Hi.

Following Valve's tutorial (found here: https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Faith_Plate), when I set the output on my trigger_catapult, the "target input" should be set to "SetAnimation".

I'm not even sure what they mean by target input. On the output tab, after "target entities named" (which I have set correctly), the next window is called "Via this input." My options are:

AddOutput
ClearParent
FireUser1
FireUser2
FireUser3
FireUser4
Kill
KillHierarchy
RunScriptCode
RunScriptFile
SetParent
SetParentAttachment
SetParentAttachmentMaintainOffset

So where exactly do I "set target input to SetAnimation"? Beyond that, the next window, according to the Valve page, should be "Parameter", which I can set to angled, fast, or straightup, but in Hammer on the output settings for my trigger_catapult, the next window is "With a parameter override of" and the only option is <none>.

Thanks again for any insight you can provide. Do Valve and experienced modders know how goddamned confusing this is for new users? Oy.

Trigger_catapults don't have a setAnmation output - prop_dynamics do. The faith plate model should have a name, and that's what you should set the target entity in the output to. You also need another output to play the ambient_generic sound.

In your sdk_content folder open up the sp_a2_trust_flings or sp_a4_laser_catapult maps, they both have a few Faith Plates that you can look at to see how it was done in the campaign maps. (Valve provided the source for one map in each of the major parts of the game, they're useful to see stuff was made).

So your question revolves around the "second portion" of step 3?

If that assumption is correct, are you sure you have followed the other two steps correctly?
The options will appear correctly provided the "target entity" is selected as the correct name of your faith plate prop_dynamic.

Hope that helps... and yes Valve and Experienced Modders (well most of them) know how confusing this is for new users. Firstly Valve provided the developer wiki (it's been updated by players/modders, it is a wiki afterall! )Secondly, we ALL started as new users at some point, if Hammer was meant to be easy it'll be called PTi...

Thanks, fellas. When I left home yesterday I still hadn't straightened out the issues from my initial post (the replies hadn't been posted yet), but the faith plate seems to be working anyway. shrug I have to test / fiddle more with it later today.

Thanks again for the replies. I actually saw someone on the Steam forums complaining that the TWP community was grumpy and unhelpful, but people have offered advice on every problem I've posted about so far. My first all-from-scratch-in-Hammer map should be done in the next couple of days, and then I'll share what all the raging has been about.

Lunch wrote:
...
Thanks again for the replies. I actually saw someone on the Steam forums complaining that the TWP community was grumpy and unhelpful, but people have offered advice on every problem I've posted about so far. ...

Ha! ... The TWP community are grumpy and unhelpful to people that * don't want to learn *. From what I've seen over the last two years the majority of the community are very willing to help others solve a problem, but we aren't prepared to just "do it for you" (except in some cases! )

It basically boils down to attitude, if you're willing to learn and listen to the feedback and attempt to adjust what your doing to follow the feedback, you will get along fine with TWP (it also helps if you have a good sense of humour and can deal with the occasional sarcastic remark). If you want to complain that people aren't helping when they are giving the answers you need, or want to call people stupid for not fixing you're very simple problem (especially when it has been answered in several different threads already, or is on the wiki in simple steps or you haven't searched for the problem/answer or attempted several ways of fixing it yourself) then you're likely to end up getting no help for that problem that really needs it.

Sorry if that went completely off-topic but for some reason I felt I needed to answer your "TWP are all grumpy unhelpful people" comment with a reason why you may have heard such things...