Portal mapping questions
Hi. I'm new to portal mapping and have a pretty good basic understanding of it. I need a few questions answered though.
Questions
1. What is logic? How can I use it?
2. Is there a VMF file I can download that has an already made box dropper in it? So I can copy it into my map.
3. How can I make water?
4. How come some times my textures don't align up?
(click for bigger image)
5. How can I make sounds follow some thing? Like the emotions that fall out of GlaDOS. For example, I'm carrying a turret and I have a sound entity that triggers when the turret is picked up. How would I make the sound come from the turret? Like parenting a door model to a func_door for example.
6. What's the most used (realistic) light used in portal?
7. How do you do this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gEYTW4J ... D4&index=1
8. How do you make an observation room?
9. How do I use original portal maps? Do you need converting software? If so where can I find already converted maps?
Answering a few noobish questions doesn't hurt to much... (I have asked a few my self 
)
1) By logic, do you refer to the use of the "logic" entities which are used to activate things at different moments, times and other happenings, or the name of Hurricaaane's series of maps, or just logic in general?
2)There probably exists some prefabs, but I advice you to make it your self by a tutorial, as you learn much more that way. http://wiki.thinkingwithportals.com/ (and more at volt's link(fix your url btw ))
3)If you're thinking of portal's poisonous water, search this forum, there's a thread about it somewhere. If regular hl2 water, dunno
4)Use the texture application tool (click the tool, then one of the surfaces, and right click the second surface, and the second one aligns to the first)
5)Put the name of the entity you want followed into "GlobalEntityName" of the sound (I think ^^)
6)Dunno!
7)Hurricaaane has used a few teleporters I think? Haven't tried it out yet, but probably not too difficult.
There's a thread on this forum, search!
9)Same as 8, but I think there was a problem with that or something
Edit: And yeah, a few nice guides http://forums.thinking.withportals.com/viewtopic.php?t=468
Thanks yikkayaya.
For question 5 if you want nothing special from the turret instead create a nodraw textured box outside your map and place a generic_actor and call it 'Aperture_AI' (I think 
). It should make aperture AI sounds. Else use ambient_generic and set the option for where the sound comes from (can't remeber exactly what it's called)to the turret's name.
Geez, always the copy and paste guys, see back in worldcraft days, we didn't have that ability you youngins have!
Here, instead of helping you, read this, its all you need and much more:
http://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Category:Level_Design
Yeah that is a nice page, but it doesn't give many details for us noobs, and therefore doesn't describe why my point_tesla won't last for more than an instant!
Here, instead of helping you, read this, its all you need and much more:
http://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Category:Level_Design
You also didn't have something as complicated as Hammer, so it's all good.
Back then it was alot harder than Hammer, there were alot less options, now Hammer is much more neater when it comes to many things compared to back then.
Its not about an editor being complicated, its about what it can do, and how it does it. Complicated means bad. And thats how it was back then.
Also that doesn't work, and theres tons of things there to learn on basic Hammer work, its just about digging around.