The ThinkingWithPortals Map Showcasing Thread

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Lpfreaky90
2,842 Posts
Posted Mar 25, 2012
Replied 13 minutes later

CamBen wrote:
how did you get the gel to flow upwards? my trigger_pushes don't seem to like gel.

You can use an info_particle_system; chickenmobile has a nice example here:

Gel Flow Particle Systems

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ChickenMobile
2,460 Posts
Posted Mar 25, 2012
Replied 8 minutes later

CamBen wrote:
how did you get the gel to flow upwards? my trigger_pushes don't seem to like gel.

Its a particle effect. Check out the examples I made: Gel Flow Particle Systems

EDIT: Damn next page with a post that says the same thing!

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CamBen
973 Posts
Posted Mar 25, 2012
Replied 3 minutes later
so wait, the particle system just sorta simulates the look of the gel? because to my knowledge, it can't actually push things.
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Lpfreaky90
2,842 Posts
Posted Mar 25, 2012
Replied 12 minutes later
Yes; it's what valve uses to get the gel floating in pipes 'n stuff. And it won't spill either so very efficient
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CamBen
973 Posts
Posted Mar 26, 2012
Replied 21 hours later
yes, that must be why my beautiful tube works didn't work w/ my gel system.

also, I would take a picture of my new progress, but my computer is doing an enormous defrag after I got an additional harddrive, so it may not be until next week. i've also been having to use a laptop to do all of this typing. its really boring, because i just want to map.

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Lpfreaky90
2,842 Posts
Posted Mar 27, 2012
Replied 23 hours later
A little something I just started working on:

Couple of issues:
* The lanterns should look like they emit light.
* There are tiny spaces between the floor textures.
* The building hasn't been started on yet.
* It's still in the big box phase so the outside is still too dark to see
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spongylover123
944 Posts
Posted Mar 27, 2012
Replied 7 minutes later
Valve used env_sprites with the lanterns in hl2
They also set constants of light_spots from 100000 to 500000 in big maps.
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Lpfreaky90
2,842 Posts
Posted Mar 27, 2012
Replied 26 minutes later

spongylover123 wrote:
Valve used env_sprites with the lanterns in hl2
They also set constants of light_spots from 100000 to 500000 in big maps.

Cheers! didn't know that. I've e-mailed valve about using assets from other games in the mod but they still haven't replied. Until I know if I'm legally able to do so I stay away from valve models and use other models that are certainly free to use.

At the moment I just used a light entity but it's something that needs to be changed in the future. As said before; just started working on this and it's only a small part of the level I estimate the final dimensions of the map around 2000x8000 units. So before the light is completely as it should be will take a bit longer

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spongylover123
944 Posts
Posted Mar 30, 2012
Replied 2 days later
This is more of a test.
2lryLG7kIQM
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CamBen
973 Posts
Posted Mar 30, 2012
Replied 15 hours later
how did you make the gel? I was trying to make a new neon green gel that created light whereever it stuck that radiated and pulsed yellow light, without any success.
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Lpfreaky90
2,842 Posts
Posted Apr 02, 2012
Replied 2 days later
I've continued work on the map I showed before and this is how another part of that level looks now:

It's still work in progress:
* The lantern model needs to be different
* The glass needs to be fixed.
* The cave suddenly ends and gets to a black texture this is just for now.

What do you think?

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drewdinie
40 Posts
Posted Apr 02, 2012
Replied 30 minutes later
THE GREATEST LOOKING THING EVAR!
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dinnesch
105 Posts
Posted Apr 02, 2012
Replied 4 hours later

lpfreaky90 wrote:
I've continued work on the map I showed before and this is how another part of that level looks now:

It's still work in progress:
* The lantern model needs to be different
* The glass needs to be fixed.
* The cave suddenly ends and gets to a black texture this is just for now.

What do you think?

Since I don't know how it will look when it's fixed I'll just say how it looks now: trashy.

Also, a garage/cars suggests it takes place at the upper part of Aperture yet there are Old Aperture (deep underground) things in the background. I think your average portal player will notice this.

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FourthReaper
356 Posts
Posted Apr 02, 2012
Replied 29 minutes later

dinnesch wrote:
Also, a garage/cars suggests it takes place at the upper part of Aperture yet there are Old Aperture (deep underground) things in the background. I think your average portal player will notice this.

What? The cars may not add up to the 1940 excactly, but it's 20th century stuff! I think it fits in perfectly. But where did you get those cars, anyway, lp?

But yeah, the glass needs some extra feel to it...

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dinnesch
105 Posts
Posted Apr 02, 2012
Replied 2 hours later

FourthReaper wrote:
What? The cars may not add up to the 1940 excactly, but it's 20th century stuff! I think it fits in perfectly. But where did you get those cars, anyway, lp?

My point is that the 1940s Aperture is very deep underground, and cars don't really make sense in such a place. Like they say the devil is in the details, and these details don't make sense to me.

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FourthReaper
356 Posts
Posted Apr 02, 2012
Replied 2 hours later

dinnesch wrote:
My point is that the 1940s Aperture is very deep underground, and cars don't really make sense in such a place.

Okay, yeah, but what about the treas? How does grass grow down there? The cars could be driven down a 4000 m shaft or something, or with a large vehicle elevator like you see in old aperture. It's not like Black Mesa minds long, disfunctional rides through their facility, so why should Aperture?

Just my take on this, but I think this sets for a nice - and definitely unique - atmosphere, not wrecked by the cars or biodome-ish-ness...

EDIT: ??? I like it, lp. Wether it makes sense or not. Most maps don't anyway, and I like some of those, too. Not judging.

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Lpfreaky90
2,842 Posts
Posted Apr 02, 2012
Replied 28 minutes later
The arch you see is the elevator to the top!
Employees can just drive in there; grab the elevator and drive home

The deep underground trees are able to grow thanks to science!

This part is specially designed to be a strange atmosphere; the idea is that this is near an office building. The office building is designed to be a normal office but deep underground.

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CamBen
973 Posts
Posted Apr 02, 2012
Replied 27 minutes later

dinnesch wrote:
FourthReaper wrote:

What? The cars may not add up to the 1940 excactly, but it's 20th century stuff! I think it fits in perfectly. But where did you get those cars, anyway, lp?

My point is that the 1940s Aperture is very deep underground, and cars don't really make sense in such a place. Like they say the devil is in the details, and these details don't make sense to me.

maybe the whole point of old aperture is that the main are used to be up top, and they built downwards. I would assume that the upper parts were built on and improved, while the surface and the underground fell into disrepair.

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dinnesch
105 Posts
Posted Apr 02, 2012
Replied 38 minutes later
Maybe I'm biased by the not-so-pretty glass that was yet to be fixed, just said the first thing that came on my mind because I figured that matters when criticizing the looks of a map.

If you take care of a proper context, like with the elevator that takes the car upstairs I suppose it can work out.

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Lpfreaky90
2,842 Posts
Posted Apr 02, 2012
Replied 8 minutes later

dinnesch wrote:
Maybe I'm biased by the not-so-pretty glass that was yet to be fixed, just said the first thing that came on my mind because I figured that matters when criticizing the looks of a map.

If you take care of a proper context, like with the elevator that takes the car upstairs I suppose it can work out.

Always happy with honest feedback
I'll post a new pic when that part has been updated =D

EDIT:
from a different angle; but still the same spot: