The Quake fan who built the map editor everyone uses never made a single map in it
The Quake Fan who built the map editor everybody uses
In 2010, Mac user Kristian Duske wanted to make Quake maps but disliked existing editors, so he wrote TrenchBroom from scratch. Fifteen years and several rewrites later, it's the go-to editor for custom Quake maps and retro shooters like Wrath and GRAVEN. Ironically, Duske never made another map himself. He discusses the project's evolution, the hardest features, and how AI now helps him maintain it.
Ironically, I never made a single map again, using TrenchBroom or otherwise...
- paczki
Cool article, never knew the actual history of how Trenchbroom got started! Have been using it very casually over the last decade or so. There are some incredible Quake mappers out there making things that would make your jaw drop if you haven't seen Quake in quite a while.
For example, Arcane Dimensions[0] or the Quake Brutalist Jam[1]
- drbscl
Trenchbroom is legitimately among the best software I have ever used. I grew up using Hammer and this simply blows it out of the water.
One nice thing is that you can use it as a level editor for your own games in Godot with func_godot
- Panzerschrek
Trenchbroom is very good, but I still think, it's not the best possible map editor. It uses brush-based approach, which isn't the right way of designing maps for games in closed spaces (like Quake). Creating each room requires creating at least 6 brushes for its walls/floor/ceiling, which is way to much for such stuff. On the other hand Unreal Editor (for first Unreal and Unreal Tournament) supports creating rooms directly (as subtractive brushes), when two room primitive touch each other, they are automatically connected.