Here, I plan to write what I planned, what I did, what I learned and why it failed. not only to let you know why it went down, but to help future mappers.

I will note what I did wrong and right along the way.

So, let me get to what it was.

Portal: Access All Areas was a huge portal mod I started shortly after learning the basics to mapping, aiming to recreate the entire Portal facility.
As a noob, I planned to do it all myself in a single bsp map.
I also planned to recreate the portal code, without any reliable coders on my team. I later found a coder through advertising on facepunch.
the project was highly ambitious for a first mod, to the point where even experienced mappers would struggle with it.

As I grew, I learned I'd need help. therefore, I went to the community site, ModDB to advertise the mod early. I received mostly flames. I ignored most of these hurtful comments, as well as the criticism hurled on the same threads. However, I kept replying to all comments

In my maps, I made many trivial noob errors that could have been fixed with more learning.

I then went to other sites, such as ThinkingWithPortals and MyApertureLabs. I received flames from the first for asking for help, as well as advertising my mod on there.

I let the flames get to me, and had my topic blocked. I then created a new topic, where I lied about development of the portal code.

MyApertureLabs was a lot better. they gave me advice, which I took. they were very accepting of me.

The mod team grew with mappers despite code being needed prior to mapping. eventually, after only a few maps made, we more or less abandoned it for several years.

in that time, I kept advertising the mod. I had grown attached to it, as it was my first project.

time passed. nothing happened. I did not get any other coders, as I believed in the current coder's ability, despite very little actually getting made at the time.

I grew and matured as a mapper, and became weighed down by the mod. It felt like my past, weighing down on my shoulders. But, I had grown too attached to the project by that time.

I had many ideas, but not enough time or members to make it. It was stuck in literal limbo for quite some time.

when Portal 2 came out, I immediately "ported" it to Portal 2. The code was at the exact same level as it was two years prior.

Nothing happened for a while. I made a few promises to keep the mod up, but they grew increasingly unfeasable. as of three days ago, I cancelled the mod.

Do I regret making the mod in the first place? no. it taught me a lot. what I did wrong, and what I did right.

As of now, I have very few maps to my name, and all not published. some aren't even finished.

With the PTI, I am able to show my skills easier for mapping, though I find the geometry primitive to work with. But it's a good, proper start.

as for the future, I plan to create an indie game with the coder. I've not been persistent for results, and plan to split the group up in the next few days to pursue joining an indie group (unless coders on here want to take the post, if VERY available to code).

and, that is the story. I do hope someone can learn from all of this. This is what happened behind the closed doors of this mod.

I apologise if you feel cheated by this, but what can I say. I wanted to make the mod. but it was too big for me. by the time I realised this, it was too late.

But quite frankly, I don't think any of us really knew what we were doing. I was a fresh mapper, with no idea what I was getting myself into. The project was highly ambitious and might have succeeded, given sufficient time, dedication, and membership, which we were missing 2 out of 3 on.

Well, as they say, you live, you learn.

Camera wrote:
A touching story... At least you learned something from it. Maybe I did too.

I hope so. all I know is, no large mod projects for me anytime soon.

Kizzycocoa wrote:
With the PTI, I am able to show my skills easier for mapping, though I find the geometry primitive to work with. But it's a good, proper start.

Sorry to say this, but I have to, with PTI, any dumb nut can say that.

But overall, that is just live. I've started a million projects and only finished a few. It just happens.

Also, stop using red and green together. Some people have color blindness, and its hard to read for the rest of us. Thanks!

reepblue wrote:

Kizzycocoa wrote:
With the PTI, I am able to show my skills easier for mapping, though I find the geometry primitive to work with. But it's a good, proper start.>

Sorry to say this, but I have to, with PTI, any dumb nut can say that.

But overall, that is just live. I've started a million projects and only finished a few. It just happens.

Also, stop using red and green together. Some people have color blindness, and its hard to read for the rest of us. Thanks!

But red=bad and green=good! What else do I do? :v

Also, I meant gameplay wise. The only thing it needs is an "export to map editor" function.

Kizzycocoa wrote:

reepblue wrote:

Kizzycocoa wrote:
With the PTI, I am able to show my skills easier for mapping, though I find the geometry primitive to work with. But it's a good, proper start.>>

Sorry to say this, but I have to, with PTI, any dumb nut can say that.

But overall, that is just live. I've started a million projects and only finished a few. It just happens.

Also, stop using red and green together. Some people have color blindness, and its hard to read for the rest of us. Thanks! >
But red=bad and green=good! What else do I do? :v

Also, I meant gameplay wise. The only thing it needs is an "export to map editor" function.

It has that, it's a console command.

..What, were you expecting the command? I don't remember it!

that should help

The precise and specific command literally given to me. Just amazing.

On a less sarcastic-but-thankful tone, thanks! I'll have a little look!

Camera wrote:
To export, type "puzzlemaker_export map_name" into the command while editing, it will export a vmf to steammaps/common/portal2/sdk_content/maps.

Kopeke wrote:

Camera wrote:
To export, type "puzzlemaker_export map_name" into the command while editing, it will export a vmf to steammaps/common/portal2/sdk_content/maps.

Is map_name the output or input?

Keklolzor wrote:

Kopeke wrote:

Camera wrote:
To export, type "puzzlemaker_export map_name" into the command while editing, it will export a vmf to steammaps/common/portal2/sdk_content/maps. > Is map_name the output or input?

Output. It saves the map as "map_name".

Camera wrote:
Output. It saves the map as "map_name".

So, which is then exported? The last edited? The last played?

Keklolzor wrote:

Camera wrote:
Output. It saves the map as "map_name". > So, which is then exported? The last edited? The last played?

Last edited.

Unused Android model:

http://www.moddb.com/members/kizzycocoa ... as-android

is a shame he won't be used. still, a great model imo.

Kizzycocoa wrote:
Unused Android model:

http://www.moddb.com/members/kizzycocoa ... as-android

is a shame he won't be used. still, a great model imo.

I personally find that really weird, but I guess Atlas and P-Body are weird too. Nice model!

Camera wrote:

Kizzycocoa wrote:
Unused Android model:

http://www.moddb.com/members/kizzycocoa ... as-android

is a shame he won't be used. still, a great model imo.>
I personally find that really weird, but I guess Atlas and P-Body are weird too. Nice model!

It's not coloured is why I'd think.

The head is classic turret, but in a head-shape. The body would be slightly transparent, showing clockwork beneith.
The legs/arms were bulky, as if they were reused scrap. There were also several holes in them, indicating either mass-manufactured, or scrap parts.

They would be ticking, which would alert players to their presence, even if hidden. It was meant to be their Achilles heel.

There are two versions. One held a plasma gun, the other had a retractable spike in its wrist. The spike variety was a lot easier to kill, but very fast. They killed in one hit, and would have had a lot louder and faster clockwork. They would have ran at the player, and struck then down with the blade, instantly killing them.

The gun version would be harder to kill, and basically can be summed up as "fasassin", that old unused npc. But they'd deal less damage. They'd share the same irrational moving and jumping. Occasionally, in tests, they'd drop out of hatches in the ceiling. But again, the ticking would give them away.

The overall style I tried to go for was recycled, turret and just a hint of steampunk. But texture mapping? Pffffff. No way. Too hard in Maya

Kizzycocoa wrote:

Camera wrote:

Kizzycocoa wrote:
Unused Android model:

http://www.moddb.com/members/kizzycocoa ... as-android

is a shame he won't be used. still, a great model imo.>>
I personally find that really weird, but I guess Atlas and P-Body are weird too. Nice model! >
It's not coloured is why I'd think.

The head is classic turret, but in a head-shape. The body would be slightly transparent, showing clockwork beneith.
The legs/arms were bulky, as if they were reused scrap. There were also several holes in them, indicating either mass-manufactured, or scrap parts.

They would be ticking, which would alert players to their presence, even if hidden. It was meant to be their Achilles heel.

There are two versions. One held a plasma gun, the other had a retractable spike in its wrist. The spike variety was a lot easier to kill, but very fast. They killed in one hit, and would have had a lot louder and faster clockwork. They would have ran at the player, and struck then down with the blade, instantly killing them.

The gun version would be harder to kill, and basically can be summed up as "fasassin", that old unused npc. But they'd deal less damage. They'd share the same irrational moving and jumping. Occasionally, in tests, they'd drop out of hatches in the ceiling. But again, the ticking would give them away.

The overall style I tried to go for was recycled, turret and just a hint of steampunk. But texture mapping? Pffffff. No way. Too hard in Maya

Was it functional in portal, as an NPC?

Kopeke wrote:
Was it functional in portal, as an NPC?

We needed portal code. The android would be able to use portals, if the player was in sight of a portal, and so were then, and the calculated distance between the two distances were shorted than the real world distance.

Alas, no code, confusing modelling-source transferral, plus no modelling experience, led to no NPC.