Lakehouse/Asylum question

[DreadStunLock]

Question mainly targetted to devs.

When you built the Lighthouse and currently in development are building the Asylum did you guys ever use the building brush in UDK? Or just Static meshes?

I am just wondering is it a good idea to create all the floors/walls/windows .etc on 3DS and import them as static meshes to the UDK? Or is there a good reason to use the CSG brush?

Thank you.

:o

[frvge]

BSP is good for initial blocking out. However, we can't swap the material, so if you want to have electricity or pipes 'in' walls, you have to use models. Lakehouse and Asylum are blocked out with BSP, with models for specialized things like stairs and fancy ceilings. We might model the walls later. Depends on the situation.

Creating models from the Builder Brush isn't done, afaik.

[DreadStunLock]

BSP is good for initial blocking out. However, we can't swap the material, so if you want to have electricity or pipes 'in' walls, you have to use models. Lakehouse and Asylum are blocked out with BSP, with models for specialized things like stairs and fancy ceilings. We might model the walls later. Depends on the situation.

Creating models from the Builder Brush isn't done, afaik.

Is there anything wrong with using JUST static meshes to build the whole level? Even stuff like Terrain?

[CurdyMilk]

BSP is good for initial blocking out. However, we can't swap the material, so if you want to have electricity or pipes 'in' walls, you have to use models. Lakehouse and Asylum are blocked out with BSP, with models for specialized things like stairs and fancy ceilings. We might model the walls later. Depends on the situation.

Creating models from the Builder Brush isn't done, afaik.

Is there anything wrong with using JUST static meshes to build the whole level? Even stuff like Terrain?

Why would you?  Meshes take up more memory whereas terrain and BSP takes very little.  A whole map of meshes would be a nightmare.

[DreadStunLock]

No they don't. The whole point of Static meshes as I know, is the fact that the GPU and CPU only has to process one same static mesh, and it just copies others straight away.

+

The BSP brush is so bullshit.

[Tidenburg]

Unreal engine is more advanced than Source, which hasn't been updated properly in ages. But, in Source, a map consisting entirely of static meshes won't generate any visleafs, so the whole map would be visible all at once. No idea how unreal manages that though :D

[Zedblade]

Use mostly static meshes, BSP only when you need it. Simple as that.

A level made completely out of static meshes is completely fine as well. As is a level made completely out of BSP. Though it will look like a Unreal 1 level.

Why would you?  Meshes take up more memory whereas terrain and BSP takes very little.  A whole map of meshes would be a nightmare.

This is incorrect.

[DreadStunLock]

Use mostly static meshes, BSP only when you need it. Simple as that.

A level made completely out of static meshes is completely fine as well. As is a level made completely out of BSP. Though it will look like a Unreal 1 level.

Why would you?  Meshes take up more memory whereas terrain and BSP takes very little.  A whole map of meshes would be a nightmare.

This is incorrect.

Is my correct? :P Cause "TheNewBoston" or something like that, was talking about it, really nice if it's true.

[frvge]

AFAIK, yes.

[Zedblade]

Use mostly static meshes, BSP only when you need it. Simple as that.

A level made completely out of static meshes is completely fine as well. As is a level made completely out of BSP. Though it will look like a Unreal 1 level.

Why would you?  Meshes take up more memory whereas terrain and BSP takes very little.  A whole map of meshes would be a nightmare.

This is incorrect.

Is my correct? :P Cause "TheNewBoston" or something like that, was talking about it, really nice if it's true.

what? I have no idea what you're talking about.

[DreadStunLock]

Frvge already confirmed it kind of, what I meant was is that "StaticMeshes" are easy to process, because once a GPU process one of them, other's are processed automatically or something like that.

[Zedblade]

Frvge already confirmed it kind of, what I meant was is that "StaticMeshes" are easy to process, because once a GPU process one of them, other's are processed automatically or something like that.

indeed, however that doesn't mean you can just go shit stank wild with it, you still have to take in account poly count and actor count. It's a balancing act.

[CurdyMilk]

Frvge already confirmed it kind of, what I meant was is that "StaticMeshes" are easy to process, because once a GPU process one of them, other's are processed automatically or something like that.

indeed, however that doesn't mean you can just go shit stank wild with it, you still have to take in account poly count and actor count. It's a balancing act.

This is what I was trying to say

[DreadStunLock]

Frvge already confirmed it kind of, what I meant was is that "StaticMeshes" are easy to process, because once a GPU process one of them, other's are processed automatically or something like that.

indeed, however that doesn't mean you can just go shit stank wild with it, you still have to take in account poly count and actor count. It's a balancing act.

This is what I was trying to say

Well that's kind of "No Shit Sherlock" that goes into account for any 3D model. Though I still don't know what's a difference between a 3D model and a Static Mesh, or something like that, because the guy only explained that Static Meshes are easily processed, but not the difference between other things.

[LennardF1989]

There is no real difference. The only difference is is that your 3D modeling tool makes a 3D model, whereas Unreal speaks of either a SkeletalMesh or StaticMesh. SkeletalMeshes are meant to be animated whereas StaticMeshes don't. In theory, all models in Unreal are memory efficient, as they are only loaded once and then cloned. This doesn't mean, however, you cant overload your memory with one mesh, as each clone obviously takes memory, just more efficiently.

In the end, they are both a collection of polygons and other information, just like a 3D model.