Mapping 101: Installation and Navigation

# Installation of the required tools

The download and installation process for NetRadiant-custom will only take a few minutes. The tools are all free and open-source.

Take your time with this process, try to familiarize yourself with the program before diving into the weeds. Do not commit to any large project ideas at this early stage of your mapping journey.

### Installing Netradiant-custom for MBII

While GTKRadiant was the original mapping tool for Quake, Netradiant-custom is the MBII recommended mapping tool for MBII/JKA as it has a lot more features and bug fixes. This first guide will focus on using Netradiant-custom as opposed to NetRadiant. Use GTKRadiant for older maps if they do not seem to work well with NR.

#### Installation

1. Download the MBII Modding Tool Kit (near the bottom of the page)
2. Extract MBII\_ModdingTools.zip into an area of your choosing. it can go anywhere, but I put mine in a place which gets backed-up.
	1. This .zip has a lot of tools for JKA related modding. This kit includes the original JKA SDK +other important tools for modeling, mapping, FA creations and more. For our purposes we will mainly just be needing to use the Level Design folder within the .zip, but there are some important text assets which are important to a functional map that you will have to get to doing at some point as well (all maps require a .siege file and a proper FA).
3. Within Level Design\Map Editors of the MBII SDK .zip, either:
	* Automatic Method:
		+ use the setup-programs script to automatically get your gamedata/base folder setup with the necessary files to begin mapping. This will move the necessary MBII entity entity definitions into Netradiant/GTK Radiant as well as set your texture browser up with MBII textures and shaders.
	* Manual Method:
		+ Check out the readme to learn where to put necessary files to get set up for MBII mapping.
	* This is optional, but now that your netradiant-custom program is set up for MBII, move this folder out of your MBII modding kit folder and into somewhere normal like Program Files or whatever. I personally have mine backed up on Dropbox so it keeps all my preferences. Make a shortcut to radiant.exe for easy use.
4. Open up Netradiant-custom In File->Project Settings it should be set like so: custom JA Modification, fs\_game MBII and Mapping Mode: Multiplayer Mapping Mode.

*Note: Netradiant-custom does get updated from time to time. It is a pain to update it properly. We suggest waiting until the MBII-SDK version updates with the latest netradiant-custom vs. manually updating Netradiant-custom on your own.*

### Installing Netradiant-custom for JKA

This is a bit simpler of an install process. Simply change your project settings to JA and decide between single player or multiplayer

## Map and Resource Packaging

When making your map you need to know how the game and NetRadiant expects the resources to be organized. Using your own organization system will confuse the game engine, which thinks its system is perfect zen. MBII also has it's own organization of assets to help with our process when shipping the files efficiently via the launcher.

If you navigate to your game's installation directory you will find some game resources, including some `.pk3` files in a folder called `main`. These files are zip files -- use Winrar or 7zip to open them. Have a look at what's inside map-mb2\_deathstar\_example\_1.1.0.pk3

```
map-mb2_deathstar_example_1.1.0.pk3
   ├── about
   │   └── mb2_deathstar.txt
   ├── maps
   │   └── mb2_deathstar.bsp
   │   └── mb2_deathstar.siege
   ├── levelshots
   │   └── mb2_deathstar.jpg
   │   └── mb2_deathstar2.jpg
   ├── models
   │   └── map_objects
   │       └── mb2_deathstar
   │           ├── computer.blend.jpg
   │           ├── computer.jpg
   │           ├── computer.md3
   │           ├── object.tga
   │           ├── thingy.md3
   ├── scripts
   │   ├── mb2_deathstar.script
   │   └── mb2_deathstar.arena
   ├── shaders
   │   └── mb2_deathstar.shader

   ├── sound
   │   └── mb2_deathstar
   │       └── steam.wav
   └── textures
       └── mb2_deathstar
           └── (a long list of texture files as either .jpg or .tga)

```

You can see that the compiled map file (.bsp) and the .siege is in a 'maps' folder, the textures are in a 'textures' folder, etc. These are what we will now for the rest of the guide call resources.

The exact purpose of all of these files and folders will be described later. You will not use many of them to start with: only a map file (.bsp) is necessary to get a map working in-game for JKA. MBII requires a .siege text asset as well, which also goes in your maps folder. More on this later.

When you play JKA, the game layers all of the resources found in the various directories and .pk3s *into one spot*. This means that all of the texture folders mix contents, all of the map folders mix contents, etc. In the end the game expects to be able to find all maps in 'maps', all textures in 'textures', etc. This means one set of resources can override the contents of another if files share names -- which is why the contents of for example 'textures' is put in a subfolder with the map's name. It's confusing and redundant, but you will be taken through it later.

Making a pk3 is a final step to release your map. When working on your map the resources that would be in the .pk3 (textures, maps, etc) can instead be kept in 'gamedata/base/maps'. pk3s are only made from these to make distributing maps and resources over the web simpler. .pk3s are weird in that it is not advised to create a new .pk3, instead copy a currently working one and empty it out for your own uses. .pk3s are essentially .zip files renamed, but it's important to note that you cannot simply take a .zip and rename it to .pk3, nor should you create a .pk3 from scratch. Take a pre-existing .pk3 and empty it to be used as your base archive for your map!

Alternatively you can make resource folders such as 'textures' and 'maps' directly in the gamedata/base, however this would store your map along with other junk, making managing it messier and creating a .pk3 of it more fiddly. Netradiant will also prioritize your .pk3-stored files over folder-stored files!

# Getting Started with NetRadiant

Before you get too deep in the weeds solo, you can also watch this video on the basics of Netradiant. *A lot (but certainly not all) of the basics are broken down there.*

Side note: You can have multiple instances of NetRadiant open at once and can copy things from one map to the other. Cool.

## Learning the Tools

It is highly recommended you work along with this guide whilst reading it, rather than reading it and attempting the processes later. You will learn and remember much more effectively when doing the process yourself.

Make sure you are working on a new, blank project. *Suggested save location: ../gamedata/base/maps*

### NetRadiant Interface Overview

NetRadiant's window is split in several discrete areas. These areas can be resized by dragging on the separating lines between them (marked in red).

 3D view
 Texture Browser
 Console

The *camera* is not actually part of your map, but instead a representation of where the 3D view is "seeing" things from. Right click in the camera view to use WASD and zoom around in the map. Right click to stop that, Jaden.

NetRadiant is a two-handed program. You will need to both use your mouse and your keyboard to ensure efficient and enjoyable mapping. A mouse with a middle mouse button is highly recommended.

Your camera should be in the middle of the view (on the origin) facing to your right. Click and drag a large box in front of the camera on your 2D view to make your first brush. If you are struggling with this working, you might be in the camera view by accident, try toggling right click to toggle being in freelook. This will help you when you want your camera to lock while you are making brushes.

A few things will happen:

* A red outlined brush will appear in your 2D view. Red means it is currently selected. Press Ctrl+Tab to change your view modes in 2D.
* You will see the brush appear in your 3D view, as it's in front of the camera. You can right click in the 3d view and use WASD to zoom around it to view it at different angles!
* The shader browser will tell you that you have not given the brush a real shader yet.

You have now created your first brush, in the form of a rectangular prism. Now try the other two types of manipulation provided by the **Q** tool on your brush — moving the brush and changing the size of its sides.

### Adding some brushes in the 2D view

You will notice there is a scale on your grid. Each 32 quake units of measurement approximately equals one meter. The very center of your grid is called the *origin* because it is where all of the numbers (coordinates) start from. Your brush size will depend on the grid size you have set in the editor and snap to the grid accordingly.

Next, ensure you are using the **Q** (resize) tool and a brush is selected.

The **Q** tool allows you to do numerous different things in your views:

* Create brushes (if none are already selected)
* Move brushes (by clicking and dragging on them)
* Resize brushes (by clicking and dragging near, but outside, of the edges of the brush)
* allows selections (which are common for tools)
* Advanced:
	+ Allows extrusion (more on this later), immediate vertex editing in 2D
	+ Face vertices drag in while in 2d (face 'sheer)
* Holding alt or shift while using the Q tool helps with snapping your brushwork to grids.

The **R** tool allows you to rotate your brush (holding shift keeps it 'snapped' to certain degrees of rotation

The **W** key allows for your to easily move your brush. You can choose which axis by selecting one arrow or the other.

Press **Esc** to deselect your first brush. Now make some more. You can also manipulate brushes in the camera view, just remember to use right click to zoom around the brush with WASD and right click to exit your freelook if in 3D view.

* To re-select a brush (or multiple brushes), hold **Shift** and click on it.
* Clicking it again with **Shift** held down will deselect it.
* Pressing **Esc** will de-select all selected brushes.
* Pressing **spacebar** will duplicate the brush.
* Pressing **backspace** or **Z** will delete the brush.
* Left click selects objects

In an editor such as NetRadiant-custom, maps are made out of brushes or patches. Brushes are convex 3d shapes and patches are things like spheres, cylinders and planes. More on this later.

Shaders (textures/pictures with visual properties) are then placed on the surfaces of your brushes or patches.

Here two brushes have been selected and you can see that they are simple 3D shapes. One is an ordinary box and beneath it is a box with sloped sides. Every single part of the map's geometry is designed out of shapes like this.

Video games are only interested in surfaces — not what's inside objects — because that's all the player will ever see. NetRadiant-custom allows you to make maps using tangible 3D objects simply because it's easier for humans to understand and manipulate, not because that's how the game works. If you have not done any 3D modeling or map making before, this will be very new to you. It's important to also note that brushes can be used to change the physics of the environment (things like solidity, liquidity) as well as can be used to stop blasters fire, npcs or even players from going into them. They can also be used to help with visibility optimization, proper portals better optimization happens through system brushes. Brushes also are used to help your map with volumetric physics (solidity/liquidity), collisions and visibility optimizations. You can also change a brush to become a trigger (which you walk into or press use on) to activate a door, use a panel, and so much more. We'll get into that in the later parts of this tutorial.

### Navigating 3D view

2D view has a lot of limitations:

* It is difficult to select the desired brush when many overlap.
* Map can only be viewed from certain arbitrary angles
* You cannot see what shaders look like applied on your brushes.

The 3D view helps mappers get around these limitations

Right click on the 3D view to start navigating your map with it.

* Move your mouse to look around
* Roll your scroll-wheel to move forward and back
* Get out of navigation mode by right-clicking

### Applying Shaders

Select some brushes either in your 2D view or your 3D view:

Now apply a proper shader to your brushes.

1. Find a shader you like in the Shader Browser
	1. If you do not see any MBII shaders in your shader browser, it means you might not have your project settings properly set.
	2. Single click on the shader to apply it to the selected brushes.

Continue to experiment with a few different shaders on your brushes. Note that only basic texturing is displayed in NetRadiant: in-game your shaders may have special effects such as transparency or normal mapping.

### Using the rest of the tools

You can toggle a more advanced style of transforming by pressing Q a second time. This will allow for you to skew your brush.

Now try the two other major tools:

* **R** for **R**otate tool
	+ Self explanatory
	+ Click the colored circles to rotate along restricted axes
* **W** for the Transform (move) tool
	+ Allows you to move brushes in restricted directions.
	+ Clicking and dragging on one of the coloured X, Y or Z axis arrows will allow you to control the direction of movement
	+ Clicking within the "gizmo" (cyan rectangle) will allow you to move the brush just like the Q tool.

The **W** tool is especially useful in the 3D view where using the **Q** tool would move them in ways you may not want Holding shift or alt while using the Q tool are important modifiers.

You can manipulate verts, edges and faces with the standard array of tools. Common uses include:

* Modifying verts to create interesting shapes
* Applying shaders to only certain faces of a brush

#### Vertex/Edge/Face/ Manipulation

With your brush selected and after pressing Q, play around with these icons ( or use the hotkeys V, E, F)

* Edge (**E**) manipulation allows for easy manipulation of a brush edge to create diagonal shapes
* Vertex (**V**) manipulation allows for the most customization of your brush
	+ Want more vertex points for your brush?
		- To change the amount of vertices/faces/edges of a brush, there are multiple techniques available to you.
		- You can merge two brushes together via ctrl+U
		- You can use netradiant-custom's handy new feature of clicking in the 3d view to add a vertex point. To do so, simply press V and then click a point in space on the 3d view for your new vertex point to be added.
* Face (**F**) manipulation works similar to your Q tool, however it is especially useful for terrain work or when you want to merge two brushes together at their face. Explained below.

You can also access these tools via these icons in your toolbar

Spend some time playing around with these hotkeys in combination with W / Q hotkeys to play around with how you can manipulate or move your brush to your will!

#### Merging brushes

Pressing **Ctrl+U** can merge two brushes together. Alternatively you can also select two faces on two different brushes and merge those two faces together (Press F, select two faces and then merge). This is a VERY powerful tool for mapping, especially when it comes to doing terrain, but be careful you don't make your brush too complex as that is not very optimal.

#### Hiding Brushes

* To hide a brush, press **H**
* To reveal all brushes, press Shif+H
* To hide all brushes but keep the selected brushes revealed, press **Ctrl+Shift+R**

Before (pressed H on the bottom brushes of these stairs):

After:

### Clipper Tool

NetRadiant has a powerful 'clipper' tool that allows you to slice brushes into new objects. It's hotkey is **X** and it lives to the right of the **Q, R, S** and **R** tools on the toolbar.

To use:

1. Select your brush
2. Click either inside or outside of the object somewhere to make your first point
	* Try to stay on a higher grid when using this tool or else you may end up creating very messy brushwork.
3. Click on the other side of the brush somewhere to make your second
4. You can use the shift tool to help guide this cut.
5. Optional: click a third time to create a 'diagonal' cut

Now a line will be drawn through your brush, and the bit to be cut will be marked.

DO NOT USE THE CLIPPER TOOL ON A LOW GRID and avoid cutting at weird angles. More on this later.

You can now:

* Clip away and delete the marked piece by pressing **Return**
* Clip along the line and keep both parts by pressing **Shift+Return**
* Swap which part is marked as 'garbage' by pressing **Ctrl+Return**

### Final Basic Editor Functions

#### 2D view

Basic movement:

* Hold right click and drag to 'pan' around
* Roll your scroll wheel to zoom in and out

Changing the view angle:

* **Numpad Home** to look from top/bottom
* **Numpad Page Down** to look from the sides
* **Numpad End** to look from the other set of sides

If these keys do not work, try toggling your **Num Lock** key.

#### Grid Size

Numbers 1 to 9 on your keyboard will switch to different grid sizes, 1 being the smallest.

**Staying on a high grid is very important**, especially as an early mapper. It will make snapping brushes together, mitering and laying the groundwork for a good map a lot easier. It'll also help improve your compile and help with performance for people playing on potato PCs!

Those are the basics! Remember to take a look at that Youtube series for another nice primer on all of the tools and how to use 'em.

Ready to move on? It's time for the next chapter! Mapping 102: Creating your first map