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Umm...before I get flamed all to hell, yes I've read the "Ultimate BSP Thread" in the 3D section. This seems to concentrate on creating BSP files with Valve Hammer 3.4. Considering the hassle everyone seems to be going through to get the darned thing working, is this really the best way to create BSP levels?

I've looked at the Cartography Shop 3 demo that comes with DBPro.....is this an easier way to create BSP levels? I know the reputation of Halo/Rockstar/Josh from the Blitz forums and the fact that Cartography Shop seems to be pretty well supported. Does Valve Hammer offer anything that Cartography Shop 3 doesn't or vice versa?

Also, I own 3D Studio 4 and I read that you can create levels as .X files within 3DS and export to .BSP using the BSP compiler that also comes with DBPro. Does this work okay and is there anything I need to be aware of when making levels this way? How are collisions handled in these packages from within DBPro?

Basically, I'm just after some advice on the best/easiest way to create BSP levels before I fork out cash for CS3. What other options are there? Anything besides BSP that I should be aware of when creating levels? I've done a search on "BSP" and most people seem to recommend Valve Hammer....which seems a little odd as CS3 is sold right here on the site.

Also, what are "lightmaps" and what is meant by the term "baking textures"?

And finally.....How about just creating levels with a matrix editor and dropping meshes into the scene to create levels?

Thanks for any advice on this. I know I've probably asked a bunch of simplistic questions but I'm looking for a definitive answer on this before I dive in.

Apologies in advance for my extreme newbie-ness. I've not really done anything much in 3D and haven't really got to grips with the terminology.

Ta

Rage_Matrix

right then, this could be a long one

-i have used cartography shop to create basic bsp levels, using the .x exporter and bsptox converter included with dbp
-i'd imagine valve offers more than cart shop for bsp's but i've never used it, just bear in mind that cart shop wasn't really designed for .bsp's
-you could definitely use the .x models from 3ds, remember to put your whole level into a box, literally a 3d box, or else you'll get errors.
-a lightmap is created in cart shop(or other progs) after calculating where light would fall in relation to the posistion and properties of light entities.

thats a simple .x map made in cart shop with a lightmap


thats the same one without.

-i could never get lightmapped bsp's to work very well in dbp
-texture baking has something to do with lightmapping, i think its how they make the lightmaps.
-creating levels with a matrix editor+using meshes is fine, also the easiest however bear in mind that matrices can lower the frame rate of your game considerably so try to avoid using them in large amounts.

checkout out this prog
http://darkbasicpro.thegamecreators.com/?m=forum_view&t=20985&b=5
(download link is further down that page, not at the top)
it uses a matrix to create a completely random city
to cap it off, .bsp isn't really the best level format for db at the moment so maybe leave it, in upgrade 6 it will introduce some impressive features that make .x meshes much better to use aswell, and they are already the best choice imo.
ReD_eYe

Cartography Shop is for indoor levels only, if you want to make outside matrix's that is another issue.
With that said, Cartography Shop is the only way to go to make indoor levels. I have never used BPS, because .x (DirectX) is so much easier. Once your lever is build you save collision maps and lighting parts and you are in. The new Cartography Shop will load directly into DBpro. What could be easier.
The new lighting should be out soon as the next patch for DBpro is released. There is a problem they are working out. You will also have a choice of sliding collision.

I would abandon the BPS for .x, and I think that would make the process much easier.

Okey-dokey. Thats very informative, thanks. Looks like I'm going to have to fork over some money for CS3