Checking Scale Inside UnrealED
How to check the scale inside the editor

There's a few ways you can check the scale inside your editor whilst you are building, and this can prove invaluable. The sooner you get the scale right the better, as the more you build out of scale the more you will have to correct later if it's wrong. Once you are adept with the editor you'll have a good idea of the scale from the grids.

A point to note is that the Scale can vary across games, and more specifically game types. For example, you may have noticed that Deus Ex (Another game made with the Unreal Editor) scale was slightly smaller than the Unreal Scale, although the grid and size of the unit stays the same. Some Unreal mods can also feature slightly different scales.

Using a Player Model Whilst Building (UT2K3/2K4)

By far the simplest way to check the scale of your level while you are building is to place a model of a player inside the editor; and fortunately there is one available. This is especially useful to people just getting to grips with the editor. By placing this model whilst editing, you can see exactly how large players will appear in game.

1. Open the actor browser (The 'chess piece' button at the top of the editor, shown right). Expand Pawn by clicking the plus (+) icon beside it, then expand UnrealPawn, and click once on xPawn to highlight it.

The "Actor Class" browser.

2. In the 3D view, move your camera to where you want to add the player model. Right-click the ground and select 'Add xPawn here' from the menu to place it.

3. Check that the player model is level with the ground, not floating or buried slightly. You can move and rotate this model where you want, like anything else in the editor.

NOTE! The xPawn model will become a bot when you test the map. A static model can be found inside the cf_DE static mesh pack, named cf_DeadJugg. This is found using the static mesh browser (Arch button, shown below).

The "Static Mesh" browser.

UnrealED Measurments; Units and the Grid

The grid defaults at 16 Units, this means that every square on the grid is 16 units in length. You can change this for smaller (or larger!) scale work by right clicking a 2D view, scrolling down to grid from the menu that appears, then click on the scale you like. Using this grid, it's possible to have a good idea of the scale of things just by looking at it.

Here is a general idea of the size of things. It's a good idea to learn to estimate the scale from the grid at a glance, as this can let you decide what sized brushes you'll need.

Player: About 90 Units high, and 50 Units wide. (May vary depending on model)

Ceiling Heights:
256 Units is a standard ceiling size; enough for a comfortable double jump.
128 Units will allow players to walk under, but not jump fully.
84 Units will deny a player the ability to jump.
64 Units will allow a player to crouch under, like an air duct.

Note to remember: Speed power up will increase your jumping height!

Stairs: 16 Units per step is ideal, anything higher may not let a player walk up/down.

Converting Unreal Units to Real Measurments

From the general sizes of players and objects, it can be possible to convert the grid roughly to a real life scale. Here is a list of helpful measurements. some decimals have been rounded for ease of use, therefore these are approximate and should only be used as a guide!)

1 inch = 2.54 cm
1 foot = 12 inches / 30.48 cm
1 meter = 100 cm / 3.28 ft / 39.37 inch

1 Unit = 0.75 inch or 1.9 cm
16 Units = 1 ft / 30.48 cm
96 Units = 6 ft / 1 m 82.88 cm
256 Units = 16 ft / 4 m 87.68 cm
53 Units = 1 m / 3.13 ft

Automatic Conversion Tools
A useful and easy to use tool for converting this is the Unreal Unit Converter. This is a web-based form that will convert these values for you. You can also download the program for that page, or here at outpt. (16kb, .zip) Another newer but more difficult tool to use is REAL2UNREAL, also available to download here. (2.5kb, .zip)

Editor Tip:
Remember that a 'realistic' scale may not be ideal, not least because Unreal Tournament isn't exactly a realistic game. You may have noticed in some of the arenas that the corridors and doorways can be quite high. You may want to take into consideration the gameplay, maneuverability, and additional details you might add to the area when building your scale. This is, trying to maximize atmosphere, gameplay, and graphics without the scale ever looking bad.

Checking Scale In-Game
How to check the scale inside the editor

By far the best way to test your scale, and how it effects the gameplay, is to wander around your level in-game. The default first person view can be a little misleading when wandering around solo, as things can appear a little bigger than you would expect, although it will let you see how your actual level would look from your view. Therefore, I highly recommend you use both first person and third person view when testing.

You can switch into third person view (So your character appears on-screen) at anytime in-game. To do this open your console screen by pressing TAB (The button above Caps Lock on the left side of your keyboard). Then type behindview 1 and press return/enter. The camera should switch to this view automatically. In UT2K4 you can use your change view key, F4 default. Use behindview 0 to return to a first person perspective.

This is very useful when you're testing your level solo, as you can wander around and see how other players or bots look compared to the size of the room and against the scenery.