do we have to use hammer?

[FlamingTeddiz]

im i want to make a level for hl2 do i have to use hammer or some other program because i have tried hammer and it is very difficult, well its anoying, like the fact that if i want to add something i have to redo half of the map. or if i make a wall i have to cut out a door than i have to delete the wall and make 3 other ones, i can make odd shapes to easly its mostly just blocks, and super small ones if i want an odd shape. also i can never get the laders to work and they are only one size...

maybe i dont know much about it but it just seems like its constricting. unless there is something im not getting.

 

[Ennui]

you just don't know much about it; it's very versatile and takes a lot of work but it's really quite efficient in the long run.

 

[sabre0001]

Yeah i agree, i was using many tools to try and edit maps (for Quake 1 & 2 at the time) and they were all difficult...Then i found hammer (or worldcraft as it was) and everything became clear...Once you get used to it, hammer is incredibly easy. A few things will cause difficulty and if you are one of those people (like me) who doesnt want to try everything before asking for help, there are forums (like this one) where people will usually answer any question you have...

Hammer would be even better if it edited more games like the good ol' days (of worldcraft - quake 1, 2, HL, and counter-strike under one editor)

 

[The Dark Elf]

I think one or two of the other mapping programs out there are or now have support for HL2... I just don't know anymore than that though sorry.

 

[Uh-Oh]

im i want to make a level for hl2 do i have to use hammer or some other program because i have tried hammer and it is very difficult, well its anoying, like the fact that if i want to add something i have to redo half of the map. or if i make a wall i have to cut out a door than i have to delete the wall and make 3 other ones, i can make odd shapes to easly its mostly just blocks, and super small ones if i want an odd shape. also i can never get the laders to work and they are only one size...

maybe i dont know much about it but it just seems like its constricting. unless there is something im not getting.

Use it for more than a day. Learn tutorials on the net... even half-life 1 or counter-strike or day of defeat tutorials, they are all good.

Hammer is very simple. Most people learn it quickly, but it does take time to master.

Happy new year!

 

[Cunbelin]

I believe you can use XSI, not sure if the mod tool works, or if it has the 7,500 limit or something else that prevents map exports. If that's the case then the full version of XSI is $495.

 

[Iced_Eagle]

You can use external tools (I'm 99% sure you can use like 3DSMax as well as XSI like Cunbelin said to creat the basic geometry and all so you don't have to do that in Hammer, then you would just populate the map with your entities and all that to make the acutal map)

Hammer is very, erm, interesting to use if you are a complete noobie, you will soon learn tho that after much trying, it becomes second nature how to do things...

www.interlopers.net

Go into their tutorials sectoins, over 100 tutorials for Source map making it's not sorted in any way, but you can just find something you want to learn about, then make it!

One thing that irks me is the 3dskybox, seems a pain to create, but I guess it's what you get for the quality results :\


*EDIT* OH and popular Quark editor is going to add support for HL2... and they are also adding support for Doom3 as well... so in one editor you could use it for SOOOO many games

http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~quark/

It's not out yet, it will come soon

Never tried quark, so not sure how versatile it is and all that....

 

[Geronimous]

Yup...., was going to suggest Quark editor has now HL2 support!