Automated Light Build | Mapping

[kira]

Ha'alan Everyone! 

Lately I have been rethinking about idea I had while back ago - an Automated service for compiling maps.  
So as far as i know, there are mappers that once finished their map development want to compile lights and such but it takes a lot of time and also neutralize their use of the PC.  In most cases I seen , other members of the community take the role of using their high end PC to compile maps, which require manually to download map file , place in the UDK folder, open editor, hit compile and go do something else for hour or two.  But then I thought why not automate this boring process?

So here is the idea :
After finishing creating the map, the mapper will upload their .UDK and .UPK files through a website to a remote server. 

Then the server will loop through of his volunteering PC's (Or it would be done on the server it self,  havent decided yet)

The compile would take place on the strong hardware, after successful compile will be sent back to the server.

The server will receive the compiled map and generate a link for the same mapper which chose to load it through email message or some desktop app.

How would the compile happens?
There is a special flag that tells the editor to compile lights through the command line, which can be implemented in batch file.
The tricky part is to download Perforce server and client and connect it with the UDK.
Perforce is a source control system (like git) which the UDK knows how to use. 
So I research a bit and made it happen, but I want to make sure it's ok to use it for our needs so I recommend google them and read their long long privacy and user terms (sorry my English not that good and I hate reading so much)
Also, I made a tutorial of how to config the required stuff so you can too can build batch files to automate compile light builds, well untill i finish the "compile as service" im planning, would take a while to plan and design and code and test and such.  (yeah i know i said many and's)

Well what's in it for us?
Faster  builds, your PC is free to use, quicker updates and hot-fixes.

I don't want to talk too big before something is ready, and in use , BUT I must say so I would commit to make it happen  -  I plan to make this "Light Build As Service" system, modifiable for future builds operations on next generation engines . 
So the quicker we will done with this one, ill proceed to the next milestone (hope i am expressing it right) in the automated light build for mappers.
 

 

Here is the tutorial :
http://www.mediafire.com/file/tc5nq6fq9r6xy6n/Automated+Lights+Build+-+UDK.pdf/file

If it goes well or not , notify me here so I could keep track of it.

[TK0104]

Something like we once had for a couple of weeks. We had access to a Windows PC with some good hardware to build lights on in 30 mins - 1 hour (production level) and we could commit that map file to the RenX SVN and then edit it further on our own computer.

[kira]

19 hours ago, TK0104 said:

Something like we once had for a couple of weeks. We had access to a Windows PC with some good hardware to build lights on in 30 mins - 1 hour (production level) and we could commit that map file to the RenX SVN and then edit it further on our own computer.

And where is it today?

Edited August 16, 2020 by kira

[TK0104]

9 hours ago, kira said:

and where is it today?

Dead. It only lasted for 2 weeks or so.

[kira]

12 minutes ago, TK0104 said:

Dead. It only lasted for 2 weeks or so.

why it lasted so little ? what happend?

[TK0104]

7 minutes ago, kira said:

why it lasted so little ? what happend?

There were some issues from the hosters side. I thought it had to do something with money that kept that server alive

[kira]

Well my approach saves money because it would based its compiling power on volunteering people which lend their pc on their AFK time.