REQUEST: Basic Props

[Gnostici]

I've searched high and low, and can not find a straightforward guide to using stock props anywhere.

This is the last thing I would have expected to have trouble with in my first map. My prop_statics are simply not rendering! Here are the ones that are not showing up, by model...

1. furniture_chair03a.mdl
2. garbage_newspaper001a.mdl
3. w_syringe.mdl

Each of these three is a prop_static entity. In all three cases, vertex lighting is enabled, and VPhysics is used. The console shows no errors when I run my map. These simply don't show up, as if they were never put in the map to begin with.

Throwing science at the wall to see what sticks is a great way to take your learning curve from normal to so steep you want to rip your own face off. So, I don't want to waste any more hours trying random things to see if something works. If anyone could throw me a bone here, it would be awesome.

 

[lana]

Those models are dynamic. They have to be used as a prop_dynamic.

 

[Gnostici]

Thank you! Is there a list of stock props anywhere that notes what kind they are to take the guesswork out? This is day 2 for me mapping, and I'm hoping to get the very basics streamlined before day 3, so I can get to work on trying to do new things.

 

[tyler]

In the model browser, check the info tab.

Also, lmbo at getting the basics in 2 days.

 

[Gnostici]

This isn't my first rodeo lol. I've played with Unreal Engine since the Unreal Tournament days, and a few others. I've also done a bit of programming. I'd call the "basics" just the ability to create internal and external areas, and place props, lighting, cubemaps, and spawnpoints that all work. The VERY basic.

I'd call intermediate the steps that are involved in making an actual match, such as placing control points. Reason being, one set of environments can be used to create multiple maps with similar appearance, based on match type (like Badlands).

"Advanced" is what I'd call the combination of neat things discovered by accident while learning basics and intermediate, as well as the actual more advanced tasks as noted by the community. I expect at least 30 days of mapping before I'm touching that (30 actual 8 hour days, not 30 days since I started).

Anyway, I'm too long-winded. Thank you very much

 

[grazr]

I'd call "advanced" understanding how vvis works, visleafs, visportals, func_viscluster's, the concept and use of func_detail, func_lod, func_brush, waterindices+t-junctions, entdata, texlights. So optimisation mostly.

You might just be able to learn this kinda stuff in 30 days if you don't have a job or other activities, but a lot of it will be reading, theorising + experimenting to prove speculation and the rest will be making mistakes in Hammer; and this is all assuming you don't run into compilation problems. Experienced Hammer users can probably troubleshoot a broken compile in ~20-30 minutes give or take for crashing and personal RAM limitations. For newbies that can take several afternoons when you don't know what to look for. Such mistakes as assigning incompatable materials to displacements, placing too many cubemaps together in 1 place or accidently turning a solid entity (func_detial usually) to a displacement can all break your map and have to be "search and destroyed" to move on. 1 mistake could take you 1-3 days simply because you can't ascertain the source of the problem.

For example you didn't even notice this problem shows up in your compile log as the "Needs to be compiled as $Static!" error.

Good luck.

P.S. Technically this was the wong place to post this kind of request. This is a sub forum for tutorials, not questions.