TM2UT modding

[skinz]

TM2UT
I've finally been able to pick up where Monkeybiz left off, extracting the TM assets in prep for UT2004 use. I've converted the Destroyed Minicity into a DM level (Onslaught will come later) and had a decent start on the Commercial City Street, which I combined with the bank, so 'Sun Valley Bank' has that interior. I also added 2 rooms above it so folks can sniper shoot from the windows. I still have to finish this level, it needs some tex tweaking & a skybox still...



I was even able to use the same skybox mesh & texs from TM for this UT level.


Here's some footage of a finished level: http://www.veoh.com/videos/v781407SwdaF5Ep Bear in mind that I'm controlling the character as well as the camera in this... if there was 2 or more people on a network, then there could be someone floating freely with the camera, filming the action that other actors are performing, making the whole thing much more cinematic.

I guess this seems completely backwards - you may be wondering why I posted this here at all. But this site is full of amazing talent, and I thought I'd put this out there - I'd love to convert the whole TM concept over to UT, the characters, the weapons, sets, and vehicles, and make them available in both UT2004 & UT3.

I can do most of it too. But I'll never do it all alone, there's too much. Is anyone here interested in tthis concept? Is it too oddball to become a DCMF project, if I became a full-fledged member of DCMF & share what I know of the process?

The UT game engine is one of the best in the world, it's capable of 30 actors simultaneously online plus 2 invisible 'spectatos' who can be the 'cameramen'. Direction can be accomplished by voice or by chat in realtime. Gang war action scenes, space battles, car chases, combat scenarios using every description of weapons & sets can all be scripted, performed & 'filmed' online in realtime.

There's some hefty scripting required to get ground vehicles to work properly, and I know there's some serious scripting talent here, if anyone's interested, the tutorials can be a little frustrating for me, for example - http://www.psyonix.com/ImportingVehiclesTutorial/ At the very bottom, check what he says before saying, 'Roll Out!' Lol. I gotta laugh. It's a good tut though, but... %&$#@!

I'm not a programmer, so I don't think I'll be attempting driveable land vehicles without help. I've started looking at the flight craft, and I think I can get it to work, but I want the characters to appear properly in the TM ships I use, so that will take me a while too.

If there's any interest, I'll post some of the UT levels & characters from TM.
bongo

[stvndysn]

i cant speak for the rest of the team but i know nothing about ut, havent played it. and are you asking whether we could help you by converting tm meshes for ut, well not without the right tools anyway, and our coders are way too busy, building tm apps at the moment.

i have another question about this possibility would the content be free to ut users or do ut fansites charge for content

[skinz]

free.
It's like a really good Halo 2.

[Gleem!]

I'm TOTALLY into this idea.  I really want to try my hand at modding other games too, and this seems like a logical way to kill two birds with one stone, or something! 

Unfortunately, right at the moment, I'm sweating it out trying to turn out a proper scene editor for TM.

When I finish that, I really think this sounds like a fantastic project!  I'd love to work out details of getting more complicated animations and usable items into UT.  I'd love to make it so actors might be able to even ACT!

And from what I understand, a lot of the knowledge of UT translates directly to UT3, so even finer cinematics might be possible in the future. 

Consider me TOTALLY onboard with this.  We'll talk about some details via pm.

I mean, I can totally imagine, directors could 'hire' a 'troupe' of actors to shoot some really complex scenes! 
It could really work out to be fun and amazing stuff.

[stvndysn]

then shoot the crap out of each other, after filming

muwhaahahahahah

[skinz]

LOL that would be a blast... will you spectate, and be the camera then? You can float around invisibly & record the action from any angle.

It would be neat to get some TM animations into UT, I hadn't thought of that, but I know I can get them there if I can get them into Blender.

I've always wanted to make some pedestrian animations for TM2UT characters, like flaming explosion victims who can run from the scene... with real UT flames engulfing them, moo hoo haa ha ha (I've always had a thing for particle emitters, I donno, they're sexy)

[stvndysn]

damn it now im gonna have to find some money and go and buy it

[MelGhoul]

question: how did you get the sky box?

[skinz]

I got the skybox from TM with reshoot, then converted it to ut format, brought it into UT2004 using their built in editor, UEd3.

[Rysto]

The sky box is HUGE too.  It is what is covering your studio lot if that helps your perspective. 
There are also city sky boxes too.

[MelGhoul]

oh is it dome.msh?  If so i've known about that one.

[skinz]

Destryed city skybox, I think. In UT, the skybox object doesn't have to be large at all, it's in a seperate subtracted space that has skybox attributes, and the enclosure for the actual playable level's walls are set to display the contents of that skybox. It sounds a little weird, but it's very effective at simulating the distance of the horizon. I can place moving clouds, objects and particle emitters there for distance f/x as well.

I bet you can find UT2004 for 10 bucks now that UT3 is out. There's no space levels in UT3 nor as many game options however, so it's a bit  like UT2003 all over again for UT3 owners.

[BusStopWilly]

I'm really, really interested in this. I'd love to see some of my costumes shooting at each other.
I'll try to keep an eye on this thread.

BSW

[skinz]

Cooool! Well then, I'll give you a reason to search the back shelf for a copy of UT2004 I hope - a TM character & a deathmatch Destroyed Minicity set map.
http://files.filefront.com/TM2UT+CharacterMap1zip/;9998343;/fileinfo.html

[Rysto]

Is this game restricted to PC?  Are there any game systems that allow crossplay online?

Have you incorporated any of TM's animals into UT?  I'm interested in seeing cows blow up...