYS used the editor. Now nothing will align unless I manually punch the numbers in.
Now on another forum I read this is now legacy, and we shouldn't be using this builder brush at all - Is this correct?
So now we need to make everything in 3ds max? (unless using the built in meshes ofcourse).
So my question is how would I go about starting that now? I'm not bad at Max, but when it came to exporting to UED I could never get scaling or texturing right and it was a right pain!Can we texture meshes from within the editor now? Texturing in 3ds max is horrible.

[-=¤willhaven¤=-]

You still use the builder brush and BSP to construct big chunks of levels. I wouldn't use the scale tool and I wouldn't type in any scaling information.

Use the geometry mode button in the upper left corner (the cube next to the camera), select vertex editing mode, box select verts (ctrl+alt+left mouse to add to selection, ctrl+alt+right mouse to remove), and drag them around that way.

You can also use poly mode and the extrude function to make more complicated BSP shapes. I wouldn't try to make any meshes from BSP though. That's just evil.

[CreepyD]

Hm, using vertex doesn't stick to the grid either.
Moving the builder brush, it sticks to the grid, but any kind of resizing and it goes all off.
It changes it in 5% increments, instead of what ever the grid is set to like it used to.
Is the UT3 editor the same or is there something I'm missing?
I've made about 10 maps for UT and 2K4 and am quite good at using it.
It's the "non-uniform scaling widget" that I'm trying to use on the builder brush, like I have always done.

[DGUnreal]

UE3's CSG system is essentially the same as UE2.5. UnrealEd adds additional features to the CSG editing system over UnrealEd3.

You should type in brush values in the various brush dialogs, or as willhaven mentioned use Vertex Edit mode (I always use vertex edit).
You should never scale brushes manually or by typing in the scale parameter, as you usually cannot get the vertexes on-grid. While this may not always be an issue, you stand a better chance of getting map errors, as it often causes build problems including additional sliver triangles and excess face counts.

... on another forum I read this is now legacy, and we shouldn't be using this builder brush at all - Is this correct?

This is false, how else are you supposed to use CSG? With UE3 you probably should get into StaticMeshes instead, as it is considerably more flexible, but CSG is still supported. There are a few issues with CSG in UE3, but UE2.5 also has its CSG issues.

So now we need to make everything in 3ds max?

Meshes do have a lot of advantages over CSG.

... when it came to exporting to UED I could never get scaling or texturing right and it was a right pain!

Creating objects in Max is as easy as UnrealEd regarding sizing etc. Simply make sure you are set to Generic 1:1 units with a Grid that is 16 and 8, and Max's grid and sizing is then identical to UnrealEd. So if you then create a box in Max that is 256x256x256, it will be that same 256x256x256 when imported into UnrealEd. Just be aware that Max Origin is the object pivot point. Also, use the type-in keyboard parameters in Max to create objects, and make sure that grid-snap is also on.

For texturing you just have to learn the Multi/sub-Object Material system and how the UVW Map widget works. It's really easy and more flexible than UnrealEd.

See this great tutorial by Fordy on how to set up Max and do modeling and exporting.

Can we texture meshes from within the editor now? Texturing in 3ds max is horrible.

No.

As mentioned, texturing in Max is actually much more flexible than UnrealEd.

Hm, using vertex doesn't stick to the grid either.

It should. It does for me.
Make sure that Toggle Drag Grid is checked on the StatusBar, click on the Geometry Mode button beside the Camera button, the Geometry Tools floater will show itself, make sure Vertex Selection mode is selected, click on a brush, its vertexes should now be large block size, click on one or use drag multi-select and then use the widget to move the vertices. They snap to grid here.

[CreepyD]

Thanks for that.
Regarding the grid, it's still not doing it, maybe it's something in the roboblitz editor.
It looks like it's sticking to the grid, but the Normals are at a funny angle, not stright.
I'll just wait for the proper editor I think, and get used to texturing in 3ds max in the mean time

[DGUnreal]

It sounds odd that your grid still isn't working.
I have RoboBlitz and I have also used various builds of UE3 over the past 18 months (for game studio work) right up to the current build, and everything with snap for CSG work fine for me.

CSG does have a few rendering quirks in UE3 when compared to UE2.5.

[Eliot]

you probly have grid disabled... take a look at the options

[Boksha]

You can also use poly mode and the extrude function to make more complicated BSP shapes.

Oh my, that's quite lovely.