Unreal Editor Maximum [unrealism.com/unrealedmax] -Teleporters, Translocations and Jumpspots

TELEPORTATION EFFECTS, TRANSLOCATIONS & JUMP SPOTS

INTRODUCTION

Teleportation effects are just that :). Since translocator devices in Unreal Tournament are just "personal teleportation" devices I figured they should be on the same tutorial. Jump Spots show the bots which places can be reached with a jump boot or a normal jump and how to jump to that place.

TELEPORTATION EFFECTS:

This tutorial is more about teleportation effects than about the how and why of teleportation's. What is this teleportation effect I'm talking about? - two maps that use this is CTF-Facing Worlds and the assault map Overlord (remember the foxholes). Well to achieve that effect its a simple process (hey I'm wondering if that's the reason that I wrote the tutorial in the first place). The effect is achieved by simply taking a decoration from under classes menu and changing its texture and draw type. Here's how to do it:
1. Create a room 1024x2048x2048 or something around that size so that we you can do the whole tutorial in one map without having to create a separate map for each part of the tutorial.
2. Choose classes from the browser on the right. Expand Decoration| ut_ decoration and choose barrel1. The choice of the decoration to use for the effect is up to you, but I usually use barrels or the utflare or torch flames - you can use something like a fighter just use any deco :). Add one barrel on either side of the room. Change the texture on one wall to something bizarre or out of sync so that you can identify that it works - you'll be able to make out which one you went into and which one you got out from.
3. Got to barrels advanced properties (or whichever decoration you used). Then under display you need to set the following parameters:

(a). First and most important choose a texture for the teleporter effect. I would suggest the Worm files (Worm 3A,B,C, etc.) from the SpaceFX texture package or the from the HubEffects texture package. I used the worm3a from SpaceFx.
(b). Once you have chosen a texture hit the use button next to the line that says texture. Don't touch the mesh settings.
(c). Under style choose STY_Translucent so that you are able to see through the effect.
(d). Under DrawType choose DT_Sprite. If at a later date you find that you are not getting the effect that you wanted this is probably the step that you screwed up.
(e). Next set DrawScale to around 1.5. the size is up to you but don't make it too small. Also set ambient glow to around 100.
(f). bUnlit - True, so that it reflects all the possible light from around it.
That's the end of the teleportation effect. You can leave all the other default settings in place.
4. You should place light right on top of the barrel that has become the teleportation effect according to the color scheme. This makes it look funky. For example if you used the red worm you could just place a light right on top of it and change LightColor under its properties to LightHue 0 and LightSaturation 0. Take a look below to see what I mean.

5. As you can make out from the picture above I've placed a teleporter right smack in the middle of the former barrel. Locate it under Classes|Navigation Point|Teleporter (don't expand it just add in a plain teleporter). Place one more in the middle of the second barrel that you should know by now how to make into a teleporter effect. Set the tag (under Advanced Properties| Events|Event) of the first teleporter to 1 and the tag of the second teleporter to 2. Then under the advanced properties of the first teleporter, expand Teleporter and in URL put 2. For the second teleporter set the URL to 1. This way when you step into one you will step out of two and if you step into two you will step out or be taken to one. Remember that they can be anywhere in the map, i.e. 1can be at one end and 2 at another end of the level. Under collision play around with the radius to get the effect that you want.
6. Place in a Player Start from under navigation point. Since you've placed all your lights just do a quick rebuild of lighting and geometry and viola you are ready to go. Here you can see my final level:

NOTE: You can locate something known as the visible teleporter from under teleporter. You just need to place this in your level and set the tags and their URL's no need to bother about textures, DrawType, etc. - just add it in and set URL's and you are off and running - a totally preconfigured teleporter. I personally don't like using these, except in team games as I feel the do something to the level that doesn't gel well with me. But if you remember the DM-Gothic map which uses this it doesn't really detract that much from the feel of the level. So it depends on you but I feel these teleporters are far better. To drive home this point I suggest you follow this link to cliffyb's site and read what he has to say about DM-Unreality][ which uses teleporters. Well that should be proof enough that using teleporters in death match is a bad idea.

BOT TRANSLOCATION :

Sure you can use the translocator however you want, but how do you let the bots know they should use the translocator device to reach a certain area. Lets find out how:
1. Add a room to the side of the first room that was created before if there is not enough space and connect the two rooms. We want to make a high ledge and make the bot use the translocator device to get onto the ledge. You must remember though that the bot will not make a translocation simply - there has to be reason for it. So when you make the ledge put the only weapon (from Classes| Inventory | Weapon) on that ledge. Ok after you finish creating a ledge (around 256x256x1024) by adding it into the room place the only weapon (the only item in this level for that matter) on the ledge so that you can observe the bot doing the translocation.
2. Expand Navigation Point|LiftCenter. Under that you will see an item named translocdest (translocation destination). This must be placed where you want the bot to aim and shoot the translocator device. Place this on the ledge next to the weapon. Under translocdest's advanced properties expand LiftCenter you should see an entry for LiftTag give it an unique name like translocation1. That's all you need to do for the translocdest - no need to touch Events|Tag or anything.
3. Still under Navigation Point locate LiftExit and place one next to the transloc- dest on the ledge and one on the floor from where you want the bot to shoot the translocator device. Under both their advanced properties expand LiftExit and set LiftTag to the same as the previous one in this case translocation1.
Hit F8 and when the rebuilder opens hit Paths Define under the lighting tab. Since there is no progress bar the only way to find out that its over is by clicking around. In the first person view, under the view menu check show paths. You should see the liftexit on the ground connected to the translocdest on the ledge by a blue line and the other liftexit on the ledge. The translocdest is on the left in the picture :

4. Place a second player start in the room. Locate pathnodes from under Navigation Pont and by using the first person view add in a line of them from both the player starts to the liftexit on the ground. Do a rebuild of geometry and lighting if you haven't done one already and under the lighting tab do another Paths Define.
5. When you open the level under practice session in Unreal Tournament go to the settings tab and check translocator. When you play the level you should see the bot rush and do a translocation to get onto the ledge.

JUMP SPOTS :

Jump Spots basically let a bot know that he can use the jump boots or impact jump to get to a previously inaccessible area. Its unlikely that if you place the jump spots at one end and the jump boots at another end that they will ever use it. Jump Spots can also be used normally in the sense that you can show a bot that a place can be accessed by a normal jump. For example if you have a series of ledges and below that lava and the only way to cross is to jump forward from ledge to ledge then you should use jump spots.

Jump Spots don't need to be explained that much they are just like transloc -dest so the same settings apply. (They are located in the usual place - Navigation point|LiftCenter). That is you would place a JumpSpot on the ledge and next to it a lift exit and on the ground another liftexit and use the same settings as translocdest. You should also place jumpboots nearby. This is for jump boot settings. As I mentioned before we can make the bots do an ordinary jump in the same way. All the previous settings apply here the only thing you need to do is under the jumpspots advanced properties|jump spot set bImpactJump to true. Only in the case of normal jumps without jump boots should you use this setting - it basically tells the bots they can attempt the jump without boots by using the impact hammer. Another example is that if you have a ledge not really high but not really low either and some stuff on it the bots will get confused or wont use it unless you use a jumpspot. As usual do a paths define and check it out. That's it for this tutorial.