Tutorial #3 - Conversion Time Line

(You may stop at any point, depending on where you want to get)

Half Life (Counter-Strike) *.BSP -> World Craft *.MAP -> Quake 2 *.BSP -> Quake 3 *.BSP -> VRML *.WRL

NOTE: There is an alternate tutorial avalible that produces less polygons and is easier.

Step 1: Half Life BSP (type of map file)

1. Find a Half Life BSP (for example the smallest polygon count Counter-Strike map: cs_assault)

2. Make a new folder somewhere on your hard drive that is the name of your map. Copy and paste the original BSP into the folder. Inside the folder, make 2 new folders called q2 and q3.

3. Open winbspc.exe. Choose File->Convert. Find the previously created folder and open the BSP file copied there. A small window should show up. Choose MAP and check “best matching texturing” and “no liquid” (I am still not sure if these help the process, so you can go without them). Click on Browse to choose the output folder. Select the folder where your BSP file is (not q2 or q3)

4. Click OK and let the map convert.

Step 2: World Craft Map

Skip this step and go on to Step 3, come back here if you get errors in step 3.

1. Now, you should be able to open the map is World Craft. Open World Craft (v1.6 and v3.3 works for me, I am assuming that you know how to set it up. Be sure to add some textures in the setup screen) Open the *.map file from your directory. It should load and at the end you will probably get an error message that says ## solids could not be opened due to errors.

2. Now choose MAP->Check For Problems. Click on a Problem and Choose Fix all (of type) (this means that you will have to click fix all on every type of problem, for example texture, solid, etc.) Close the window and choose MAP->Check for Problems. It should say “No Problems Found”. If it did find more problems just choose Fix all again and repeat the step until no problems are found. If after several tires it does not work, save the map and reopen it. Then try again. (I am not sure if this helps with the process also)

3. Now choose FILE->export to MAP. Name the map name_of_map_fix.map and export it to your directory.

Step 3: Convert the map to Quake 2 BSP

1. Open winbspc.exe. Choose FILE->Convert. Open the map file name_of_map_fix.map (or without the fix at the end if you skipped step 2). A new window should open. Choose Q2 BSP and once again “best match texturing” and “no liquids” are optional. For the output directory, choose the q2 directory made in your folder.

2. Click OK. The map should convert. You have experience errors at this point, use any knowledge you may have to fix them. Remember you can open map files with a simple text editor and change the things around.

Step 4: Quake 2 BSP to Quake 3 BSP

1. Open Q2toQ3A.exe. Click on Options. Under the General Tab: Choose Normal Conversion Type, Lighting: Full Bright, Skies: Blue Clouds, Music: Uncheck Music. (You may change some of these depending on what you want to accomplish) Click OK.

2. Here is where you will need Quake 2 and Quake 3. Choose Convert and find the quake 2 map you created. While it is converting, it should ask you for your quake 2 and your quake 3 directories. Be sure to locate them because the converter uses some of the game files to convert.

3. If there are no errors, it should take several minutes to convert. This all depends on your computer and the size of the map. When it is finished converting, it will ask you where you want to save the converted Quake 3 map. Choose the q3 directory and save your file there. Name it name_of_map_q3.bsp

Step 5: Quake 3 BSP to VRML

1. Go to your q3 directory and copy your file. Now go to your q3bsptool directory and paste the file there.

There are 2 options here: use a shortcut or use a BAT (batch) file. I personally like a BAT file more, but a shortcut is easier for most people to use. If you want to learn how to make either for future knowledge, read the tutorial here. (The tutorial also helps with the next lines on Shortcut and BAT)

2. Now double click on the Shortcut or the Bat file to run the convert. It should take a couple of seconds. In the directory you should see a lot of “dummy” bmp textures (a quake 3 bsp stores the textures in the BSP file, so if you converted an original Q3 BSP you would have real textures. Try the test.bsp included in the folder to see it for your self.) Also 2 WRL files should show up. I am not sure what the difference between them is, but the first one has a slightly larger file size.

Step 6: Opening in 3d Studio Max

If you got up to this step without major problems, congratulations!

1. Open 3d Studio Max. Choose FILE->Import. Choose VRML in the file type and find the q3bsptool directory and open the first WRL file of your map. A window with 3 options should show up.

I only chose Reset Scene. I know 3ds coordinates will put the map on the y-axis (not what we want) and I am not sure what Create Primitives does.

2. The map should load and look something like this.

3. Now Open the object list and highlight all the objects named “item*” and “vsep01”. You can delete them.

If you notice, by clicking on the center on object button , they are all just a small box in one spot of the map. These were probably the objects like weapons, special tagging, etc.

4. It may look like there are so many triangles are in the map, but that is because normally you would not see your map this way. Save the file as *.max file. (However this method does produce extra polygons, the other tutorials are more efficent)

This is what I would do right now, but you may develop different methods

Now the hard part is to explode all the polygons (this will take a while depending on your CPU, you might want to explode sections of the map) and then regrouping them into logical parts, like walls of building, floor, roof, etc. Then you texture them. Tag the floors, and resize (if you know by what factor to resize it), and then export.

If in the game the geometry looks too big/small just use the resize button to resize it.

That is basically it; you might have to do other things like delete/add/modify the geometry to fit the new engine's requirements.