Anyone use 3dsmax instead of hammer?

phantom26

L1: Registered
Nov 8, 2012
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Was just wondering if anyone here prefers using max over hammer for mapping. Their's a great plugin I've been experimenting with called convexity. It allows me to easily create cutouts of windows and doorways and then copy em to other buildings. Once you get use to using it, its a huge time saver. You can check out a tutorial here and the official website here. Theirs also a plugin that's free called wallworm, which you can also make maps with.

Edit: Also forgot to mention, theirs a plugin called game level builder, that's available free from maple3d. If anyone interested in checking out the alternative to convexity since the developers discontinued it.
 
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Mar 23, 2013
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I have seen that tutorial a year ago, and most of the time this guy said that this options are not avaiable in hammer, it was actually incorrect. So I didn't see much adventage in this.
I would evnetually recommend this plug ins to people who are not used to hammer but max, so they don't need to bother to learn hammer that much I guess.
 

Freyja

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Jul 31, 2009
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I've used both 3DS max and hammer for years, and I can see no advantage to using 3ds to create an entire level.

Not only would the camera controls be an absolute nightmare on larger levels, brush editing in hammer is just far far faster and much easier to iterate than even making primatives in 3ds. That's not where 3ds's strengths lie. It's easy to learn hammer, I don't see any reason to use 3ds.
 

Ice Crystal

L2: Junior Member
Feb 28, 2013
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Hammer feels awkward after doing so much middle mouse button panning, which would be a fantastic addition, but other than that hammer probably does its job best.
 

xzzy

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Jan 30, 2010
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I used to map for PC Halo with max, and loved it. Much rather push vertices around than brushes, getting natural shapes is much easier.


Hammer feels awkward after doing so much middle mouse button panning, which would be a fantastic addition, but other than that hammer probably does its job best.

Try holding the space bar while clicking and dragging in the 2D views.. is the closest Hammer has to middle mouse panning.
 
T

The Asylum

That got me thinking... imagine a map made out of nothing but models
 

YM

LVL100 YM
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Dec 5, 2007
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udk, ce3... all the other engines do that and source is moving that direction too.

The only reason we get away with not using any modelling software is that tf2 already has a wealth of assets that we can reuse.
 

henke37

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Sep 23, 2011
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I value the PVS system and that system requires proper brushwork.
 

Freyja

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Jul 31, 2009
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udk, ce3... all the other engines do that and source is moving that direction too.

The only reason we get away with not using any modelling software is that tf2 already has a wealth of assets that we can reuse.

I think you misunderstood.

OP is talking about MAPPING in 3ds, not making assets. UDK, Cryengine, Unity, they still have editors that do some BSP in some cases, place the models, entities, etc. OP is talking about completely replacing hammer with 3ds, nothing like what the other engines do.
 
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Seba

DR. BIG FUCKER, PHD
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Jun 9, 2009
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Hammer feels awkward after doing so much middle mouse button panning, which would be a fantastic addition, but other than that hammer probably does its job best.

Spacebar+right mouse button
 

phantom26

L1: Registered
Nov 8, 2012
19
2
I think you misunderstood.

OP is talking about MAPPING in 3ds, not making assets. UDK, Cryengine, Unity, they still have editors that do some BSP in some cases, place the models, entities, etc. OP is talking about completely replacing hammer with 3ds, nothing like what the other engines do.

Probably should of clarified, I don't mean completely replace, I meant "preferred". Obviously you can't get textures perfect in 3ds max or at least with what I use, so I do switch to hammer. Besides you have to compile the map anyways, but external programs would still be better than hammer. XD

Reason I personally like it is because the cuts you would have to manually make in hammer. To me its just to time consuming, not to mention the fact when I use convexity it actually optimally cuts the brushes(that is assuming with properly optimized library shapes). You can see that as well if you watch the video I linked. To me, hammer just seems limited, which is the reason I prefer get a rough shape to my map first using 3ds max.
 
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Freyja

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Jul 31, 2009
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I personally just don't see how 3DS can compete with the speed and accuracy of BSP brush editing, especially in an engine where staying on the grid is so important. 3DS is so much messier in that regard, I don't think it's suited making maps for source at all.
 

Seba

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Jun 9, 2009
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If you want zero optimisation whatsoever :v
 
Mar 23, 2013
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If you want zero optimisation whatsoever :v

If you put the nodraw/skybox inside this props you could make a map made only with props.

There are some maps made for trade and vsh maps, made of levels from zelda games converted to props. So they are prop-maps but optimization was of course no problem since the Zelda games on the N64 wasn't that...HD