- May 31, 2013
- 1,019
- 851
I've been playing TF2 for about 2 years now and have made a few really basic mods in that time: some custom menu backgrounds, medibeam particles, and a HUD.
I've long been interested in creating custom models for submission to the steam workshop, SFM, and in maps. The thing is, is that I'm so overwhelmed by all the information and seeming complexity of each step in making, rigging, collisioning (a word I didn't know the meaning of until 10 minutes ago), texturing, exporting etc. a model I just haven't even been able to start.
I've watched so many tutorials, lurked so many forums, and asked so many little anecdotal questions of a few mappers I've managed to get ahold of, that I've deterred myself from even beginning to model/map because of how complicated it seems to me.
My question is this: how can I simplify this? How can I reduce all the hundreds of variables and things to keep in mind while mapping and modeling to simple things I can understand? I really want to do these things, I'm just so confused...
For example: let's say I want to make a chair model for use as a static prop in a map (keeping it simple here) and then rig it for use in SFM. That sounds so daunting to me because according to my basic understanding of how that might work I would have to model it in Blender, texture in Photoshop, code a .qc, export with a special plugin, get more apps to help with compiling, figure out how to import all that into a map and then maybe that's done. But all that scares me and sounds impossible, even after my months of browsing tons of forums and YouTube for answers.
This post is probably difficult for anyone to understand as well since I don't even know what I'm talking about...
3D skyboxes, brushes, collisions, prefabs, soundscapes, WHERE DO I BEGIN?
I've long been interested in creating custom models for submission to the steam workshop, SFM, and in maps. The thing is, is that I'm so overwhelmed by all the information and seeming complexity of each step in making, rigging, collisioning (a word I didn't know the meaning of until 10 minutes ago), texturing, exporting etc. a model I just haven't even been able to start.
I've watched so many tutorials, lurked so many forums, and asked so many little anecdotal questions of a few mappers I've managed to get ahold of, that I've deterred myself from even beginning to model/map because of how complicated it seems to me.
My question is this: how can I simplify this? How can I reduce all the hundreds of variables and things to keep in mind while mapping and modeling to simple things I can understand? I really want to do these things, I'm just so confused...
For example: let's say I want to make a chair model for use as a static prop in a map (keeping it simple here) and then rig it for use in SFM. That sounds so daunting to me because according to my basic understanding of how that might work I would have to model it in Blender, texture in Photoshop, code a .qc, export with a special plugin, get more apps to help with compiling, figure out how to import all that into a map and then maybe that's done. But all that scares me and sounds impossible, even after my months of browsing tons of forums and YouTube for answers.
This post is probably difficult for anyone to understand as well since I don't even know what I'm talking about...
3D skyboxes, brushes, collisions, prefabs, soundscapes, WHERE DO I BEGIN?
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