Reflective Surfaces

By: Tyler A. Perry AKA Maverick

Maverick's Map Design

Email: [email protected]

Date: December 18, 2000

Download: tut_reflectsurf.zip

Forward:

I decided to write a tutorial on how to create a mirror or a polished surface for your level.

Abstract:

This tutorial will go over how to create a reflective surface such as a mirror, polished marble, etc. This tutorial will also explain how and where and when to use them.

Assumptions:

I assume you know the basics of the editor, such as adding lights, subtracting and adding brushes, and everything else similar to that.

Tutorial:

Introduction:

Reflective surfaces can add a lot of detail and realism to your levels, increasing its visual quality as well as its gameplay if it is added properly. Let’s get started.

Creating a Mirror:

Start by creating a room that is 256x512x512 with the textures of your choice. (Preferably from the texture set SkyCity.utx, and the floor would look good as marble).

Now, select one of the walls and press F5. (Pressing F5 brings up the surface properties). Select the tab Flags and check Unlit and Reflective, your surface properties should look like this:

Rebuild and press ‘P’. This should allow you to view the reflective surfaces. You can play test it as well. (If your reflective surface does not show up in UnrealEd, then go to your advanced properties and adjust your software rendering to allow it).

Where to Place a Mirror:

Mirrors are great eye-candy if used correctly and appropriately in the right areas. Never create a level with too many mirrors or with a giant mirror that reflects a high polygonal area of the map, doing this will kill framerates like you couldn’t imagine. Instead, add mirrors in simple rooms, with maybe a little bit of complex polygonal areas that won’t decrease framerates too much.

Mirrors generally look good where you would find a mirror, in a bathroom, the mirrors on a car, in homes, in certain industrial areas, and so on.

Creating Partly Reflective Surfaces:

Start out by creating a room with the same dimensions of the last room you had, same texturing, same lighting, but no mirror.

Select the floor of the room and check Unlit, Reflective, and Translucent. Your Surface Properties should look like this:

Rebuild and test your surfaces.

There are two different options you can have for partly reflective surfaces, Translucent and Modulated.

Translucent: Surfaces are more reflective in dark areas and less reflective on lighter areas. In the editor, you can slightly see through the darker areas and see the blue graph below.

Modulated: Surfaces are more reflective in lighter areas, and less in darker. In the editor, the lighter areas are invisible until you press ‘P’, so don’t worry if you see some of the blue graph.

Where to Place Partly Reflective Surfaces:

Partly reflective surfaces can add a large amount of detail and increase visual quality much more than mirrors. Mirrors are used less, and most polished things are reflective. Just don’t go overboard with reflectivity.

Partly reflective surfaces generally go on Marble, polished tile, shiny metal, and if you take a look out your window, you will see a lot of reflective surfaces. Dirty mirrors works too.