[TIP] Detailing your map.

Freyja

aa
Jul 31, 2009
2,994
5,813
Don't copy paste your details.

I disagree. Knowing when to copy your stuff and make it look like it wasn't copied is a very key part of optimising your mapping. You will be a lot faster if you can do it right. No point in rebuilding that group of barrels when you can just copy a previous group and move some, change their skins a little. No one will ever notice and you save a tonne of time.
 

RaVaGe

aa
Jun 23, 2010
733
1,210
I disagree. Knowing when to copy your stuff and make it look like it wasn't copied is a very key part of optimising your mapping. You will be a lot faster if you can do it right. No point in rebuilding that group of barrels when you can just copy a previous group and move some, change their skins a little. No one will ever notice and you save a tonne of time.

When I say copy it's really copying, if you move them/ditch some of them it's not anymore copying, it's just using the same prop in another way, if you use that group of prop you made for an area, don't just copy paste it in another area even if you don't notice it directly, this is something wich increase the quality of your map imo.
 

FiLi

L4: Comfortable Member
Nov 14, 2009
195
102
I've found the part about angularity to be very true. Not only does it make the map more interesting, it also shows a certain level of confidence and finesse, seeing as complicated polygons are a tough thing to do in Hammer.
 

Pocket

Half a Lambert is better than one.
aa
Nov 14, 2009
4,694
2,579
I've always favored the approach of making a fully detailed version of your first alpha, to use as a sort of 3D flyaround-able concept art. That way, you know what you're aiming for before you ever start testing, and have a good idea of how far you can stretch the layout once changes become necessary.
 

UKCS-Alias

Mann vs Machine... or... Mapper vs Meta?
aa
Sep 8, 2008
1,264
816
About the 45 degree angle. Its actualy not a problem if you arent using only 45 degree angles. However, they will be making it harder.

My general rule is that it has to have a small base grid size to work with:
1:1 (45 degrees)
1:2
2:3
3:4
2:5

Its all fine but will make aligning harder and many times would require a helper brush to actualy align it to the normal wall. This brush often gives a little bump (or none at all depending on how you make these). But to me that is actualy a good thing as its going to make it not all look straight. Its kinda like the displacement trick you use on roofs. A simple flat texture is boring.

grid.png


If it can be aligned its good, if it cant then its wrong.
 

Fish 2.0

L6: Sharp Member
Nov 22, 2012
324
262
I've always favored the approach of making a fully detailed version of your first alpha, to use as a sort of 3D flyaround-able concept art. That way, you know what you're aiming for before you ever start testing, and have a good idea of how far you can stretch the layout once changes become necessary.

Regarding this, I think I would rather see rough texture details over a dev texture map in alpha because

  • Detailing can affect gameplay
  • People might review your map differently (doorways more obvious due to texture contrast etc)

What's the hurt in detailing textures as you go because it's almost no different from dev textures then going back over and finalizing them in beta.
 

Fruity Snacks

Creator of blackholes & memes. Destroyer of forums
aa
Sep 5, 2010
6,394
5,571
Sorry for de bump, but I feel like I have to ask: Why did Ravage edit-remove these posts? It's not the only place he did that. Is it something that's no longer relevant? Is it something else?

I think Ravage is angry with the community.
 

Pocket

Half a Lambert is better than one.
aa
Nov 14, 2009
4,694
2,579
There needs to be some sort of edit/removal protection on this forum to stop people from spite-erasing their posts. If not by locking down posts that are a certain age, then by auto-detecting repeated attempts to edit different posts and locking down the account until an admin can resolve the issue.
 

Fruity Snacks

Creator of blackholes & memes. Destroyer of forums
aa
Sep 5, 2010
6,394
5,571
There needs to be some sort of edit/removal protection on this forum to stop people from spite-erasing their posts. If not by locking down posts that are a certain age, then by auto-detecting repeated attempts to edit different posts and locking down the account until an admin can resolve the issue.

I can restore the pre-deleted post, if we really want to.
 

Seba

DR. BIG FUCKER, PHD
aa
Jun 9, 2009
2,364
2,728
I say no; Ravage had a reason for deleting the post, don't go behind her back resetting it just because you can. If possible I'd like someone (preferably from staff) to get in contact with her and ask about this thread.
 

henke37

aa
Sep 23, 2011
2,075
515
In the end it boils down to copyright. Helpful posts tend to be covered by copyright.
 

RaVaGe

aa
Jun 23, 2010
733
1,210
I just lost the pictures, I deleted a lot of files in my dropbox folder and deleted them in the same time, I realised it a few days after, anyway, I still can remake one but I don't have a lot of time for myself atm, so don't expected it now.