Modding with Hammer- Help

[Toxic Clam]

I'm brand new to modding with Hammer, and I wanted to learn a bit more about using it. I tried using the Official guide, but I believe that it's a bit overly complicated, I can never seem to find what I'm looking for. And don't think I'm just being lazy , I've worked with Official modding guides before, but this one just seems much to unmanouverable compared to the rest.

So, I've been wanting to learn deeper things about the editor, so far all I know is how to place brushes, place objects/entities, and add textures to objects.

Now what I'm seeking out is how to edit AI and set up ingame scenes, such as something falling over when the player walks into a triggerbox. Believe me, I have looked this up on the guide, and the way they word everything is just not readable.

So, what I'm asking is if anyone can explain to me in their own words how to edit AI and set up scenes. Also, if it makes it easier my Steam ID is Alexb10, so if you want you can add me and walk me through via the instant messaging system.

Thanks everyone

 

[Vegeta897]

Find yourself some more noob friendly guides. You may not understand some tutorials because you have to learn the basics first. I don't think many people are going to be willing to give you a full explanation of how to use hammer and scripting scenes and other advanced functions. All that info is out there, you can't just give up on all those resources because you found some to be overwhelming.

Also, you don't really 'mod' with Hammer, you map with it. You can't do everything with Hammer. I don't know if you're aware of this.

 

[Toxic Clam]

Yea, I use mod as a general statement. You do set up scenes and such with hammer right? I do know you sometimes need to write scripts and that sort of thing outside it.

Do you have any links to "noob-friendly" guides?

 

[Vegeta897]

Well I learned all the basics of hammer with the original tutorial that came with hammer back in the HL1 days, when the editor was called World Craft... ah good times.

I really don't know if I ever used any tutorials outside of that, I mostly just learned things on my own.

To be honest, I don't really know much about scripting scenes or triggers. I never really did anything serious.

 

[Toxic Clam]

Well, in most of the modding I've done with other games, I just found out the very basics of every aspect of the program, such as scripting, ai, placement, level setup and all that, then I just learn the rest on my own.

I just want to learn the very basics of editting AI so I can build upon it. I don't even know where to look in the editor to find that.

Ok, maybe if I set up an example... I want to make it so all the NPCs in the area just after you leave Barney at the very beginning of HL2 react to the player as if you were a metropolice instead of a citizen. That would mean you would have to make it so:
-Scanners don't react to you
-Police don't react you
-Citizens walk away from you
-Cameras don't take pictures of you

Where would I atleast go to edit some of these NPC's traits? I have the map opened up in Hammer right now.

 

[Vegeta897]

I'm not sure you can do that kind of thing in Hammer...

 

[Toxic Clam]

:/ Then where do I do that kind of thing?

 

[Vegeta897]

Maybe you can, I'm not sure. A good idea might be to open up some of the HL2 maps in the source maps folder. Maps like the beginning ones where you aren't attacked by everything. Perhaps it is possible to do that just in Hammer. There might be a flag within the enemy entities.

 

[Toxic Clam]

Hehe, I've already done that for myself before I started the thread, and I can't seem to find exactly where I edit the NPC's traits. I've double clicked them, the boxes around them, nothing seems to lead me in the right direction.

 

[Tyron]

First learn the basics...

click the npc one's and press Alt+Enter on your keyboard and take a look there
these flags simply provide premade scripts how they react on everything:

so now go and play with it and maybe you'll learn the basics on your own,
like i did i started with maps for HL1 and still it's the same only more options

Tutorials aren't always needed what you learn by yourself is better cause you won't forget it anymore

 

[Crispy]

Hammer controls scripted AI behaviour (and events) via 'entities'. There may already be an entity that dictates which team the player or NPCs are on. I'm not sure if you would have to spawn them in this state or not.

Another option is to make it so that something in the level triggers 'notarget' mode. This will mean no enemies will be able to see you at all. 'Notarget' is a console command, but it's also a cheat and cannot normally be used unless "sv_cheats" is set to "1" (i.e. cheatmode is ON). I'm not sure if you can enable this via Hammer or if it would need to be added as extra code in partnership with a custom Hammer entity.

Sorry I can't be of more help but I don't do SP maps in Hammer really.

 

[Ennui]

http://www.interlopers.net/ is a Source level design community with loads of wonderful Hammer tutorials for every skill level. Check it out, it should help. Their forums are also very knowledgeable about these things so you might be better off asking there.