Using 'Tool' Textures

[Tutorial]

category
General Half-Life 2/Editor

description
Every level designer comes across these textures, and rightly so.

keywords
tool, texture, tools, textures, hint, clip, area, portal, skip, no draw, no, draw, trigger.

There is a group of textures in Hammer that can be very handy for keeping your map organised. A lot of them are self explanatory, but some of them are vital for some brush entities to work, so pay attention . . . .

Areaportal:

Cover 'func_areaportal's in this texture. 'func_areaportal's are a very good way to control visibility in indoor maps.

Clip:

A brush with this texture applied to it will stop things such as players and physics objects, but is invisible, and will let light and bullets pass through it. It does not seal maps.

Hint/Skip:

Use these two textures together to make hint brushes. One face on the brush should be hint, and the rest should be skip. Read alot on how to use hint brushes before trying it.

Ladder:

Use this on 'func_ladder's on CS:S. Cover the whole brush in it.

Nodraw:

This texture will never be rendered. Apply it to single faces on top of builsings, poles, etc, where the player can't get to. Does seal maps.

Occluder:

Used on the 'func_occluder' brush entity. 'func_occluders' stop the player from rendering models that are behind it. Apply them to the faces that will block rendering. Once again, research before use.

Origin:

I'm not sure if this texture is still used, but it can be handy for entities such as 'env_precipitation', whos origin is sometimes outside of the world. Make a small block covered in this texture, and tie it with the rest of the brushes and it will override the entities normal origin. DO NOT use as a texture on a world brush, or anything but an origin brush for that matter, as it will cause compile errors.

Playerclip:

Similar to 'Clip', but only blocks players. Doesnt seal maps.

Skybox:

Any brush that is part of your skybox should be covered in this texture.

Trigger:

Apply this texture to any brush entity that isn't visible, such as 'env_precipitation', 'func_dustmotes', 'trigger_multiple', etc. This texture is translucent in Hammer. Should not be used in game. Does not seal maps.


When I test some more of the 'Tools/' textures, I will post another tut.

Serever

[mad_ferrit]

Kinda useful up to a point. It's fair enough telling us roughly what each texture is for but a more in-depth explainationon exactly how and when to use each texture would have been much more help.

Nonetheless, thanks for taking the time out to make the tut

[snufflez]

as far as i know clip seals maps but then again...even if u have leaks source still does the lighting...

[tom]

Can you tell me please waht program are you using?

[Hona]

Can you tell me please waht program are you using?

Hammer Editor, the mapeditor for the Source Engine.

Or what do you mean with "waht program are you using"?

[DeathProdigy]

please more details,in-depth examples of the uses of each texture, screenshots of it in use etc please.

[jmplayer]

Yeah. and there are also some textures missing there.

Skip, you can cover a group of entities and group it to the entities and it will become easier to move. Also, it is ignored by the compiler.

Block LOS does what it says, blocks NPC LOS, but does cast VRAD shadows. Use inside brushes or model.

Block Bullet is what the name does say. It blocks bullets, but in CS:S, you may need to make the brush bigger to stop bullets, especially from the AWP.

Block Light. I don't how to use this, but I never got any sort of result. Maybe it blocks dynamic lights?

[Mr. Happy]

block light blocks rad lighting, but not completely. The thickness of the brush effects the "deepness" of the blockage. Light does bleed through it. I did a bunch of tests once, http://www.interlopers.net/forum/viewto ... blocklight as you can see it does not fully block a the bounces, but smoothes them, and creates darlness behind it in the right conditions.