furrycat's 3D Studio MAX level editing tutorial

Since the days of Quake, game developers have used Worldcraft to make levels for their games. Worldcraft has its advantages. It's free, for a start. And ... erm. It's free.

Let's face it, Worldcraft sucks. While Quake-based games now use Radiant for their level editing and games such as the Rainbow Six series ship with plugins which allow mappers to generate level geometry in 3D Studio MAX, SWAT3 players are still stuck with Worldcraft. Whilst Worldcraft is fine for people without MAX, anyone who has got 3D Studio will almost certainly find it highly annoying to work with.

Salvation is at hand

It is possible to use 3D Studio MAX to make maps. However, it isn't straightforward. Indeed, only hardcore MAX fans are likely to find the extra effort required over Worldcraft worthwhile. On the plus side, being able to use a real 3D application to create geometry is a big advantage.

This guide is split into four parts:

What you need
Creating world geometry
Creating entities
Exporting the map

When you've read through it you should be ready to take a crack at creating your first map in 3D Studio. But please do read through it carefully from start to finish before you try anything. And remember, I can only show you the techniques. It's up to you to harness your creativity and create a useful map.

Are you sitting comfortably? Then I shall begin.

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