Mapping Tutorial

[l3eeron]

So, you wanna try to make map for DoDS but you don't know where to start. Well, my friend this is your lucky day. I am going to illustrate how to make the most basic map. I have been mapping for about 2 years now, off and on. I have tested and tried many many tutorials along with some of my own ideas. This is intended to be an intro to the Hammer world editor to get you started in the right direction. It can be overwhelmimg, the amount of things you can manipulate. Ill point the basics and go over some of the terms used in mapping.

Get the Source SDK (software developer kit)

Go to your steam window and find the tools tab. In the tools window click and install Source SDK if it isnt already (its free)

Launch the SDK. In the bottom of the SDK dialog box, change the mod to DoDS (or what ever mod you're mapping for)

Then launch Hammer


Before we go any further I need to define a few terms. Here are the Source SDK documents, VERY helpful when you get stuck on something:

http://developer.valvesoftware.com/w/in ... umentation

you can also access these pages by going to Help - help topics in Hammer.



World Brush - An obect in the world that was created by a mapper. Hammer has different shapes to create to accomodate your needs. Cubes, circles, arches, cylinders, wedges, and more . All can be transformed, carved, hollowed, stretched, rotated, and skewed

wiki - http://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Brush


Entity - A defining object that tells other obects to do things. There are two kinds of entities. Point based entities and brush based entities. Examples of point based entities: the entity info_players_allies tells the world where to spawn and ally on round start. A light entity emits light. Brush based entities are tied to a brush. For example : A door that opens. The door itself is a brush, but now youve tied a func_door entity to it so now itll slide open or rotate open according to your settings.


wiki - http://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Entity

Ok now that all that boring stuff is out of the way, lets make a map! This is THE easiest way to make a optimized working world in Hammer (with sky)

you can click thumbanils to see full size pics

Step 1 : Create a new file. Open Hammer and go to File - New. You should be looking at 4 windows. 1 - 3d wiew, and 3 - 2d views (top, side, and front) - SAVE your file!

Step 2 : Create the world. On the left side there is a tool bar with a grey cube - that's the brush tool. Select the brush tool. Then on the right hand side, on the under categories make sure primitives and block is selected. In the 2d top view window (top right) make a box by clicking and dragging from one corner to the opposite. Make it 1024 x 1024 big. [albumimg]113[/albumimg]Then in either of the other two 2d windows (the bottom two) grab the top edge of your box and raise it so the brush is 384 tall[albumimg]114[/albumimg]. Next, on the right hand side find the texture group tool bar. click browse and choose a floor material. I chose concrete/concretefloor028a. Now right click the cube you drew and create object. Now you have a solid concrete cube. To see your cube in real time 3d, on the top menu, click view and select "center 3d view on selected"[albumimg]119[/albumimg]. Now in your 3d window, you should see a fully rendered, solid concrete box. Press Z to move around in no clip mode to look at your cube in detail. With the cube still selected (if the cube isnt selected, click the select tool - red arrow - from the tool bar and click the cube in any of the 4 views) and select tool selected, go to tools -> make hollow, make them 32 thick[albumimg]116[/albumimg]. Now you should have a hollow textured cube. SAVE!!!

Step 3 : Create the sky. With the entire hollow cube selected use the cordon tool (on the left, the one with the corner of the cube cut off, second one up from the bottom) to cordon off a part of the cube. Drag a line across the cubein either of the two bottom windows (side or front). After you drag the line accross the cube, hit shift/x until both halves are highlighted in white[albumimg]115[/albumimg]. Then hit enter to complete the "split" Now you have a hollow cube, split into halves. Make
sure the select tool is selected. On the menu bar click the "ig" (ignore group) icon. go to your side or front view window and select (draw a box around the upper parts) only the top halve[albumimg]117[/albumimg]. Now go to the texture window and hit browse. In the filter type toolssky. double click the tools/toolsskybox material. Now on the tool bar click the apply texture button (4th one up). That should change all your brushes up in the "sky" to the skybox texture and leave all the lower brushes concrete[albumimg]118[/albumimg]. SAAAAAAVVVVVEEEE!!!!!! The skybox texture will look like sky when the map is compiled and ran =)

Step 4 : Add essential entities. First thing, add an info_players_allies and an info_players_axis. Click the entity tool. With the info_player_allies selected from the drop down menu click the spot in the 3d view. Do the same for info_player_axis. SAVE![albumimg]120[/albumimg]


Step 5 : Compile the map. With your map file open in Hammer go to file -> run map. Put all options on normal in the "normal" window, dont use the "expert" window. If you check the box itll save the bsp file (the map) to your dayofdefeatsource/dod/maps folder and NOT run the game. If you leave it unchecked, itll save the map, then create a server and load your map automaticaly.


Thats it! now you have a square world with sky and spawning players =) This is my first tut, I was bored at work... thought maybe some might like to try it - ITS FREE!

Heres what you should see in game

[albumimg]121[/albumimg]


][albumimg]122[/albumimg]

[Dog]

Stickied, and if anyone has other stuff to add, then add it here!
GJ l3eeron!

[l3eeron]

Im pretty easy to get a hold of in case anyone needs any help...

Steam is always runnning so you can find me there for an IM chat. My steam name l3eeron - "L"3eeron

[DeafOfficeWorker]

Awesome! Thanks, B!

[Mike]

The guide is a bit complex for a first map tut. You also have one or two bad habbits that is kinda bad to start beginners off with. for ex. cutting off the top of the box instead of ungrouping the box and texturing the top piece or just using the face edit tool to click the ceiling in 3d view with skybox selected to change the ceiling texture. I would also try using shortcut keys as much as possible, like ctrl-H for hollow so beginers get into the habbit of using them and becoming more efficient. If i remember right, what you call the cordon tool is actually called something along the lines of clip tool. The cordon tools are the yellow and black striped ones at the top used for debugging a map.

[l3eeron]

[quote="Mike";p="17091"]The guide is a bit complex for a first map tut. You also have one or two bad habbits that is kinda bad to start beginners off with. for ex. cutting off the top of the box instead of ungrouping the box and texturing the top piece or just using the face edit tool to click the ceiling in 3d view with skybox selected to change the ceiling texture. I would also try using shortcut keys as much as possible, like ctrl-H for hollow so beginers get into the habbit of using them and becoming more efficient. If i remember right, what you call the cordon tool is actually called something along the lines of clip tool. The cordon tools are the yellow and black striped ones at the top used for debugging a map.[/quote]

I stand corrected, the cordon is actually called the clip tool =)

[quote="l3eeron";p="16594"]On the menu bar click the "ig" (ignore group) icon. go to your side or front view window and select (draw a box around the upper parts) only the top halve[/quote]

...I must have misled you somehow because it says "click the ignore group and select only the top half" in that section on clipping.


I could have made it even simpler like you said, but I thought the skybox would be cool for a first time map =)

..and the shotcut keys I left out cuz I was trying to keep it simple.


Thanks for your input Mike!

[l3eeron]

*edit* wait I misunderstood you mike, you're saying to make only the ceiling brush into a sky...

good idea, ill change it when I get time

[Gen.Ben]

I want to learn hammer. So I downloaded source SDK.

When I try to open hammer it says

"No game configurations to run with."

Please help because I want to learn how to map.

[The Sexy Canadian]

You need to make a DoD:S config.

1 you need to open hammer and go to the Create Mod button
2 Pick custom mod from scratch.
3 Put where u want the file to go
4 Name the Mod i.e DoD:S

[l3eeron]

MrBen, Ill send you a PM

[Gen.Ben]

[quote="The Sexy Canadian";p="29335"]
You need to make a DoD:S config.

1 you need to open hammer and go to the Create Mod button
2 Pick custom mod from scratch.
3 Put where u want the file to go
4 Name the Mod i.e DoD:S
[/quote]

I cant get into hammer... at all.

[Zman]

Does anyone know how to make maps for dod1.3?

[l3eeron]

You're gonna want valve hammer editor 3.4


This page explains it all and has DL links for everything you need
http://home.comcast.net/~ninjagrinch/hammercfg.htm


It can get confusing. Let me know if you get stuck on something

[Zman]

Thanks l3

[l3eeron]

Moved to SDK forum from Tech forum