That, along with links and insets that made learning design and building elements that (hopefully) improved the look of things too, meant I've been back to explore this post any number of times when tinkering.

I'll just add to the clamour over an update including the Wheatley Destroyed design, but otherwise just plain thank you!

Jane_Doe wrote:
Just my tuppence-worth to thank you, Rubrica, for such a helpful, informative and thoughtful post. In fact the premise of the map I was making changed as a result of ideas you had about the pre-GlaDos Destroyed setting.

That, along with links and insets that made learning design and building elements that (hopefully) improved the look of things too, meant I've been back to explore this post any number of times when tinkering.

I'll just add to the clamour over an update including the Wheatley Destroyed design, but otherwise just plain thank you!

Wow, what a mature, thoughtful post. There are no misspellings, grammatical errors, or punctuation mistakes--definitely a rarity in a gaming forum.

So many postings here are negative, slagging off the weaknesses in any creation without suggesting practical improvements - just look how handy is your post in this thread about lighting/shadows. This is information being imparted, not just Opinions being Handed Down.

I'm sure it grows tiring watching people learn before your eyes with their stumbling early efforts, but Practical posts like these are infinitely more useful than dismissive summaries. People are LEARNING here, as well as providing (free) entertainment, so when people push knowledge over opinion, how can I not be grateful? After all I never saw Hammer until a few months ago.

Anyway, I'll quit my soapbox right now, I've a cunning plan forming... ^.^

satchmo wrote:
One thing I've learned over the years as a mapper is to have a thick skin. People can be pretty brutal in their criticism, but I learned to accept them and find out the underlying reason for their criticism on my own.

Incredibly important advice. If you make a bad map - don't assume that mapping isn't for you and that you should give up. Credible game studios make misses all the time. Sometimes things just don't work out. If you do make a blunder map, or even just a mediocre map, you should read what players are saying and take them into account if you plan to patch or renovate the map (or keep them in mind for your next map).

To add on: be your own biggest critic. You should be tearing your own map apart with criticisms. Have high standards, know the difference between high and low quality and present everything in the most professional matter.

I do try and take into account what people say - Walkthroughs are especially helpful - but the very best posts are those you can build on, not reel from. I've still tons to learn about Hammer, and map design too. Consequently it's the post that points rather than wags a finger I like.

This isn't my first try at virtual creating though, so I know there's always some noob-bashing, I'm just rooting for the Teachers, not the Critics

Quote:
All other robotic personnel use management rails, which they cannot be detached from.

You're missing that this is because they would die if they did. ^^

Inside aperture.

The offices, observation rooms, and stuff like that?

MasterLagger wrote:
Well, I guess you got to go with what sticks. If you look at the pictures I posted on the Showcase Thread, you can see I made up my own office themed area with cubicles, fabric walls, and a rug floor.

Yea and i love it! I am right now in process making a map of the aperture laboratories

I just thought that useful textures, models, and an explanation of it, could be something to add to this... i might be wrong

Another thing I recommend adding is the theme valve used in the coop DLC maps.

Oh yeah, forgot to mention in my previous post.
Valve didn't use light_environment,
They used light_spot or env_projectedtexture

ART THERAPY
||==Introduction==

This theme is seen only in the 'Peer Review' co-op DLC. It appears to be set after Old
Aperture, but before the modern facility. Tests take place in large, open areas, which are
almost like resevoirs. The test chamber itself is unfinished, and there are many gaps in
the roof and walls. This is not to be confused with it being 'destroyed' - it's simply
unfinished.

== Testing Elements ==

Because this theme appears to take place just after the Old Aperture area, gels are used in
almost every test. Toxic water is the main hazard, however it can be a bottomless pit, with
cliff faces around the sides. Excursion funnels, hard-light bridges and lasers are also
used often, but most elements work in this theme.
Arrival and departure elevators are connected to the test chamber by catwalks.

==Noticeable elements==

--'Resevoir' area--
Like mentioned above, the tests take place in a large open area, which is visible in
transitions as well as at certain points in the test chamber.
This area has to be larger than the test area, obviously, but usually isn't very full,
aside from occasional gantries on the walls, and long metal beams going from side to side.
There are also some large overlays of random 3-digit numbers. The chamber, as well as some
elements, is supported by trusses, scaffolding, square beams and cables.

In the official maps, the walls of the resevoir area are textured with the
props/plasticwall002 or 003 texture, with the texture scale at 0.50 (it is 0.25 by
default). The floor is sometimes solid, but can be goo as well. If you use goo as a floor,
it's recommended that you add a 'tideline' overlay on the surrounding walls.

--Test chamber visual style--

Throughout the test chamber, there are missing wall panels, sometimes exposing the
'anim_wp/backpanel' or 'props/plasticwall_002' textures, sometimes giving the player a
glimpse into the area beyond. But remember - this isn't a destroyed theme! These gaps are
sealed off by squarebeams and grating.
The roof is usually missing entirely, exposing hanging cables, square beams, trusses, and
long metal beams. The floor is mostly pristine, however sometimes there's missing segments,
exposing 'anim_wp/backpanel' textures.

Panels are used occasionally for things like staircases or barriers, but not often other
than that.

--Lighting--

Due to the nature of this time, you'll be hard pressed to find a good place for observation
rooms, the usual light source. Instead, lighting comes either through the roof, or through
gaps in the walls , by means of the 'stadium lights' seen in Old Aperture, supported by
trusses and square beams, with a 'light_spot' and an 'env_sprite' in the center of each of
the 9 light fixtures.

The settings for the light_spot are usually:

    Brightness:         255 255 255 1500
    Outer (fading) angle:   -60

The settings for the 9 env_sprites are:

    Render Mode:        Additive
    FX Color:       247 228 170
    Sprite Name:        sprites/glow04.vmt
    Scale:          0.9
    Size of Glow Proxy: 4

Placing an env_projected texure behind the square beams near the roof casts some epic
shadows across your chamber - in fact, ALL of the official maps use an env_projectedtexture
coming from the roof.

Note: It's OK if it doesn't come from a visible source, as long as you don't make
it obvious.

The official maps also put groups of standard 'light' entities near each corner of the
resevoir area, with the following settings:

    Brightness:         120 140 160 15
    Constant:           1000000002

There are 9 of them in a 128x128x128 box (4 at the front, 4 at the back and 1 in the
middle)

== Further Reading ==

It is recommended to look at the official maps to see exactly how this style is executed.

In alphabetical order, the maps in the coop campaign that use this style are:

"mp_coop_2paints_1bridge"
"mp_coop_bridge_catch"
"mp_coop_catapult_catch"
"mp_coop_laser_tbeam"
"mp_coop_paint_rat_maze"
"mp_coop_paint_conversion"
"mp_coop_paint_crazy_box"
"mp_coop_separation_1"
"mp_coop_tripleaxis"||

Is this worth putting on the VDC?

srs bsnss wrote:
Ok, I realise that is a huge necro, but I just thought I'd mention that I wrote a guide for the Art Therapy style, in the format used on the VDC.

ART THERAPY
||==Introduction==

This theme is seen only in the 'Peer Review' co-op DLC. It appears to be set after Old
Aperture, but before the modern facility. Tests take place in large, open areas, which are
almost like resevoirs. The test chamber itself is unfinished, and there are many gaps in
the roof and walls. This is not to be confused with it being 'destroyed' - it's simply
unfinished.

== Testing Elements ==

Because this theme appears to take place just after the Old Aperture area, gels are used in
almost every test. Toxic water is the main hazard, however it can be a bottomless pit, with
cliff faces around the sides. Excursion funnels, hard-light bridges and lasers are also
used often, but most elements work in this theme.
Arrival and departure elevators are connected to the test chamber by catwalks.

==Noticeable elements==

--'Resevoir' area--
Like mentioned above, the tests take place in a large open area, which is visible in
transitions as well as at certain points in the test chamber.
This area has to be larger than the test area, obviously, but usually isn't very full,
aside from occasional gantries on the walls, and long metal beams going from side to side.
There are also some large overlays of random 3-digit numbers. The chamber, as well as some
elements, is supported by trusses, scaffolding, square beams and cables.

In the official maps, the walls of the resevoir area are textured with the
props/plasticwall002 or 003 texture, with the texture scale at 0.50 (it is 0.25 by
default). The floor is sometimes solid, but can be goo as well. If you use goo as a floor,
it's recommended that you add a 'tideline' overlay on the surrounding walls.

--Test chamber visual style--

Throughout the test chamber, there are missing wall panels, sometimes exposing the
'anim_wp/backpanel' or 'props/plasticwall_002' textures, sometimes giving the player a
glimpse into the area beyond. But remember - this isn't a destroyed theme! These gaps are
sealed off by squarebeams and grating.
The roof is usually missing entirely, exposing hanging cables, square beams, trusses, and
long metal beams. The floor is mostly pristine, however sometimes there's missing segments,
exposing 'anim_wp/backpanel' textures.

Panels are used occasionally for things like staircases or barriers, but not often other
than that.

--Lighting--

Due to the nature of this time, you'll be hard pressed to find a good place for observation
rooms, the usual light source. Instead, lighting comes either through the roof, or through
gaps in the walls , by means of the 'stadium lights' seen in Old Aperture, supported by
trusses and square beams, with a 'light_spot' and an 'env_sprite' in the center of each of
the 9 light fixtures.

The settings for the light_spot are usually:

  Brightness:         255 255 255 1500
  Outer (fading) angle:   -60

The settings for the 9 env_sprites are:

  Render Mode:        Additive
  FX Color:       247 228 170
  Sprite Name:        sprites/glow04.vmt
  Scale:          0.9
  Size of Glow Proxy: 4

Placing an env_projected texure behind the square beams near the roof casts some epic
shadows across your chamber - in fact, ALL of the official maps use an env_projectedtexture
coming from the roof.

Note: It's OK if it doesn't come from a visible source, as long as you don't make
it obvious.

The official maps also put groups of standard 'light' entities near each corner of the
resevoir area, with the following settings:

  Brightness:         120 140 160 15
  Constant:           1000000002

There are 9 of them in a 128x128x128 box (4 at the front, 4 at the back and 1 in the
middle)

== Further Reading ==

It is recommended to look at the official maps to see exactly how this style is executed.

In alphabetical order, the maps in the coop campaign that use this style are:

"mp_coop_2paints_1bridge"
"mp_coop_bridge_catch"
"mp_coop_catapult_catch"
"mp_coop_laser_tbeam"
"mp_coop_paint_rat_maze"
"mp_coop_paint_conversion"
"mp_coop_paint_crazy_box"
"mp_coop_separation_1"
"mp_coop_tripleaxis"||

Is this worth putting on the VDC?

I think so

Hopefully this will make more people map with this style, it's such a nice theme. But my map is the only know that I know of that uses it, which is a shame.