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Difference between revisions of "Mapping tools"

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(General Purpose Editors: added QuMa)
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==Level Editors==
 
==Level Editors==
These are CAD-like programs used to construct and populate a level.  They include tools to create and modify [[brushes]], apply [[textures]], place and modify [[entities]], and set up simple [[scripting]].  Some of these programs have their own proprietary file format for saving levels, but they can all save or export your level to a [[map file]], which is needed by compilers in order to generate a game-ready [[bsp file]].
+
These are CAD-like programs used to construct and populate a level.  They include tools to create and modify [[Brush|brushes]], apply [[Textures|textures]], place and modify [[Entity|entities]], and set up simple [[QuakeC_basics|scripting]].  Some of these programs have their own proprietary file format for saving levels, but they can all save or export your level to a [[Quake_Map_Format|map file]], which is needed by compilers in order to generate a game-ready [[Quake_BSP_Format|bsp file]].
  
 
===General Purpose Editors===
 
===General Purpose Editors===
 +
 +
{| class="sortable wikitable"
 +
! Name
 +
! Supported OS
 +
! width="150px" | Author
 +
! width="50px" | Initial release
 +
! width="100px" | Latest release
 +
|-
 +
| [[BSP (level editor)]]
 +
| Windows
 +
| Yahn Bernier, Ben ???
 +
| 1996
 +
| 2007 (0.96d)
 +
|-
 +
| [[CraFTEr]]
 +
| In engine (FTEQW)
 +
| toneddu2000
 +
| 2017
 +
| 2017 (alpha)
 +
|-
 +
| [[GTKRadiant]]
 +
|-
 +
| [[NetRadiant-custom]]
 +
| Windows, Linux, Mac OSX
 +
| Divverent, Spog and Niger
 +
| 2015
 +
| 2018
 +
|-
 +
| [[QERadiant]]
 +
|-
 +
| [[QE5]]
 +
|-
 +
| [[QuakeEd]]
 +
| NeXTSTEP
 +
| id Software
 +
| 1996
 +
| 1996 (???)
 +
|-
 +
| [[QuArK]]
 +
| Windows
 +
| Armin Rigo, QuArK team
 +
| 1996
 +
| 2013 (6.6.0 beta 6)
 +
|-
 +
| [[Quest]]
 +
| DOS, Linux, Windows
 +
| Chris Carollo, Trey Harrison and Alexander Malmberg
 +
| 1996
 +
| 2002 (2.4)
 +
|-
 +
| [[Qoole]]
 +
| Windows
 +
| Pablo Zurita
 +
| ???
 +
| ??? (99 0.98)
 +
|-
 +
| [[Quiver]]
 +
| Mac OS9
 +
| Scott Kevill
 +
| 1997
 +
| 1999 (1.2)
 +
|-
 +
| [[QuMa]]
 +
| Windows
 +
| [http://www.negativeeddy.com Ben Williams / Negative Eddy Software]
 +
| 1996
 +
| 1998 (1.6)
 +
|-
 +
| [[ToeTag]]
 +
| Mac OSX
 +
| Warren Marshall
 +
| 2008
 +
| 2008 (2.30)
 +
|-
 +
| [[Thred]]
 +
| Windows
 +
| Jim Lowell
 +
| 1996
 +
| 1996 (0.9b)
 +
|-
 +
| [[Tread3D]]
 +
| Windows
 +
| Joe Riedel
 +
| 1999
 +
| 2009 (3.0 Alpha 3)
 +
|-
 +
| [[TrenchBroom]]
 +
| Linux, Mac OSX, Windows
 +
| Kristian Duske
 +
| 2012
 +
| 2018 (2.1.0 RC3)
 +
|-
 +
| [[Worldcraft]]
 +
| Windows
 +
| Ben Morris / Valve Software
 +
| 1996
 +
| 1998 (1.6a)
 +
|}
 +
 +
<!--
 
* [http://www.bspquakeeditor.com/ BSP]
 
* [http://www.bspquakeeditor.com/ BSP]
* [[GTKRadiant]]
 
* [[QERadiant]]
 
* [[Ogier]]
 
* [[QE5]]
 
 
* [http://quark.sourceforge.net/ QuArK]
 
* [http://quark.sourceforge.net/ QuArK]
 
* [http://quest-ed.sourceforge.net/ Quest]
 
* [http://quest-ed.sourceforge.net/ Quest]
Line 15: Line 111:
 
* [http://wantonhubris.com/toetag/ ToeTag]
 
* [http://wantonhubris.com/toetag/ ToeTag]
 
* [http://www.joecodegood.net/tread/ Tread3D]
 
* [http://www.joecodegood.net/tread/ Tread3D]
* [[TrenchBroom]]
 
 
* [http://hosted.planetquake.gamespy.com/worldcraft/index2.shtm WorldCraft]
 
* [http://hosted.planetquake.gamespy.com/worldcraft/index2.shtm WorldCraft]
 +
-->
 
{{todo|user=[[Hectate]]|todo=The list of editors would look and function better as a table that detailed things like OS, engine compatibility, etc.}}
 
{{todo|user=[[Hectate]]|todo=The list of editors would look and function better as a table that detailed things like OS, engine compatibility, etc.}}
 +
{{todo|user=[[Than]]|todo=I moved the list to a table, but left the old links here (edit page to see as it's commented out), since I think we should create a small page for all the editors. It's possible to get information about all of them using internet archive etc.}}
  
 
===Terrain Generators===
 
===Terrain Generators===
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* SleepwalkR's mapconv
 
* SleepwalkR's mapconv
 +
* Ericwa's [https://ericwa.github.io/ericw-tools/ ericw-tools]
 +
 +
ericw-tools converts: quake, quake2, valve, bp (brush primitives). Conversions to "quake" or "quake2" format may not be able to match the texture alignment in the source map, other conversions are lossless.
  
 
===Model-to-Map Converters===
 
===Model-to-Map Converters===
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==Map Compiling Tools==
 
==Map Compiling Tools==
Tools to use for [[map compiling]], a process that turns a map file into a bsp file.
+
Tools to use for [[Map_compiling|map compiling]], a process that turns a map file into a bsp file.
  
 
===QBSP, Light and Vis===
 
===QBSP, Light and Vis===
* Bengt Jardrup's [http://user.tninet.se/~xir870k/ enhanced versions of TxQBSP/TreeQBSP, RVis, Light]
+
* Bengt Jardrup's [http://web.comhem.se/bjp/ enhanced versions of TxQBSP/TreeQBSP, RVis, Light]
 +
* [http://voidspark.net/projects/bjptools_xt/ Jury-Rigged BJP Tools], modified version of Bengt Jardrup's tools with BSP2 support, details brushes and several other improvements.
 
* LordHavoc's [http://icculus.org/twilight/darkplaces/download.html Hmap2]
 
* LordHavoc's [http://icculus.org/twilight/darkplaces/download.html Hmap2]
* Tyrann's TyrUtils V0.5 [http://disenchant.net/files/utils/tyrutils-0.6-win32.zip Win], [http://disenchant.net/files/utils/tyrutils-0.6-osx.zip Mac OS X], [http://disenchant.net/files/utils/tyrutils-0.6.tar.gz Source]
+
* Tyrann's [http://disenchant.net/utils TyrUtils] - Windows and Mac OS X binaries, plus Linux/Unix supported via source.
 +
* Ericwa's [https://ericwa.github.io/ericw-tools/ ericw-tools] - Map compile tools for Quake and Hexen 2. Based off of Tyrann's quake 1 tools tyrutils, focused on adding lighting features. Source available as well as binaries for Linux, Mac and windows.
  
 
===Skip Removal===
 
===Skip Removal===
Skip removal tools are standalone programs that can process a [[bsp file]] and remove all surfaces textured with a [[skip texture]], so that those surfaces are not rendered in-game.  This requires a seperate tool because skip textures are not supported by any QBSP version.
+
Skip removal tools are standalone programs that can process a [[Quake_BSP_Format|bsp file]] and remove all surfaces textured with a [[Textures#Skip|skip texture]], so that those surfaces are not rendered in-game.  This can be done by some QBSP tools or via a separate tool.
  
* Tyrann's original skippy.exe (has some known bugs)
+
* Tyrann's [http://disenchant.net/utils TyrUtils] qbsp includes skip surface removal (since version 0.6)
* metlslime's [http://www.celephais.net/board/view_thread.php?id=60088 newskip]
+
* Ericwa's [https://ericwa.github.io/ericw-tools ericw-tools] qbsp includes skip surface removal.
 +
* metlslime's [http://www.celephais.net/board.php?id=60088 newskip]
  
 
==Map Decompilers==
 
==Map Decompilers==
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Miscellaneous tools.
 
Miscellaneous tools.
  
* bsp2prt can generate a [[prt file]] from a bsp file without needing to rebuild it from scratch using QBSP.
+
*[http://ftp.mancubus.net/pub/idgames2/utils/bsp_pak_tools/bsp2prt10.zip bsp2prt] can generate a [[prt file]] from a bsp file without needing to rebuild it from scratch using QBSP.
* bspinfo can generate statistics about a bsp file, an improved [[prt file]], extract entities, and remove all VIS and light data
+
 
 +
* [https://ericwa.github.io/ericw-tools/ bspinfo] can print basic information about a Quake BSP file.
 +
 
 +
* [https://ericwa.github.io/ericw-tools/ bsputil] is a small utility for basic manipulation of Quake BSP files. It can extract textures to create a wad from a bsp, extract entities to a text file with the .ent file extension, and run a basic set of tests to check that all internal data structures are self-consistent.
 +
 
 +
* Scrama's MapConverter [ [[image:MapConverter.zip]] ] can perform scaling and convert map formats from Half-Life to Quake, Quake 2 and Quake 3
  
 
==See Also==
 
==See Also==
 
* [[Quake tools]]
 
* [[Quake tools]]

Revision as of 19:38, 13 December 2018

Mapping tools are devoted to the various tasks of Quake level development.

Level Editors

These are CAD-like programs used to construct and populate a level. They include tools to create and modify brushes, apply textures, place and modify entities, and set up simple scripting. Some of these programs have their own proprietary file format for saving levels, but they can all save or export your level to a map file, which is needed by compilers in order to generate a game-ready bsp file.

General Purpose Editors

Name Supported OS Author Initial release Latest release
BSP (level editor) Windows Yahn Bernier, Ben ??? 1996 2007 (0.96d)
CraFTEr In engine (FTEQW) toneddu2000 2017 2017 (alpha)
GTKRadiant
NetRadiant-custom Windows, Linux, Mac OSX Divverent, Spog and Niger 2015 2018
QERadiant
QE5
QuakeEd NeXTSTEP id Software 1996 1996 (???)
QuArK Windows Armin Rigo, QuArK team 1996 2013 (6.6.0 beta 6)
Quest DOS, Linux, Windows Chris Carollo, Trey Harrison and Alexander Malmberg 1996 2002 (2.4)
Qoole Windows Pablo Zurita  ???  ??? (99 0.98)
Quiver Mac OS9 Scott Kevill 1997 1999 (1.2)
QuMa Windows Ben Williams / Negative Eddy Software 1996 1998 (1.6)
ToeTag Mac OSX Warren Marshall 2008 2008 (2.30)
Thred Windows Jim Lowell 1996 1996 (0.9b)
Tread3D Windows Joe Riedel 1999 2009 (3.0 Alpha 3)
TrenchBroom Linux, Mac OSX, Windows Kristian Duske 2012 2018 (2.1.0 RC3)
Worldcraft Windows Ben Morris / Valve Software 1996 1998 (1.6a)
Hectate added a To-Do; The list of editors would look and function better as a table that detailed things like OS, engine compatibility, etc..
Than added a To-Do; I moved the list to a table, but left the old links here (edit page to see as it's commented out), since I think we should create a small page for all the editors. It's possible to get information about all of them using internet archive etc..

Terrain Generators

These programs are specialized to generate terrain-like geometry out of brushes, but have no general-purpose editing capabilities. They generate map files that can then be imported into the general purpose level editors.

Map Converters

A number of games based on id Software's technology use map files as their level source format, but these files differ in format from game to game. Map converters are used to convert map files from one format to another, so that mappers can use a level editor that does not natively support Quake. Commonly supported game formats include Quake 2, Quake III Arena, and Half-Life.

ericw-tools converts: quake, quake2, valve, bp (brush primitives). Conversions to "quake" or "quake2" format may not be able to match the texture alignment in the source map, other conversions are lossless.

Model-to-Map Converters

These are programs that can be used to convert geometry of another file type, especially files exported by modelling software, into map files.

Unspecified user added a To-Do; unspecified work.

Map Compiling Tools

Tools to use for map compiling, a process that turns a map file into a bsp file.

QBSP, Light and Vis

  • Bengt Jardrup's enhanced versions of TxQBSP/TreeQBSP, RVis, Light
  • Jury-Rigged BJP Tools, modified version of Bengt Jardrup's tools with BSP2 support, details brushes and several other improvements.
  • LordHavoc's Hmap2
  • Tyrann's TyrUtils - Windows and Mac OS X binaries, plus Linux/Unix supported via source.
  • Ericwa's ericw-tools - Map compile tools for Quake and Hexen 2. Based off of Tyrann's quake 1 tools tyrutils, focused on adding lighting features. Source available as well as binaries for Linux, Mac and windows.

Skip Removal

Skip removal tools are standalone programs that can process a bsp file and remove all surfaces textured with a skip texture, so that those surfaces are not rendered in-game. This can be done by some QBSP tools or via a separate tool.

  • Tyrann's TyrUtils qbsp includes skip surface removal (since version 0.6)
  • Ericwa's ericw-tools qbsp includes skip surface removal.
  • metlslime's newskip

Map Decompilers

These are programs that can reverse-compile a bsp file back into a map file, with varying results.

  • bsp2map - This program generates a map file by creating brushes for every surface in the level. Large walls are split up into multiple brushes according to bsp polys.
  • winbspc - This program generates a map file by more closely trying to match texture/brush volumes. It has several options for decompiling a bsp file and usually produces far more usuable results than bsp2map.

Other Tools

Miscellaneous tools.

  • bsp2prt can generate a prt file from a bsp file without needing to rebuild it from scratch using QBSP.
  • bspinfo can print basic information about a Quake BSP file.
  • bsputil is a small utility for basic manipulation of Quake BSP files. It can extract textures to create a wad from a bsp, extract entities to a text file with the .ent file extension, and run a basic set of tests to check that all internal data structures are self-consistent.
  • Scrama's MapConverter [ File:MapConverter.zip ] can perform scaling and convert map formats from Half-Life to Quake, Quake 2 and Quake 3

See Also