Once you have the .map file(s), copy them into your Duke Nukem 3D directory (usually c:\duke3d) Once the maps are in their, go to DOS and change to your Duke Nukem directory (ex- cd\duke3d) Then type 'setup'. When the menu comes up, go down and choose 'select user map', then a list will come up and show you what map files you have, choose the one you want to play and hit enter. After that, just go to the bottom and select 'save and launch Duke Nukem' The program will automatically start up and put you into the map file you selected. You can also do this with a command line option, but this is the no brainer way to do it.

The Build editor is the only program available to make levels for Duke Nukem 3D. It comes only with the full commercial retail version of Duke Nukem 3D, and it is highly unlawful to distribute it any other way. In other words, no, I can't send you the Build editor.

OK, here is the easy way to install the Build Editor properly: 1) create a temporary directory on your hard drive, call it whatever you want. 2) Find the 'goodies' directory on your Duke Nukem 3D Full Version CD, in their somewhere is the Build directory that has all the files you will need. Once you find it, copy all those files into the temporary directory you just made. 3) Now go into Windows 95 Explorer and find that temporary directory you made, it should have a small handful of files in it, such as build.exe, bsetup.exe, etc. Now what you have to do is right click on each file. When the window comes up, select 'properties'. Somewhere there is an area where you can change the file attributes of a file. You need to change ALL the files you just copied from READ ONLY, which is what they will currently be set at, to ARCHIVE. 4) Once you have done step three, you MUST now copy all those files from the temporary directory, directly into your Duke Nukem 3D directory, otherwise the program will not work! 5) Once those files are in the Duke directory, you need to run bsetup.exe before you can start using Build. Use that program to select your video mode setting, if your'e unsure, just choose the lower resolution. Now you can run Build whenever you want, just type 'build'.

All my Duke Nukem 3D levels may be considered "freeware". This means that they may be freely distributed in any way, so you don't have to ask my permission to put them on your page. I do require however that they only be distributed in their original ZIP format, with the map and text file fully intact and unchanged. Thanks!

.....make a door, make an elevator work, make glass, etc, etc, etc. I really appreciate getting feedback on my levels, and I always enjoy all the emails I get from people all over the world who enjoy my levels. But like most people, I have a life and a job, and Build can be a complicated program, and I do get lots of mail. What it comes down to is that I just don't have the time, resources, or patience to teach anyone how to use Build. There are, however, many excellent resources available that can turn anyone into a level-making fool just like me! My first and best reccomendation is that you go out to your local software store and look for the excellent 'Duke Nukem 3D Level Design Handbook' by Matt Tagliaferri (pictured below). This book is an invaluable resource on all things Build, and will take you step by step through all of Builds many features. If your not willing to spend the twenty bucks, you still have a great alternative you can start using in minutes! It's the Build Map Editing FAQ by Brett Gmoser, and even I still reference it to this day. It too can be an invaluable learning tool, and also features step by step instructions on Build. It is available at the bottom of this page with the other links. Print it out, you'll be glad you did! Down there are also other places you can go for help that are far more informative than this page.

Like I said, I tend to be pretty busy in general, and although I love receiving email, and usually respond to all of it, I can't make any promises as far as having the time to review your levels. If you want to send me your maps to look at, I really am honored, I just can't promise I'll have the time to look at them and/or get back to you with any kind of response. It's not that I don't want to, it's that there are only so many hours in the day.

1) Use lighting effects. When you make an area or a room, ask yourself where the light is coming from, then try to provide that light source and supply convincing looking area's of light and shadow. Even a crappy map looks one hundred percent better if it has descent simulated lighting.

2) Attention to detail and polish! This is what most internet maps lack, and is what will set yours apart. Don't go overboard, but put in nice little details that players will enjoy, and make your rooms more than just square boxes, make them interesting. The ceiling is often an overlooked area when it comes to detail and decoration.

3)Don't forget frame rate and playability! Avoid making very large spaces, or spaces where the player would see many different walls and vertices. A tight compact level is almost always better than a level with many huge spaces.

4)Learn often unknown keys: the . key (period) will auto-align your textures for you. Use the 'O' key on walls where there is a window, that way the texture will match both above and below the window. Also use 'O' on the sides of up/down doors so that the door frame doesn't move up and down with the door. Use the 'R' key on sector floors at an odd angle so the texture will look right, set the pallete for the 'bigorbit' parallaxed sky to '3' so it won't kill the player, and any subways under it won't shoot rockets. And above all, save often!

5) Perspective, perspective, perspective! This is the most common mistake map makers commit. Since in Build you can often scale objects and textures to any size you want, make sure you have most notably sprites and doors scaled correctly. This means sprites like trash cans, desk chairs, etc don't look like they are bigger than Duke, Doors are also another area to watch, make sure your doors look like a realistic size. Most mappers generally always scale too big, so it's usually better to scale smaller than larger.