Hello there! I'm BlueZero4. I've had previous mappnig experience with mapping for a Doom source mod, SRB2. After mapping for SRB2 for a year, I'm really happy that I've made a bug free map for Portal on my first try. Well, using the tutorial, anyhow.
(Btw, I'm making my first post here instead of the indroduction thread because it looked like sad hax0r crap.)

And being a newcomer to Hammer, I'm naturally going to have a lot of questions. I'm using this thread to keep them all in one spot. Also, I've only looked in depth at the Portal section of the Valve Developer's Wiki, so if there's a wiki article, just link out to it.

First and foremost, looking at some of the screenshots here is really intimidating. Is that normal? If it is, will you guys mind if my maps are kinda bland? I really don't want to bother too much with detail this early on.

Another thing that's really bugging me is the glass walls. I haven't seen any wiki articles on them anywhere, so what's up? I'm talking about ones such as in the testchamber where you get the blue portal gun; right after you spawn, there's a glass wall you can see the portal gun through. It would also be helpful to know about the glass observation windows that you can't see through as well, and what makes the two kinds different.

Is there a list of textures used in Portal? Or even a way to toggle off all the HL2/TF2 textures? I realize there's a way to only show the textures that you've used, but using them in the first place is the problem. I really can't find anything in all that clutter.

How do you make brushes that have different textures on different sides? It seems like it'll be really hard to keep the generic wall textures only on the walls, and only the generic floor textures on the floor. I think I've seen it done on one of Valve's maps, so it must be possible, right? Not to mention that nodraw was applied to all of the exterior walls. >>

I think this is it for now, although I know I'm missing something. I'll probably edit/post more in later when I remember.

msleeper wrote:
Valve Developer Wiki: http://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/
Invaluable site, full documentation on every entity. Be sure to read the Discussion pages as they have some pricesless info, too.

Halfwit-2.com: http://halfwit-2.com/?page=tutorials
A long time ago, Interlopers used to be the number one place for mapping tutorials, but this site has come a long way and has some really kick ass stuff. From the basics to the specific, advanced stuff.

Interlopers.net: http://www.interlopers.net/index.php?page=tutorials
Speaking of Interlopers, they are still a great site with a lot of tutorials and one of the oldest forums around.

GCFscape: http://nemesis.thewavelength.net/index.php?p=26
Awesome tool, allows you to view and extract the contents of GCF files.

VTFedit (VTFlib): http://nemesis.thewavelength.net/index.php?p=40
Another priceless tool, a GUI for creating images into VTF textures.

Awesome! It's always nice to have more resources to look at.

Although, I hate to say this, but I kindof ment articles. As nice as new resources are, I didn't exaclty find much on there that related to some of my questions. I do apologize if there was information that adressed any of my questions in there, but since I appear to beunable to find any of it on my own, I'd appreciate it if you could provide a link to something a bit more specific.

But I dunno; some of this might be stuff that you learn by fooling around in the editor. Perhaps someone would be so kind as to impart their wisdom?

I know everyone will make me suffer the most horrible torments for this, but well, let's say it.

You can actually decompile the original maps and open them in hammer once decompiled.
Stealing gameplay elements or "parts" of maps will not be forgiven by anyone, but taking common elements such as glass walls can't hurt anyone.

I won't tell more because this is kinda a taboo in the mapping community, because of the abuses this technique allows.
Just google to find the *.BSP decompiler yourself, and then make wise use of it.

No one will blame you if you use this tool responsibly, for learning purpose and copy-paste very basic elements (piston elevator, glass...) ONLY.

Stealing whole parts of maps (a room, an original feature...) will definitely own you hate from everyone. So careful.

It's kinda like the Force : you have to use it wisely to avoid the dark side :p

But I think this is perfectly allowed to learn to make such a common element as glass that way, or even copy-parte directly this glass if you don't manage to get it.
That will solve the "glass" problem in both cases.

Hyakkidouran wrote:
blah blah blah decompile blah blah blah

Don't tell a new mapper to decompile! Are you nuts!
Looking at a decompiled map will confuse and quite posibly frighten away new mappers. seriously, when I look at the TF2 maps I've got decompiled if I saw those when I started mapping I'd have run a mile and never even considered going back.

BlueZero4 wrote:
Hello there! I'm BlueZero4.

Welcome to the forum

BlueZero4 wrote:
First and foremost, looking at some of the screenshots here is really intimidating. Is that normal? If it is, will you guys mind if my maps are kinda bland? I really don't want to bother too much with detail this early on.

Yeah thats kinda bad but the set pieces in portal are quick, easy and repeated lots, that means once you've got your head around them you'll be putting them in without even thinking.

BlueZero4 wrote:
...glass...

There are two diffrent sets of textures for glass, make a brush, texture it completely with nodraw, thne select any faces the player will be able to see and filter for either of these: "frosted" "refract" I can't remember the exact names of the textures now but the frosted one is the one you can see through properly

BlueZero4 wrote:
a way to toggle off all the HL2/TF2 textures?

At the bottom of the texture window there are two input boxes, in the bottom one put "portal"

BlueZero4 wrote:
How do you make brushes that have different textures on different sides?

Open the texture tool window, then click on a face. Now ONLY that face is selected and you can apply a texture to just that one face. Use CTRL+Click to select more than one face

On the decompile issue, apparently my Source SDK came with a decompiled Portal map. Yes, it looked goshdarned complicated. However, it also looked like a lot of the executers were associated with making GLaDOS talk, and the yellow portal open when you enter the room, and the testchamber label to look likeit lights up. It couldn't be that bad, could it?

As for decompiling to paste something into my map, I think I'd prefer to learn how to do something myself rather than copypaste it in every time. It's a nice idea, though.

Single texture chooser is awesome. Which means it works.

Hammer crashes when I try to enter "portal" in the second box in the texture selector.

And I really appreciate the input about the glass. I really do. However, my current concern is with the energy ball launcher and catcher. Perhaps I shouldn't have asked about glass this early if I wasn't going to use the input? I also just now found the wiki article on glass, too. >>

Hammer does crash every now and then when you try to use the keyword box. I'm in the habit of saving before I try.

BlueZero4 wrote:
On the decompile issue, apparently my Source SDK came with a decompiled Portal map.

That is an SDK map, it's not decompiled it is the official VMF for that map (room 4 I think?) so feel free to use it for learning purposes all day long.

Also FYI, around these parts there aren't a lot of hand-outs, so you need to do some searching on your own. If you can't find it here on this site, look in the Useful Mapping Links that taco quoted and search there.

Search search search, you don't learn anything when someone spoon feeds it to you.

msleeper wrote:
Search search search, you don't learn anything when someone spoon feeds it to you.

QFT

I do realize that in some aspects I'm asking for "spoon feeding." However, I'm only asking for technical stuff, not about level layout. There's invetiably going to be a lot I won't learn from using the Wiki.

And on an unrelated note, brushes are seriously feeling a bit more natural now. Whee~