Introduction to Radiant As mentioned earlier, Radiant will be the editor that we'll be using. The following screenshots will give you an idea of what a map in it's early stages looks like.
 
 
This is the bounding box that holds our world. Outside is what I call the "void". When the walls, ceiling, and floor don't line up perfectly your box will "leak". Just like punching a hole in the side of a space capsule.
Inside the box you can see some simple brushes that I've made to look like mushrooms. The bounding box usually also makes up the ceiling, floor, and walls of the map.
 
 
Here you can see some detail of the textures used to cover the brushes. Textures can be in two formats, JPEG or TGA. Both of which can be easily created in most editors such as Paint Shop Pro or Adobe PhotoShop.
Now the mushrooms are in wire frame mode allowing you to see just the individual brushes them- selves. Brushes that use curves are also called patches. These are the new supported feature of the Q3 engine. "Bezier curves".
Here you can see some of the rudimentary parts that make up a map. Notice how the outside shot is surrounded by grey. This is actually the x,y,z grid that limits the range of design of the level. I also call this space the "void". If your careless about making brushes fit nicely together, they can "leak" and cause a real editing nightmare. Think of your bounding box as being a space capsule that's air tight. If you poke a hole in it trying to find the leak can be a real pain. Especially when you've just put three hours into editing only to have your map take a massive dump. Now let's actually take a look at Radiant.