This is where I keep my mapping tutorials. (Yes there are some Pure Pwnage references for kicks and giggles.)
Mapping for Beginners.
------------------------INTRODUCTION-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anyone reading this most likely a noob at map making, and that you wish to learn how to make maps. This thread will teach you the basics of map making.
But first let me say something.
"Your teachers lied to you saying that anyone can be an astronaut. It turns out that some people are better at things than others.
" Heres and example. The casual noob uses an excuse such as, "I could beat those people if i played as long as they do" THINK AGAIN! It might turn out that mapping is not for you. Dont feel discouraged saying its to hard its to complicated. It just takes time to learn. IF you do not have the paitience to be able to fix updates for Source SDK when valve made an update that made more bugs. Then mapping is not for you. Mapping takes time, and hard work. If you wish to be able to do something you might have to search google, youtube, and FPS Banana. All 3 sites help you like you wouldnt know. Now with that said lets get to mapping.
P.S. CLICK TO ENLARGE THE IMAGES!!!
-------------------------------Tools--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Selection Tool - The selection tool is used to select walls and other objects. You can edit their properites by double clicking them. If you click then once you have it selected then you can edit where it is or how long it is in the graph.
2. Magnify Tool - This makes things easiar to see. I personally never use it and never have.
3. Camera Tool - You click the camera tool so that you may move the camera around by clicking the camera screen with your left mouse (click and hold) then moving it with the arrow keys. Looking around is the same. Move your mouse to looks around.
4. Entity Tool - this tool create entities where you want them. When you create an entity you can use the selection tool to edit its properties. There you can change what type of entity it is.
5. Block Tool - Your most important tool. This tool creates walls blocks and basically the basic structure of the map.
6. Toggle Texture Application - This is used to toggle the texture of the selected object. You select and object with the selection tool then click the toggle texture application button.
7. Apply Current Texture tool - This tool is self-explanatory. It applies the current texture you selected in your browser. You first select something with your selecton tool then hit the apply current texture tool to apply the texture you want.
8. Apply Decal Tool - This is somewhat the same as apply current texture tool. But this tool applies decals. If you take notice in half life 2 that there is sometimes graviti on the walls. Thats a decal. Same goes for blood. You select the decal you want in the texture browser and then click apply decal tool, then click where you want the decal.
9. Apply Overlays tool - Obviously it applies overlays. I never have used this button so dont mess with this.
10. Clipping tool - The clipping tool clips things off walls. This tool is a little hard to explain but most likely you wont need this tool either.
11 Vertex tool - The vertex tool morphs walls the way you want them.
------------------------Graphs-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Camera - This is your view into your map. Use it to find problems and leaks in your map.
2. Top View Graph - This is the graph that shows what your map looks like from above.
3. Front View Graph - This is the graph that shows the front view of your map.
4. Side View Map - This is the graph that shows the side of your map.
-------------------------Textures----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To browse for textures its quiet easy.
Click the browse button next to the picture.
Then all the textures for the game you are modding pop up. Choose the one you like.
---------Construction of your first Room-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So you are going to construct your first room eh? Made it this far without giving up? Im surprised, Now lets begin.
First of all pic the texture you want for you floor or wall or ceiling doesnt matter whichever you are doing first you might want the appropiate texture. Because you do not want a floor texture for your ceiling.
Once you have the texture click the block tool then go to the top graph (top right graph) and click and drag. You will see that a block as shown up on the graph and you also might notice the outline on the camera. once you have it the way you want it right click (on the graph) within the block/wall and click create object. If the object does not show up on the camera put your cursor on the camera and it should say camera in small letters at the top left of the camera screen. Then click the work camera, a drop box shows up. Click 3d Textured and 3D Shaded Texture Polygon. If it still doesnt show up that means your camera isnt looking at the wall/object you made. Therefore you must move the camera to look at the object.
This next pic will show you the directions on the bottom graphs. Going up on the bottom graphs means higher on your map. You simply contruct the base of the wall on the top view graph then drag the little squares on it up on the bottom graphs to make the wall higher. (Remember if you wish to edit something and you already created the object you ust use the selection tool to select the wall then u can move the object around in the graphs and even expand the walls by clicking, holding , and dragging. the squares.
Once you are done with all four walls, the floor, and the ceiling. It should look somewhat like what it is in the camera section on the pic.
----------------Entities, Lights and Spawn Points--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In this section of the tutorial I will show you how to create entities. Entities are basically sandbags barrels boxes all those things are entities. You use entities to add detail and to fill up your map. First off to create an entity click the Entity Tool. ( I Showed you in the first picture....) Now with that selected click anywhere on you map on the camera. A little red box could show up or a green man might. (The green man represents a spawn point)
CLICK THE SELECTION TOOL AND DOUBLE CLICK THE BOX OR GREEN MAN. Now you can edit the properties. The "Class" is the entity type. Click the arrow next to it and a drop box appears. Go down the drop box and find prop_static then click ok at the bottom right of the properties box. By doing this you refresh the properties box so now it has the properties for prop_static.
Now when its refreshed dont worry about all the other options at the moment. Find World Model. When you click it, a browse box shows up on the right. Click browse and find the model for "Sandbag" first at the top of the model browser where it says MDL Files. Click that. Then (Type sandbags in filter) Double click the sandbag wall of your choice. and click ok. The all that left is the prop_static propeties window. Click ok on the properties window and your entity should change to the sand bag. As long as the sand bag shows up then you did it right. However it might be a little in the floor it might be hovering. Who knows but thats when you select it with selection tool and change its face in direction and how high or low it is.
Now its on to lights. lights are very easy. Basic lights that is. Do the same thing you did to create the last entity. (Click entity tool then click on the floor of your map). Then edit that box and change its class to light. It should look like a lightbulb when you click ok to finish the properties. (dont mess with the other propeties just change class of the entity to light then click ok to finish the properties.)
Now last for this section is spawn points. Sense im making a map for Day of Defeat Source my spawn point name is info_player_allies or info_player_axis.
Just make another entity by clicking on the entity tool then clicking on the floor of your map. The get the selection tool and double click the entity so that you can change its class to info_player_allies or info_player_axis. Just make 2, one for both team, if you dont make spawns then no one will be able to play on the map and thats not fun. Once you change the class to info_player_allies or info_player_axis click apply and then the little green man should pop up. Thats the spawn point.
Now sense you have the room built, you have lights, spawn points, and a test entity you should be good to go to compile. At the top click file then save as. Save the map to a simple name such as "test". Without quotation marks. Then when its saved click file then run map. A compiler window should come up everything should be fine so just hit compile. [b]IF YOUR HAMMER CRASHES WHEN COMPILING CHECK THE BOX DONT RUN GAME AFTER COMPILING BEFORE YOU CLICK COMPILE.[/b]
When its done compiling the BSP should be where the vmf is. The vmf is the original save file that you use to edit the map. The bsp is the map file the game runs off of. IF you had to check dont run game after compile then just right click the bsp hit copy then open up the maps folder for the game your map making for and paste the bsp in there. Then open the game like normal and make your own server. The map should show up in the maps selection list.
If you did everything in the tutorial then the map should look somewhat like this.
-------Ending------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So you managed to get through the easy part, and when I say easy I mean easy. Things will get somewhat harder in the next. If you did everything right then im surprised you got this far. Good Job.
--------------------Introduction--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is your 2nd lesson from me so you managed to get this far? Well this lesson is about creating a skybox. Not to difficult even for a noob.
--------------------So Far--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You tried creating an outside map but its sorta glitchy. Well thats because you dont have a sky box.
-------------------Editing---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Where do you edit your skybox? What kinda sky will you get? Well let me show you.
At the top of Hammer click on Map. Then scroll down to Map Properties. It will highlight your whole map dont be alarmed by this. Find SkyBox Texture Name, click it then change the name to sky_day01_01.
------------------Texture---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Finding the skybox texture is easy. Go to your texture browser type in skybox and scrool all the way down and select this texture in the picture.
------------------Construction of the Skybox---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Constructing the Skybox is easy, its just making walls. Make 5 walls. 1 on each side the map. Then one on top of the map. Make sure all the walls meet each other and there are no holes. You dont need a wall under your map.
-----------------The Skybox-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now you are ready to test your map. Which you should know how to do. Your sky should look like this.
----------------Ending-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So you finished this tutorial? What a surprise considering how short it was! Gooooood job on making your first skybox it was a peace of freakin cake! |