Mapping Virgin

Morpheus

ok....

HOW DO I GET STARTED ON MAPPING & Models?????

I want to do DOD maps, or CS maps, long term ive a fantastic new MOD idea too (sshhh top secret), ive never ever done anything with maps before other than play on them, ive a VERY over-active imagination and would like to get started on mapping,and modelling!

Im a programmer too, C++ VB Java, etc, so i could probably put that to some use when i get started???

I know nothing about mapping or modelling, what applications do i need? Whats the best?

at the minute i have.....

Worldcraft, but i dont know what version, ive never used it?
Half-life, CS, DOD.

do i need 3d studio max? :rolleyes:

what websites are good for tutorials?

so far ive been to
http://www.vlatitude.com/tutorials.php?tutID=1
and
http://mapping.dayofdefeatmod.com/mapping/

your help would be greatly appreciated,

how long does it take to get up to speed on mapping, from scratch???

I hope to post my first attempts here, and will ack anyone who helps me too )

cheers lads!

RopeDrink

Well look, we've converted another one

Welcome young learner, nice to see your sort frequenting this board every now and again...

Right, to start off your best bet is to make sure you've gotten the most recent version of Worldcraft (The most utilised Halflife mapping tool you'll find)

Do a search for it and you'll find it easily - Im sure the most recent version is 1.3
When d/l'd and installed, open it up - The worst part will be over once you've configured Worldcraft to be compatible with what you want to map for, so a lot of problems will be linking Worldcraft to Halflife in the Configurations - I had immense problems here, but was lucky enough to get a helping hand off Drake - Im sure he can give you a few snapshots of whats to be linked to what - The mst of it you'll guess yourself...

Once thats done, try doing a search for HL / CS / TFC Prefabs and Mapping Tuturials - there was a site I check whch really helped me with triggers and other things like that but leave them until last - they're not as important as the configuration and the mapping itself...

It's always best to start off mapping by using a halflife / cs texture (Found in the Valve Folder / cstrike folder - example dust.wad), open worldcraft and click the white box tool on the left (It's for creating solid objects) - You'll notice three different windows + one for 3D viewing.

Goto a 2D view and drag the cursor to make a box - This box will appear in all the 2D views also, but in a different shape, because your making a box looking down (In the Top 2D View), or left (Side View) or front (Front View) so expand the sides / size of the box in each view until you get the shape you want i.e. a rectangle on it's side, or lying down, or simply an even sized box - For fine toning of the box you can decrease the size of the grid to make your resizing more finer - but this can lead to confusion when you make the grid larger again.

Once you've got the shape you want, press enter in the view and bang, it's there in the 3D view, but in white (To texture, you'll need to assign textures into worldcraft using the Tools/Options button on the top bar of your screen - Pick out your texture wad, apply, select your box in the 2D / 3D view and after checking the textures on the right hand upper part of your screen with the texture tool (Default one is the AAA texture mainly used for triggers) pick the one you want and click the brownish box under the white box - It's the texture applying tool...

After that you've pretty much made the first block in however many you want to put together to make walls, buildings or anything else you plan to map in the future...

other topics you'll need to learn are prefabs, texture alignment / applications / triggers / sky boxes and rakes of others that'll add effects to your maps but my advice is to get used to creating different sized boxes and putting them together, get used to flicking through the textures and texture searches, read ANY Worldcraft Tutorials you come across and make damn sure you study all the tools avaliable on the left hand side of your screen...

You'll be flicking through them constantly once you pick up experience with WorldCraft...

Thats all I'll say, not sure if it helps you a lot but it's a very basic start and Im sure a few people will drop by to drop off valuable links / tutorials and tips for you to study...

BE PATIENT - It's a slow process to learn, but the rewards are amazing...

I'll drop by now and again to give you anything else I find (Im in a net cafe atm, and all my things are at home - links etc)

Best of Luck.

These prefabs are mainly objects created by mappers to be used in other peoples maps - things like chairs, lights, rooms and even portions of maps that show you how to use certain triggers and other features...

Don't try to edit them, merely examine it and soak it in - It'll help you in map designing later on. Also,

Anima

For modelling you need 3d studio max 2.5 or higher. I'm not sure if you have to use this but they made all the models in half-life using this so it would be easier because all the plugins and tutorials are written for 3d studio.

I haven't tried to model a player yet but it looks fairly straight forward if you know how to model. Modelling weapons is not very hard either. Just do these tuts and your sorted.
http://www.titaniumfrag.freeserve.co.uk/t1.htm
http://www.titaniumfrag.freeserve.co.uk/t2.htm
These cover modelling and setting a model up to be skinned.

These tutorials are for animating and getting into half-life.
http://www.planetquake.com/polycount/resources/halflife/tutorials.shtml

Theres only one mayor plugin called "smdlexp.dle". You need to download it for whatever version of 3d studio you have. There are
other plugins such as textporter and chlliskinner but there only for skinning. Thats all i can think of right now.

Morpheus

Thanks Ropedring, and Raven...

im hoping to get it up and installed this weekend, im on 56k at home, so im using my precious lunch at work to download some stuff, ive latest worldcraft at home now on a PC Gamer mag cd.

I think i will try mapping first, then when i get the hang of it, il try the modelling.

ive some deadly ideas for DOD2 and if all else fails il stick them up here and some1 else can try them out, theyre still v much W.I.P. tho so i wont post anything yet.

keep the posts coming, i appreciate the help!

RopeDrink

I'll say the above in a simpler fashion - The most used tool in WorldCraft is the "Create Solid" Tool (White Cube type Icon) so if you want any building blocks towards becoming a better mapper you NEED to get used to the creation and placement of your blocks, or shapes (Or anything else you create with the tool).

When you get the hang of it, then you should move towards the editing of the created object, carving the object, texturing / texture alignment, movement of the object, duplication of the object, hollowing (Not advised, this tool causes nasty problems) and vertex manipulation...

Sounds complicated at the moment, but it's extremely straight forward - Once you get Worldcraft configured correctly, then simply experiment and little tricks and tips will come to you on their own...

I have a nice collection of text files explaining triggers and doors etc etc but don't try anything complicated until the basics are something you are great at, otherwise you'll lose patience and chuck WorldCraft out the window...

Dazzer

Hollowing doesnt create problems carving does. J00 n00b!3 Rope :P

DRakE

lol

here's a basic tools tutorial i made once...

back when i had MAPSTER as my website :rolleyes:

anyway, feel free to check it out..

oh and fuppin leet ladder tut lol

Basic Tools Tutorial..Click Me

Func_Ladder Tutorial...Click me!

1337

RopeDrink

Well now, Hollowing causes a drastic increase in FPS actually - Unless you create the hollowed object yourself, or use the vertex tool to put fourty five degree angles in the hollowed objects joining sides...

As for carving, I meant to say clipping, but Im so deep into making this mod Im getting all muddled - Anyway, cheers for ptting me in my place - We shouldn't be having this discussion though, we might confuse our new mapper

Morpheus

nah! im not confused.... yet!

i havent started, im only installing the software properly this week, id a few problems last time, so im re-installing everything.

il hopefully be building my first "thing" this weekend.

we'll see tho.

Kenjd

Hi,
just reading the threads and got some good hints..cheers lads!

Im using Worldcraft 1.3 at the moment and was wondering if someone could explain the Clipping Tool (shift+ x) in simple terms! Just cant get my head around it!!

Morphéus...I found this link that has loads of tutorials on it. Some of them are a bit advanced but there are beginer level tutorials as well.

http://countermap.counter-strike.net/Tutorials/

On a different note...has anyone ever considered making maps based on Irish locations? I was thinking of a CS map involving well known places in Dublin! Imagine running around Temple Bar saving tourists in green trousers !! LOL

DRakE

www.valve-erc.com

WORLDCRAAFT 1.3?! I'm sure you mean 3.3

The version that came with HL all those years ago was 2.2 fs

That website i gave you is a good one. Some nice tutorials

Kenjd

Yeah 3.3!!! DOH !!

Ill check the links out!
Talking about maps ..on the PC Gamer Cd there are two add-on single player maps for Half Life which are really good called ETC and ETC2.

Here a link for them: http://www.planethalflife.com/davej/

Just finished them and they are very atmospheric!!These maps are from the same guy who worked on de_dust for Counter-Strike.

DRakE

DaveJ is the own.

he made dust,dust2,cbble,tire for cs and casbah for tfc.


not to mention the excellent etc and etc2. although the voices are a bit dodgy in etc2