HOWTO : Basic vehicle mod

[CaptainSnarf]

This post will attempt to explain how to make a simple vehicle mod for
UT3. It is a very basic mod and is only intended to get you started. I'm a n00b myself and this is what I've figured out so far.

Before we get started, we need to do some basic prep work.

1. download the original source from Epic. do *NOT* use the export script utility to get your base scripts. you will just have problems.

http://udn.epicgames.com/Files/UT3/Mods/UT3ScriptSource_1.1.rar

2. Copy one of epic's maps to your home folder. To use and test a vehicle
mod, you'll need a place to test it in.

I copied this file:

"$(Program Files)\Unreal Tournament 3\UTGame\CookedPC\Maps\WAR-Torlan.ut3"

to this folder:

"$(My Documents)\My Games\Unreal Tournament 3\UTGame\Unpublished\CookedPC\CustomMaps"

Also, I renamed it "Snarflan.ut3" so there would be no confusion which map I was editing.

Ok, now we can get to the actual mod. We'll call our vehicle the Rattler. It will be based on the Scorpion vehicle, but we'll beef up it's turret. The official name will be VH_Rattler. To make sure this project builds, add it to your .ini file:

$(MyDocuments)\My Games\Unreal Tournament 3\UTGame\Config\UTEditor.ini

[ModPackages]
ModPackagesInPath=..\UTGame\Src
ModOutputDir=..\UTGame\Unpublished\CookedPC\Script
ModPackages=VH_Rattler

3. Create the folder

"$(My Documents)\My Games\Unreal Tournament 3\UTGame\src\VH_Rattler\Classes"

4. Copy these files from Epics source ball into your classes folder:

UT3ScriptSource_1.1\Development\Src\UTGame\Classes\UTVehicle_Scorpion.uc
UT3ScriptSource_1.1\Development\Src\UTGameContent\Classes\UTVehicle_Scorpion_Content.uc
UT3ScriptSource_1.1\Development\Src\UTGameContent\Classes\UTVehicleFactory_Scorpion.uc

Rename the files from 'Scorpion' to 'Rattler'.


5. At the top of the file, change it so that it reads this:

class UTVehicle_Rattler extends UTVehicle_Scorpion
	native(Vehicle)
	abstract;

Here we subclass Rattler from Scorpion. Subclassing allows you to override some behavior without having to worry about implementing the rest of it.

6. Remove all of the variables and 'final' functions. Since we are subclassing Scorpion, these variables already exist and we don't need to override them. By removing them we are using the base classes variables instead. In this example, you are going to delete everything after

class UTVehicle_Rattler extends UTVehicle_Scorpion
	native(Vehicle)
	abstract;

---- cut here---- (ln 7)

Up to this method:

native final function bool ReadyToSelfDestruct();

----- cut here ---- (ln 158)


function bool EagleEyeTarget()
{
	return ReadyToSelfDestruct();
}

7. Remove all the 'Class=XXX'. Sometimes, you need the 'Class=XXX', but in the UTVehicle_Rattler.uc file, there should be no line that says 'Class=XXX'. If there is, you'll get an error saying something like:

Vehicle_Rattler.uc(904) : Error, BEGIN OBJECT: The component name LFWheel is already used (if you want to override the component, don't specify a class):

8. You might get this error

" VTVehicle_Rattler.uc(1): Error, Unexpected 'ï'".

If you do it's because your .uc file needs to be saved in Unicode format.

9. So far so good. Next is UTVehicle_Rattler_Content.uc


*Edit* I had a bug in this step, now fixed. Sorry about that!

10. Change the first line to:

class UTVehicle_Rattler_Content extends UTVehicle_Rattler;

11. To put a levi turret on the vehicle, replace the GunClass=class line to :

	Seats(0)={(	GunClass=class'UTVWeap_LeviathanTurretShock',

12. Last file, UTVehicleFactory_Rattler.uc.

13. Rename the class from UTVehicleFactory_Scorpion to: UTVehicleFactory_Rattler.

14. Change the 'VehicleClassPath' to:

VehicleClassPath="VH_Rattler.UTVehicle_Rattler_Content"

With any luck, you should be able to compile your mod using "ut3 make"

If everything works, you can open your custom map, add your custom vehicle using the generic browser->classes->NavigationPoint->VehicleFactory->VehicleFactory_Rattler, right click to add it to the map, and right click again and 'play from here' to test it out.

There is a lot more that can be done. This is just a basic tutorial. Hopefully it is useful.

CaptainSnarf

[warlord57]

4. Copy these files from Epics source ball into your classes folder:

UT3ScriptSource_1.1\Development\Src\UTGame\Classes\UTVehicle_Scorpion.uc
UT3ScriptSource_1.1\Development\Src\UTGameContent\Classes\UTVehicle_Scorpion_Content.uc
UT3ScriptSource_1.1\Development\Src\UTGameContent\Classes\UTVehicleFactory_Scorpion.uc

Is there a reason to extend UTVehicle_Scorpion? doesn't UTVehicle_Scorpion_Content extend from UTVehicle_Scorpion to start with? so just extend off of UTVehicle_Scorpion_Content would work wouldn't it?

[CaptainSnarf]

There was *some* reason but I'm not really sure why I had to do it that way at the moment. In any event it's easy enough to follow the steps this way. You're right though. Logically it should be able to be made to work that way.

[Bonehed316]

I can tell you one reason why you shouldn't extend UTVehicle_Scorpion_Content. Cooking.

When you cook a map with your vehicle in it, it will also include the content for the scorpion. Unless you're using any of it, that's just wasteful.

[JaFO]

What about using a vehicle-replacement mutator ?
That way you won't have to build a custom-map and (even better) players can start using your vehicle without having to wait until someone builds a map for that vehicle ...

[CaptainSnarf]

Crap I had an error in step 10. Was subclassing rattler_content from scorpion instead of rattler. I fixed it but if you were trying to follow along, sorry about that Maybe that's what the confusion was about, warlord?

[Solace]

With any luck, you should be able to compile your mod using "ut3 make"

I feel kind of stupid asking this, but do you type that in the command line for your system, or somewhere in UnrealEd or something?

[CaptainSnarf]

I feel kind of stupid asking this, but do you type that in the command line for your system, or somewhere in UnrealEd or something?

Open your command prompt, change directory to
$(Program Files)\Unreal Tournament 3\Binaries\
then type "ut3 make" at the command prompt. $(Program Files) is whatever your program files dir is. Mine happens to be "C:\Program Files (x86)" (vista 64bit)

[HoMeRS}i{MpSoN]

Open your command prompt, change directory to
$(Program Files)\Unreal Tournament 3\Binaries\
then type "ut3 make" at the command prompt. $(Program Files) is whatever your program files dir is. Mine happens to be "C:\Program Files (x86)" (vista 64bit)

I just copied my Editor shortcut, renamed it "Unreal Tournament 3 MAKE", then changed the "editor" at the end to "make"

Makes it faster, especially if you put the shortcut on the desktop

[warlord57]

I just copied my Editor shortcut, renamed it "Unreal Tournament 3 MAKE", then changed the "editor" at the end to "make"

Makes it faster, especially if you put the shortcut on the desktop

Also if you edit the scripts and have the mod listed in the mod packages of the editor ini you can launch the editor and it will ask you if you want to recompile the out of date script files. It does a check if all mod packages are up to date with the class files in the src dir and if not will ask you if you want to recompile.

[adamghering]

So does anyone Know how to change the mesh

used to be just pointing to the package

I found where unreal points to a package? kind of

But the package that, say..., the scorpion lives in is called VH_Scorpion.upk

The uc script used to point to this in 2k4 now it gives the below as the mesh and skeletal mesh declaration

Begin Object Class=SkeletalMeshComponent Name=SVehicleMesh ObjName=SVehicleMesh Archetype=SkeletalMeshComponent'UTGame.Default__UT Vehicle:SVehicleMesh'
ObjectArchetype=SkeletalMeshComponent'UTGame.Defau lt__UTVehicle:SVehicleMesh'
End Object
Mesh=SVehicleMesh
Begin Object Class=CylinderComponent Name=CollisionCylinder ObjName=CollisionCylinder Archetype=CylinderComponent'UTGame.Default__UTVehi cle:CollisionCylinder'
ObjectArchetype=CylinderComponent'UTGame.Default__ UTVehicle:CollisionCylinder'
End Object

I understand what this is doing because all of the items listed live in the VH_Scorpion package but what I don't understand is what is

UTGame.Default_UTVehicle:SVehicleMesh

No clue where or what this is
If I could find this file then I would be set. All my questions will be answered here but alas I have searched and cannot find it

[adamghering]

I love it when I reply to my own posts


So...Instead of pointing directly to the package in the UTVehicle_Scorpion script like 2k4 it now extends the vehicle script with something called

UTVehicle_Scorpion_Content

Like mutating the original script but this is where all the material, particle, texture and....(drum roll)

Skeletal mesh and static mesh properties live

ex

Archetype=SkeletalMeshComponent'UTGame.Default__UT Vehicle_Scorpion:SVehicleMesh'
SkeletalMesh=SkeletalMesh'VH_Scorpion.Mesh.SK_VH_S corpion_001'
AnimTreeTemplate=AnimTree'VH_Scorpion.Anims.AT_VH_ Scorpion_001'
PhysicsAsset=PhysicsAsset'VH_Scorpion.Mesh.SK_VH_S corpion_001_Physics'
AnimSets(0)=AnimSet'VH_Scorpion.Anims.K_VH_Scorpio n'
MorphSets(0)=MorphTargetSet'VH_Scorpion.Mesh.VH_Sc orpion_MorphTargets'

its all there

and notice that it is refering to the variable in the vehicle script SVehicleMesh
as if assigning all of this to that variable.

I really get it! This will actually make modding the vehicles easier....So All I have to do is make a "Content" script that extends the scorpion and name it my vehicle. yummy

I'm excited and on my way

If I am successful Ill post a tutorial

[CaptainSnarf]

I love it when I reply to my own posts


So...Instead of pointing directly to the package in the UTVehicle_Scorpion script like 2k4 it now extends the vehicle script with something called

UTVehicle_Scorpion_Content

Like mutating the original script but this is where all the material, particle, texture and....(drum roll)

Skeletal mesh and static mesh properties live

ex

Archetype=SkeletalMeshComponent'UTGame.Default__UT Vehicle_Scorpion:SVehicleMesh'
SkeletalMesh=SkeletalMesh'VH_Scorpion.Mesh.SK_VH_S corpion_001'
AnimTreeTemplate=AnimTree'VH_Scorpion.Anims.AT_VH_ Scorpion_001'
PhysicsAsset=PhysicsAsset'VH_Scorpion.Mesh.SK_VH_S corpion_001_Physics'
AnimSets(0)=AnimSet'VH_Scorpion.Anims.K_VH_Scorpio n'
MorphSets(0)=MorphTargetSet'VH_Scorpion.Mesh.VH_Sc orpion_MorphTargets'

its all there

and notice that it is refering to the variable in the vehicle script SVehicleMesh
as if assigning all of this to that variable.

I really get it! This will actually make modding the vehicles easier....So All I have to do is make a "Content" script that extends the scorpion and name it my vehicle. yummy

I'm excited and on my way

If I am successful Ill post a tutorial

Heh. That's the first thing I figured out. You just need a 'content' script. Unfortunately I couldn't get it to work so thats why the instructions are the way they are. I'm fairly certain it was just my dumb bug and not any reason why it shouldn't work that way. Since the utvehicle_scorpion_content derives from utvehicle_scorpion, any changes you had to make in utvehicle_scorpion could just be put in the content class, no need to touch the base.


I also figured out if you take the turret your using on your vehicle, derive a class from it and use that instead, and change the ItemName property, you can change the name of the vehicle when you get into it. If you followed the original instructions in this thread, your vehicle's name will be 'shock turret' when you get in it.

[Xyx]

Anyone know why the division between _Content and "the other stuff" is even there? Doesn't seem very practical.

[Geist]

Btw, I'm not sure about 1.0, but with 1.1, you don't need the non-content version. At least, it worked fine when I just subclassed UTVehicle_Scorpion_Content and went from there (and I only needed to override the gunclass of seat 0).

I think that in v1.0, there may have been requirements imposed with archetypes, but that seems to be removed in 1.1 script. (?)

Also, if you use the UTVWeap_LeviathanTurretRocket class, it's probably very similar to what was there months ago when the Scorpion had rox instead of a ball. I have also played around with adding RaptorRockets and AVRiL's to the Rattler, but that's probably a little more advanced if you want to maintain the burst fire. However, it does make for a VERY effective ground-to-air/skimmer attack vehicle.

As for the division between _Content and non-content classes, I'm not 100% sure, but it seems to be there for memory reasons. E.g. you might want to load only the non-content version to display a vehicle in a menu, etc, then leave the content version for the real game (to load in all the extra assets needed for gameplay usage). Memory tricks like this are common in console development.

(Of course, this is just a guess)

[CaptainSnarf]

Since the _Content classes derive from the base class, you don't need the base class file at all. Everything you can override in the base class, you can override in the _Content class.

I like having both the base and the content class simply because I don't know what all is available in the base. It's a different philosophy. Instead of overriding only what you need, I'm overriding absolutely everything to help me learn what is available. In practice, you'd only want to override what was necessary.


I've modded my rattler so that when you hit spacebar, it turns invisible like nightshade. Also, it uses the hellbender turret. That took some work to figure out, but it's a pretty cool/useful vehicle now, imo. Oh, and it one shot instagibs mantas

I have a few other vehicle mods in the works. Hopefully I'll have a demo server up this holiday break.

[marilol]

I had started modding vehicles just before this thread was made and now everything i have done has been confirmed.

You overide stuff in the content class of vehicles because the base is not needed to be modded except when you want to make a new vehicle from scratch, e.g a moterbike would need a nix between viper and scorpion to work but that would be impractical.

If you were going to make a motorbike you would be best off making a new base class e.g UTVehicle_MotorBike.

In it you would place all the required setting from the viper base etc and then you would
make a content one for speed and the passengers and vehicle weapons.

For more advanced modding a vehicle you could copy and paste a content weapon rename it like the vehicle modding such as extends ect. Then you can change the name of the vehicle, change the weapon projectile, its speed etc.

You could even do what i have done which is modify projectiles to build completely new vehicle weapons

Oh and one last thing, how did you do the nightshade thing, i can't figure that out?

[CaptainSnarf]

There is a bunch of stuff in the nightshade vehicle related to a CloakedSkin material. I took all that stuff and put it in my rattler vehicle. Then I replaced the firerockets() code with code that sets the cloaked skin material. Basically, cut & paste the cloaking code out of nightshade and into rattler It took a few tries to get it right. The first attempts compiled, but crashed the editor on launch.

Since it overrides the rocketbooster event the only downside is that you have to be moving to cloak, just like with rockets you have to be moving to fire rockets. Also it means rattler has no rockets, only cloak. I think that's acceptable however. It balances it out.

[marilol]

Thank you so much, i'm working on a krall / axon / other vehicle mod pack and i've been trying to get a cloaked vehicle working for age's.

Maybe if you looked around the rocket booster files you might find a way to change the moving cloak part, that might be another piece of code.

Hope to be able to join your server, it sounds great!

I have about 3 or 4 finished vehicle mods but i can't host due to the NAT problem with routers. Aparrently its been fixed in the latest patch v11?

Why v11, wasn't the other one v1.0. and therefore it should be v1.02 etc.

Oh well, my computers fixed now and i get it back tomorrow!!!

Edit:

Lol, im already stuck, what am i supposed to do, i have just replaced the activate rocket code with the cloak enabled disabled bit but now i'm stuck,

I'm so typical, good at the guns but bad at anything else, i love guns. hence my signature

[CaptainSnarf]

Hmm. I'll be home later tonight. Private message me your email address and I'll send you my source.

[marilol]

Ok thanks alot

[CaptainSnarf]

Well, it looks like I won't have a demo server up anytime soon. The vehicles work in the editor but the game crashes if I try and play the cooked maps. Sigh.

[marilol]

okay, well, almost the same problem here, except that i can't use UT3 til December the 25th meaning another horrible THREE DAY WAIT to test mine out

[CaptainSnarf]

I managed to figure out what was wrong. The scripts should not have 'native(Vehicle)' at the top class declaration. With any luck I'll have a demo server up after all.

[marilol]

yes, and i get mine back tomorrow, good news all round, and thanks for the scripts, i can finally make my own krall stealth vehicle.

And if anyone wants to know how i am going to be writing a Basic weapon tutorial.

What about the abstract bit, do i need to remove that to.

[BLITZ1976]

Im getting the error that you said was caused by not having it in unicode format. I edited in Notepad++ and saved it normally in utf-8 format for all 3 files, I still get the error, any idea why?

thanks for any help
Blitz

[Geist]

What about the abstract bit, do i need to remove that to.

'Abstract' means you can't instantiate the class. That means you can't spawn/place an object of that class in the game/editor. Instead, you have to subclass from it and spawn/place an object of the subclass.

This is typically used for classes that have generic functionality, but aren't a functional object without subclassing... like a class full of helper static functions, or UTVehicle. It doesn't make any sense to spawn a UTVehicle (no mesh, no weapons, etc), you have to spawn a Manta/Scorpion/etc instead (because those are the classes that fill in the required details)!

[aberghage]

@Blitz:
Check the first line of the file at the very beginning of the comments, see if there is some garbage up there like that funky double-dotted i. If it's not showing up there, open a new doc in notepad++ (Unicode, of course) and copy/paste the text, and save it over the old one.

@Marilol:
Like Geist was saying, abstracted classes just prevent you from accidentally trying to spawn something that doesn't have everything it needs to function in a meaningful way. So to answer your question, no, you can leave that in UTVehicle_Rattler.uc but make sure you don't have it in UTVehicle_Rattler_Content.uc or the factory file.

HTH
~aberghage

[aberghage]

@Capt. Snarf:
native(Vehicle) brings to light another potential pitfall - if you try to use the nightshade's cloaking code on another vehicle you'll probably find that the game crashes when an AI targets you unless you reimplement the (otherwise native) function bIsInvisible with

function bool bIsInvisible()
{
return bIsVehicleCloaked;
}

This is a repost from another thread, but I figured it's pretty pertinent here, and more likely to solve someone's problem.

HTH

~aberghage

[CaptainSnarf]

@Capt. Snarf:
native(Vehicle) brings to light another potential pitfall - if you try to use the nightshade's cloaking code on another vehicle you'll probably find that the game crashes when an AI targets you unless you reimplement the (otherwise native) function bIsInvisible with

function bool bIsInvisible()
{
return bIsVehicleCloaked;
}

This is a repost from another thread, but I figured it's pretty pertinent here, and more likely to solve someone's problem.

HTH

~aberghage

Yup, did that. Thanks for the info. Actually, it didn't crash without the fix. Instead, the AI could always see you.

As for unicode format, the format ut3 editor wants is UTF-16, not UTF-8. In Windows, UTF-16 is simply known as 'Unicode'. The great thing about standards is that there are so many of them . I'm not sure about notepad++ but the notepad and wordpad programs that come with Windows have a 'Save as unicode' that should work for you.

What's ironic here is that ut3 editor also accepts ANSI text source files. So ut3 editor accepts UTF-16, and ANSI. When you extract the UT3 source tarball however, all the files are UTF-8.

[BLITZ1976]

C:\Program Files\Unreal Tournament 3\Development\Src\VH_blitz\Classes\UTVehicle_blitz.uc(827) : Error, BEGIN OBJECT: The component name SimObject is already used (if you want to override the component, don't specify a class):       Begin Object Class=UTVehicleSimCar Name=SimObject
Importing Defaults for UTVehicle_blitz_Content

C:\Program Files\Unreal Tournament 3\Development\Src\VH_blitz\Classes\UTVehicle_blitz_Content.uc(23) : Error, BEGIN OBJECT: No base template named CollisionCylinder found in parent class UTVehicle_blitz:     Begin Object Name=CollisionCylinder

Compile aborted due to errors.

Well the UC format works (thanks for that), but now I get this crap. Any ideas?

[CaptainSnarf]

C:\Program Files\Unreal Tournament 3\Development\Src\VH_blitz\Classes\UTVehicle_blitz .uc(827) : Error, BEGIN OBJECT: The component name SimObject is already used (if you want to override the component, don't specify a class): Begin Object Class=UTVehicleSimCar Name=SimObject
Importing Defaults for UTVehicle_blitz_Content

Yup, I had that error too. If you read the error and the suggestion it makes sense . Hint: Remove the part that says "Class=UTVehicleSimCar"

You don't need the "Class=XXX" line.

[CaptainSnarf]

Server was up, now it's down.

[BLITZ1976]

Everything went fine in the make process, now I just have to test in game Thanks for the help.

[geodav]

just spotted this, surely you need all that code if your using your own meshes.
have you tried with a custom mesh

[CaptainSnarf]

just spotted this, surely you need all that code if your using your own meshes.
have you tried with a custom mesh

Oh sure it works with different meshes. I haven't tried to make any meshes myself but you can swap out the different meshes used for vehicles. You can say, take scorpion_content.uc and cut & paste the HellBender SVehicleMesh object into it. That's an oversimplification but you get the idea.

[geodav]

the reason i ask is that i'm having problems all over getting my custom meshes into the game, so basically no has so far made a complete custom vehicle that you know of.

ps sorry if this sounds bad but i've read a lot of yeh just copy/paste or extend, but the proof of the pudding is eating it or in our case playing in game

[CaptainSnarf]

The custom vehicles work fine in the game. They are only script however. I haven't had any luck getting actual real content such as textures,meshes and sounds in yet. A little help Epic

[geodav]

well i've made progress with the weapon side so i'll start custom vehicles soon, i'll post what i find here for you.

[CaptainSnarf]

Here are the vehicles I've made so far -

Albatros - heavy bomber plane, drops deemers
Assault Bender - bender with machine guns and nemesis turret
BioTank - Goliath that shoots bio goo everywhere. Can kill core in 2 hits
MegaSPAM - like hellfire SPMA, but 4x the fun!
Rattler - scorpion with beefed up hellbender turret, extra zoom, instagibs mantas, cloak power
Spanker - scorpion that shoots giant green balls of momentous joy. What they lack in power they make up for in momentum transfer. Prepare to go flying!