HOWTO : Creating a room (Basic)

Edge

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This guide is geared towards HL2DM and will not entirely work with CS:S Specifically the player spawn entity.

Install the Source SDK (contains Hammer, Model Viewer etc.)
Open your steam "Play Games" GUI.
Right click on the "Source SDK" under the tools section and choose "Install Game"

Using Hammer
You will need to have Steam open to use Hammer.
However you do not need to use the Source SDK shortcut to get to Hammer.
Make a shortcut to C:\Program Files\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\[email protected]\sourcesdk\bin\hammer.exe
Loading via the SDK shortcut takes about a minute and the Hammer shortcut is a matter of seconds.

Configuring Hammer
Valve has created a great guide for getting your Hammer up and running.
http://www.valve-erc.com/srcsdk/Hammer/html/Manually_Config_Hammer.html

Q: How do I get Hammer to launch my map when I compile
Open the options (Tools, Options)
Goto the Build Programs tab.
Add the following to the field "Place compiled maps in this directory before running the game:"
C:\Program Files\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\[email protected]\half-life 2 deathmatch\hl2mp\maps

Quick Tips
Press F9 to compile.
Add -novideo to the "Additional game parameters" section in the compile GUI to suppress the Valve intro video.
Center the viewport on selected item (CTRL+E)

Creating a room
Open Hammer
File, New
Save As, (Name Your Map)
You have 4 viewports. The upper left is black without the grids. Click "camera" and choose "3D Textured"
The upper right is the "Top" view. I create in this viewport.
Choose the "Block Tool" (SHIFT+B)
Drag a box and hit enter. This creates the brush.
Now resize the brush to the desired dimensions.
For this example create a brush in the top viewport with the following dimensions.
16 wide
192 tall
In the side view the dimensions are as follows
16 wide
188 tall

Now you can copy and create 4 of these brushes for your walls.

To rotate your brushes click on the brush with the "Selection Tool"(Shift+S) selected. The first click gives you the resize vertices, second click gives you rotating vertices, third click gives you the diagonal vertices.

Now build your box in the top viewport. Don't overlap the brushes but make a completely enclosed box. Once you have it organized create a floor by making a brush that covers the other brushes in the top view. Make a copy of that brush and use it for your ceiling. You can adjust the height in the side viewport.

Let there be light!
Once you have a complete room without any gaps you need to add some light.
Select the "Entity Tool" (SHIFT+E)
Place the entity where you would like your like source.
Click ALT+ENTER to modify the properties.
The class should be "light" and you can configure the brightness and such.

Walls, Light.... oh we need a player spawn :)

Player Spawn
Select the "Entity Tool" (SHIFT+E)
Place the entity where you like to spawn. (Make sure you don't spawn in a wall or any other object.)
The class should be "info_player_start".

Compiling
All done let's test it out!
Select F9 to compile.

I hope this helps those curious about getting into making maps with Hammer. I have mapped with q3radiant but I am new to hammer and created this guide because finding very basically tutorials was somewhat challenging.

Where to go to get help?
This forum of course :)

Other resources
Valve Hammer Help : http://www.valve-erc.com/srcsdk/Hammer/index.html
Hammer Tutorials : http://interlopers.net/content.php?article.cat.48
Create your first room (w/pics) : http://interlopers.net/content.php?article.49
 
How to make a room?

Entity tool > Prefab > Box

Done, lighting and all.

:p

Sorry, had to be a smartass, nice guide.
 
PvtRyan said:
How to make a room?

Entity tool > Prefab > Box

Done, lighting and all.

:p

Sorry, had to be a smartass, nice guide.

Well I this is why I made my guide... I have no idea how to execute what you just posted. I have tried and can't figure it out.. so I think this guide might turn out to be useful :)
 
Good basic tuts...keep them coming. :)

Ian

PS...can you do a tutorial on making a skybox? I'm finishing up with a single room (albeit it was hollowed...haha...just for basic learning though, not for real map making). I can't really find a tutorial that's easy to follow and I want to start learning some outdoors scenes. Yours are the straight-shooting down and dirty tutorials I like.
 
Ok I figured out how to use the prefab. It took me about an hour. So I am feeling like a complete noob now hehe.

Create a new map.
Select the "Brush Tool"
On the right you have a "New Objects" Toolbar
Select "Prefabs" for the category.
Select "box" for the object.
Select "Insert original prefab"

Done :)

The above still may useful for those creating rooms manually.
 
Can you please help me with something? I have tried installing Source SDK, but when I go to Properties, it says that it is only at 84% and I need an Update to finish. Where can I find this update?
 
To make a skybox:

1. Make a small hollow box with the 'sky' texture.

2. Place a 'sky_camera entity' in the middle of the hollow box. For now, leave it in the dead centre, just to keep it simple.

3. Put anything you want in the box (keep in mind it has to fit the box). Models, brushes, sprites, displacements (terrain)... anything visual. Place them around the sky_camera entity as you see fit.

4. Make sure you have a sky in your map (once again using the 'sky' texture).

5. When you compile your map, you should see stuff in the distance!

Simple enough?
 
PvtRyan said:
How to make a room?

Entity tool > Prefab > Box

Done, lighting and all.

:p

Sorry, had to be a smartass, nice guide.

That looks to be completely useless on almost every level of mapping.

I'm pretty sure there's a reason professional and even amateur mappers don't use this.
 
How do you get different textures for the floor/walls etc? Not all one texture.

Also, how do you make an outside area?
 
sf-R said:
Why don't you make a room by making a box and hollowing it? :-/

Hehe this is what you chose for your first post?

The above gets you familiar with Hammer. Creating a box and hollowing it out is not the most ideal method. I personally don't like that method.
 
yep i started with hollowing a cube. i think its ok, but then you should start minus-ing the cube and start putting brushes in its place. personally, i have no problems with carve and hallow as long as they are used as a guide and are replaced by regular brushes or done sparingly.

the other thing to do for newbs like myself, is go to the HL2 SDK as valve has so kindly provided samples, and rip the rooms there as a prefab and then start building on your own.
 
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