Angular Geometry

Simulacron

L-3: Simulated Member
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Feb 17, 2016
313
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I want to create angular geometry in my maps so my maps gets more interesting. How do you create these types of geometry, with the vertex tool or are you rotating the hole section? And is there any guide to this theme?
 

DrLambda

L69: Teeheehee, Member
aa
Feb 18, 2015
458
475
Being on the grid / not on the grid doesn't do that much except for making it way harder to edit the brushes. I recently began to use loads and loads of instances (see the link in Muddys post), because with instances you can create whole structures on the grid, then rotate them to your liking inside the actual map and still have an easy time editing them if it should be necessary.
 

iiboharz

eternally tired
aa
Nov 5, 2014
857
1,291
Keep in mind that if you're using a lot of angled geometry and buildings your vis is gonna be real funky.
 

Lain

lobotomy success story
aa
Jan 8, 2015
724
757
Don't listen to people who tell you being on grid isn't needed.
Being on grid should be top priority for any geometry that isn't instanced. You should be using instances at most for independent buildings that don't need to be sealed beyond themselves. You're just asking for a leak otherwise.


here is a shitty 5am video on how to do it though, vmf for reference here http://puu.sh/nQZj9/c754ee7093.rar
 
Last edited:

DrLambda

L69: Teeheehee, Member
aa
Feb 18, 2015
458
475
Don't listen to people who tell you being on grid isn't needed.
Being on grid should be top priority for any geometry that isn't instanced. You should be using instances at most for independent buildings that don't need to be sealed beyond themselves. You're just asking for a leak otherwise.

[...]

here is a shitty 5am video on how to do it though, vmf for reference here http://puu.sh/nQZj9/c754ee7093.rar

While the video was really worth looking at and i saw 1-2 tricks that i didn't knew before, i kinda disagree about "asking for leaks" with instances. Going out from the video, if you instance pe the angular walls with the door (or hell, the complete right side of the building) there, you can add good-looking doorways with way less vertex manipulation than what you see in the video, and later manipulation (pe "I really need a window here") becomes way easier. You obviously still have to stay at reasonable angles (and be aware of building height etc) to be able to join them later, but i still consider instancing that to be way easier than to have to touch every vertex multiple times to get the brush into shape.
 

Lain

lobotomy success story
aa
Jan 8, 2015
724
757
While the video was really worth looking at and i saw 1-2 tricks that i didn't knew before, i kinda disagree about "asking for leaks" with instances. Going out from the video, if you instance pe the angular walls with the door (or hell, the complete right side of the building) there, you can add good-looking doorways with way less vertex manipulation than what you see in the video, and later manipulation (pe "I really need a window here") becomes way easier. You obviously still have to stay at reasonable angles (and be aware of building height etc) to be able to join them later, but i still consider instancing that to be way easier than to have to touch every vertex multiple times to get the brush into shape.

That sounds like making something extremely simple (vertex editing) and making it very janky and weirdly implemented. The way I have shown is exactly how Valve does it in all of their maps, and once learned becomes second nature. The only reason i'd ever use instances is if i was for some reason putting a 25 / 30 / 62 / whatever degree wall on a normal building, or for buildings that are disconnected from the rest of geometry (like huts and such) as well as the many small things instancing can do for a level (making using and editing lights easier).
 

DrLambda

L69: Teeheehee, Member
aa
Feb 18, 2015
458
475
That sounds like making something extremely simple (vertex editing) and making it very janky and weirdly implemented. The way I have shown is exactly how Valve does it in all of their maps, and once learned becomes second nature. The only reason i'd ever use instances is if i was for some reason putting a 25 / 30 / 62 / whatever degree wall on a normal building, or for buildings that are disconnected from the rest of geometry (like huts and such) as well as the many small things instancing can do for a level (making using and editing lights easier).

I think we're discussing two different workstyles now. I consider instancing to be easier, you consider vertex manipulation to be easier. For me, it probably has to do with the fact that i literally always screw up something when doing a lot of vertex editing and very rarely screw up when using instances. This might change in the future, but i'm looking at maybe 6-7 years of vertex editing (counting GoldSrc mapping time) and a few months of instancing and i still prefer instancing.
 

Simulacron

L-3: Simulated Member
aa
Feb 17, 2016
313
326
Don't listen to people who tell you being on grid isn't needed.
Being on grid should be top priority for any geometry that isn't instanced. You should be using instances at most for independent buildings that don't need to be sealed beyond themselves. You're just asking for a leak otherwise.

[...]

here is a shitty 5am video on how to do it though, vmf for reference here http://puu.sh/nQZj9/c754ee7093.rar
Thank you, the video helped a lot!