+This program is distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public +License version 2 as published by the Free Software Foundation. A copy of +it is in the file GPL.TXT. This program comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY. + +
+This program is based on version 2.1 of the BSPC utility (part of the +toolkit created for the Quake series of games). Originally it used to be +a MAP to BSP converter. For Quake 3 it is mainly used for the creation of AAS +file from BSP files. An AAS file is a file containing area information +used by the Quake III Arena bots to navigate and understand a map. + +
+MBSPC is a modified (enhanced) version of this utility. I have (re)added +some functions that were either not present originally or were removed +from this version for some reason. So you can also do the following tricks +with MBSPC: + +
+When MBSPC is used for converting BSP files to MAP files, the correct +texture name is written for every brush side. However, texture alignment +info (shift, scale, rotation) is not written to the MAP file. It is not +trivial to obtain this info from the BSP, and I did not need it when I +coded this modification, sorry. If you need this functionality, add the +necessary code. + +
+
+ + bspc -option [ -option ... ] input-file + ++ +
+At least one option must be given to specify the desired action. The +rest of the option(s) within the brackets are optional. Examples: + +
+ + mbspc -bsp2aas d:\quake3\baseq3\maps\mymap?.bsp + mbspc -bsp2aas d:\quake3\baseq3\pak0.pk3\maps/q3dm*.bsp + mbspc -bsp2map -output d:\tmp d:\quake3\baseq3\maps\q3dm1.bsp + ++ +
+List of options recognized by MBSPC: + +
+ + option argument explanation output + --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- + entlist file.bsp extract entity list file.ent + onlyents file.bsp update entity list from file.ent(*) file.bsp + texinfo file.bsp extract texture list file.txi + bsp2map file.bsp create MAP from BSP file.map + bsp2aas file.bsp create AAS from BSP file.aas + reach file.bsp compute reachability and clusters file.aas + cluster file.aas compute clusters file.aas + aasopt file.aas optimize aas file file.aas + --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- + output output-path set output path + threads N set number of threads to N + cfg file use configuration data in 'file' + noverbose disable verbose output + --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- + optimize enable optimization + breadthfirst breadth first bsp building + nobrushmerge don't merge brushes + freetree free the bsp tree + nocsg disables brush chopping + noliquids don't write liquids to map + forcesidesvisible force all sides to be visible + ++ +
+(*) The '.ent' file must exist! You can make one using the '-entlist' +option. The '.ent' file can be edited by using a text editor (e.g. you +may change entity types and coordinates) as long as the format of entity +specifications remains valid. + +
+Several metacharacter may be used in the paths of the input file: + +
+ + * match any string of zero or more characters + ? match any single character + [abc...] match any of the enclosed characters; a hyphen can + be used to specify a range (e.g. a-z, A-Z, 0-9) + ++ +
+.pk3 files are accessed as if they are normal folders. For instance +use "d:\quake3\baseq3\pak0.pk3\maps/q3dm1.bsp" to access the +map q3dm1.bsp from the pak0.pk3 file. + +
+Multiple files may be listed after the switches bsp2map, bsp2aas, reach, +cluster and aasopt. + +
+If a BSP file is being converted to an AAS file and no output path +is entered on the command-line then the AAS file will automatically +be stored in the same folder as the BSP file. However if the BSP file +was stored in a .pk3 file then the AAS file will be stored in a folder +with the name 'maps' outside the .pk3 file. + +
+If an AAS file is already available for a BSP file and you ONLY change +the entities inside this BSP file (using the map editor or MBSPC with the +'-onlyents' option) then you only have to recalculate the reachabilities. +This way you can move items, platforms etc. around without the need to +recalculate the whole AAS file which can save quite some compile time. +You can recalculate the reachabilities as follows: + +
+ + bspc -reach file.bsp + ++ +
+where 'file.bsp' is the updated BSP file. 'file.aas' must exist and must +be in the same folder as 'file.bsp' or in the output folder specified with +the '-output' option. + +
+Note: the option '-reach' does not work on optimized '.AAS' files. + +
+Keep in mind that as soon as ANY geometry in the map changes the whole +AAS file HAS to be recalculated in order to play with bots. + +
+One of the easiest ways to test the AAS file is to load the map in +Quake3 in teamplay mode (type /set g_gametype 3 on the console before +loading the map). Enter a team and add a bot to your team. Use the +team order menu (by default bound to the key F3) to command the bot +to follow you. Walk around the map and see if the bot is able to +follow you everywhere. + +
+Map bugs can sometimes cause certain places in the map to show up +'solid' in the AAS file. The bots cannot travel through these 'solid' +areas. To test for these 'solid' places set the cvar bot_testsolid +to 1 on the console. (type /set bot_testsolid 1) The map has to be +started with devmap instead of map before the cvar bot_testsolid can +be set. When the cvar is set to 1 then either "empty area" or +"SOLID area" will be printed on the screen while traveling through a map. + +
+Several map bugs can cause these 'solid' places in the AAS file. + +
+ +- Sometimes microscopic brushes are left over after a brush CSG. Search + for such brushes in the problem area and delete them. + +- Tiny brush faces (not curves) can also cause problems. Due to vertex + snapping in the q3map tool those tiny brush faces can be snapped out + of existence. Such faces will not show up in Quake3 and you'll see + tiny peek holes or slits where you can view through the geometry. + Allign vertexes of and edges of adjacent brushes to remove and avoid + such tiny faces. Placing a clip brush in front of the face that is + snapped out of existence will also remove the 'solid' area but ofcourse + it's much better to remove the peek holes and slits. + +- Another cause could be a brush with a collapsed side. Check how many + sides a brush has and how many sides actually have a surface. Rebuild + brushes with collapsed sides. + +- All faces contained within liquid brushes using a shader without + "surfaceparm trans" set will be removed. Those contained surfaces will + not be visible and can cause the lava to appear "solid" in the aas file. + ++ +
+Clusters can be tested with the cvar bot_testclusters. +(type "/set bot_testclusters 1" on the console) + +
+Jumppads can also be tested. Type the following on the Quake3 console +before loading your map: + +
+ +/set bot_maxdebugpolys 1024 +/set bot_visualizejumppads 1 +/set bot_forcereachability 1 + ++ +
+Now load the map. A counter will be shown and goes from 0% to 100%. +When the counter has reached 100% type /set r_debugSurface 2 on the +console. For every jumppad the default arch of travel (without using +air control) will be visualized. + + + +