Cooking UT3 Maps Tutorial for dummies

Originally posted by Iuckshot

Ok, so I got a lot of questions from people how to cook or recook UT3 maps.You can either look it up on the Epic games forum, or follow my tutorial
Anywayz, Imma show you how its done ;)

What you need at first:
- A Complete and working version of UT3 PC
(Incase you want to know how to open the editor. Copy a link to your desktop, goto Properties and add the following word behind your UT3.exe link: editor. It will turn out to be something like this
C:\Program Files x86\R.G Mechanics\Unreal Tournament 3\Binaries\UT3.exe editor

Latest UT3 Patch 5
- http://gamedaily.newaol.com/pub/UT3Patch5.exe?ru=19&h=6c5c8916412d18f8f11f22f1c56ae74a
(includes Titan pack and glitch fixes) patch this file over your UT3 INSTALL directory

- PS3ModTools (for patching glitches in UT3 and latest Unreal Frontend) patch this file over your UT3 INSTALL directory

PS3 Custom Sound Tools
- http://www.mediafire.com/?lnuienivrtx
(for cooking maps with custom music it in Unreal Frontend) patch this file over your UT3 INSTALL directory

You need ALL 3 files for a succesful cooking mod!

Installing UT3 PC gives you 2 directories:
1. An User friendly directory \Unreal Tournament 3 
(probably be saved somehwere in your 'My Documents' directory

which include a(n):
\Autosave directory: for AUTOSAVING YOUR MAP PROGRESS incase something goes wrong
\Screenshots directory: here will all the screenshots be saved that you make INGAME
\Published directory: here will ALL UT3 PC MAPS be saved
\Unpublished directory: You will need to put the maps you want to cook for PS3 in this directory.

- An Install directory from UT3 which include all packages, files, characters etc:
This is made when installing UT3 and will be located in your 'Program Files' (x86 for Windows 7 64 bit) directory

which incude a(n):
\Enviroments directory: here are most of the UT3 packages saved. Think of skydomes, textures, meshes, materials > everything you can possible think of for making a custom UT3 map.
\Maps directory: which include stock maps like CTF-FacingWorlds, CTF-Strident, DM-HeatRay etcetera.
Just open these .ut3 files in the editor for editing or adding things to that map.
\Private directory: Yep, Epic was smart nuff to make another folder which include even more stock maps. I have by gods fn no idea why they did this but it includes some maps like CTF-Reflection, CTF-OmicronDawn, CTF-Vertebrae etcetera.

Ok, so you now know a little about the UT3 folders locations and meanings. Lets head over to the cooking tutorial now. Im going to use my own map DM-Choices as an example for this tutorial.
We will start from the point where your map is finished, saved and ready to be cooked.
1. First make sure the UT3 editor is closed. Unreal Frontend doesnt like it when its openend -_-

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2. Copy your map file to your User friendly UT3 directory under the folder \Unpublished
This needs to be done in order for the cooking progress. As Unreal Frontend only reads files out of this folder. 

You will find 2 more folders below the \Unpublished directory >

\Unpublished\CookedPC\Maps\PUT YOUR MAP HERE

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3. Now that this is done. Go to your UT3 Install Directory and open the Unreal Frontend.exe application.

IMPORTANT!: You will need to Run the file as "Administrator" !!
Unreal Frontend comes out of an Install directory and will sometimes not obey the cooking progress since its out of an Windows directory -_-

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4. Ok, hope you can follow it until so far. You have Unreal Frontend ready and opened on your desktop. Ill explain the functions of Unreal Frontend quickly: (forgive me for the crappy numbers in the picture)

1. Platform: you can either choose to cook your map for PC or for PS3. Choosing for PC adds the option:"Run local game after cooking/synching. We will leave this on PS3 for now
2. Game: UTGame. leave this as it is since their is no other option to select.
3. Cooking tab: You will need to have this tab opened in order for the cooking options to appear.
Other options are mostly used for server, scripting and help purposes.
4. Maps: This is important! Unreal Frontend will read out the file that you name here! Put your complete filename in plus codec (DM-CTF-VCTF-WAR) in front of it. That makes for example: DM-Mymapname or CTF-mymapname
5. Packages have changed: You should always have this checked.
6. Full Recook: You can check this if you have an custom sound, materials or other things in your map that needs an up to date cooking. If you cook your map for the first time, its definitly recommended to check this. Ill leave it for now.
7. Mod Type: Select the option that you wish to cook. In
this case we are going to cook a map. So select the option "Map" out of the drop down menu.
8. Cook: This will start the cooking process
9. Language: leave this as it is, since there is no other option to select

If you have all the options filled out as desired, its time for the last step:
Click the Cook button and a new prompt will appear:

Fill in your mapname once more with either without the DM/CTF/VCTF/WAR codec or take it with you. I recommend without. We'll just do without for now.
Click Ok if you've filled out everything and lets start cooking!

The UT3 Cooking process is now in progress!
Lets continue finalizing the rest.

As you can see at the yellow line it gives out a 'Warning' for an issue in the map or cooking process.
The warning features an option in my map with a Static Mesh called "MatineeCam" which allows
the map to be viewed from spectating at a certain point in my map. This mesh is only supported on PC and will therefore not be cooked in my map for PS3 version. Its not a big deal and we can continue saving our map.

 Be alert when you receive an 'Error' though. This will most likely STOP the cooking process until the error is fixed. So remind yourself about the differences in these two.

Its Succesfully done cooking in 8.95 seconds (in my case)
We are now prompted to either:
- Review the .ini file that is created (lets do nothing with that for now)

- Save our map. Ill just save it locally under C:\

If we go to our C:\ directory we will find that an USERDATA.JAM file is created which we will need to import to our PS3 in order for it to work. (Search another tutorial for that if you don't know how thats done) 

NOTES: 
- If your USERDATA.JAM is 33kb after cooking. The cooking most likely failed. Even if its said that it succedeed. 
- Smaller maps and maps with little meshes will be around the 7 to 15 MB. More bigger maps like Warfare could be around the 20 to 40 MB.

- If the cooking process is done for PC. It will generate 2 files which can be found in the \Published directory in your User friendly UT3 directory. In my case, that would be a:
DM-Choices.ut3 file 
and a:
DM-Choices_LOC_int.upk file
Which are [if correctly still placed in this folder] will automatically be shown in your Map Selection screen on UT3 PC.
Also, these maps can be used to put on dedicated servers for some online action.

Eur, did I forget something? I don't think so ^^
I hope you guys are a bit more educated about cooking maps.
If you have any questions regarding cooking maps or building maps! Hit me up!
PSN: Darkn3ss_is_QnL

Happy cooking and happy fragdays!


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