[VIDEO][CODE] Proof of Concept: A Multiplayer Level Editor

[evernewjoy]

I now have actual multiplayer footage of my Multiplayer Editor system in action!

Two videos in this tutorial of mine:

Free Online Multiplayer Hosting Service For Your Game, Entire Core Code Provided



Actual Multiplayer Footage Using Gemini Only as Server Listing System

Rama

[mooror]

Are you planning to provide a custom game-editor to your end-users?


Rama

PS: I really like your signature

Well I actually have not thought about it that much... I am not sure. But I will talk it over with my co-worker and we will see. But if I will need a built in editor with my game I will definitely let you know. And once again thanks for the editor, it is awesome.

P.s. I would really enjoy it If you would Pm me and tell my why you like my signature. It would help me see what you think about it and it might also let us connect up together and see If we might work together.

It is up to you my friend,
Mooror

[evernewjoy]

I am using spawnable lights, and for my game art style it is no problem, but that is another good point, if your game requires pitch-perfect shadowing you will definitely want to use the UDK directly.


My goal was to present users with solution that only required my game itself and no other downloads.

Also there are 3d kismet scripting elements that are part of my game engine that people can only make using my editor



By the way Neongho your AncientBattles Project looks awesome!

What are you working on right now?

Rama

[Neongho]

What about the light ? did you ahve any problem with it ? what do you use as for ligthing ?

[evernewjoy]

Sounds awesome. In fact me and a friend are doing a game together with a team and I think this editor would make a world of difference for us. I would love it If you could tell me all the editor now supports and doesn't support when you get the time. Also anything I should be aware of in regards to the editors limitations.

Thanks so much,
Mooror

Hi there!

Primarily the editor is for enabling end-users to make levels without needing to download the UDK, and allowing them to share extremely small file sizes of levels with each other by email.

So if it is a important thing for you to provide a custom level-editor to your end-users / players then embarking on making your own editor is a great idea!

I wrote this editor from scratch, tailored to my game, it is not a separate sort of software



Are you planning to provide a custom game-editor to your end-users?


Rama

PS: I really like your signature

[Chosker]

Also anything I should be aware of in regards to the editors limitations.

I've already pointed them out in my first reply

[mooror]

Sounds awesome. In fact me and a friend are doing a game together with a team and I think this editor would make a world of difference for us. I would love it If you could tell me all the editor now supports and doesn't support when you get the time. Also anything I should be aware of in regards to the editors limitations.

Thanks so much,
Mooror

[evernewjoy]

This is a very promising concept Rama. You have my regards. So thank you for sharing.

You're welcome mooror!

I have made leaps and strides with the editor now,

now have fully functional editing of ai and level geometry, copy and pasting in multiplayer context

will be doing another video soon



Rama

[mooror]

Very promising

This is a very promising concept Rama. You have my regards. So thank you for sharing.

[evernewjoy]

Thanks Shaun!

Everyone dont forget to check out Shaun's UDK game in progress:

Ghostship Survival Horror FPS



Rama

[madaboutagmes]

awesome

[evernewjoy]

Hey this is great tut ! so usefule can't wait to recon the code : ) .

Glad you like!

Let me know how it goes for you!

Rama

[Neongho]

Hey this is great tut ! so usefule can't wait to recon the code : ) .

[evernewjoy]

interesting stuff!
thanks for sharing

the experiments ive done with dynamic levels is limited by the amount of meshes, after so many are used the framerate suffers.
Chosker's ideas with the lights makes me think of doing the same with meshes,
but rather that turning them on and off, draw them from a pool and set their location, collision and visibility when needed.
since you (evernewjoy) are giving the player pre-made meshes this would work beautifully.
im yet to come up with a concrete idea how to handle it all, some kind of template, perhaps even a huge string in an .ini with locations ect..
then use the location of the player to trigger what is where

ive never been able to do a decent dynamic terrain or landscape alternative, the native ones are just native and we are stuck with it like that unfortunately.

Great to hear from you Tegleg!

Well in my game having a ton of tiny meshes in close proximity is not something my game is designed for, and therefore, so far, I can simply do this code below and it seems to keep everything under control / easily relatively optimized

//in the class of the staticmeshactor or dynamicSMA that you want to set cull distance for
//adjust the number as needed, can make into property and can change this value any time
staticmeshcomponent.SetCullDistance(30000);

For those not familiar with this code:

This causes the unreal engine to automatically hide objects greater than 30000 units from the player camera, freeing you from the need to calculate distances and hide/show objects manually

Unreal engine also shows the object again when it is closer than 30000 units



~~~

Further Optimization

Ideally you can set the cull distance to a number based on the drawscale of the mesh, smaller objects can be culled a lot closer than 30000, very large objects might need 70000 before player cant really make it out any more



Rama

[tegleg]

interesting stuff!
thanks for sharing

the experiments ive done with dynamic levels is limited by the amount of meshes, after so many are used the framerate suffers.
Chosker's ideas with the lights makes me think of doing the same with meshes,
but rather that turning them on and off, draw them from a pool and set their location, collision and visibility when needed.
since you (evernewjoy) are giving the player pre-made meshes this would work beautifully.
im yet to come up with a concrete idea how to handle it all, some kind of template, perhaps even a huge string in an .ini with locations ect..
then use the location of the player to trigger what is where

ive never been able to do a decent dynamic terrain or landscape alternative, the native ones are just native and we are stuck with it like that unfortunately.