Thinking with Magnets.
Hi,
In Blue Portals I made magnetic devices that are used in training elements. I'm basically now using as a pulley/pusher for cubes, being a tool or a obstacle. But that is not enough. I'm on Test Chamber 07 (I started using magnets in TC 03) I have it mostly an obstacle. So I need help on ideas for this puzzle element.
Here is a video of the "pull" force.
The more you give, the less appreciated it will be received.
I thought magnets too to my map some weeks ago 
But If you use them then I don't 
I have some Idea: there is cube behind hazard water and magnet another side, You must get the cube with magnet, but you must press button to switch magnet on. Another: You must use magnet to pull box to button same time as you're another place pressing other button.
But If you use them then I don't You can, just don't copy EXACTLY what I'm doing. 
That first idea is like the example video I've shown. Your second idea sounds interesting as all the magnets that are near my buttons are "pushing". (I'll post a demo video soon.)
The more you give, the less appreciated it will be received.
You could possibly do some "moving controls" for the magnet - in X and Y (and probably Z too) directions, using three switches. But that would be maybe too hard 
(percentage calculation sphere self-test failed!)
108.1% done, -8.1% remaining...
Released here!
All maps for Portal (1/2) worth playing are mirrored here.
Not at all. I tried to move my magnets to a curtain degree. It did not move in the right postion but it moved. I just have to make the models and entities all parent to a func_door. Perhaps I'll do that.
The more you give, the less appreciated it will be received.
Try a wheel button like the one in thefirst mine shaft of HL2:E2, only with the toggle set on.
Fully recovered and kicking ham!
Now if only the snow and mud goes away (pigs truly hate wet mud!).
Yeah that seems pretty easy, I'm guessing a Trigger_push? Neat though, yet I'm not sure how you can use it as a major gameplay element.
i have no idea how this works (let me in on it?), but i have an idea for using it.
have a moving platform upside down, that loops around the map. the player must put the cube under the track at a certain spot, wait for the platform to get in the right spot then activate the magnet so the platform lifts the cube.
Wait for the platform to move to a different location, then drop the cube.
This would be a way to get the cube to a different location when carrying it wouldn't work
I like vagrant's idea, there ^
Here is the magnet that repels..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kiI2in1wx0
I gotta increase the velocity that the magnet repels though. I also color coded the magnets as blue being attracting and red being repelling. I was also thinking of a third magnet that is so powerful that it destroys everything in its path, but the player. (Should be easy.)
Ok, Vagrantone0. The trigger moving the cube is a trigger_vphysics_motion. The Pitch Yaw Roll is the direction on were to move it. In the video, like I said before I got to change the velocity to a 16 to a 32. Also, I got to raze the trigger because of what it did in the video.
All of your Ideas sound great though!
The more you give, the less appreciated it will be received.