This page includes some random help for halflife mapping. These are just a series of notes that I took down when beginning mapping, and I thought I would put it down on a website in case it can help some other new mappers. Hope something here helps someone. As a note all the information in here isn't completely my own, as I have incorporated some information that I learned from tutorials, and forums. However, the information included is also things that I have tried and tested, and know they work, and have put them down in my own way as they worked for me. At the bottom there is some teamfortress material as well.
Tips to help R_speeds
These are just some tips that I have come across and applied to my maps and noticed an improvement in R_speeds. One thing is that at the point where walls meet, make them meet at a diagonal instead of one block positioned next to the other. This can be done by using the vertex manipulator. Also if making pillars, make the top of the pillar be one unit away from any ceiling that they would touch.
As long as you can make it not noticeable this tip works well. Also if you are making large walls, instead of using a 64X64 texture, use a 256X256 texture. Also, if you can get away with it and not lose graphical quality, scale the textures to 2, and it helps R_speeds quite a bit.
Also learning to use HINT brushes is key. These are found in zhlt.wad (which comes with zoners halflife tools, something you should all have). Sometimes VIS thinks it can see more than the player actually can, which brings up R_speeds, and with HINT brushes, areas that are not actually seen can be blocked with a HINT brush. (I recommend finding a good tutorial on HINT brushes before applying them, they do increase compile times.)
Overlapping brushes bring up R_speeds, as do more brushes. So if possible keep the brushes to a minimum, and create any detail wisely with R_speeds in mind. Also try to make sure you don't have any Brushes breaking up the ground (lay steps horizontally as opposed to vertically).
There is also a program which can help R_speeds called Chainsaws map optimizer. This can be found at www.planethalflife.com under files (going to have to go digging a little for them, but they are there). Hope I've helped someone, and if I find out more ways to help R_speeds, I will be sure to include them.
Always keep waveheight to 0!! Waves can really lag a map, and usually don't look very good anyway. Also don't use the carve tool, it can easly create a lot of nutty brushes that you really don't want. I also have heard that using the hollow tool is bad, although I don't yet see why.
HALFLIFE STUFF
Different Skies
2Desert
alien1
alien2
alien3
black
city
cliff
desert
dusk
morning
neb1
neb6
neb7
night
space
xen10-green
xen8-blue
xen9-pyramids
Making Glass
Click on an object and hit Ctrl T to make it an entity. Then change rendermode
to texture, and make the FXamount around 96 for typical glass. The range is
1-255 with 1 being the most transparent and 255 being the most solid..
light_environment
Set pitch to -45 and Brightness should be 255 255 128 200. The final number
(200 currently) sets exactly how bright it will be. The interval is from 1 to
255 with 255 being the brightest and 1 being the darkest.
Tip
Make sure all the AAAtriggers are out!!!
Tip
Saw info leaf problems can be fixed by making the object(s) causing the problem
into an func_wall
Tip
to make one button activate more than one entity, name the entities the same
name
Tip
To edit a small part of an entity use ignore groups
TBCC
make sure GLview is off!! this sometimes can cause and error and mess up -wadinclude
and more
Func_Tracktrain and Func_train
The difference is func_tracktrain can be set to user controllable while func_train
cannot.
Not cannot convert func_tracktrain to func_train but can do it the other way
around (unless you properly adjust the volume) Avelocity makes them revolve
around their axis. Does not work with func_tracktrain. y0 z0 x0 To autostart
func_train make sure target name is blank! Path_tracks need no user control
on in func_tracktrain for new speeds to work
Terragen
X=3600 y=3600
start off with 512 and resize to 256
Make sure zoom is at one before making BMP's! (and probably gamma too)
make target and camera equal
Head Pitch Bank Direction
0 0 rt East
90 0 ft South
180 0 lf West
270 0 bk North
0 90 up
0 -90 dn
TEAM FORTRESS STUFF
Making a flag (Specifically kill the carrier, if you make a map like
this please give me a little credit and send me a bsp of it)
use an item_tfgoal
Item #=give it a #
Goal Initial State=inactive
Model Path/name.mdl=models/flag.mdl
Goal Activation Bitfields=
4=drop item on death
32=return if 128 is set
128=remove after pause
4096=is droppable
For a final of 4260
Goal Effects bitfield=1-player activated
Pause=7 (seven seconds, this is set to tell when the flag returns after it has
been dropped)
Info_detect (setting teams)
No of Teams for teamcheck sets the number of teams you want in the game.
Team. VGAI menu is used to name the teams
Turrets
Set game parameter to +sv_lan 1
Need to check the tab under flags that is 3rd from the bottom and 6th from the
top (they should be the same box)
Creating backpacks
Use an info_tf goal and set it up as follows
Goal initial state=inactive
Model Path/name.mdl=models/backpack.mdl
Model skin varies per model=2 (for two teams)
Stay active=5 (for respawn in 5 seconds)
Play Sound Path/Name.wave=weapons/scock1.wav
Goal Activation Bitfields=player touch
Goal Effects Bitfield=activating player
Goal Results Bitfield=none
To Make The Flag Return if Resupply is entered
Use i_t_g (with ctrl-T)
Set "has item" to # of flag
set remove item from APA to # of the flag
