Thread: Unreal Development Kit is free for noncommercial

Yes, but doesn't that require you to be a student? Some of us aren't students, not forever anyway.. But, it sounds cheap enough. Is it annual, or a one time fee?

@tommo: You're reading UE documentation as if it applies somehow to UDK. They are not the same thing. This is one of the unfortunate side-effects of them mixing their commercial/source licensee documentation on the same Wiki as their UDK documentation. @mkultra -- all of those tools are provided with UDK. I had no problem exporting an existing animated mesh using ActorX to the Unreal formats. It's no more heinous than exporting to...

mkultra333 wrote: I think I see the first stumbling block for myself. It seems animated models have to be in a format created by the ActorX plugin for either 3DStudio, Maya or SoftImage. None of which I have, and all of which cost thousands of dollars. In general getting assets into UDK looks agonizing. Static meshes have to be .ase, and you have to manually load the mesh's material seperately. Levels have to be made in their editor, no...

After a little experimentation, the glamour is wearing off for me. I don't like UnrealEd's brush construction method at all, it's very slow compared to what I'm used to. And I don't like their lighting model either. It's overcomplicated, there are way too many tweaks and settings for lights, and the end result doesn't seem to justify it. They still use lightmaps as well as proper dynamic lights, but the...

eugen wrote: _tommo_ wrote: I'm still unable to find a full UnrealScript API reference... from what i saw US is really dull and unexpressive for what the engine can do... i would gladly like to change my mind anyway Here is alot of information about the Unreal Script, enjoy: http://wiki.beyondunreal.com/Legacy:UnrealScript or http://udn.epicgames.com/Two/UnrealScriptReference.html From what ive seen until now there is alot of information...

I actually have an earlier version. Thanks for showing me there's an update. FBX support is awesome.

mkultra333 wrote: I think I see the first stumbling block for myself. It seems animated models have to be in a format created by the ActorX plugin for either 3DStudio, Maya or SoftImage. None of which I have, and all of which cost thousands of dollars. In general getting assets into UDK looks agonizing. Static meshes have to be .ase, and you have to manually load the mesh's material seperately. Levels have to be made in their editor, no...

xavier wrote: I hate to distract you while you're having fun, but you're essentially re-inventing a wheel that's been polished over and over throughout computing history. For example: http://www.ddj.com/cpp/184401784 Yeah, but I'm trying to do it in a more 'in-class' way.

And Mr. John Ratcliffe just made it even easier with his (and Stan Melax') EZmesh library: John and Stan have a mesh library with support for animated ogre, fbx and unreal meshes? Ok, now this thread is exciting me.

My work required me to take two courses at the university in Sweden. As simple as that. Here in Sweden it's free to take single courses even for people from other countries. There are courses on distance to sign up for as as well. I am 43 and have a job as well, so i see no excuse except that it still cost a little money to get the pack. You don't need to ask anyone at the university for permission to buy it. Just contact a Autodesk...