Are original maps de-compilable?
Hi.
Sorry for this very newbish question, but I read on several portal websites things like "prefabs taken from testchamber 18". So I presume that the original maps can be decompiled and opened in hammer.
Also in several custom maps, I recognized parts of portal single player, which seems to confirm it.
I wondered how you could do that, because the best way to learn for niewbies like me is often to do "intelligent stealing", so it definitely would help me.
NO! THE CAKE! NOOOOOOOO !
Yes, it is possible to decompile the maps. But, you should not be "intelligently stealing" prefabs or parts of the map. You can look to see how its done, but dont copy paste anything out of the maps.
Do you promise you won't abuse your powerfull ability to decompile, once you get it, which means you will be a copycat?
If so, search for the programme
Don't understand me maliciously, it's not immediately criminal to copy/paste a few brushes or a few parts. I really mean copying entire parts of maps, entire puzzles, and place those in your own without crediting the creator.
"Duct Tape is the answer."
If so, search for the programme
Don't understand me maliciously, it's not immediately criminal to copy/paste a few brushes or a few parts. I really mean copying entire parts of maps, entire puzzles, and place those in your own without crediting the creator.
Spoiler tags? That's a bit much isnt it?
It is a bit much, decompilers are fair game and in noway breaking any rules/laws that I know of. Using content from them however, as everyone else is saying, is strictly wrong.
I think you've been given fair warning 
no excuses 
Yeah, spoiler tags is a bit much considering there is an actual page for it with links to an official web site, all on Valves Developer Wiki:
Link removed, if people want to steal maps then they need to do the legwork on their own. --msleeper
Absolutely nothing wrong with decompiling anything, copying it in your own area, and experimenting with stuff to your hearts content. 90% of what I've learned in Hammer was from doing EXACTLY THAT. But when it comes to room creation, you take your new knowledge and build your own vision, instead of copying someone elses. Using prefabs and minor stuff is no big deal, IMO. I dont think the world is going to tumble if you grab the ending sequence from a chamber (game_text, env_fade, etc) and tailor it to your needs when you've never done one before. Just use common sense; and be willing/prepared to give credit where credit is due.
Fixed. --Hober
I am not planning to steal any puzzles. Don't worry about it 
I designed my puzzles on a paper beforehand and now I am looking for the knowledge necessary to do them.
I am not saying that those puzzle are very complicated (I made them with "I'm a beginner" in mind), but I sure created them myself.
But well Hammer is kinda complicated when you actually never did any 3D like me.
I learned many things from "copies that you edit, first slightly, and then a lot more later", and I was planning to do that for hammer as well.
Of course my first tries won't probably be made public, I'll wait until I have things worth showing.
Thanks a lot for all your answers! I was afraid to get a lot more hateful remarks. 
NO! THE CAKE! NOOOOOOOO !
I didn't sound offending, did I? If I did, that was not my intention. There's absolutely nothing wrong with decompiling and copying a few small things. After all why bother recreating a whole ending scene (the fade and such) when you can simply copy-paste and edit it slightly? If it's gonna look and work the same anyway, the latter takes far less time.
"Duct Tape is the answer."
Nope, not at all, it is in fact a very legitimate point of view from a creator to fear thieves who would steal his work without any guilt.
I knew asking for the decompiler would rise this point, but I also knew examples are always the best way to learn. So I took the risk of asking such a controversial thing for the sake of learning
Most of the things I need can be found on tutorial maps, though. But for the few things remaining, decompiling will come in handy.
NO! THE CAKE! NOOOOOOOO !