Tools Needed
Note that most of the informations can be used for UT2004 itself and other UTs except UE1 games
Modeling Softwares:
Blender 2.49b or above
Plugins like PSK/PSA Exporters, IQM Exporters, Noesis (the later are useful to correct the bugs related in the psk file)
You can use also 3ds max, Maya (and maya PLE who is free) or milkshape 3d
2D softwares, for textures:
Gimp, Paint.net or Photoshop
Coding: UDE Moddb.com
Later on using Notepad ++ will do if you are more advanced at coding.
Sound Editing: Audacity, Acoustica, or if you are more professionnal FL studio
Unreal ED for importation of the PSK/PSA and also FBX
It also helps creating various packages and setting the animations and meshes like scale and scripts
Anyone can create a BW mod, all it needs is a bit of skill and learn things, also try to do this with friends with different skills
/!\ Important /!\
If you want to use models, use free ones but if you search at gamebanana, check the legality please or stuff that you bought legally in sites like turbosquid and such.
If you don't know how to choose a good model, I will give you a few tricks to get the stuff right.
/!\ Important /!\
Basic Implementation of models
A First try to learn a bit how to use Unreal ED and Blender
Get a free model with textures (labelled game ready stuff is rare but its quite a good warrenty), that makes things easier, And get the hands SDK, I think there is a basic rig in there
Do some rigging and basic animations (start with a simple weapon like a pistol or a rifle), later you can start launchers
Watch in unreal Ed what are the ones needed for a basic weapon
Ideally take the R9 rifle and grab its code by using a batch extract towards BW in the system files.
Once your animations are done, export them with the plugins.
The outcome files will be used to be imported into Unreal Ed
Import to Unreal Ed and also Import the textures
Set up the textures you need and create an UTX file and save it
For the model adjust various settings, if you open a BW animation file, you will have examples
Scale the animated model and set up the ticks and scripts.
With the code just call the right meshes and textures in so you will have your workable 1st person model in.
Compile your code into a mutator, you can do it with UDE or UccComp
Call your mod BWBP with a name of your choice so your new weapon will be listed with the others in the mod menu
Once all of this is done, start the game enable the mod and configure it to enable your fresh weapon.
FAQ:
1/ I have created a bonus pack for BW and I want to upload it here
A You can upload it if you want or just contact me as I'm usually active
2/ I want to contribute to an active weapon pack.
A Contact one of the authors or ask me for it, I usually know them, so I can transmit the message or tell you about the status of the pack with the latest information I have
3/ This Tutorial teaches me nothing
A The goal is just to tell everybody about the needed tools to start modding, so you can do a search on the internet based on this information and find tutorials here and there.
4/ I'm confused I just want to start somewhere.
A If you want something easy, you can do something basic like modifying the BW stuff even if it won't be exactly what you want, it's a good way to start
5/ I hate coding, can I start somewhere else ?
A: you can modify textures by replacing them, always keep the mod to reinstall it
You can also start modeleing / animating but it's a bit a tedious process.
You can also do sounds and change them just create them and with the sound file you can just extract them and change the ones you want to and repack the whole thing
6/ When there is any advanced tutorial?
A Later on I might try to get some already made tutorials here
7/ Modding is hard
A Yes it is, it's not an easy task and you have to consider doing most of the things by yourself, modding BW isn't very hard because all you need is implementing new guns, you can also try getting other features in with some coding or even start with junkwars put some meshes (melee weapons only), and with very little coding, you can have some results.
Once you get some skill here and there you can consider starting a project.
