[Tutorial] Porting TFC maps to FF

[squeek.]

Requested by aleXtric, figured I'd make it publicly available. EDIT: Tested and updated accordingly.

• Decompile the TFC .bsp into a .map file using BSP2Map or WinBSPC.
• Open the .map file in Hammer 3.4
• Create a game configuration for Hammer 3.4 (can be called anything, don't have to set any options), and add any .wad file to the Textures tab. You can get a usable .wad file here if you don't have TFC installed, otherwise the TFC .wads are in your tfc folder [steamapps/common/half-life/tfc]. Here are some example configuration settings
• Save as a .rmf file.
• Open the .rmf in current version of Hammer (Source SDK).
• Save it as a .vmf file.

For BSP2Map: Unfortunately, all of the decompiled brushes will be unusable. You get the "shell" of each brush; for example, a cube turns into 6 one-unit thick 'walls' of the original cube.

For WinBSPC: This actually seems to create solid brushes, but I'd still suggest recreating the geometry so that you can be sure it works and can optimize it in terms of number of brushes/visibility/func_detailing/etc.

Another note about BSP2Map vs WinBSPC: sometimes entities/brushes will not show up in a decompiled map. It might be wise to decompile using both BSP2Map and WinBSPC and compare the results.

Once in the Source SDK version of Hammer, what I do is select all immediately and put everything in a visgroup. That way I can turn it off/on at will (and it's always there for comparison). So then, you need to recreate all the brushes and entities and everything. Basically, you get a reference for making the map. The actual making of it doesn't become too much easier.

You can download the .vmf of ff_2mesa3_classic and ff_siege_classic to see some examples of ported maps.

For converting TFC textures to the Source engine, see Xwad (I've never used it)

[Lenn]

made this 2 years ago, thnx squeek haha!

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[R00Kie]

Great information and very useful for porting. Now I understand why you made the classic themed remakes.

[ddm999]

Supposedly you can use WinBSPC instead which doesn't hollow out brushes, but it's less accurate and can mess up more complicated maps.

:P

Someone try using both on a map and compare them.

I'd love to port TFC maps.
That is, if I had any.
Or TFC in the first place.

:L

[aleXtric]

http://www.tfcrefugees.com/resources/

http://mrclan.com/tfcmaps/

MAPS, start porting

[KubeDawg]

The important ones that need remakes:

Vidars
Badlands
Crossover2
Mooncheese
Osaka
The Keep (minus the huge midmap)

[ddm999]

Uh, you do realise I need the TFC textures to open a TFC map, right?

Yeah, I downloaded about 10 TFC maps, downloaded Hammer 3.4 and both WinBSPC and BSP2Map, and converted a map to a .map, then tried to open it, and it just says 'hey no textures for this game dummy go set them up'.

So, yeah, I guess I do need TFC to port TFC maps. WHO WOULD HAVE KNOWN...

edit: also you need quake 3 to use bsp2map

[NeonLight]

$5.

[squeek.]

Originally Posted by ddm999

Uh, you do realise I need the TFC textures to open a TFC map, right?

No, I did not. As I said, it's been at least a couple years since I last did this.

Yeah, I downloaded about 10 TFC maps, downloaded Hammer 3.4 and both WinBSPC and BSP2Map, and converted a map to a .map, then tried to open it, and it just says 'hey no textures for this game dummy go set them up'.

So, yeah, I guess I do need TFC to port TFC maps. WHO WOULD HAVE KNOWN...

You can use any .wad file to get past that error. Any of these will work: http://www.cstrike-planet.com/wads

edit: also you need quake 3 to use bsp2map

What? How in the world did you come to that conclusion? That's definitely not true. However, winbspc seems to give better geometry, so it might be better to use that. I'm going to update the OP.

[ddm999]

Well, I got to that conclusion by it asking me to put the directory to q3 and where q3's bsp program in when I started it up. :P

Also, I don't have $5.

And where do I even put the WAD?

Do I have to make a new folder and set all the mod locations to it?

[squeek.]

Originally Posted by ddm999

Well, I got to that conclusion by it asking me to put the directory to q3 and where q3's bsp program in when I started it up. :P

Also, I don't have $5.

And where do I even put the WAD?

Do I have to make a new folder and set all the mod locations to it?

You sure you got the right BSP2Map? Just drag the .bsp onto the BSPTwoMAP.exe and it'll convert it.

Here's my Hammer 3.4 settings (Tools -> Options):


You're not doing anything with Hammer 3.4 but opening the .map and immediately saving as .rmf. That's it. Then you never touch 3.4 again.

[ddm999]

Didn't notice the textures tab. :P

Also, it turns out one of the mirrors goes to Q3's BSP2Map instead of GoldSrc's BSPTwoMap :P

So, fixed that now too.

Also, I opened up Vidars and was immediately confused as to what it actually looks like. It probably is best to have seen the map in TFC before making it in FF. :P

[AirTrek]

Originally Posted by Lenn

made this 2 years ago, thnx squeek haha!

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Release it!

[Ricey]

Originally Posted by AirTrek

Release it!

it was released and it was horrible.

[the_cake]

Wasn't bad, just unfinished/unoptimized. Also playing whack-a-scout with rockets at that ladder was pretty hilarious.

[KubeDawg]

For WinBSPC: This actually seems to create solid brushes, but I'd still suggest recreating the geometry so that you can be sure it works and can optimize it in terms of number of brushes/visibility/func_detailing/etc.

I completely missed this the first time I read this thread. Very much useful information, ty squeek. I've been porting maps using the other program and yelling at having to delete those stupid hollowed out brushes & recreate each solid brush for the entire map.