So dark!

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TheChecker

L1: Registered
Aug 3, 2010
7
0
Hello guys,

i have a question.

Everytime when i draw a big field in the Hammer Editior, is the whole area dark.
And i cant see the ground or the other side of the area.
And so my question:
Can i change it? I want to see the whole area.
 
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ardysqrrl

L4: Comfortable Member
Oct 26, 2009
173
159
if you go to tools > options in hammer, look at the 3d views tab and raise the back clipping plane.
 

ardysqrrl

L4: Comfortable Member
Oct 26, 2009
173
159
I'm not sure what the problem is, are you able to see anything in hammer's 3d view? can you provide a screenshot?
 

TheChecker

L1: Registered
Aug 3, 2010
7
0
ok see. i mean the dark hole.
I dont know where the ground and things like that.


16bxa1e.png


sry a lil bit big.
 
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Jan 20, 2010
1,317
902
I thought that every Pro Mapper do good and big maps like this or not?

Help me than pls.

By making a huge square room? No.

Pro mappers make maps by forming a cohesive idea, planning it out in any of various ways (on paper for example), then making it in sections in hammer.

Or something to that effect. Big rectangular room is a big no-no.
 

Seba

DR. BIG FUCKER, PHD
aa
Jun 9, 2009
2,364
2,728
It's best to start by drawing a sketch on paper, then building the map building by building; adding a semi-large ground brush can sometimes help. Never start with a giant box, and never use one to seal a map that other people will play (private tests, like lighting experiments etc are fine to cordon).
 

jpr

aa
Feb 1, 2009
1,094
1,085
Not that big :s
Here's my map crossroads for comparison:
crossroads.png

Your room looks like it's eight times bigger. Try using dev textures and props to get some sense of scale, because that is just far bigger than it needs to be.
 

TheChecker

L1: Registered
Aug 3, 2010
7
0
I see.

Can someone give me tipps, how to make such a map like Jonah ones?

And how much hours i will need to do a big map?

And good one?
 

YM

LVL100 YM
aa
Dec 5, 2007
7,135
6,056
I invested around 2000 hours building, compiling and testing pl_hoodoo.

If you're a damn quick mapper and work pretty flat out you may, just, be able to produce a medium sized map from scratch in a month.

Also know that the stuff in the distance of maps is in the 3D skybox which is actually 16 times smaller than it appears.

http://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Category:Level_Design This link is your bible. Bookmark it and read from it every day.

Start with this http://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Your_First_Map then use all of your googling powers (and the VDC search) to find all the tutorials and examples you can, there are a hell of a lot out there.
 
Jan 20, 2010
1,317
902
Btw. Could someone pls show me or explain me how does a draw map looks like on a piece of paper?

Here's what my plan for corrode looks like

It's changed QUITE a bit from this, but planning helps nonetheless.

There's one thing you should keep on mind: do not release your first map. Or rather, there's no real reason to playtest it. It's best to show it around to a few friends and just use the building of it as a learning experience. I'm on technically my 5th map and I'm still learning things about map design every day. Be patient.
 
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Aug 10, 2009
1,240
399
Welll in all technicality I would encourage you to release your first map, get as much feedback as possible, and if it really can't be saved, don't save it. Just don't take anything towards your map personally. You are making something imperfect, so there will be criticizm :p

Anyways, as far as sketching out maps goes, I would recommend finding a system that works for you. For example, I started to sketch maps on lined paper or blank paper, but then quickly realized that I had no idea how to scale the map.

Currently I draw out versions of my maps on graph paper, with every square being 128x128 units. For stairs or ramps, I already know that each stair is 12 units long and 8 units tall, a 3:2 run:rise ratio, so I simply draw them out and mark them with an arrow to indicate the fact that they're a stair/ramp.

I highly suggest recording units in your drawings, so when you make the map in hammer, it's not absurdly scaled.

Quick tip for scaling:
Thin doorway - 96u wide
Thick doorway - 192u wide
Thin pathway - 128u wide (I've seen some that are 96 or 64, but I like 128)
Wide path - 256u wide
In my book an area is too wide if it's open, and a player can walk 1024 units in a straight line uninterrupted. Hell, I think I might just make a personal scaling tip because I'm bored.