What do you hate the most about mapping? - Developers

making a working config with all game content FUCKING RAGE

[QUOTE=ThePinkPanzer;36846489]Textures are almost all made for the 120 height and anything a pixel more makes the whole thing look like shit.[/QUOTE] I've found that most are fitted for 128?

Whenever I accidently double click with my Toolbar and completely mess it up or delete it entirely, I begin smashing my head against the keyboard trying to fix it.

When my model browser freezes and don't work at all , unless i restart hammer. so , i use the model browser and write down all the names of the props i need on notepad. or i could just restart hammer every time i pick another model/prop.

[QUOTE=Rev_deaddiet;36853445]When my model browser freezes and don't work at all , unless i restart hammer. so , i use the model browser and write down all the names of the props i need on notepad. or i could just restart hammer every time i pick another model/prop.[/QUOTE] I get that. I just close the model browser and click "Browse..." again. No need to restart Hammer, unless yours crashes for different reasons than mine, but I don't see how.

I hate it how one serious compile problem can completely screw the map over to the point where you have to ditch it.

[QUOTE=El_Jameo;36854602]I get that. I just close the model browser and click "Browse..." again. No need to restart Hammer, unless yours crashes for different reasons than mine, but I don't see how.[/QUOTE] i can open browse once , i pick model , next time i open , its frozen. i close again , i re-open , still frozen. can do this all day long , will stay frozen.

Click Apply, it fixes it for me.

Playtesting a map you're incredibly confident about after shoveling weeks of work into it, only to find that everyone hates it and, by proxy, hates you. Then you revise everything based on feedback. Now you hate your map, while everyone loves it.

It's a gamble everytime I go to click the "flags" tab to change something. Half the time whenever I click it, hammer will close itself without warning. It can get frustrating if I forget to tap ctrl+S before hand.

[QUOTE=OneFourth;36805916]i get a headache lining things and seeing the lines and its just arghhhh[/QUOTE] Try switching to the dotted grid. [img]http://puu.sh/KIlj[/img]

[QUOTE=Dog;36883636]Try switching to the dotted grid. [img]http://puu.sh/KIlj[/img][/QUOTE] There's dotted grid?!?!

Now, I don't know if it's just me and how I'm new to this whole mapping thing but, I find it difficult to place props around the map, particular small ones like the >B soda can.

several floor buildings the first floors height is okay but the second and up always look like shit or then it will be "off grid"

Having to go down to the smallest size of the grid in order to get some props lined up right. Also sometimes after browsing for a model it puts the file path in the pitch yaw and roll section V:v:V

Really sucks when the default door height is huge compared to the characters (L4D). I also dislike having to change grid size constantly.

[QUOTE=crazymonkay;36890550]Having to go down to the smallest size of the grid in order to get some props lined up right.[/QUOTE] Hold alt.

Why the hell are the doors bigger in l4d anyway? Tanks?

[QUOTE=GameDev;36894145]Why the hell are the doors bigger in l4d anyway? Tanks?[/QUOTE] Probably. If not, then Valve.

solution use models and you dont have to deal with most of hammer´s annoying bugs and limits.. then place entities [QUOTE=Smugleaf;36884690]Now, I don't know if it's just me and how I'm new to this whole mapping thing but, I find it difficult to place props around the map, particular small ones like the >B soda can.[/QUOTE] you could press x and allign the prop in 3D view

[QUOTE=GameDev;36894145]Why the hell are the doors bigger in l4d anyway? Tanks?[/QUOTE] When you are getting chased by zombies, do you really want to run into a door frame?

What do I hate most? Probably when you start building a level and you know you have so long to go before everything is sealed up and ready for testing. Or when you encounter and unfixable problem and you have to start over. I've reached maximum vertices on many of my unreleased levels.

[QUOTE=ScottyWired;36659260]Robust means strong/sturdy. Our Hammer is unstable as a card house on ice so I have no idea how they could have something even more unstable.[/QUOTE] Why do you think Episode 3 is taking so damn long to develop? Their version of Hammer is constantly crashing! v:v:v

[QUOTE=GameDev;36894145]Why the hell are the doors bigger in l4d anyway? Tanks?[/QUOTE] To fit Gabe Newell

I hate how the SDK docs and Hammer havent been supported in years.

Hadn't quite seen this thread [QUOTE=OneFourth;36805916]not the grid itself, but when im in a map and snapping things to the grid and decreasing the size, i get a headache lining things and seeing the lines and its just arghhhh[/QUOTE] Use cordon in just the area you are working with to clean the grid up considerably. [QUOTE=LtKyle2;36813988]My arch-nemesis, the compile log. Can't understand in about it. Displacements, because sometimes they are reliable and look great if you're doing something small like a backyard, but then do anything larger then that and you get a huge messed up displacement with spikes going everywhere and you can't sew anything together. Then there's lighting, the best I can do is a small bedroom with a light_spot and a small light entity around the source of the light_spot to make it look realistic.[/QUOTE] Displacements are almost always learned through practice and knowing when to use certain techniques; I may want to make some more tutorials some time About the light, add a point_spotlight so the light beam is visible, it makes a huge difference [QUOTE=ThePinkPanzer;36846489]Textures are almost all made for the 120 height and anything a pixel more makes the whole thing look like shit.[/QUOTE] All textures are meant for brush faces with power-of-two sizes, because it is a requirement for VTF files to be a power of two in dimension. 512x512 pixels = 128x128 Hammer units [QUOTE=Smugleaf;36884690]Now, I don't know if it's just me and how I'm new to this whole mapping thing but, I find it difficult to place props around the map, particular small ones like the >B soda can.[/QUOTE] While any 3D viewport is selected, hit X to toggle the ability to move/rotate/scale props and brushes in 3D, I cannot work with props such as foliage any other way [QUOTE=comet1337;36885095]several floor buildings the first floors height is okay but the second and up always look like shit or then it will be "off grid"[/QUOTE] As long as floors are 128 and the areas between then are 16 there should be no issue. New mappers, even when they know a floor is supposed to be 128 high, will stack this without dividers and have no idea where to stick the floor/ceiling between each story.

[QUOTE=Xanadu;36909911] As long as floors are 128 and the areas between then are 16 there should be no issue. New mappers, even when they know a floor is supposed to be 128 high, will stack this without dividers and have no idea where to stick the floor/ceiling between each story.[/QUOTE] but then youll have to move every floors textures up by 16 per floor

[QUOTE=comet1337;36916379]but then youll have to move every floors textures up by 16 per floor[/QUOTE] Depending on the building; if a plain exterior such as brick or stucco, the floor breaks can be seamless with the rest of the building side (method A), or allow room for decoration between floors (method B.) If the texture has an apparent bottom/top and should not be used seamlessly, it will be a bad idea, or method B.

Elevators. God I despise them. >:@

Optimization, I just suck at it. This map is going to be fun, it's all open and there's a bunch of detail... Oh, it's taking forever to compile and is slow as shit in game. To the trash...