dont have idea for a map..

[sneaky]

Hi, i am a newbie at mapping, i am learning everyday more.. but the problem is: i dont have a good idea for creating a good map any ideas ?

and another question: where can i find a tutorial for moving things ?

thanks

 

[The Dark Elf]

hmm, its mostly trial and error, i dont think you can suddenly jump into it and start making good maps.

I'd start with the basics, learn what all the tools do, learn your limits, then just move up from there.

 

[eediot]

Can't help you with the tutorial because I don't know what you mean [and I'm not up to that yet], but as a newbie mapper you should just make a simple leak-proof room and go from there. Every time you think of something cool that you don't know how to do, put it in that room. Then make a door and add another room onto it, and expand from there until you're pretty competent at map making. Then you'll have enough knowledge to start thinking about making a proper map to learn more from =]

 

[sneaky]

Can't help you with the tutorial because I don't know what you mean

i meen moving opjects when you press a button etc or just moving the whole time true the map

 

[MrFoofles]

read the documentation that came with the SDK, it will answer that question, and many, many more...

you can rotate the camera with the directional keys and zoom in/out with the mouse wheel. USing W,S,A,D will pan the camera forward, back, left, and right - respectively. Holding shift and pressing a directional key will move the camera in that direction, however a greater amount than with the W,S,A, and D keys ...

To move objects click the select tool (the red arrow) and click on an object, in the 2d views you will see a bounding box for it highlighted in red, you can then hover your mouse over the object, the cursor will change similar to the style of windows in Windows OS, a full crosshair will be to move, and a single directional arrow will be to scale. Hover your mouse more towards the center to move, and hover your mouse more towards the white squares at the edges to scale.

 

[AcousticToad]

As Dark Elf said, its mostly trial and error. Very rarely have I started a map with specific goals in mind, once the first room is done try to look at it from every perspective and try to image something that you would want in there, once you get the idea in you head make a rough map with it in, then proceed to paper, pull inspiration from as many places you can, a good example of a first map is trying to recreate your own home and move on from there since you see it most of the day and are familiar with it.

After you have all the stuff down that you want its just a case of putting it in, looking at it and deciding what needs changing/adding, make several alternative designs and try to combine elements from each version.

As you progress and find things get easier its a good way to make elaborate maps that make have parts from four, even 5 different map versions. In essence, take the best things from each version and combine them and you'll have a great map.

 

[Mr Neutron]

Here's my suggestion for the creative process:

Don't focus on making actual playable DM maps. Make small prototype maps with bare walls where you can prototype interactive or architectural features. You can always just turn those features into prefabs to insert into other maps later.

Source and the entity i/o system makes interactive stuff easier to make than in any game before. If you study the entities, you'll see a few which assign the players or their teams points. You can actually implement a pseudo-modified gametype from within plain old DM! Just associate the right events with those entities.

Once you have neat features you know how to set up (and are sure work how they're supposed to), think of a way to combine them in a coherent way (avoid funhouse-style random crap; tie things together).

Once you have a gameplay concept, think of the most appropriate setting (visual style) already availble to you. Don't try to add new art assets: you'll get much better results if your map looks like a different part of some map seen in the game. In fact, that's a good way to start: think, 'Where in city 17 would this be?'. Then make a list of all the art assets that match that setting and experiment getting architecture to look right. Wait till very late stages to introduce anamolous textures/models. Again, do things on a small scale to familiarize yourself with the location and appropriate use of entity and art assets. Nothing gets more frustrating than not knowing exactly how things work in the midst of a big complex level. Even with visgroups, it just gets too hard to work.

So mistake number one is try and start with the aesthetic look of a map. Aesthetics is just not something that will come together until the end of the process, and the tools aren't up to an aesthetic-oriented process (for starters, there's no real-time lighting preview). If you can invision a new look or mood, take notes or draw a picture; just don't start with that in Hammer. Until the end, expect everything to look like crap. Unless its vital to the testing of the gameplay concept, avoid even placing lights, let alone running vrad, until the final stages.

So if the main appeal of map making to you is creating atmospheric locations and innovative architecture, you may want to pair up with someone else, because that end of things is very difficult to start from a totally blank slate. Even the most radical architects start thinking about each design from function and context (the site). Think the same way. You'll have 10's of ideas really quickly when you start thinking of the things you wished to see in City17: 'what's on the other side of that high wall?'.

 

[sneaky]

read the documentation that came with the SDK, it will answer that question, and many, many more...

you can rotate the camera with the directional keys and zoom in/out with the mouse wheel. USing W,S,A,D will pan the camera forward, back, left, and right - respectively. Holding shift and pressing a directional key will move the camera in that direction, however a greater amount than with the W,S,A, and D keys ...

To move objects click the select tool (the red arrow) and click on an object, in the 2d views you will see a bounding box for it highlighted in red, you can then hover your mouse over the object, the cursor will change similar to the style of windows in Windows OS, a full crosshair will be to move, and a single directional arrow will be to scale. Hover your mouse more towards the center to move, and hover your mouse more towards the white squares at the edges to scale.

thats not what i meen
i already know that

but i meen rotating things >>ingame<< when pressing a trigger

 

[archvilell]

Hmm... before I had ever even seen Hammer, I knew exactly what I wanted to make. My friend was a semi-newb mapper and showed me the ropes. I dived in and now my map is done exactly how I like it (well, my share anyway. I'm waiting for my firend to get his half done).

My word of advice, don't expect it to work the first time, especially when you have no idea what you are doing. I had about half the map done, and when it came time to make the sky, I had to reorganize (and by that I mean redo the whole map using different blocks and such to make the map square) the whole map just to put a sky in.
This process has also taken me about 2 weeks to do justthe outside environment (course, I would have been working on the building too, but thats my friend's job).

The first thing you should do is sketch out on printer paper what you want your map's layout to look like. It may take a few tries. Try to get stuff reasonably scaled. Then go find some graph paper and do it again, this time, focus on scale and make the rooms and such precisely how big they are. Remember a person is about 72 units tall and I think 32 units wide. A good ceiling height is 128. Once you have your map all graphed out, then open Hammer and learn how to make rooms, carve, clip, etc. Practically all the basic stuff. Then attempt to make what you drew. You will run into problems, and that's what these forums are for. Problems can be good, because when you hit one, you just type your problem here and go do something else while you wait for an answer. Keeps you sane, lol.

 

[poseyjmac]

if you have access to an interesting place in real life, you can use that as the basis for your level, or at least a part of it. even going so far as taking measurements/getting blueprints would be good. every level's idea is taken from an existing place anyway.

 

[sabre0001]

My advice for newbs (although im practically one myself):

Always back up files - it may be annoying but wait til you hit some huge error that you cant reverse (especially if the map is nearly done)

It helps to get to know other mappers or use forums

Be somewhat original

Dont be put off by seeing great lookin maps in forums - you can make something that good someday too if you work hard.

Accept constructive critiscism (sorry cant spell) and praise in the same way and use it to better your map...

 

[Adamtehgreat]

by the way is there a way to overlay a blueprint as a viewport BG in Hammer? Kinda like the Alt+b Function in Max?

 

[Lamer]

I am doing my DM map since i've started and i'm at like 80% now. I think a've passed the state of total n00bnes since i can practicaly do most of the thing I wnat in my map.
I started off with a simple hut with doors (ravenholm style) I liked the style so I strated expanding the map and draw a simple plan at math class of what do I want my map to look like. I'm kinda keeping to that plan but also making some changes since my Hammer skill has incresed. so my advice is: start with something stupid, make a plan haw to go on and expand it

ps. i have problem- i have a brush tied to func_physbox and a rope (visual and constrant) keeping it up in the air. physics are working well but the physbow does not colide with walls or anything else. ( in prop. I have colide with world ON, and Vphysics) how do i make my box so it will hit the walls like a phys_box should

 

[Riddles]

An idea for a map is the hard part in my opinion. Hammer is pretty easy to learn. Making a map that is fun/original/balanced/tactic/interesting/runs smooth and looks good thats hard. Making your room as someone said would be a good start. Look at movies and pictures on the net for inspiration for map ideas.

 

[FaultySanity]

Go for a walk, walk around in stores...i like to try to base maps off real places. A good way to learn hammer from head-to-toe is to map your house...its always fun to go and shoot-up your room as well

 

[Tynan]

If you want to learn quickly, just try to copy a map that already exists.

Take a bunch of screens of dm_overwatch and make your own version.

There's no final product really but youll learn techniques really fast.

Painters do this type of thing.

 

[Crispy]

I'm sorry to say this but in my opinion if you don't have a good idea for a map then maybe mapping's not for you. The best and most consistent mappers have a certain creative drive that keeps them going through long and arduous projects. But, that said everyone starts from somewhere. If you need inspiration just look around you, where you live and perhaps you could take 'inspiration' from other games etc.

If you have a rough idea or concept for a map, google it and get some images. One of my fav map ideas came from a Villa set high in some tropical mountains (yeah I'll be porting that one).

 

[Dasparov]

Make a box, play through hl2 a bit and find places that you would like to see in mp then get ideas from there