What's Hammer and how do I get it?
Hammer is Valve's level creation tool packaged with all source engine games. For portal 1, you access it through the Source SDK which can be downloaded in the tools tab of your steam library. It's a complex tool that often misbehaves, so it can take a while to get used to. For some basic information to get you started, check out our wiki and the official Valve Developer's Wiki.

How do I make custom content?
There's a few different kinds of custom content.
Textures, the basic image/material combinations applied everywhere in the world, are created using VTFEdit. More information about that can be found here.
Models are any highly detailed discreet object, optionally with animation and physics. Valve has official plugins for Maya to export to Source's SMD format, which can be found in a download of the source filmmaker. There also exist plugins for other professional modelling environments to export to SMD. For more information, go here
Particles are small sprites or, rarely, models that move and sometimes interact with themselves or the environment. They are used when you need a lot of small, moving things, such as when a portal hits the wall and fails. More information about creating these can be found here

Use this thread to post your questions about Portal 1 mapping or to answer previously posted questions. The OP will be periodically updated with questions/answers.

This might not consern mapping, but I still require some help; I'd like to add a custom particle effect to my map. I already created it and learned that you need to add it's name to the particle_manifest text file. My question is; can I implement my particle using an external file? I don't want to edit the particle_manifest in case it overwrites other people's.

Kopeke wrote:
This might not consern mapping, but I still require some help; I'd like to add a custom particle effect to my map. I already created it and learned that you need to add it's name to the particle_manifest text file. My question is; can I implement my particle using an external file? I don't want to edit the particle_manifest in case it overwrites other people's.

The source engine does technically support per-map manifest files, however as the Valve Developer Wiki puts it:

The per-map manifest options may not work in Portal, Ep2, or old OB mods.

You might be able to rig up something using a batch file to edit it. I'm most likely going to be using custom particles as well so I will post my solution when I come up with one.

p0rtalplayer wrote:

Kopeke wrote:
This might not consern mapping, but I still require some help; I'd like to add a custom particle effect to my map. I already created it and learned that you need to add it's name to the particle_manifest text file. My question is; can I implement my particle using an external file? I don't want to edit the particle_manifest in case it overwrites other people's. >

The source engine does technically support per-map manifest files, however as the Valve Developer Wiki puts it:

The per-map manifest options may not work in Portal, Ep2, or old OB mods.>

You might be able to rig up something using a batch file to edit it. I'm most likely going to be using custom particles as well so I will post my solution when I come up with one.

Thanks mate, I might try to batch alternative or wait for you to come out with a clear solution.

I have some questions about the contest.
1st: I'm using custom textures that aren't mine, but all them were edited. I've, also, put credits (in this case, I exported some textures from Google/Trimble SketchUp 8). I need to do the textures all by myself or just edit them is good enough?
2nd: I'm planing to do 2 or 3 maps. So, I need to upload 3 bsp files or I need to compile them in 1 bsp someway?
3rd: I'm using a decal from one of reepblue's map. I've put credits, but will I need to remove him?
4th: My map will use some props from HL2, but I'll separate them, so the player will no longer need to download Source SDK base or anything else. Can I use HL2 props or only Portal or custom props?
5th: About the prizes, will the winner chose only one game up to U$30,00 or can choose, for example, 2 games of U$15,00?
Anyway, thanks for helping, sorry for the bad English and sorry if some of this questions were already solved.

Hey! Its cool to see someone entering.

HugoBDesigner wrote:
1st: I'm using custom textures that aren't mine, but all them were edited. I've, also, put credits (in this case, I exported some textures from Google/Trimble SketchUp 8). I need to do the textures all by myself or just edit them is good enough?

If you have permission to use the textures, you can use them, but to be judged as custom content they need to be made by you or one of your team members from scratch.

HugoBDesigner wrote:
2nd: I'm planing to do 2 or 3 maps. So, I need to upload 3 bsp files or I need to compile them in 1 bsp someway?

You can use 3 seperate bsp files in a zipped folder or equivalent.

HugoBDesigner wrote:
3rd: I'm using a decal from one of reepblue's map. I've put credits, but will I need to remove him?

You need to have permission from any artist when using their content; if he gives the okay, you can use it, but it still won't count towards custom content.

HugoBDesigner wrote:
4th: My map will use some props from HL2, but I'll separate them, so the player will no longer need to download Source SDK base or anything else. Can I use HL2 props or only Portal or custom props?

Assuming you're making a Portal map, you can use props from the Source SDK Base (including HL2), Portal, and props you make yourself.

HugoBDesigner wrote:
5th: About the prizes, will the winner chose only one game up to U$30,00 or can choose, for example, 2 games of U$15,00?

You could definitely get two games that add up to $30 instead of one.

Looking forward to seeing your entry.

HugoBDesigner wrote:
3rd: I'm using a decal from one of reepblue's map. I've put credits, but will I need to remove him?

Which decal?

Again glad to see more people are joining!

Content rules are going to be a little slack, because there's no way we can track down where every texture ever comes from. Mostly the rule is to discourage obvious usage of stock textures and the like.

You can only enter once, but you can have up to 3 BSPs in the uploaded file. For best chances I would recommend they be thematically linked, as they will be judged as a whole.

As for the prize, my original intention was to only allow a single item, however, I may reconsider that before the contest ends.

Thanks for participating, and best of luck!

p0rtalplayer wrote:
You can only enter once, but you can have up to 3 BSPs in the uploaded file. For best chances I would recommend they be thematically linked, as they will be judged as a whole.

Not fair

p0rtalplayer wrote:
Content rules are going to be a little slack, because there's no way we can track down where every texture ever comes from. Mostly the rule is to discourage obvious usage of stock textures and the like.

You can only enter once, but you can have up to 3 BSPs in the uploaded file. For best chances I would recommend they be thematically linked, as they will be judged as a whole.

As for the prize, my original intention was to only allow a single item, however, I may reconsider that before the contest ends.

Thanks for participating, and best of luck!

Some people like to have blank slates on certain ideas. Keep it how it is. :/

Are we allowed to submit two linked maps, then a thematically- and scientifically-related challenge map as well? In other words, do all three maps have to have level transitions? Or can one be "apart"?

FelixGriffin wrote:
Are we allowed to submit two linked maps, then a thematically- and scientifically-related challenge map as well? In other words, do all three maps have to have level transitions? Or can one be "apart"?

They must connect. You can release challenge/advance versions too. Although it will not be counted for by score, it will be more to play, and it will help us to remember your map better then someone who released a single.

reepblue wrote:

Which decal?

Again glad to see more people are joining!

I was using the "ball dispenser" decal, from the map "For Old Times Sake", because the original Portal have only decals for cube dispensers. Anyway, I'll refresh all the map and create my only textures of everything. The map will not look the same, but will look a lot more original. Thanks, anyway!

So we're allowed to release three test chambers, then three challenge test chambers? Or does it still have to fit into the 3 BSP limit?

FelixGriffin wrote:
So we're allowed to release three test chambers, then three challenge test chambers? Or does it still have to fit into the 3 BSP limit?

Challenge maps refers to BNS files specifying certain portal/time/step goals in portal 1 maps, and does not add to BSP count.

Advanced maps can be included, I suppose, but should be clearly marked as they will not be judged as part of your entry.

Can you please not judge them as a whole? perhaps a "1 prize/position per person" rule, so someone can't win 1st, 2nd and 3rd? because to judge a group of maps, one could be absolutely amazing, and the others, not so much. as such, the amazing gem is utterly worthless in the marking process, as it's downgraded by the other maps that are submitted.

not fair, in my books at least.

Kizzycocoa wrote:
Can you please not judge them as a whole? perhaps a "1 prize/position per person" rule, so someone can't win 1st, 2nd and 3rd? because to judge a group of maps, one could be absolutely amazing, and the others, not so much. as such, the amazing gem is utterly worthless in the marking process, as it's downgraded by the other maps that are submitted.

not fair, in my books at least.

The one file you submit is the one entry that may or may not place. It can have 3 maps tied together with a level transition. If one map sucks out of your collection, it will hurt your chances of winning. You should be focused more on the quality of the map(s) which is a lot easier if you are doing one, but we allow the multiple maps tied together because some people like myself like to produce multiple small maps as it it a lot easier to focus on the puzzle.

Quality > Quantity

HugoBDesigner wrote:

I was using the "ball dispenser" decal, from the map "For Old Times Sake", because the original Portal have only decals for cube dispensers. Anyway, I'll refresh all the map and create my only textures of everything. The map will not look the same, but will look a lot more original. Thanks, anyway!

That is from Portal 2, I just changed the vtf version from 7.5 to 7.4. You can use it, but it will not be accounted for.

Why the poop are we talking about the contest here?

reepblue wrote:

That is from Portal 2, I just changed the vtf version from 7.5 to 7.4. You can use it, but it will not be accounted for.

Why the poop are we talking about the contest here?

In the contest page says that any question we could just ask at this topic. About the decal, I'll still using it, isn't very significant, so I'll not create one from scratch.

EDIT: Forget about this, I've created my own decals...
EDIT 2: Forget, again. I had not enough time to finish my map to the contest

I wanna make a mod that the player have a 128x64x16 physbox to grab without the gravity gun. Will work like a "portable portal surface",' but every time I make a 128 height physbox, the player can't grab (only with the gravity gun). How can I configurate it? Also, how can I make animations to GLaDOS from Portal 1 without the Source FilmMaker?

HugoBDesigner wrote:
I wanna make a mod that the player have a 128x64x16 physbox to grab without the gravity gun. Will work like a "portable portal surface",' but every time I make a 128 height physbox, the player can't grab (only with the gravity gun). How can I configurate it? Also, how can I make animations to GLaDOS from Portal 1 without the Source FilmMaker?

1) I seem to recall having difficult with this before. You can try two things: either change the "mass" keyvalue of the physbox (may not work if the pick-up-ability is determined by size) or parent it to a physbox that you CAN pick up.

2) Unfortunately, there's no easy way to give a model new animations outside of SFM. Really the only way is to decompile the model and recompile with new animations, but I'm not the person to ask about how to do that.