In this article it describes:

– Texture browser overview.
– Texture mapping.
– Texture export/import.
– Properties and options.
– How to create simple animated texture.

I think everybody knows what texture is. It’s picture that puts to different surfaces. In this article I make advanced tutorial about textures using in Unreal Editor.

Texture browser

This is tool for texture choosing, viewing and editing. You may open it by using View > Show Texture Browser menu item or just appropriate button clicking (at top tools panel) . Also it opens at Unreal Editor starts.

1 – current texture package
2 – texture group
3 – show all package content
4 – general view mode
5 – textures used by current map
6 – most recently used textures
7 – show texture properties
8 – open texture original package
9 – fast switching between groups
10 – selected texture

Texture browser may be used to open texture package and make new one in utx format. Package may consists of texture groups. You can elect package at top field and chose group at bottom one. You may use filter for better viewing and fast searching. Also you may set texture view size on View tab..

Texture mapping

To map texture on brush you should select brush surface and click on texture in browser. Frequently texture maps incorrectly. You may tune it using Pan, Rotate and Scale tools in Surface Properties

1 – Texture shift (in pixels, relative to size)
2 – Rotation/reflection
3 – Texture size relative to pixels/Unreal Unit
4 – The same for height/width separately
5 – Use relative to current size
6 – Light map size of current surface
U – width, V – height.

Holding Shift you may rotate/move texture indirect. You may also use Texture Pan and Texture Rotate . tools. In Texture Pan you may move texture by holding Ctrl with LMB/RMB or resize holding Ctrl with both buttons. Texture Rotate is the same for texture rotating.

Import

To import texture select File > Import menu item in texture browser. It opens window below.

Теперь подробнее.

1 – Package. Where you want import. It should uses MyLevel to save textures inside main map file.
2 – Group. Package group.
3 – Name. Texture name (same name will replace old one).
4 – LOD. Levels of texture detalization. It makes several quality kinds of texture for using on different view distances. Set 0 for maximum quality.
5 – Masked. Check if texture has transparent parts. E.g.:

6 – Alpha. Same as Masked but handles different transparency degree (alpha channel). If you don’t care always use instead Masked. Alpha texture example:

7 – Generate MinMaps. Generate texture copies in lower resolution.
8 – Detail Hack? Only for Detail textures (read below). For blurring textures depends of distance.

Texture dimensions must be equal to power of 2 (16; 32; 64; 128; 256; 512 etc.).
Supported texture formats: dds, tga, bmp, pcx, upt.
dds (DirectDraw Surface) is the best choice. After import you may convert any texture to dds using Tools > Compress. There are 3 types of compression: DXT1 – non transparent (best compression), DXT3 – with explicit alpha channel (good for light stuff), DXT5 – with interpolated alpha. DXT5 is most versatile. More about dds format read here.

To export any texture select File > Export or RMB > Export to File…

Animation – For making animated texture. But not the best way to create it.
Material – Texture material. Select required one in Surface Type for collision sound and particles effect (wood, glass, metal etc.).
Quality – Color and Texture quality. Actually useless.
Surface – Has few parameters. bAlphaTexture and bMasked have same purposes as in import window. bTwoSided – make 2-sided texture.
Texture – Here you may add some details for texture (for better edges look).

See examples in default KF package Detailtextures_T.utx

You may add detail by pressing Use in Detail field. In DetailScale you may set relation between details and main texture sizes. See example with(top)/without(bottom) details below.

On this tab you may set LOD itself and its type as well.

TextureFormat – Just info.

Making animated texture

There are 2 ways to make it. The first is to import animation frames with ends of filenames _aXX, where XX – frame number starts from 00. E.g.:
name1_a00
name1_a01
name1_a02
etc.
It sets frame number on Animation tab automatically. You may set FrameRate property as well. This way uses for monitors on KF-Icebreaker map.

The second way is MaterialSequence creating. To make it press File > New and window opens:

Fill package, group, name and set MaterialClass to MaterialSequence. In SequenceItems fields you may add frames by pressing Add. There are 3 params. Action field: FadeToMaterial – smooth animation (mainly for map previews) and ShowMaterial – sharp frame change. Add texture-frame in Material field. Set the frame duration in Time property.

Created texture is 1 pass now.

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In this article it describes:

– Where you can get map editor.
– How to use viewports and camera.
– Basics of editor using.
– Making simple map.

First of all you need map editor from Killing Floor SDK. If you install it already you may launch it with KFEd.exe file from System folder. If you have Steam you may download it from Steam Tools Tab, else you may download it with good repack. Killing Floor uses Unreal Engine 2.5 and KF SDK is modification of UnrealEd 3.0 (don’t confuse it with Unreal Engine 3).
After editor running, you will see 4 viewports and Texture Browser (close it now). This viewports are 3 views (top, front and side) and 3D view.

I think default viewports configuration is the best but you can change througth menu View > Viewports > Configure…

You should use a camera to navigate in 3D view («eye» icon on other viewports), It can be moved using mouse. Holding the left button (LMB) and moving mouse you move camera horizontally. Holding right button (RMB) you make free look. Holding both buttons and moving mouse you move camera vertically and sidely. At 2D viewports you may move camera holding any one mouse button and make zoom in/out holding both mouse buttons. You may variate camera speed by pressing Change Camera Speed. For openers make a cube volume by clicking appropriate button on tools panel . If you clivk RMB on it it opens CubeBuilder window, where you can set cube dimensions. Enter 512х512х512.

It appers so called brush with red edges.

To make a room press Subtract button on left tools panel. It makes empty room covered with bubbles texture.

Couple words about engine features: There is no empty space in Unreal Engine. This is a solid space and just maked room was cutted from solid space. You add brush to cutted space by pressing Add button.
Move brush in 2D viewport by holding Ctrl and moving mouse. It moves on editor grid. You may set grid unit by pressing RMB > Grid or in bottom tools panel. You may see subtractive brush with yellow edges. This is the room.

Texture room walls. Select some room surfaces by holding Ctrl and clicking on it. Repeated click unselects surface. Pressing Shift+B selects all surfaces with the same brush.

Open Texture Browser and using File > Open… menu item select “KillingFloorManorTextures.utx”. You may see texture package name at upper field and select needed. In the bottom field you may find texture groups. It needs just for good texture sorting. If you want to see all package textures click All button. Reduce texure scale for better look using View > 25% menu item.

Put textures to selected surfaces. E.g. BrickWall for walls and wood_floor for floor and ceiling.

Choosen textures has too big size. Reduce it for better look. Click RMB > Surface Properties on selected properties. In opened window select Pan/Rot/Scale tab and set Simple to 0.25 at Scaling field.

Then make a passage. Open CubeBuilder and set 256х1024х256 dimensions. Place it near the room and subtract the hole by pressing Substract. It is textured by last material already. Textured it just like room before.

Make a passage fork. Move brush again and click on passage edge to select it at top viewport. Than make a copy using RMB > Duplicate (or Ctrl+W).

Rotate the copy by 90 degrees holding RMB and place it to the center.

To see passage copy at 3D viewport it needs to build map geometry by clicking Build Geometry button at top tools panel. After building you may see passage copy with the same textures and sizes but rotated in the same way. Fix it by editing Rotation and Pan fields at Surface Properties window.

Then add some lights to map. Use RMB > Add Light Here at any surface. To see lights effects click Build Lightning button. 3D view should be set to Dynamic Light mode (Alt+5).

Move light to room center and open Light Properties (by F4). You may set Light Color by pressing Color and brightness, hue and saturation as well. And set light radius in Lightning settings also.

Place some more light emitters with less bright in passage.

Make zeds spawns at passage fork. Make a cude 256х256х256 and place it to fork end. Click RMB > ZombieVolume on Volume , it looks like transparent brush with white edges. Make another one at other fork.

To enable moving zeds smart and find players without visual contact It needs special path nodes. You should create it using RMB > Add Path Node Here on surface at 3D viewport.

Make a path with some nodes.

Now add player start spawn. Use RMB > Add Player Start Here item.
Then add some ammo spawn to map. Open Actor Class Browser and choose Actors > Pickup. For ammo adding choose Pickup > Ammo > KFAmmoPickup.

Add it to map by pressing RMB > Add KFAmmoPickup Here on any surface. If it doesn’t appear try again on other surface.

You may find weapons at KFWeaponPickup tab and add it just like ammo (and all Actor Classes gears). You may find random weapon spawn items at xPickupBase > KFRandomSpawn > KFRandomItemSpawn.

You should build your map before testing using Build All button. After that you may make a test run by pressing Play Map! button.

That’s all. Your 1st map is done. Not a msterpiece but good enough for beginner.
You may expand map, add some items and so on. Good luck.

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