Creating great looking levels in 10 easy steps for free!

[Maize]

This tutorial will help you create professional looking levels without spending a dime. I was forced to develop this method because I didn't want to pay for Deled, but still create more advanced geometry. I will not deal with actually loading a map that this tutorial will help you create, just the creation of that map. Ok, so lets get started with my first tutorial.

1. Download and install Maplet from Blitz research. http://www.blitzbasic.com/Products/maplet.php
2. Download and install Deled LITE from Delgine. http://www.delgine.com/
3. Download and install the B3D exporter/importer plugin for Deled.
4. Start Maplet and make a level. Maplet isn't hard to use, and there are tutorials to achieve more advanced effects. You should be texturing everything as you go, because you cannot change them easily later. It is important that you texture your whole level in Maplet. Do no place lights though.
5. When you are finished, export the level to B3D format.
6. Using Deled, import the level you just exported from Maplet. The textures should still be on it. However, you may have to scale it up a bit.
7. Now, place lights around the level in Deled.
8. When you think you are done, generate a lightmap using the menu in Deled.
9. After the lightmap is complete, save the level in deled's format which is .dmf.
10. You can now load the finished level in Irrlicht. It can be looking great for not spending a penny.

I like using Maplet instead of DeledLITE for geometry creation because it gives you more tools and creation (such as subtraction instead of DeledLite's only union).

Any questions, comments, concerns? Let me know!

Thanks,
Miller

[jam]

Didn't know they released an importer for Deled, Wonder if it still can import after you run your b3d through decorator? Have to give it a try.

Ok one comment, instead of using Deled's lightmapper I think you can export the level as an X file and use LMMaker to create the light maps.

[Maize]

Yeah, that might work too. I just needed some way of creating advanced lightmapped levels because lightmaps exported from maplet to .x don't work correctly in Irrlicht.

[jam]

sadly .X exported by deled does not seem to work with LMMaker, However the .OBJ exporter for deled does seem to work with LMMaker.