Editing Tips
Interlopers Editing Tips
We've collated some useful tips for you to read and learn from. Whether you're a complete novice or an advanced level designer - you should find something here to interest you.
To contribute your own useful tips please visit this thread and read the first post for instructions.
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In total there are 50 tips
The users who submitted the most tips are:
- Blink ( 12 )
- Phott ( 2 )
- Lord Ned ( 2 )
- Olympus04 ( 2 )
- source-maps ( 2 )
The users with the highest rated tips are:
- forty-nin3 ( 3.00 )
- Penney ( 3.00 )
- YokaI ( 2.00 )
- goldendeed ( 2.00 )
- marnamai ( 2.00 )
Re: Flexible rotation
Tip Rating: -1.00
"Do you think it's annoying when you can't rotate things 180 with exact precision? Well have you tried ticking the "15 degree rotation" box in the "2D view"-settings? Do that and it shouldn't be a problem. What? You need stepless rotation again? Well, just hold the shift button and rotate." - lillerik
Or...
Press Ctrl+M and type in 180 in "X" and press OK.Category: Hammer
Map Edit
Tip Rating: 2.00
The map_edit command in Source is a useful feature that if used correctly allows you to alter certain parts of your map from within the game itself.
An example of this is running the map and allowing all the prop_physics objects to settle and fall in to place and then writing these new positions back to Hammer so that processing time can be saved by not calculating the props' location everytime the map starts in future.
This article on the Developer Wiki goes through the process in full detail.Category: Hammer
Untextured Geometry.
Tip Rating: 2.00
When using dev textures or placeholder textures on complex and repeated geometry such as multi-brush pillars and archways for hallways, just keep one and use a simple brush as a reference for the rest.
Category: Hammer
Flexible rotation
Tip Rating: 2.00
Do you think it's annoying when you can't rotate things 180 with exact precision? Well have you tried ticking the "15 degree rotation" box in the "2D view"-settings? Do that and it shouldn't be a problem. What? You need stepless rotation again? Well, just hold the shift button and rotate.
Category: Hammer
Nudge it around!
Tip Rating: 0.00
By default the arrow keys on your keyboard let you pan around the 2D viewports, as well as rotate the camera in the 3D viewport.
Since panning can be more intuitively accomplished by holding space and dragging with the left mouse button, there is an option that makes the arrow keys more usefull.
If you go to Tools->Options in the top menu bar, and select the 2D views tab you will see a checkbox labeled "Arrow keys nudge selected object/vertex." Check that and now the arrow keys will move what you have selected in any of the viewports by the number of units that snap to grid is set to.Category: Hammer
Keep things in scale
Tip Rating: 2.00
By using the dev textures you can ensure parts of your map stay in proportion with the player. Things such as doors and walls have specific textures for this use. Failing that, add several info_player_start entities in your map when you are working on new areas - this will give you a constant visual reminder of your level in relation to the player.
Category: Hammer
Using the grid
Tip Rating: 0.00
When creating brushwork make sure to stay on the grid. This means that brushes should have even lengths. It becomes very time consuming to deal with odd numbered brushes.
Also changing the scale of you grid can make work go much faster. In the beginning stages of the map put the scale up. Using 16,32 or 64 units works well. In these larger scales it is very easy to line brushes up.Category: Hammer
Realism, and working from references
Tip Rating: 1.00
When working from real-world references, always beware confusing realism with accuracy. In games, realism is best thought of as 'suspension of disbelief', not accuracy. So, just because your reference photo contains oddly-aligned brickwork, or a glaring seam between two styles of brickwork, this doesnt mean you should recreate that - it'll end up looking like bad texture alignment. Similarly, a strong contrast between two lighting styles might not always carry over to the game well. In short, always prioritise the artistic qualities of the scene over it's accuracy.
Category: Miscellaneous
Base Brushing
Tip Rating: 1.00
When creating your map at the start phase, create the geometry in "DEV" textures (Search for "DEV" in the texture editing). When you have made the start geometry, i.e: the first hallway with a room in the end with some main things. Throw some "light" enities in your map, and compile.
Now look and see if everything is how you wanted it.
Summary: Compile often, and there is no need to texture everything before you know it looks right.Category: Hammer
Pre-Hammer Planning
Tip Rating: 3.00
Just because "You have a good idea in your head" doesn't mean it's the best idea. Turn off the screen and get some paper, a pencil, a ruler and whatever geometry tools you think will be necessary. Draw a layout, basic or complex, it's for YOU to follow. Editing your drawing is a 100x easier then editing your map later in hammer. Also keep in mind your original idea is rarely your best idea. Let your mind flow and think, let the map evolve.
Category: Miscellaneous
Shortcuts
Tip Rating: 1.00
Get to know the shortcuts! You'll save yourself a few seconds each time you use one, and that'll build up to minutes and hours as you continue mapping.
Every action that will be used relatively often will have a shortcut; take the time to check what they are, and memorise them by using them.
Most of the common tool shortcuts are accessed through the SHIFT key and use the lower left side of the keyboard for easy access.
Use shortcuts! They aren't called shortcuts for nothing.Category: Hammer
Final Release
Tip Rating: 1.00
Never submit a final version of you map with out running a Full HDR compile in Hammer's Advanced Options
Category: Hammer
Splitting Vertices
Tip Rating: 2.00
Splitting Vertices can be useful in many situations. For example, if you make a curved corner you don't want to have long thin pieces so you can split a edge and make it have larger pieces.
Like this:
- Select a face
- Press CTRL+F while you have selected a Yellow square
- Move the newly created vertices
Category: Hammer
Photoshop tiling
Tip Rating: 0.00
If you are making textures in photoshop and you are at the point of tiling the texture
most people cut the right side and paste it to the left, and then cut the top and paste it to the bottom.
Well there is a filter in photoshop that does this trick for you.
Go to Filters > Other > Offset
Fill in the half of your resolution in the Horizontal and Vertical boxes
So if you are working on a 1024x1024 texture type 512 in both boxes.
The rest is up to you and your 'healing brush' tool!Category: Textures
Realism vs. Suspense of Disbelief
Tip Rating: 1.00
When a player starts up a game, they already know it isn't real. The point here is that any environment must therefore attempt to remove that idea from the player. That means just because you have seen a 200 foot long brick wall in real life, does not mean it will look good in-game. It is therefore important to get others opinions on your level to keep in check the Suspense of Disbelief you have attempted to create.
Category: Miscellaneous
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