Level Converter Release

4/16/2012

I've cleaned up the interface, so the JKL level converter is ready to be used! If anyone finds any bugs, be sure to let me know so I can fix them.

Remember to press F1 to see exactly how to use the program.

13 Comments

FastGamerr link

4/17/2012 03:26:53 am

Yo Shred! Seems like a fantastic converter, I'm not that acquainted with UDK so I haven't got a chance to play around in it yet.

Tried importing the T3D files in older UEDs, most of the conversion seemed to be fine but sadly changing one texture forces every surface to have the same one :\

But I guess if I ever feel like editing anything again after DXN is finished, I might be able to make some use of this :]

Cheers!

Don

4/17/2012 04:26:53 am

Hey FastGamerr, I'm glad to hear that it works in another version of UnrealEd! I'm not sure about the texture thing... Changes every surface of the brush, or every surface of the level? Works fine in UDK.

After DXN you should make levels for my game :)

FastGamerr link

4/17/2012 04:31:21 am

The texture change affects all the brushes included in the .t3d file. Usually those problems occur because UED just copypastes the archi data from the clipboard and it can get messed up.

Anything can happen after DXN is finished ;]

Cheers

FastGamerr link

4/18/2012 11:59:01 pm

Alright, I've delved more into this splendid tool. I tested converting Elmo's Underwater Station level with the tool in both UDK and UED 1.0.

At the moment the UED 1 texture problem I mentioned seems to be gone... actually, seems like there wasn't a problem to begin with but I had just forgotten of my earliest UED lessons >_>

At any rate, converting that level (which is of course really complex and totally full of cleaves... and not just because it's got the Lighter treatment!) created some odd BSP errors. You can fall through some surfaces (which is quite weird in Unreal Engine games). But mostly it tends to look like this:

http://fgr.deus-ex.org/screenshots/

The UED1 importing seems to ignore a lot of the cleaves, and out of interest I tried importing that archi (from UED1) to UDK but it always seemed to crash the editor. At any rate, I haven't actually checked if those buggy BSP parts actually have any odd flags set in them in JED.

But of course, this tool wasn't meant for pre-UDK UEDs. Also, as far as I've understood the situation of the past few years, nothing really uses brushes anymore so you've got one subtracted box filled from edge to edge with static meshes that by their nature won't cause BSP errors. So with the purpose of exporting your level archi in ZED to UDK in mind, I guess those bugs I've displayed before won't really matter but I guess they could be helpful in further development.

Also, fun to notice that the default JED box actually snaps to grid... when it's set to 1. Which isn't probably a problem per se, but brushes whose dimensions aren't divisible by 4 (or to be safer, 8) tend to cause more BSP errors by default. I also tried importing some 3DOs with the tool but while their archi looked OK in wireframe mode, but they didn't seem to import properly. Yet by 'they' I mean it. But eh, I guess it's still kinda different.

But once again, great tool! Keep it up, man.

Don

4/19/2012 04:24:54 am

Did you follow the instructions and snap all the vertices to the grid after import? The missing faces / collisions error happens when the verts are off the grid.

You tried to convert a 3do with it? O.o I'm surprised that even remotely worked, the converter is looking for JKL formatting. Even if it did recognize a 3do, they wouldn't work properly as BSP brushes - BSP brushes and sectors are both convex, which is why the conversion works. 3do's can be any shape.

3do's could be exported as .FBX, then imported as static meshes and placed in the level though.

FastGamerr link

4/19/2012 05:51:53 am

I think I snapped them to grid, but I took those screenshots today and tried converting the level like 2 days ago. Yeah, I imported a 3DO in ZED and saved it as a JKL.

Don

4/19/2012 05:57:25 am

Oh, hah! good idea. I guess if each mesh of the 3do is convex it would work. But you would have to change the brushes it creates to CSG_Add.

I dunno, I've tested it with some complex levels and it works fine as long as I snap to the grid. Maybe I need to text that level as well.

FastGamerr link

4/19/2012 06:11:40 am

Yeah, I tried additive brushes but they didn't work either...

At any rate, I think you should make that BUILD -> JKL level converter, if you have the time >_>

Don

4/19/2012 06:15:28 am

Ohh, 3do faces are facing outward! Invert the faces, so they look like sectors, then export as a JKL, I bet that would work!

FastGamerr link

4/19/2012 04:08:17 pm

Sadly, it didn't work :|

GdesJk link

4/19/2012 10:49:01 pm

Fantastic converter !

- I have only one question in comparison with i have been doing the dimension of the level seems to be smaller.

Don

4/21/2012 11:47:28 am

How much smaller? I based it on the size of the default sector and the player model versus the player model for my game. (around the same size as one of the UDK unreal characters.) and got it down to 500 times bigger through testing.

ZeroRaven link

11/12/2013 06:33:39 am

Hey Shred. Was wondering, will you ever design/redesign the converter to work with the Quake engine? I would love to reuse some of my work in Jedi Academy. Lol.

Level Converter Release

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