In this short tutorial I will be showing you how to quickly setup Quark to compile and run maps for the Quake 4 game engine. This is one of the easiest games to configure in QuArK. Primarily because, unlike most other games, there are no build tools that you need to download or setup to build a map with. These are already built right into the Quake 4 game engine itself. In addition, just about every setting you need is already pre-set for you. So let's get to it!

Part 1 – Setting up QuArK to work with Quake 4 In this section we will quickly go over how to setup Quark to work with Quake 4. To start with load up Quark, you should be greeted with the 'Quark Explorer' panel. The Quark Explorer allows you to define which game environment you wish to work in, as well as doing many other things. First we need to select the game we want to map for. We do this by simply going to the 'Games' button located on the top right of the Explorer panel, once pressed it will present you with a drop list of all the currently available games, select Quake 4 as shown in the screen shot to the right. Next we need to setup Quark to work with the Quake 4 game engine, to do so go back to the 'Games' button and press the 'Configuration' button at the bottom of the list. Once selected a new window will be opened called 'Configuration', making sure you have Quake 4 selected on the left navigation panel, (under the Games Tab) as we now need to fill out some of the necessary game settings on the right of the Configuration panel which is shown in the next image just below.

Part 2 – QuArK game and .md3 model packs These are the QuArK Quake 4 game support packages. Download both .zip files and extract them, using the folders path option, to the game folder location where you have Quake 4 installed on your computer. All the paths to the "q4base" sub-folder have already been set in these zip files. You need to download the base QuArK_Quake4.zip game support package from the Official QuArK site to display all textures and updated shader files. The zip file is about 12.6 MB and will take around 30 seconds with cable or DSL. The second QuArK_Quake4md3.zip file is optional, but required if you wish to actually see the models for placement in the QuArK editor 3D views. It was done this way because it is a much larger file, about 365 MB and will take around 15 minutes with cable or DSL. These packages have been created to work with QuArK 6.5.0 Beta 1 or later and will give the most complete support available. Every effort has been made working through the Quake 4 game files and other sources to allow the viewing of all available textures in QuArK's Texture Browser, all game models viewable in the 3D editor Texture views and detail entity settings with the use of pre-defined dropdown list, model selection and variations list, file selection capabilities for models and sounds, as well as 'color pickers' for all lighting functions. Even a few 'script\shader' corrections.

Part 3 – QuArK Quake 4 Configuration settings As you can see in the image below, most of the settings have already been set with a default entry. While others have been pre-coded in QuArK's Defaults.qrk file that you can not see. This will prove to make life a lot easyer when you go to build and run your maps in Quake 4. Quake 4 command-line : Even though this is pre-set for you, I wanted to explain exactly what the added items are that follow the quake4.exe entry. The "+seta com_allowconsole 1" lets you bring down the Game Console by pressing the ~ Tilde key, instead of Ctrl+Alt+~ keys as you would normally have to do. The "+dmap %filename%" is the command that is fed into the Quake 4 Game Console automatically to build your map, %filename% is a variable that fills in the current map name you are editing. And even though you can not see it, because it has been pre-coded in QuArK's Defaults.qrk file, there is another command line entry of "+devmap (the map name)" that loads the compiled map in to the Quake 4 engine and runs it. Directory of Quake 4 : This is the ONLY item that you really need to set. If this does not match your location, use the ... button to select your Quake 4 folder. After you have finished setting Quark to work with the Quake 4 engine, simply hit the 'Apply' button, and then press the 'OK' button to close the Configuration panel. This will put you back in the Quark Explorer. Now is also a good time to close QuArK completely, this will save your settings in the Setup.qrk file. You're done! Part 2 – Compiling When you are ready to compile your map, simply select the "DMAP [.proc file creation]" main menu item. This will cause QuArK to export the map file to your Quake 4\q4base\maps folder. If the maps folder does not exist then QuArK will create it. Once that is done, QuArK will then start Quake 4 up to complete the process of compiling the map file and running it in Quake 4. All the compiled files will also be created in the maps folder. It can't get much simpler then that! Because you have already completed the configuration steps above you will be able to see your map in QuArK's Textured 3D view. Even that part is automatically done for you. Just place your mouse cursor over that view, click your RMB and select "Textured" from the pop-up menu. The only other thing QuArK could do to make it easer, would be to make the map for you. Just a few more minor but important pointers in the Misc. Info. section below and you're good to go.