Creating Maps in Google Sketchup

Muadibz

L1: Registered
Jan 29, 2010
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Hello Everyone!

My first real post!

I'm wondering if anyone else has been making TF2 maps in Google Sketchup, I've been using it recently to do so and with the plugin that valve created it seems to be working pretty well!

Basically I'm using it to create a lot of brushes, and some of the entities. If anyone else has used it to create maps please post and let me know how it went! Or whatever you biggest troubles were and that sort of thing so I can attempt to avoid them later on.

Probably in a few days as my map progresses more and more though the alpha and into the beta you'll be seeing a lot of questions on the subject, hopefully eventually it can be compiled into one big How To or something.

I hope to hear some of you are following this same path! (or more so me following yours)
 
Feb 14, 2008
1,051
931
It's much more efficient to make maps in Hammer, a tool designed specifically for the purpose of building maps. So whilst you may be able to make maps in sketchup, there will doubtless be some key features missing, as well the inherent disadvantage that you can only create alpha maps - I don't believe props are supported, correct me if I'm wrong there.
 

Muadibz

L1: Registered
Jan 29, 2010
4
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Well you're right and wrong. I feel that hammer is a lot quicker for finishing and adding props and entities, but sketchup goes a lot faster when you want to just add the big block brushes that make up the basis of the map.
 
Feb 14, 2008
1,051
931
I wouldn't say that it's the big block phase that constitutes major portions of the mapping process. More time is spent detailing, optimising and balancing than blocking out.
 

Muadibz

L1: Registered
Jan 29, 2010
4
0
Yeah I wouldn't either, but sketchup does the big block phase a lot easier. Oh well I'm really not that experienced with map creation this is my first one. I am planning on doing all the detailing in hammer but Sketchup makes the blocking out and prototyping super fast.