Mod making tools

This page lists the tools that can be used to make content (maps, models, ...) for making a mod that will be implementable to the OS FPS/TPS game/platform. The OS FPS/TPS game/platform primarily uses the Enemy Territory: Legacy engine (ET:L). The reason why this has been selected as the primary engine is because a huge amount of content and games have been made on the ID Tech game engines (which includes the Id Tech 1,2,3,4, DarkPlaces engine, ...) Selecting this as a primary game engine allows to use content/code from open source ID Tech- engine based games more easily.

As a secondary and tertiary game engine, we respectively selected the AssaultCube and Urho3D engine. By using the tools listed here below, content can be ported and used by these engines as well.

The tools listed are open-source or free to use without putting in licensing restrictions on the content made by the tools (which is important if we want the content created to be free of restrictions). The tools listed here can be for any operating system, but the focus lies towards Linux operating systems. Note that even windows-programs can be used in Linux (well, sometimes, not always), by using Wine.

Manuals and documentation

For an intro on the steps in making a game for ET:L, see here, here and here The warchest forum can also prove useful to post questions on.

For an intro on modding on AssaultCube, see here and here; the cube.wikispaces site also has some important info on the Cube 1 engine (on which AssaultCube is based)

For an intro on modding on Urho3D, see here. Questions can be posted on the forum

Some basic information on making player models (and vehicle models) can be found at here, here, here, here and here These tutorials are for quake3 player models (which are composed of .md3 files for head, upper body and lower body, a .cfg file for the animation, .tga or .jpeg's for the coloring, and possibly .skins files to link several .tga's to different sections on the head, upper and lower body md3's ). All though they're all focused on quake 3 player models, it should give a good basic overview of making these player models for other game engines as well (which may use other model formats)

General tools (can be used for making components for any game)

• SketchUp (suitable for making 3D models; also able to import terrain from any location on earth). For an OBJ exporter for the free sketchup version, see here For a dxf importer (DXF In, see here and here; for a dxf exporter, see here. You may also want to take a look a look at SketchUp Extension Warehouse in case you need yet another type of plugin to convert from or to some exotic fileformat.
• Cadmapper (converts openstreetmap data to skp files)
• OSM2World (possible alternative to cadmapper)
• MeshLab (suitable for converting sketchup files to many other file formats)
• Blender (suitable for making regular 3D models, and quake3 player models, ...)
• Assimp (allows conveting between many file formats, including .b3d, ...)
• Anim8tor Freeware modelling and animation tool.
• OpenFX Another freeware 3D modelling tool. Limited in export abilities (to .3ds and .dxf)
• Wings3D Freeware modelling tool, allows advanced subdivisioning. Somewhat limited in import/export abilities though (mainly 3ds and obj are fully supported).
• Gmax (freeware tool similar to 3dMax, but focused on gamedesign)
• GIMP (suitable for making 2D images, textures, ...)
• TexSynth Tool to create similar textures to an input texture.
• Open Dynamics Engine (open-source physics engine for simulating gravity, destruction of landscape/models, ... Note that besides these, others like Physics Abstraction Layer, Open Physics Abstraction Layer, Bullet, ... can also be used )
• DeleD (general modeler and level maker)
• Noesis (general purpose conversion tool, can convert most models to model formats usable in the game platform -like MDL-)
• Polychop; tool to reduce the polygons of high-polygon 3D models. Note that Blender can also do this using the Decimate modifier and the Join selected meshes tool.
• Tree(d), tool for making 3D trees
• Notepad++ for windows or Geany (for linux); simple code editors
• Visual Studio 2010 and 2015 Community Edition can be used to compile .sln files (which may be found in some mods which require the mod to be compiled from source)
• CodeBlocks too can be used in windows, linux and mac for the same task.
• In Linux, .sln files can be compiled using xbuild in mono

Tools specific to ET: Legacy and other ID Tech engine-based games

• The ET:L engine, can be downloaded from the ET:L download page
• Additional tools and manuals for ET:L can be found at the ETLegacy Github site
• For a Linux compiler for ET:Legacy, you can use Scons
• For windows, Splashdamage promotes the Visual C++ compiler, but a general-purpose open-source C++ compiler can probably also be used, or you could perhaps find a suitable compiler in the suites, here below mentioned at "porting tools".
• 7-zip or any other compression utility which allows making zip files. Once you made a .zip file (of any content you want to load into the ETL game engine), you can rename the file to .pk3 and it will be loaded. Note that if you're using windows, make sure you unchecked "Hide extensions for known file types" under "Tools" --> "Folder options"; see here If this isn't done, you won't be able to rename your files to .pk3 and it won't work. Also make sure that you don't use any 'top level' folder (so instead select all files to compress individually). If you put it in a top level folder, again it won't work.
• PakScape An alternative to 7-zip; allows to view and edit pk3's. It's a bit faster to work with than 7-zip
• For compilers and other tools specific to IDTech-engines, see Quakewiki
• The Wolfenstein ET SDK can be downloaded here. This contains all the ET source code. You need it if you want to make a completely new ET-based game.
• Crossroads3D Freeware ET model format converter
• Misfit Model 3D and Maverick Model 3D 3D model editors, allows to also make shaders; also suitable for animations. Saves to Quake MD2, Milkshape 3D, Wavefront OBJ, and MM3D formats
• Decompiler DAT Tool; stand-alone decompiler; note that you can also use the decompiler found with GTKRadiant
• Q3A Shader Editor; software for making shaders. Shaders are mainly text files adding an effect of some sort (i.e. for water, sky, fire, glows, ...)
• QView v1.49
• Adquedit
• ETmod an ET player model viewer
• Q3-Games Model Tool v1.6.2; and it's predecessor ET Model Tool 1.2/1.4; tool for converting .mds player models. Can't make MDM/MDX's as used for ET player models though, it can only convert RTCW's .mds's. You 'll need RTCW's mdsbuild for making RTCW's .mds files .
• MDS-to-MDM&MDX converter; another converter to mds's. made by Ikanatto. See Tools downloads for this;
• MD3 Viewer: see Tools downloads; for viewing md3's
• Npherno's MD3 Compiler & MD3 Viewer; useful for making .md3 models and shaders. Tutorials can be found here and here
• PyET (PyET, a python script extension that can be used with ET: Legacy Note that ET:L allready allows Lua scripting to be used btw.
• Quark (rather than a single tool, it's a collection of tools, for many Quake-based games; it contains the Q3map2 map editor, texture browser, model viewer/editor, ... See the list of tools it has per game here. For making quake3 player models using the model editor and/or in conjunction with Blender, this explaination, and this manual might come in handy.
• Ritual Entertainment Ubertools, see also the docs
• EasyGen Terrain generator (terrain generator for enemy territory: legacy, see also the source code, for a tutorial, see here )
• Freehand Adapative Terrain Editor
• GTKGensurf A plugin for GTKRadiant/Netradiant to create terrain, similar to EasyGen/FATE. Note that making the terrain by hand however will be better nonetheless as using tools.
• ETScript 3; tool for ET scripting, note that notepad can be used too btw
• DarkPlaces engine (an ID Tech 2-type-engine, can be used with various tools)
• GTKRadiant (GTK Radiant, level editor for IDTech-engine based games, GTKRadiant has completely replaced SDRadiant, GTKRadiant may soon be replaced by ZeroRadiant itself). For a tutorial on mapping using GTKRadiant, see here and here. I also made the tutorials available via download, see the tools section. For notes: see below
• DarkRadiant GTKRadiant version developed for the Dark Mod
• NetRadiant GTK Radiant version used by Xonotic game developers, based on GTKRadiant 1.5. This is the main GTKRadiant version we'll use for our project as it's a fairly recent version, runs great under older windows versions, and doesn't need to be installed unto the hard disk (can be run on portable usb stick)
• Q3Radiant: an older version of Radiant
• Quest A map editor for Quake 2 and related games. Should work with Quake 3 and ET too, though GTKRadiant is probably a much better alternative.
• Frozen Sand Particle Studio Another map editor for quake3 and similar games (ie Urban Terror, ...).
• TrenchBroom (level editor for IDTech-engine based games)
• BSP map editor (map editor for IDTech-engine based games, requires Quake2 to work)
• Twig model viewer (model viewer, used with DarkPlaces engine)
• Fimg An image editor, able to edit quake and half life sprites
• Nem's Mega Terrain Generator (terrain generator for ID Tech games, amongst others)
• Spacescape, to model the nightly sky
• IQE plugins (importers/exporters) for Noesis and Blender
• MD3 and MD5 exporter plugins for Blender 2.69/2.70 & 2.63a; note that these plugins also immediately allow the use of shaders
• Hex editors:Frhed, dhex, emacs; needed to port quake 3 maps to ET(:L) map format

Tools specific to AssaultCube and Urho3D-based games

• The AssaultCube game engine can be downloaded from the assaultcube download page. The game engine also contains the main map editor, weirdly enough. It can be accessed from within the game by pressing "E".
• For additional tools for AssaultCube, see here; most notably are the Blocks/TDM-GCC, MinGW, libsdl-image1.2-dev, libsdl-mixer-1.2-dev
• The AssaultCube Reloaded game engine can be downloaded from the assaultcube reloaded main site
• The Urho3D game engine can be downloaded from the Urho3D sourceforge site

Additional tools

Porting tools

• TrueSpace 7.6 Another freeware modelling tool. For tutorials see here Could be useful for making animations/skeletons
• Qoole (an old IDTech-based level editor, now obsolete but could still be of use for porting tasks)
• 3DS Max 3D modelling software. Payware. Most modellers use this (along with the SkelOut plugin and many other plugins)to make 3D player models for ET actually, but if you prefer a free/open-source tool, you can disregard this tool offcourse and pick something else
• Lightwave 3D 3D modelling software. Payware
• Autodesk Maya 3D modelling software. Payware. Also often used for making game models.
• Milkshape 3D (a very complete porting tool; note that it's shareware so you can only use it for a limited duration without paying; also allows to convert mdc files to md3 files)
• Rhino3D General 3D modeller. Payware.
• Zbrush 3D modelling tool (sculpting tool). Payware
• Valve hammer editor (Valve's Source level editor, could be useful to port some models to the ID Tech-based platform. Used to be called "WorldCraft") Also note there's a skp to vmf export plugin for sketchup allowing to further edit sketchup models in the Valve hammer editor
• Jackhammer (a program similar to the Hammer editor, able to load Quake 1,2,3 and Half-Life .map's)
• DoomEdit, QuakeEdit, Editworld; part of Doom3/QuakeWorld games; can be used for ID Tech 4 engine porting tasks
• Crafty, BSP and MAP Viewer (map viewers for viewing Half Life 1 and 2 maps)
• Terragen3 Terrain maker. Payware.
• Lightray 3D; another ET player modelling tool Payware
• Shaper Useful for specific porting tasks
• Ultimate Unwrap 3D Useful for porting specific 3D file formats, ... Payware.
• Urho 3D (the Urho 3D suite, can possibly also be of use for porting and specific other tasks)
• OgreGameKit Useful for porting OGRE 3D content, multi-platform. You still need to build it from source though.

Notes

• Google SketchUp won't work with older windows versions, unless you have the latest service packs, ... installed. An older version, Google SketchUp 8 will still work however and is available from filehippo.
• Visual Studio 2008 is still available for windows xp and earlier windows versions. Click here or here for the direct download.
• GTKRadiant won't work with older windows versions, unless you have the latest service packs, Visual Basic C++ 2010 redistributable, ... installed. As an alternative for ET:L level editing, there is also a special GTKRadiant 1.3 version made, which will still work with older windows versions. This GTKRadiant is called WolfET_tool.exe and is downloadable from here Do note though that WolfET is only able to load .map files. You can use Quark map editor to convert other file formats (like .md3) to .map files however to circumvent this problem. Note that other old GTKRadiant versions too are still downloadable.
• TrenchBroom also needs the latest service packs, Visual Basic C++ 2010 redistributable, ... installed.
• The latest Blender versions no longer work under Windows XP and earlier. Use the earlier version 2.68a or version 2.69 to circumvent this.
• To port quake 3 maps to ET, the 4 bytes after "IBSP" needs to be changed from 46 into 47 in the BSP map file using the hex editor; in practice, you'll need to change "2E 00 00 00" into "2F 00 00 00" at the first row