Preparing your map for publishing and distribution

[Fluffy<3]

meeee tooo

I fixed the editor from crashing, it seems i saved a custom pack "HU_Deco_RubbleA.upk" < that lil bugga was the problem i think.

It saved its self in ...\Unpublished\CookedPC\Enviroments
I moved it out and now Ed is happy with me again

So maybe it wasent the "FrontEnd" thingy that crashed editor afterall, unless "FrontEnd" saved the package...

Still hoping someone has an idea why in the virtual world i cant cook

[KurlonT]

Where would we report bugs w/ the PS3 Mod Tools...here or in the Troubleshooting thread?

[Yoshi_last]

Please... I need help with this publishing, this is my first atempt, i've followed the info you wonderfully put on the first page. I must be doing something wrong
Maybe you can see what is it is...

I get 2 errors:

Error, Error saving '..\UTGame\Published\CookedPC\\CustomMaps\DM-sanctest1_LOC_int.upk'
Error, Error saving '..\UTGame\Published\CookedPC\\CustomMaps\DM-sanctest1.ut3'

It gives no warnings tho (hopefully thats good)

I made DM-sanctest1.ini file :

[DM-sanctest1 UTUIDataProvider_MapInfo]
MapName=DM-sanctest1
FriendlyName=sanctest1
PreviewImageMarkup=<Images:UI_FrontEnd_Art.GameTyp es.DeathMatch>
Description=None
NumPlayers=6 to 10 Players

(Im actually not sure where the .ini should be saved to, i've tryed both CustomMap folders under MyGames)

My OS is Vista 32 home edition

Blimey i've been trying to do this for over 4 hours, i've forgot to cook in the real world

omg i have the same problem and i cant figure out why someone plz help me im desprate to cook my maps

[LtClifff]

How do you import stuff?

[DGUnreal]

omg i have the same problem and i cant figure out why someone plz help me im desprate to cook my maps

On Vista make sure you are running UnrealEd as Administrator.
Right-click on the icon and set that property.

[Fluffy<3]

On Vista make sure you are running UnrealEd as Administrator.
Right-click on the icon and set that property.

Thank youuuuuuuu! This solved my problem, now im a very happy fluffy

[fal$e]

Custom Content Package .upk - Gnomon Game Alpha

I am having problems with where exactly to put my package that I am saving out of the generic browser. I know that the actual level goes in MyDocuments/MyGames/UnrealTournament3/UTGame/Unpublished/CookedPC/CustomMaps (DM-GameName.ut3)

Where should I put the custom content package saved from the Generic Browser? In that same folder with the level save? calling it DM-GameName_Content.upk (DM - For a Death Match)?

I'm trying to narrow down why it isn't compiling and now there are many variables. I'm going to try ripping the music out of my level and see if that is the problem.

Any advise is seriously appriciated.

You can check out the file at www.randyid.com

[DGUnreal]

You shouldn't use an external package for any custom map content. There are many reasons why this is not recommended. All custom content should be imported directly into the map itself, by specifying the map name as the Package during import of textures etc. Custom content that is in the map file is always saved when you save the map, and is easily published within the map file.

The only time external packages would normally be used is for entire game mods.

You also won't want to prefix your external package with a map game type, it may be confusing to some.

However, all of that being said.
Your external package should be in the same Unpublished\CookedPC\CustomMaps folder as the map file. It will get cooked along with the map to the Published\CookedPC\CustomMaps folder. If a cooked version of the package already exists there, it will be replaced if it is older.

[DGUnreal]

FixupRedirects commandlet

Using the FixupRedirects commandlet

When you Rename an object in the Editor it creates a 'Redirector' that points from the old object location to the new location. This is so that other existing content (maps and packages) can still locate the object at its original location forwarded through the redirector.

As an example, if we had a Texture located in a package called MyPackage.upk, in a Group called Textures, with the name of TX_RustMetal_D, it's full path would be:

MyPackage.Textures.TX_RustMetal_D

Any time this texture is used in any Material, this full path to the texture is specified in the Texture Sample's Texture property, such as Texture2D'MyPackage.Textures.TX_RustMetal_D'.

Renaming the TX_RustMetal_D texture to a new location such as DM-MyMap.Textures.TX_RustMetal_D does not fully delete the texture at the original path but instead it leaves behind a redirector at MyPackage.Textures.TX_RustMetal_D that simply points to DM-MyMap.Textures.TX_RustMetal_D.
So any other map or package that was referencing MyPackage.Textures.TX_RustMetal_D will still be referencing that same path. The engine just follows through the redirector located there to the new path at DM-MyMap.Textures.TX_RustMetal_D.

If you move objects from an external package to the map file itself, redirectors may be created which will still be referencing the external package. So even though the objects are seen in the map file in the Generic browser, they are still using redirectors to the original external package.

To fix this and remove the redirectors, the commandlet 'FixupRedirects' must be used.

The 'FixupRedirects' commandlet scans through all of the game packages and attempts to fix up or delete redirects that are no longer required.
There are a few issues with using this command in the current engine builds.

Note: You cannot have a redirector and a new object of the same name, so even if you Rename an object, you cannot create a new object of that original name.

Note: There appears to be some issues and discrepancies with this commandlet and the information on UDN, so if you do not want to have to go through all of the work outlined below, then simply re-import every object that you want directly into the map file itself instead of using any external packages.


Incorrect UDN Information

The UDN incorrectly lists the commandlet information options as of build 3543.
It lists the commandlet sytax as "gamename.exe fixupredirects <package.ext>" which is incorrect.
The optional package to fix is not supported or completed.


Getting Commandlet Help

To get help information on any commandlet, at a command prompt type "ut3.exe help <commandlet>".
For example "ut3.exe help fixupredirects" will display:

Name: Editor.FixupRedirects
Description: @todo
Usage: gamename.exe FixupRedirects
Options:


Getting FixupRedirects to work with UT3

There are some issues with getting the fixupredirects commandlet to work with UT3.


1. FixupRedirects does not scan the My Documents\My Games folders, which is where the custom maps are normally located. You will instead get red text errors stating that the map or package files that are in the My Documents folder are not found.

To get the FixupRedirects to actually scan your custom map or package, it will have to be moved into the actual installed game folder instead of My Documents.

Create a folder called "CustomMaps" under the C:\ <install path> \Unreal Tournament 3\UTGame\CookedPC folder, and copy your map and or packages to this location.

After the FixupRedirects has completed, the repaired packages should be found in the My Documents\...\Published\...\CustomMaps folder. And the original unchanged packages remain in the install path location you copied it to above. You will have to copy your map or package back to the My Documents\...\Unpublished\...CustomMaps folder to continue working or to cook it. I recommend keeping your original uncleaned packages until you are sure that the process completed successfully.

Note that any other custom content that you have in the My Documents\...\CustomMaps folder will still show as red text errors when running the FixupRedirects commandlet. These can be ignored since we are not concerned with fixing those files.


2. Since the optional package name to fixup is not currently supported, FixupRedirects will scan through every package in the Unreal Tournament 3 folders. This means all stock maps and packages will be scanned.

In order to prevent any issues, it is wise to go through all of the folders in the C:\ <install path> \Unreal Tournament 3\UTGame\CookedPC folder and set all of the .upk files to ReadOnly. This includes all of the files in all of the folders such as Characters, CTF_Flags, Effects, Environments, ... etc.

This will prevent the FixupRedirects commandlet from accidentally modifying any of the stock game packages.


3. The Bonus Pack 1 content has redirection and package errors. This will cause the fixupredirects commandlet to display a massive pile of redirect issues and may result in an application failure running the commandlet.

Create a temporary folder on your hard drive, such as C:\Temp\UT3\Maps\.

Move all of the files for C:\ <install path> \Unreal Tournament 3\UTGame\CookedPC\Maps\CTF-FacingWorlds*.* to the temporary folder.

Move all of the files for C:\ <install path> \Unreal Tournament 3\UTGame\CookedPC\Maps\CTF-SearchLight*.* to the temporary folder.

Create a temporary folder on your hard drive, such as C:\Temp\UT3\Packages\.

Move the following two files ASC_Face.upk and Envy_DLC_Effects.upk located in C:\ <install path> \Unreal Tournament 3\UTGame\CookedPC\Packages\ to the temporary folder.

These BonusPack1 maps and packages will have to be moved back to their original folders after you have successfully completed work with the FixupRedirects commandlet.


Running the Commandlet

After you have successfully moved your map or package to the <install path>\CustomMaps folder, set all of the UT3 packages to ReadOnly, and removed the BonusPack1 bad files, you can now run the FixupRedirects commandlet.

Start a command prompt, navigate to the C:\ <install path> \Unreal Tournament 3\Binaries\ folder and type in:

ut3.exe fixupredirects

After a few seconds a dialog window for the application will pop up. It will contains a bunch of status information on all of the packages that it is checking for redirects.
If your map or package is highlighted in green or yellow text, there will be various redirects to be fixed up.
If your map or package is displayed in standard white text, there are no redirects to be fixed.

When the commandlet has completed scanning and fixing up redirectors, it will display any success or failure information.
The repaired packages, if there were any, should have been placed in the My Documents\...\Published\...CustomMaps folder.
Be sure to keep your original packages that you copied to the <install path>\CustomMaps folder in case there were any problems in the fixup.

[Blade[UG]]

I would like to point out that I have a Shader Model 2 video card, an ATI X850XL, and although I may be missing some effects, the game runs flawlessly for me, and the editor as well - except that much of the text in the editor will occasionally disappear for no obvious reason whatsoever.

[DGUnreal]

Yes, the game itself supports down to the ATI 9000 series, but the editor requires a much higher system level. With SM2 cards, depending on the actual card, you will lose various bits of the editor and various sections of functionality.
It is best to do level design with a current card since you will not be able to see all of the advanced features and effects, so you are essentially mapping blind.

[Hyrage]

Nice DG, thx for the Preview Screenshot Tutorial.
This thread is very useful for new comers.

[PaulH84]

Ok, so i should have read this sooner..i have my map with all the custom content saved into an external package. Now i just tried to give my housemate this package, and my map file and he couldnt run the level. After reading this it seems that i should be saving all the custom content into the map file itself...but how can i do this? All this talk of redirects is confusing and i don't want to have to individually export 700+ files into the level package :\

What are my best options here?

[DGUnreal]

I assume that both the map and the package were put together into the My Documents\My Games\...\Published\...\CustomMaps folder?
The external package does have a different name from the map file name?

If both of these are true and you are still having issues, you can Rename all of the content from the external package into the map file. Right-click on each asset, rename, specify the map name as the Package.
However, after doing so you should run the fixupredirects. In most cases you can simply copy your map and package into the &installpath%\UTGame\CookedPC folder and run the commandlet to clean up the references. The commandlet will usually place the cleaned file copies in the My Documents\My Games\...\Published\...\CustomMaps folder.

[PaulH84]

Where is this fixupdirects? Is it a program? I have the map file and the package in the custommaps folder and it runs fine on my computer, however on my housemates the map won't load..i think i'll have to copy everything over as you say, though its gonna take a while with the amount of files i have

EDIT: Found the fixupredirects info, thanks