LEVELINFO
This document will explain what I have found out about setting the Map Author, Map Title, Ideal PlayerCount and Level Preview ScreenShot in the LevelInfo actor that is included in every Unreal Tournament map that you make.
This will allow you to add a preview screenshot that the user will see when starting a practice session or network game.
ACCESSING THE LEVEL PROPERTIES
To access the level properties open the Options menu and choose the Level Properties... item. Or you may press the F6 shortcut key.
Either method will bring up the Level Properties window. When you open the Level Properties window the LevelInfo properties will most likely not be visible. To make them visible as shown in the screenshot below click on the little "+" in the box to the left of the LevelInfo item. This will "expand" the LevelInfo item so that you can see its' properties. The littlle "+" will change to a "-" to indicate that clicking the box again will "collapse" the LevelInfo item. You may need to expand the window to see all of the LevelInfo's properties.
The properties of the LevelInfo that you will need to set are:
Author: (put your name here)
Ideal PlayerCount: (put ideal player count here - UT will add "Players" when it displays the level preview screenshot)
Title: (put the map title here)
If you look at the values in these fields in the Level Properties screenshot above and then look at the Start Practice Session screenshot at the top of this document you can see where UT will place these values when it displays the level preview screenshot.
IMPORTING AND SETTING THE LEVEL PREVIEW SCREENSHOT
Your preview screenshot must be a 256 x 256 pixel, 256 color .PCX or .BMP file.
In UnrealEd select Textures in the Browser window (at the top) and then click the Import button (at the bottom of Browser window) to import your preview screenshot.
The "Import A Texture" dialog will pop up. Browse to the location where your preview is stored and select it, then click the OK button.
The Import Texture dialog will pop up. In the "Name:" field enter "screenshot" and in the "Package:" field enter "MyLevel". Uncheck the "Generate MipMaps" option and then click the OK Button. NOTE: The name must be "screenshot" and the package must be "MyLevel". I have not been able to make this work with any other package and texture name.
After UnrealEd works for a moment you should see the "MyLevel" package displayed in the browser with your preview screenshot shown in the browser texture window. If you have closed the Level Properties window re-open it now and expand the LevelInfo properties. Once you have expanded the LevelInfo properties you will need to select the "screenshot" texture in the Browser window. It will be highlighted as shown below.
Once you have selected the "screenshot" texture find the Screenshot property of the LevelInfo in the Level Properties window.
For a new level screenshot should be "None". When you click the little "Use" button you should see " Texture'MyLevel.Screenshot' " appear in the textbox of the screenshot property. You have just told UnrealEd to use the "screenshot" texture from package "MyLevel" as the level preview screenshot.
At this point you should save your map and then rebuild it. When you run UT and select your map (when starting a practice session or network game) you should see your screenshot displayed just as it does with all of the maps that came with UT.
TIPS
The screenshot key in Unreal Tournament is the F9 key. Screenshots will be stored in your \UnrealTournament\System folder. They will be .BMP files named Shot0000.BMP, Shot0001.BMP, and so forth.
For the best screenshots you should join your map as a spectator and fly to where you want to take your screenshot from. If you cannot get to where you want to make your screenshot from because of map geometry then you can make a copy of your map and modify the copy so that you can get to where you want to make your screenshot from.
Your screenshot must be 256 pixels x 256 pixels with 256 colors.
Crop your screenshot to 256 x 256 using a good paint program and then save it as a 256 color BMP or PCX image. If you do not use a good paint program it may not look very nice when it reduces the colors in your screenshot down to 256 colors.
You may need to alter the contrast or brightness of your screenshot. You should be able to do this with any good paint program.
TROUBLESHOOTING
Is your screenshot 256 pixels x 256 pixels with 256 colors and in BMP or PCX format?
Did you set the texture name to "screenshot" and the package to "MyLevel" on the Import Texture dialog?
If you DO NOT see your map in UT make sure that:
Your map is in your \UnrealTournament\Maps directory.
Your map name is prefixed with:
"AS-" for an assault map eg: AS-Normandy
"CTF-" for a Capture the Flag map eg: CTF-RallyRound
"DM-" for a deathmatch map eg: DM-Smasher
"DOM-" for a domination map eg: DOM-Inator
FINIS
Schlacht (dehags@airmail.net)
Contents (C) 1999 - Schlacht - If you copy or repost this elsewhere please be sure to include proper credit.