Help with a creating a curved playing area.

Fish 2.0

L6: Sharp Member
Nov 22, 2012
324
262
Hey everyone.

I'm fairly new to map making in hammer, however I do know other 3D modelling tools and the knowledge seems to have been easily applied to some basic areas of hammer.

I'm looking at creating a map that is set on the top of a dam (hydro-electric) however one thing I'm struggling with is the actual play area. It needs to be curved like a dam, but all my attempts thus far have failed miserably.

I tried to create an arch, but that gives a too rounded dam. I decided to clip off the smallest bit from the top of it, but that only leaves me (with 128 sides on the original arch) with 3 sides.

I'm curious - is there a way to manipulate the object in such a way that the end result isn't so rounded? Below is a draft map design (feel free to comment on that too, if you can understand it) that shows the basic shape of the dam.

Draft Sketch:
fMm6v.jpg


Hammer:
DV6aB.png


Zoomed into the top, getting that shape I need:
aPu2M.png


It pretty much end up with me not having enough detail.
 

Idolon

they/them
aa
Feb 7, 2008
2,105
6,106
When creating an arch, you can choose to have it only span a certain number of degrees. Try using that.

Also, good luck. Circular levels in Source are pretty hard, yet fun, to pull off.
 

Fish 2.0

L6: Sharp Member
Nov 22, 2012
324
262
When creating an arch, you can choose to have it only span a certain number of degrees. Try using that.

Also, good luck. Circular levels in Source are pretty hard, yet fun, to pull off.
I tried that. It gives me a small semi-circle and not an oval-ish type shape.

I'll likely do it by eye or revise the design so it's just a square dam. It's a shame really, because I wanted to stick with the kind of dam tc_hydro had going.
 

tyler

aa
Sep 11, 2013
5,102
4,621
Just do it by hand. Use a large arch as a guide, but there's no real reason to do something on this scale with the arch tool itself. No one will notice the irregularities or imperfections, and it'll be easier to detail later on in development if you do it manageable chunks.
 

Trotim

aa
Jul 14, 2009
1,195
1,045
If people are gonna be playing on top of the dam they're not gonna pay much attention to its sides. Won't even see it most of the time.

That said if you really wanted a nice curved dam carefully painting displacements is always an option
 
Jan 8, 2011
397
393
Pardon me, as I am about to be unhelpful, but I see RCT3 on your Windows start bar. I like you.
 

ROFLsnakes

L2: Junior Member
Apr 24, 2012
72
5
My recommendation is to create a rectangular playing area,add the things you want in it.After all is said and done,use the leftover parts as part of the sky-box. Might save some time, especially if you use fences or something of the sort to define boundaries; something that small is easier to form into curved shapes (gradually) compared to a giant brush (in my opinion).Then after that is done just throw stuff in the empty non used areas behind your wanted arch/curve.
 

Fish 2.0

L6: Sharp Member
Nov 22, 2012
324
262
Pardon me, as I am about to be unhelpful, but I see RCT3 on your Windows start bar. I like you.

:O

Basically everyone here is saying to just do it by hand, so I will.

The side towards the lake will be blocked with a fence + invisible wall while the side with the dam cliff will have a small fence (if any(?)) that players can fall off of to their death. I'm not sure how I would make the dam slope but I'm thinking (like snakes said) about making it in the 3D skybox (which I would have to learn how to do. All in due, time I guess.
 

henke37

aa
Sep 23, 2011
2,075
515
Can ragdolls interact with the 3d skybox? I don't think they can. Keep the slope in the actual full size part of the map.
 

Fish 2.0

L6: Sharp Member
Nov 22, 2012
324
262
Can ragdolls interact with the 3d skybox? I don't think they can. Keep the slope in the actual full size part of the map.

That would likely be unoptimized and use up more resources than it should (namely textures). I'll likely try both ways to see what one works better, but I'll put an invisible wall for where the dam side should be and the skybox blocks behind it and down the bottom, under another invisible wall that they can fall on.

To me it just seem impractical to make the slope on the map, but then again I have no experience with hammer so my logical optimizing thinking will likely not work.