Publishing and Cooking UT3 Community Maps

[RattleSN4K3]

quote
#1 “Cooking” bakes out unnecessary content from the map file.
Then why map file grows from 1MB to 20MB ?
#2 creates the shader cache information needed to properly load and run your map and improves performance and loading times.
Really ? Didnt have a single problem nor performance loss with uncooked maps.
#3 “Publishing” sets up the files for distribution and puts everything into the proper directory so that other people can play what you’ve created.
As if no one can figure out that ut3 goes into maps and upk into packages. Typically map developers note that in the readme file as well as store their map files in appropriate folders already.

As tarnationsauce2 already said, music will get imported into a cooked file. This will increase the file size. However, if you're using non-stock music (customly imported) the raw format (WAVE format etc.) is uncompressed and use much space. Audio will be compressed/converted to OGG after cooking. Besides these audio optimizations, cooked files are loaded much quicker. But that's not the only optimization.

Why i dont cook maps:
#1 15MB map using strictly game content becomes then 2mb when compressed into UZ3 format for redirect servers making it small and fast to download.
#2 If i ever need to make changes to the map, i dont have to have source map available. Cooked maps are NOT EDITABLE !!!!

Re #1:
Downloading happens only once (in best case) and playing/loading happens more often. Why would you decrease the file size and get faster download times once if you can cook the map and increase the performance for all time when the map is played. There are several other things why a cooked map is optimized (performance wise).

Re #2:
Cooked maps can be editable. You only need to save them once (under a different name). Some maps are lacking of texture when opening these in the editor engine.

[tarnationsauce2]

quote
#1 “Cooking” bakes out unnecessary content from the map file.
Then why map file grows from 1MB to 20MB ?
#2 creates the shader cache information needed to properly load and run your map and improves performance and loading times.
Really ? Didnt have a single problem nor performance loss with uncooked maps.
#3 “Publishing” sets up the files for distribution and puts everything into the proper directory so that other people can play what you’ve created.
As if no one can figure out that ut3 goes into maps and upk into packages. Typically map developers note that in the readme file as well as store their map files in appropriate folders already.


Why i dont cook maps:
#1 15MB map using strictly game content becomes then 2mb when compressed into UZ3 format for redirect servers making it small and fast to download.
#2 If i ever need to make changes to the map, i dont have to have source map available. Cooked maps are NOT EDITABLE !!!!


Maybe am stupid (one would not know) but i see no point of cooking maps other then protecting your own creation from modification by every newb mapper who knows how to start the editor. Other then that, i dont know.

The reason your file gets bigger is you are probably using stock music. When you cook using a stock song, it bakes it into the map file. In that case your file size will suffer.

However, if you are using custom music and sounds, they will not be compressed until the map is cooked. For example I have a map that has a 15 min long playlist of songs, and it was 150MB uncooked. After cooking it was 18MB.

[ADPdirty]

quote
#1 “Cooking” bakes out unnecessary content from the map file.
Then why map file grows from 1MB to 20MB ?
#2 creates the shader cache information needed to properly load and run your map and improves performance and loading times.
Really ? Didnt have a single problem nor performance loss with uncooked maps.
#3 “Publishing” sets up the files for distribution and puts everything into the proper directory so that other people can play what you’ve created.
As if no one can figure out that ut3 goes into maps and upk into packages. Typically map developers note that in the readme file as well as store their map files in appropriate folders already.


Why i dont cook maps:
#1 15MB map using strictly game content becomes then 2mb when compressed into UZ3 format for redirect servers making it small and fast to download.
#2 If i ever need to make changes to the map, i dont have to have source map available. Cooked maps are NOT EDITABLE !!!!


Maybe am stupid (one would not know) but i see no point of cooking maps other then protecting your own creation from modification by every newb mapper who knows how to start the editor. Other then that, i dont know.

[jmesa]

I'm having the same problem as Noe-Keniz. Does anyone know how to fix this? I'm guessing it has something to do with the map getting disconnected from the package some how but I have no idea how this happened and how to fix it.

[Neo-Kenzi]

Hi Everyone, I've been looking around for some answers regarding Publishing, Cooking my created level. The problem I'm having is that once I've clicked the Publish button, and select Yes or No to Save the Package, The console comes up and the issue is this...

Init: Version: 3487
Init: Epic Internal: 0
Init: Compiled: Oct 21 2007 03:17:32
Init: Command line: -platform=PC DM-900AD_Test -AlwaysRecookMaps -UpdateInisAuto
Init: Base directory: C:\Program Files\Unreal Tournament 3\Binaries\
Init: Character set: Unicode
Log: Executing Class Editor.CookPackagesCommandlet
Log: GConfig::Find has loaded file: ..\Engine\Localization\int\Editor.int
UserModType: (0)
Loading base level ..\UTGame\CookedPC\CustomMaps\DM-900AD_Test.ut3
Failed to load '900AD_Package': Can't find file for package '900AD_Package'
Failed to load '900AD_Package': Can't find file for package '900AD_Package'
Failed to load '900AD_Package': Can't find file for package '900AD_Package'
Failed to load '900AD_Package': Can't find file for package '900AD_Package'
Failed to load '900AD_Package': Can't find file for package '900AD_Package'
Failed to load '900AD_Package': Can't find file for package '900AD_Package'
Failed to load '900AD_Package': Can't find file for package '900AD_Package'
Failed to load '900AD_Package': Can't find file for package '900AD_Package'
Failed to load '900AD_Package': Can't find file for package '900AD_Package'
Failed to load '900AD_Package': Can't find file for package '900AD_Package'
Failed to load '900AD_Package': Can't find file for package '900AD_Package'
UpToDate ..\UTGame\CookedPC\Environments\UN_Terrain2.upk
Skipping shader cache ..\UTGame\CookedPC\LocalShaderCache-PC-D3D-SM2.upk
Skipping shader cache ..\UTGame\CookedPC\LocalShaderCache-PC-D3D-SM3.upk
Skipping shader cache ..\UTGame\CookedPC\LocalShaderCache-PC-D3D-SM4.upk
Skipping shader cache ..\UTGame\CookedPC\RefShaderCache-PC-D3D-SM2.upk
Skipping shader cache ..\UTGame\CookedPC\RefShaderCache-PC-D3D-SM3.upk
Skipping shader cache ..\UTGame\CookedPC\RefShaderCache-PC-D3D-SM4.upk
Cooking [Seekfree] DM-900AD_Test
Failed to load '900AD_Package': Can't find file for package '900AD_Package'
Failed to load '900AD_Package': Can't find file for package '900AD_Package'
Failed to load '900AD_Package': Can't find file for package '900AD_Package'
Failed to load '900AD_Package': Can't find file for package '900AD_Package'
Failed to load '900AD_Package': Can't find file for package '900AD_Package'
Failed to load '900AD_Package': Can't find file for package '900AD_Package'
Failed to load '900AD_Package': Can't find file for package '900AD_Package'
Failed to load '900AD_Package': Can't find file for package '900AD_Package'
Failed to load '900AD_Package': Can't find file for package '900AD_Package'
Failed to load '900AD_Package': Can't find file for package '900AD_Package'
Failed to load '900AD_Package': Can't find file for package '900AD_Package'
Failed to load '900AD_Package': Can't find file for package '900AD_Package'
Failed to load '900AD_Package': Can't find file for package '900AD_Package'
Failed to load '900AD_Package': Can't find file for package '900AD_Package'
Failed to load '900AD_Package': Can't find file for package '900AD_Package'
Failed to load '900AD_Package': Can't find file for package '900AD_Package'
Failed to load '900AD_Package': Can't find file for package '900AD_Package'
Copying shader cache RefShaderCache-PC-D3D-SM2.upk
Copying shader cache RefShaderCache-PC-D3D-SM3.upk
Copying shader cache RefShaderCache-PC-D3D-SM4.upk

TotalTime 22.47 seconds
LoadSectionPackages 0.00 seconds
LoadNativePackages 0.53 seconds
LoadDependencies 3.28 seconds
LoadPackages 1.82 seconds
LoadPerMapPackages 0.00 seconds
LoadCombinedStartupPackages 0.00 seconds
CookTime; 1.33 seconds
CookPhysics 0.10 seconds
CookTexture 1.13 seconds
CookSound 0.00 seconds
CookMovie 0.00 seconds
CookStrip 0.05 seconds
CookSkeletalMesh 0.00 seconds
CookStaticMesh 0.00 seconds
PackageSave 3.91 seconds
PrepareForSaving 0.05 seconds
PrepareForSavingTexture 0.00 seconds
PrepareForSavingTerrain 0.00 seconds
PrepareForSavingMaterial 0.00 seconds
PrepareForSavingMaterialInstance 0.00 seconds
CollectGarbageAndVerify 0.18 seconds

Success - 0 error(s), 0 warning(s)

Execution of commandlet took: 22.53 seconds

When I load my level up in Unreal T3 none of my static meshes (which I created using Maya and imported correctly into the UnrealEd) appear. the level is there but it's only my own models that do not appear. I'm not sure why it doesn't find the package. I've looked thought LOADS of threads but I can't find any answers. The name is correct for the package and it loads up fine in the Editor and plays fine in it too... Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Thanks

[Fuzz2k7]

I found out that cooking with -nohomedir caused this kind of error for me so I started running the editor without and it worked at the first try. I suggest moving the map to My Documents and Unpublished then open it, build all, save all and cook.

One question remains, is there a way to cook using -nohomedir either by configuring the editor or writing your own batch file?

[bastardbrain]

Please help my map wont cook

get this error everytime

[glow_trance]

So did using Administrator work for you guys?
If so, right-click on the icon, choose Properties, then click on the Advanced button and make sure the Run as Administrator checkbox is checked. And you should be good to go.

HUGE thank you

[firefly]

2 gig is fine. I've had no problems even with loads of packages open in the editor.

[cod-x]

I can say a few things about system requirements.
I started my level on 1600+ AMD XP,1GB RAM,9600 XT.I could do the whole level without any problem,I was just taking care not to build any lightning,and not to do anything with post process since my video card hadn't SM2 or SM3.Of course if I put a light and tried to build a nice crash came.Lightning and post process things finished in my new configuration.
In lower configuration you can build levels as well with full detail,just don't do anything with these 2 things,do them in the end.

[marcus]

On further investigation, I have this solution for my problem.

Hope it works for you chaps
I'm using Vista and I think it is a Vista specific problem.

Here goes! :_

started with this



Ok , go to the games insallation folder

go to unrealtournament3/binaries folder

find UT3.exe application

right click and open up the properties for this puppy.

then go to the compatabilities tab

click show settings for all users

at the bottom tick the Run this program as administrator

click OK to all

like this


Fire up the editor

you will be asked for permission to continue(yes)

then I got this

This has fixed it for me, thank you.

[DGUnreal]

2GB of RAM is not enough to do any half-way serious mapping with UnrealEd, it will barely crawl along on a system with that low total amount.

On 32-bit OS's 3GB would be the minimum to run UnrealEd, and preferably 4GB (less the mapped hardware so ~3.25-3.5GB). Especially with Vista. And especially if there are additional applications running, such as Anti-Virus, or if you are also using 3DS Max, Maya, PhotoShop, PhotoPaint, etc. at the same time as UnrealEd.

On a system with 2GB of RAM installed the OS is going to eat up at least ~250MB to 500MB (OS, drivers, resident software, etc.), leaving only ~1.5GB of physical memory for all running applications to share. Many applications, including UnrealEd, will usually crash with an out of memory error if the OS attempts to allocate memory from the hard disk virtual area instead of physical RAM. Most systems don't have their Page File set correctly anyway...

In Windows 32-bit OS's each process can allocate a maximum of 2GB of User Memory*, and UnrealEd wants all 2GB of that, and on 64-bit OSs UnrealEd wants 2GB to 4GB just for itself.
So a 64-bit OS with at minimum 6GB and preferably 8GB is the comfortable setup for UnrealEd.

FYI: Gears of War 2's level design was developed on 64-bit Vista with more than 4GB of installed RAM since the Editor plus the basic loaded packages in the Generic Browser exceeds the available per-process User Memory* on 32-bit OS's. In other words, the GoW2 Editor won't even run on a 32-bit PC with 4GB RAM.

See these:
OS and RAM
System Requirements

* UnrealEd supports /LARGEADDRESSAWARE so it can access up to 3GB on 32-bit OS's and 4GB on 64-bit OS's.
And it will eat that up easily.


IMHO the fact that the technical issues and requirements with using UnrealEd and that most community people won't/don't understand these points is a large reason why GoW2 won't be coming to the PC and why UT4 undoubtably won't include an editor.

[Gwen-Haël]

Im talking of a small cubic map with a light and a spawn. Not a lot of problems in map design I think.
I got Vista64, a 3Ghz Core2Duo, 9600GT and 2GB RAM - but the Unreal FrontEnd cooking dont use more than 600Mb RAM while processing so I really dont see the utility of 8Gb RAM, except if I want to load every file! UT3 itself weights about that.
Of course 2Gb may be a bit short too.

By the way i hadnt seen Vista freeze because of high memory usage. While programming (school, etc) I got some bad memory leaks, but the worse case was the forced shutdown of the process by the OS, never a system freeze!

But thank you for advise, Ill think of getting some additionnal memory.

[DGUnreal]

On Vista the publishing dialog always stays on screen and errors on forced-closing. This doesn't affect the Editor though.

However, if your system is less than a dual core with 3GB of RAM and a newer video card, you'll have issues working with UnrealEd.
The minimum requirements for the Editor is much higher than for the game itself.
To work with the Editor you should have at minimum a 3GHz dual core with 4GB RAM and a NV 8800 or ATI 3870 video and XP/Vista 32. The preferable system would be a 3GHz quad core with 8GB RAM and a newer video card and XP/Vista 64.

If you are having issues beyond this, then problems in the map design can cause the Editor to fail on certain systems.

[Gwen-Haël]

Is this normal that the Cooking window does not close after cooking, does not close when I tell it to close then freeze my computer because it takes as much resources after finished cooking as while cooking?