Quote from HMW on January 24, 2012, 1:57 pm

I'll explain it in a bit more detail:

more help
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1. First, make a cube land on the lift button without triggering it (so it won't explode). Wait for the lift to lower completely.
2. Then go near the cube so it activates, and quickly step on the lift. During this stage, you don't want the next cube to fall on the button because it would send the lift back down too soon, and you also don't want to have one sitting around somewhere else, where you can't get to it any more. Therefore:
3. while going up, place your local portal on the wall so the next cube passes by you. (Or you catch and quickly toss it. It doesn't matter, as long as it's activated so it will explode. Make sure it doesn't land on the lift button.)
4. After doing that, place your local portal back near the lift button.
5. Step off the lift when it reaches the top. The cube you caught and threw away on your way up will eventually explode, and cause a replacement to drop on the lift button, sending it back down once again. You now have a clear path to the room below.
6. Put the local portal near the button at the top (that controls the second exit field) and hop back down.
7. Now pick up the cube from the lift button, put it on the button for the first field and go through. When it explodes, the first field (that you just passed) will come back on, but the next cube will turn off the second field, allowing access to the second room.
8. This airlock-principle is repeated there, with the double doors and the field on the floor above you. (To get a new cube, simply go through your local portal and press the reset button on the dispenser.)

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If you're still stuck, infernet89 has made a video that shows the solution pretty well. That part starts at 26:35.
It's an older version of the map so some details are different, and he does a few things differently in the beginning, but the general idea is the same.

Quote from Instantiation on January 25, 2012, 1:16 pm

Oh, wow. OK, I think I get it. I will try it later. Thanks for the help.

Quote from lightOfDay on September 20, 2012, 3:56 pm

This was amazing. Your maps have inspired me to create my own maps. I really enjoyed your "style". Your puzzles are challenging, but not in a way that makes you give up. Instead the puzzles urge you to continue hacking at it until you get it right. You used custom signage, detailing, and texture cues effectively. You also brought the same old same old concept of exploding cubes to a whole new level . I am thinking about posting a video playthrough, just to show you how far I went to solve the last puzzle in Chamber 5. It's an interesting solution, but it's probably considered cheating. On that note, I would suggest one thing. Although going to all ends to stop portal peeking is a little extreme, keep in mind that it's not really a cheat, and some would consider it a legit solution, even though my portal peeking solution to Chamber 5 Stage II is most obviously cheating, especially after you explaining the "correct" solution. One last thing, before I ask the question that I've wanted to ask FOREVER: It was very obvious that an extreme amount of effort and quality was put into the map pack, even more than the standard set by Manic Mechanic. Nice Job! You know what they say, Try Anything Twice! (Sorry, just had to do that )

To make this map must have been daunting, so what steps did you take? What kind of drafting did you do, if any? How did you organize the different steps to making a map, such as making the shape, adding logic and physics, and doing lighting? How did you organize the million ideas that went into this map? How did you organize to make the construction of the map as easy as possible (As in, SUPER HARD)?

Quote from HMW on September 22, 2012, 11:04 am

So you registered on the forum just to say this? That's very nice!
You may want to stick around if you're going to take up map making yourself. There are plenty of people here who can help answer mapping questions. But please read this first!

About the design process: I usually start out with a basic drawing or a small test map and gradually add things to it. There's not really a structured process behind this. The only thing I always try to do, is build things in a such a way that they can be easily changed later. Then it's possible to make it slowly evolve until you're satisfied with it.

I have never made a single map which ended up exactly as I initially planned. Usually it's not even close.

Quote from lightOfDay on September 25, 2012, 12:58 pm

It's been 3 years since I first played Manic Mechanic, and from the beginning I knew that I wanted to map just like you! (AWE O.O) On a more serious note, I had a question. I wanted to map for Portal 2, so that I'm not outdated. That basically wipes my whiteboard of ideas. Especially all the ones with HEPs. So I was wondering if I could bring back the TA2 concept, maybe add a pinch of exploding cubes just to make people groan. I think I'm going to start to like this mapping business. Though I want to try to make it new and refreshing, and I thought making it Try Anything Thrice, but that's just... well... I don't know, what do you think? That was my only idea so far to freshen it up, but I'm sure there is other ways. I'm just not the most creative person in the world.

Quote from FelixGriffin on September 25, 2012, 4:43 pm

If you want a HEP launcher in P2 Skotty made some nice instances for it.

Quote from HMW on September 26, 2012, 2:57 pm

IMO a good "play it X times" puzzle is one where the changes in each round are as small as possible, but they cause it to have a radically different solution. (Less like that basement area in TA2 map 5, that changes completely each time, and more like map 3, where the only change is the rotation of the room.) That is hard to pull of though.

I think that the best way to get good at making puzzles, is to play a lot of other people's maps. You'll get a better idea of all the ways that different elements can be combined.

It would probably also be better if you start simple and learn to work with the standard Portal (2) testing elements first, before delving into things like HEPs and whatnot. However, that's just my opinion.

Quote from lightOfDay on September 27, 2012, 2:43 pm

Thanks for all the tips. When I had started making ideas with HEPs was back when Portal 1 was the only Portal. Now I have to scratch them all, plus some. Back to square 1. One last question: What types of puzzles do you try to have in your maps, easy ones? Hard ones? Short ones? Long ones? Ones with new elements? How much of each? A healthy mix? I've never released a map because I was always afraid of the response I would get. Now I think I'll try it!

Quote from FelixGriffin on September 27, 2012, 4:38 pm

You can simulate most HEP puzzles with lasers, so you don't need to scratch all of them at least.