This article is going to be rewritten as a part of Abincyp's tutorial rewriting project. |
So, you've made your first map, and it looks a bit boring? There could be a few causes:
- It's a hollow cube! What's the fun in that!?
- The textures, they're ugly! Not only that, they're also repetitive.
- No... objects, likes fences, pipes, buildings and the likes...?
- Where's the sky!? Every chapter in Mirror's Edge has one!
If you're wondering how to fix those things, and even more, then you should follow this tutorial!
Start the editor and close all windows. This tutorial assumes that you've followed the 'Your First Level!' tutorial and can do everything mentioned there, without help.
Make a hollow cube, XYZ, all three being 1024, and make it hollow. Also, add a Light, center it, and add a PlayerSpawn in a corner. So, this is like our previous level, the only difference being the place of the PlayerSpawn. Things up ahead are a bit difficult, so please seat yourself well and pay attention. When, you're ready, click the 'Generic Browser' button. It's highlighted in the following picture:
Okay, you should remember this window, right? It's one of the windows you had to close to have a better look at the editor. In this window is where all the objects, textures, skydomes, and more can be selected. At the moment, however, there aren't any so-called 'Packages' loaded.
Packages are files which contain all objects, textures, skydomes and more. Think: if there aren't any Packages loaded, yet all the selecting of objects and the likes happens here, how can we select them? Well, we load a Package! To do this, we go to 'Files' -> 'Open...'.
A browser window pops up. To load Packages, we need to go to the directory where you installed Mirror's Edge. The default location is "C:\Program Files\EA Games\Mirror's Edge". However, if you've downloaded it via Steam, this is the default location: "C:\Program Files\Steam\steamapps\common\mirrors edge". Once inside that directory, go to "TdGame" -> "CookedPC".
For now, we'll only use the "Props", "Lighting" and "Materials" folders. Go inside the "Props" folder. Open "P_Renovation.upk". You should now see some textures, and at the top left a 'Falling Pad'. You know, those things you can fall on from real high? It's called "ConstructionTest_01a". We could place this in our little hollow cube, but we don't need it. However, you're free to use it if you feel like it. This tutorial won't, because the 'Tent' would make it less oversee-able (is that a word...?). At the right you'll see a scrolling bar.
Use it to scroll down untill you see S_ContructionPacakges_01b. It's one of those 'sacks'. It's the middle of the three. Click it once, and close the "Generic Browser".
Okay, so we've selected our object in the "Generic Browser". What now? How do we place it somewhere? Well, in the 3D window, we right-click on the place where we want it.
"Add Actor"->"Add StaticMesh". There's a whole lot of text behind it, but it's not needed to know. Now you should see the 'sack'. Move it to the middle of our little hollow cube.
Like this:
Now, go back to the "Generic Browser" and click on "S_ConcreteBlock_01_Pile_01". Place it next to the other one. You can have a little problem here though. It's not facing the 'sack' correctly. What we're aiming for here is to make a sort of springboard. You get the idea? Well, to make it look correctly, the pile needs to be turned around by ~90 degrees. To turn it, while in the 3D view, or any other view, and while having our object selected, we press the "Spacebar". What you see now are three rings: one blue, one red and one green. Like this:
Press and hold the blue ring, and move the mouse to rotate the pile, so that it's almost the same length as the 'sack'. Press "Spacebar" twice to be able to move the pile again. Then, align it so that the pile's next to the 'sack'. Like this:
Now we're almost done with our springboard! There's only 2 things left to do:
- Changing the collision of both parts of our springboard
- Adding a little helper and make that one invisible.
Okay, for the first part: hold "Ctrl" and click the first part of our springboard. Then, double-click the second part. Make sure you haven't selected anything else at first!
A window pops up, and you see a lot of things. At the top five buttons. Under there, a lot of 'bars' with text on them. "Actor", "Advanced", "AI", "Attachment" and so on.
Click on "StaticMeshActor". Then, click "StaticMeshComponent <multiple values>".
Then, if it isn't brought down yet, click "Collision". Now, make sure "BlockRigidBody" is not ticked, and "RBChannel" is set to "RBCC_Nothing". Like this:
Close the StaticMeshActor Properties window. Get back inside the "Generic Browser" and open the file called "P_Gameplay", it's inside the "Props" folder. Now you see only two things. a "Prefab" and a "Static Mesh". Select the "SpringBoardHigh_ColMesh". Place it in our hollow cube. Rotate if needed, and place it inside our springboard existing of 2 parts. Move the parts if needed so it looks better. Like this:
Be sure to place the "SpringBoardHigh_ColMesh" exactly like that or you'll have problems with initiating the 'springing'. Double click the springboard (not the 2-part one!). Go to "StaticMeshActor", and this time, click on Rendering if it's not yet brought down. Scroll down untill you see "HiddenEditor" and "HiddenGame". Click "HiddenGame". Build the map and try the springboard.
End of part one!