Quote:Level Design I

Level Design 101
This video will introduce you to Unreal Tournament 2004’s native editing system, UnrealEd. Through a series of fundamental-based lessons, you will learn the UnrealEd user interface, and quickly get up and running constructing your own levels for UT2004! The VTM includes instruction over the creation of BSP, or the general shape of your level. From there, you will see how to populate your levels with Static Meshes, adding the rich detail you see in today’s most popular levels! Also included will be lessons on texture implementation and placement, as well as basic lighting and light control! After this video, you’ll have everything you need to begin designing and creating your very own Unreal environments!

Video Lessons:

* 01 - Introduction
* 02 - First Level
* 03 - Viewports
* 04 - BSP Brushes
* 05 - Level Design II
* 06 - Static Meshes Inner
* 07 - Static Meshes Outer
* 08 - Texture Basics
* 09 - Basic Lighting
* 10 - Conclusion


Bot Navigation
No Unreal Tournament 2004 level would be complete without an army of bots charging through it hell-bent on your imminent and painful destruction! In this VTM, you will learn how to use a variety of navigation points to control how bots move throughout your levels! This video will provide you with a complete method of influencing the AI that drives the actions and behavior of non-player characters in your game levels! Beginning with the methods behind navigation point placement, you will then learn how to make your bots move through doors, use elevators, teleporters, and even to make use of objects such as the Translocator for jumping distances that would otherwise be impossible!

Video Lessons:

* 01 - Introduction
* 02 - Basic Paths and Workflow
* 03 - Doors
* 04 - Forced Proscribed Paths
* 05 - Jump Pads
* 06 - Teleporters
* 07 - Elevators


Volumes
In this VTM, you will learn how to add more interaction to your levels with the implementation of volumes! Whether you’re making a pit of lava, a pit of slime, or even a pool of water, you’ll see how you can use UnrealEd’s physics volumes to control how the laws of physics behave in any area of your level! You’ll also learn how to push your skills beyond the basics by creating volumes of low gravity, high gravity, no friction, and even areas that can be climbed like ladders! Used with either subtlety or obvious placement, volumes can add the character you need to make your levels more interesting and realistic!

Video Lessons:

* 01 - Introduction
* 02 - Basic Volumes
* 03 - Blocking Volumes
* 04 - Physics Volume
* 05 - Gravity Velocity and Friction
* 06 - Water Volume
* 07 - Slime Volume
* 08 - Lava Volume
* 09 - Ladders and Conclusion


Terrain
Not all levels involve running down corridors and moving through tight passages. Sometimes it will become necessary to create open range terrain for your characters to move across, and this VTM will instruct you on exactly how such landscapes can be created! Throughout the lessons of this video, you will see how to use UnrealEd to build, edit, and texture your terrain, as well as how to place constructions such as buildings into it so that your arenas can seamlessly flow from indoor to outdoor environments!

Video Lessons:

* 01 - Introduction
* 02 - Terrain Creation
* 03 - Terrain Editing
* 04 - Layers
* 05 - Building into Terrain
* 06 - DecoLayers
* 07 - Terrain Properties



Level Optimization
One of the final and most important steps to creating your own levels is how to best optimize that level in order to make the most of Unreal’s rendering engine. In this video, you will see how to keep the Unreal Engine from rendering objects that are occluded from your player’s view, and thereby speed up frame rates and general level speed. The lessons in this video will teach you how to use Zoning and Antiportals to keep your levels moving fast, no matter how big you make them! Through practical application, you’ll see how to optimize your levels just like the professionals, as well as how to avoid common pitfalls of inaccurate zone placement!

Video Lessons:

* 01 - Introduction
* 02 - Zoning Overview (How to)
* 03 - Zoning – Practical Application
* 04 - Antiportals (How to)
* 05 - Antiportals – Practical Application
* 06 - Terrain
* 07 - Optimization and Conclusion



Console Commands
After you’ve completed your level and are ready to test it, you’ll need to have some debugging skills. In this lesson, you will see how to use the in-game console of Unreal Tournament 2004 to your advantage to test a variety of features within your level. From changing the bindings of keys to controlling your camera to monitoring the rendering engine itself, you’ll learn a variety of commands that can be placed into the console to diagnose potential problems in your level! You’ll also see commands to view and control many of the aspects of your levels, including actors, bot navigation points, and much more!

Video Lessons:

* 01 - Introduction
* 02 - Key Bindings
* 03 - Camera Control Commands
* 04 - Miscellaneous Commands
* 05 - Statistics and Rendering Commands
* 06 - Actor commands
* 07 - Bots and Paths



Level Design II

Unreal Particles
Particles can be one of the single most important elements to a successful level. Through the use of particle effects, you can simulate events such as running water, flames, or even a variety of “sci-fi” effects. The lessons in this video will introduce you to particles, and walk you through a variety of different effects that can be created through their use! You’ll see how to generate a waterfall, a torch complete with fire and smoke, how Static Meshes can be used by particle systems, and how to use beam emitters to create effects such as lightning! The video will focus on particle attributes, how textures are used to control the overall look of particles, and how even the colors of a texture can be overridden to allow for more precise control over the look of your particles!

Video Lessons:

* 01 - Introduction
* 02 - Waterfall
* 03 - Teleport Effects
* 04 - Flame Effects
* 05 - Boulders
* 06 - Lightning Effects



Karma
One of the coolest touches you can add to your levels is the implementation of real physics, and that’s what this VTM is all about! Using the Karma Math Engine, you will see how to add dynamic elements to your levels, such as objects that are affected by gravity, lights that hang from the ceiling, and more! From there, you will see how these elements can be controlled, constrained, and managed so that you can control the way they respond to player actions and other elements in your level’s environment! You will see how to create springboards, joints, hinges, fans, and even how to use rag dolls to add a bit of disturbing atmosphere to your levels!

Video Lessons:

* 01 - Introduction
* 02 - Karma Actors
* 03 - Karma Parameters
* 04 - Joints
* 05 - Cone Limits
* 06 - Hinge constraints
* 07 - Springy
* 08 - Rag Dolls
* 09 - Conclusion



Machinima

Matinee
Few things will really help turn your mods and levels into a memorable experience like the addition of movies, cutscenes, and scripted sequences! In this VTM, you will see how to use UnrealEd’s internal sequence editing system, Matinee! Throughout the lessons, you will learn how to place and orient your camera, use camera cuts, and even how to add text for your videos! The lessons will then go on to demonstrate how you can add your own custom content such as character animation from external software packages! Also covered in the VTM will be methods on the creation and implementation of scripted sequences to cause a variety of events to happen within your levels!

Video Lessons:

* 01 - Introduction
* 02 - A Basic Scene
* 03 - CamOrientation
* 04 - Camera Cuts
* 05 - Moving Actors
* 06 - Adding Text
* 07 - Importing Custom content
* 08 - Scripted Sequences
* 09 – Conclusion



Pawn Scripting – Controlling Bots for Matinee
Creating movies with Matinee is incredible when you’re doing your own animating, but what if you want to use the animations that are already included within Unreal? In this VTM, you will see how to master the control of bots in your Matinee movies using UnrealScripted sequences. Even if you don’t have access to your own animation content to use in your sequences, you’ll be able to take the lessons provided in this video and use them to make Unreal bots walk, run, stand still, change weapons, and much more, effectively turning them into your own private virtual actors!

Video Lessons:

* 01 - Introduction
* 02 - Basic Navigation
* 03 - Weapon Training
* 04 - Lifts
* 05 - Damage
* 06 - Dynamic Lists



Original Matinee VTM
This is the original Matinee VTM available at http://www.MasteringUnreal.com. This video has been included as part of this collection for the introductory lessons included within. This VTM covers the basics of Matinee content creation, including use of the Scene Manager, Actions, Sub Actions, how to import characters from an external 3D package, and how to create scripted triggers.

Video Lessons:

* 01 - Introduction
* 02 - Scene Manager
* 03 - Actions
* 04 - SubActions
* 05 - 3ds max Export
* 06 - Character Importing
* 07 - Scripted Sequences
* 08 - Matinee Setup
* 09 - ScriptedTriggers



Unreal Scripting

UnrealScript I – Introduction to UnrealScript
This VTM will show you what you need to know to enter the world of UnrealScript, and tap into the true power of the Unreal Engine! Take your game development skills to the next level by adding the ability to alter game elements at their most fundamental level! This video will teach you the proper syntax and workflow that drives Object-Oriented Programming, and how you can use it to create your own scripts and programs for a variety of game uses! The video will also walk you through the creation of your very own programming based mods, including a customized pickup and weapon!

Video Lessons:

* 01 - Introduction
* 02 - UnrealScript Workflow
* 03 - Introduction to Object Oriented Programming
* 04 - The Health Sphere
* 05 - The Concussion Rifle
* 06 - Workflow Enhancements



UnrealScript II –Programming Basics
This video expands upon the lessons covered in the first UnrealScript VTM, by adding in a deeper level of functionality for your scripts. Through the implementation of higher level programming elements, such as variables, operators, arrays, loops, and functions, you will learn how to create scripts that are more powerful and far more efficient than those created at the basic level. This video will push your knowledge to new heights and encourage you to utilize these advanced control methods in your future scripting projects!

Video Lessons:

* 01 - Introduction
* 02 - Variables
* 03 - Structs
* 04 - Operators
* 05 - Control Statements I
* 06 - Control Statements II
* 07 - Arrays
* 08 - Iterators
* 09 - Functions



Developing a simple mod – The Trigger Constraint
Would you like to add damageable elements in your levels? In this video, you will see how to use your newly found scripting skills to generate your own game mod! The VTM centers around the creation of your very own damageable physics constraint. Through the lessons, you will see how to overload an existing Karma constraint so that it has a specific amount of damage it can withstand before it is destroyed! With the knowledge you gain in this VTM, you could even go so far as to make a suspension bridge that could be destroyed in game!

Video Lessons:

* 01 - Introduction
* 02 - Triggered Destruction
* 03 - Overloading TakeDamage
* 04 - Health System



Mutators

Weapon Mutator: Lighting Gun
In this VTM, you will see how to generate your own weapon-based Mutator for Unreal Tournament 2004! Through the lessons in this video, you will see how to make a special Mutator for the Lightning Gun that increases its existing functionality so that it is less accurate if fired to quickly. The lesson demonstrates the method of Mutator creation from start to finish, omitting nothing! Also included are methods for making the Mutator fully playable inside of Unreal, so that you can use it in your own games and levels!

Video Lessons:

* 01 - The Lightning Gun Mutator



Combo Mutator: Medusa
Through the lessons on this VTM, you will see how to create Combo Mutators to drastically alter the game’s behavior during game play! This lesson will completely cover the creation of the Medusa Mutator, an Adrenaline combo which will temporarily freeze any opponent within a certain radius who happens to be looking at you! The Mutator itself is demonstrated and explained in full detail to make sure that you learn how it is created, and how you can implement similar modifications of your own design!

Video Lessons:

* 01 - Introduction
* 02 - Creating the Medusa Combo
* 03 - Creating the Mutator
* 04 - Setting up for Gameplay



Weapons

Weapon Design
This VTM will show you how to get custom weapons from Maya into Unreal Tournament 2004! Beginning with lessons on the proper exporting process, the video will instruct you on how to get the weapon into UnrealEd, as well as how to set up the proper UnrealScript to control its behavior in-game! You’ll see how to add and control different types of projectiles, including lasers and grenades, and even the addition of muzzle flash! The video fully demonstrates the various classes necessary to make your weapons playable in Unreal, as well as how they can be tested, debugged, and altered within the game itself!

Video Lessons:

* 01 - Introduction and Third Person Weapon
* 02 - First Person Weapon
* 03 - LPRiflePickup
* 04 - LPRifle and Attachment
* 05 - LPRifleFire
* 06 - LPprojectile
* 07 - LPGrenade
* 08 - Conclusion



Weapon Design UT99
This official 3D Buzz VTM will demonstrate how weapon design methods can be applied for the original Unreal Tournament! The lessons include the modeling of the weapon in an external 3D package, how to adjust its UV coordinates for texturing, as well as proper animation techniques. The video also covers how to import the weapon into Unreal, as well as how to establish its coding for proper behavior! If you’re in need of instruction for weapon development for classic Unreal Tournament platforms, then look no further! Note: While this VTM is not for UT2004, many of the techniques demonstrated can still be applied, i.e. modeling, texturing, etc.

Video Lessons:

* 01 - Weapon Modeling
* 02 - UV Coordinates
* 03 - Texture Painting
* 04 - Texture Lighting
* 05 - Weapon Animation
* 06 - MAXScript Exporter
* 07 - Importing into UT
* 08 - Default Properties
* 09 - Coding the Fire
* 10 - New Projectile
* 11 - Coding the Altfire
* 12 - ActorX – Alternative Methods



Maya Fundamentals

Introduction to the Maya PLE
This VTM will introduce you to the free version of Alias Maya that is included with Unreal Tournament 2004! From the standpoint of the true beginner, you will receive a thorough walkthrough of the Maya user interface, including viewport navigation, as well as object creation and manipulation. The video also covers an intro to the node-based architecture that drives Maya, as well as how to use the multiple editors available in the program! If you’ve been trying to make your way into the world of 3D content development, this video is definitely for you!

Video Lessons:

* 01 - Introduction
* 02 - The Maya UI
* 03 - Viewports
* 04 - Objects
* 05 - Architecture of Maya
* 06 - Editors



Maya Modeling Basics
In this VTM, you will be introduced to polygonal modeling methods in Maya. Beginning with simple polygon creation and editing, you will be taken through the various components of a polygonal object, as well as a through description of all of the tools available for polygon manipulation! You’ll see the importance of proper modeling workflow, how to triangulate your models, and polygon sculpting using Maya’s Artisan tool, as well as how to adjust your surface normals and hard edges for correct rendering within Unreal! This video will serve as the modeling foundation for a variety of other videos included on this DVD.

Video Lessons:

* 01 - Introduction
* 02 - Polygon Creation
* 03 - Adding Detail
* 04 - Extrusions
* 05 - Merging
* 06 - Deleting Components
* 07 - Working with Holes
* 08 - Combining and Separating
* 09 - Booleans
* 10 - Smoothing
* 11 - Triangulation
* 12 - Normals
* 13 - Sculpting
* 14 - Conclusion



Basic Animation
Now that you know how to create objects in Maya, you need to know how to make them move! This VTM will introduce you to the various animation methods available in Maya, and how you can use them to create motion in your modeled objects. The video includes a thorough introduction to keyframe animation, the adjustment of animation curves, and the creation of custom attributes to be used in reactive-style animation! From there, you will also see how to drive your animation with mathematical expressions, as well as how to set up dynamic simulations to create animations based on real laws of physics!

Video Lessons:

* 01 - Introduction to Animation
* 02 - Keyframe Animation
* 03 - Character Sets
* 04 - The Graph Editor
* 05 - Buffer Curves
* 06 - Dope Sheet
* 07 - Custom Attributes
* 08 - Reactive Animation
* 09 - Expressions
* 10 - Path Animation
* 11 - Dynamic Animation



Static Meshes

Introduction to Static Meshes
This VTM will teach you the fundamental skills necessary to create your own Static Meshes for use in your Unreal Tournament 2004 levels! Best of all, the workflow is covered from the angle of two separate 3D applications! Using both Alias Maya and Discreet 3ds Max, you’ll see how Static Meshes can be created, textured, imported, and placed within your levels to start adding rich geometric detail. Combined with an understanding of modeling concepts, this video will teach you everything you need to know to populate your levels with a wide variety of Static Meshes!

Video Lessons:

* 01 - Introduction
* 02 - Static Mesh Browser
* 03 - 3ds max Crash Course
* 04 - 3ds max Workflow
* 05 - 3ds max Modeling
* 06 - Maya Crash Course
* 07 - Maya Workflow
* 08 - Maya Modeling
* 09 - Maya MEL Script
* 10 - Texture Workflow
* 11 - Collisions



Developing Static Meshes
After you have attained a basic understanding of the workflow behind Static Mesh creation, it’s time to see your skills in action. In this VTM, you will see how you can use Static Meshes in a practical manner to create a series of walkways for characters to utilize in your levels. Beginning with a simple gantry, you will see how to utilize your modeling skills to create ramps, turns, and intersections that can simply be snapped together in UnrealEd to create a complex network of elevated walkways!

Video Lessons:

* 01 - Introduction
* 02 - Base Mesh
* 03 - Straight and Ramp Pieces
* 04 - Ninety Degree Pieces
* 05 - Intersections
* 06 - Light Post Piece
* 07 - Importing and Texturing
* 08 - Constructing a Level



Character Development

Character Modeling
In this VTM, you will see, from start to finish, how to create an Unreal Tournament character inside of Maya! Beginning with a set of image planes, you’ll see how to take your modeling skills to the next level through the step-by-step process of creating your own game character! The images will also be made available, so you can work right along with the video. There are no cutaways, and absolutely no modeling done off screen! You will see the entire process of character creation in its entirety, with no room left for questions!

Video Lessons:

* 01 - Modeling the Head
* 02 - Modeling the Torso
* 03 - Modeling the Arms
* 04 - Modeling the Hands
* 05 - Modeling the Shoulder Pads
* 06 - Modeling the Legs
* 07 - Modeling the Feet
* 08 - Working with Normals



Character Texturing
In this VTM, you will learn how to utilize both Maya and UPaint, both included with Unreal Tournament 2004, in order to create your very own texture map for your characters! Starting with the basics of UV layout, you will see how to take your models from Maya into UPaint so that you can create a custom texture for them by painting directly on the surface of your model! The video covers a full introduction to UPaint’s interface, as well as how it can be used to add color and texture to your characters!

Video Lessons:

* 01 - Introduction
* 02 - Arms and Legs
* 03 - Working with the Torso
* 04 - Dealing with the Rest of Body
* 05 - Finishing the UVs
* 06 - Head Texture
* 07 - Wrapping Up



Character Rigging
So now that you’ve got a character finally built and textured, you need to know how to make it move! In this VTM, you will be introduced to the proper application of bones and IK handles inside of Maya to turn your models into digital puppets that you can make run, jump, move, etc! The video covers the entire rigging process for the complete character, from legs to arms, from spine to hands! Best of all, the lessons in this video can be applied not only to the world of Unreal, but also to your own 3D animation projects as well!

Video Lessons:

* 01 - Introduction
* 02 - Joints
* 03 - Creating the Skeleton
* 04 - Introduction to IK
* 05 - Rigging the Legs
* 06 - Rigging the Arms
* 07 - Rigging the Back
* 08 - Rigging the Hands
* 09 - Basic Skinning



Importing Characters into Unreal
In this video, you will see how to take a character from Maya into Unreal, and make him fully playable in the game! Beginning with just a completed model, you will see how to import a custom skeleton to give you access to the default animation already included within Unreal Tournament 2004! From there, the lesson will go on to show you proper methods for skinning the entire character, importing it into UnrealEd, and editing the necessary system files so that your character is not only selectable, but also comes complete with his or her custom bio!

Video Lessons:

* 01 - Introduction / Importing the Skeleton
* 02 - Skinning the Character
* 03 - Export / Import
* 04 - Editing the UPL
* 05 - Editing the INT and Conclusion



Vehicle Design

Vehicle Modeling
One of the most exciting new aspects of Unreal Tournament 2004 is the thorough implementation of player-controllable vehicles! In this VTM, you learn everything you need to know to model your very own vehicle for use in the game. Using the basic skill provided in previous lessons, this video will quickly get you up and going creating your own vehicle from a set of hand-drawn image planes! The vehicle itself is a dune-buggy type ATV, complete with fog lamps and a functioning turret!

Video Lessons:

* 01 - Introduction
* 02 - Roughing in the Body
* 03 - Modeling the Bars
* 04 - Modeling the Hood and adding Details
* 05 - Modeling the Seats
* 06 - Modeling the Wheels
* 07 - Modeling the Turret
* 08 - Final Tweaking



Vehicle Design - Rigging / Exporting
Through the lessons in this VTM, you will see how to properly rig your completed vehicle for proper animation in game! The video covers the different rigging methods employed for various parts of the vehicle, including control systems for the vehicle’s wheels, it’s turret, and its weapons! The video will also cover the necessary methods for properly skinning the vehicle to its customized skeleton, as well as how to import the completed vehicle into UnrealEd to prepare to become a force to be reckoned with in your levels!

Video Lessons:

* 01 - Introduction
* 02 - Vehicle Rigging
* 03 - Turret Rigging
* 04 - Miniguns Rigging
* 05 - Skinning the Vehicle
* 06 - Exporting
* 07 - Texturing and Conclusion



Vehicle Design – Coding
This VTM will introduce you to the non-aesthetic aspects of vehicle creation by demonstrating the necessary UnrealScritps needed to not only make your vehicle fully operational within the game, but to establish the systems that will control its other components. You will learn the how to get your vehicle ready to tear up the countryside as you script the behavior of its turrets, its weapons, and more. Finally, you will use UnrealScript to control the custom animation for the vehicle so that it appears to move properly in the game!

Video Lessons:

* 01 - Introduction
* 02 - Creating an Operational Vehicle
* 03 - Coding the Turret
* 04 - Coding the Miniguns
* 05 - Playing Custom Animation



Animating Characters for Vehicles
In this VTM, you will see how to take your vehicle designs to the next level by creating a character animation sequence to make your characters jump into the vehicle’s driver seat! Through this practical application to animation, you will not only see how animation can be used to control how characters enter vehicles, but how you can push it further to create your own custom animation for a variety of other tasks in Unreal. Through the use of Pose Animation, you will see how to simulate the motion of a character vaulting up the side of a vehicle, and landing in the driver’s seat!

Video Lessons:

* 01 - Introduction
* 02 - Basic Poses
* 03 - Secondary Poses
* 04 - Refining Animation
* 05 - Animation Timing
* 06 - Conclusion