I wanna start mapping...

nonamenoname Join Date: 2002-04-30 Member: 556Members
in Mapping Forum
<div class="IPBDescription">...but im not sure how exactly</div>hi, ive tried to make maps before, so im not totally new.  i tried to create some stuff for c.s. but i didnt get much help from the community and it kinda turned me off from mapping, as a result i deleted a bunch of stuff and just quit.  

a while after that i found out about ns, ive crused the forums and i would really like to be an active part of the community and produce something to help the ns community. but i havent mapped in a long time, and never really finished a map when i did.  i have alotta nifty ideas id like to make but i need a good amount of help.

i need world craft (a link would be great) and whats this hammer thing i keep hearing about?
i have Q2 beaVer as a compiler, anyone know if its good/bad or if theres a better compiler available?
textures, what do i need to create my own?
im poor  <!--emo&???--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt='???'><!--endemo--> so i cant go out and buy an expensive painting program, anyone know of a demo or other free painting programs? (links=good)

thats all i can think of now.  any help is greatly apperciated.
noname
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Comments

  • FamFam Diaper-Wearing Dog On A Ball Join Date: 2002-02-17 Member: 222Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor
    Valve Hammer Editor is just the latest version of Worldcraft, renamed to sound even more bizzare. Those Valve guys are ker-azy! Get it <a href="http://www.valve-erc.com/files/?file=/files/hammer_v34.exe" target="_blank">here</a>.
    As for compile tools, you will need to use <a href="http://www.valve-erc.com/files/?category=Zoner's%20Compile%20Tools" target="_blank">Zoners HL compile tools</a>

    If I remember the URL correctly, <a href="http://jasc.com" target="_blank">Paint Shop Pro</a> is a free/cheap painting program. Certainly enough for editing screenshots, and even textures.

    And on the topic of mapping help, just a friendly reminder that this is <b>not</b> a help forum, but a forum for NS specific maps. www.valve-erc.com have forums and tutorials that can help you rekindle that mapping spirit.
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  • TzarconTzarcon Join Date: 2002-02-28 Member: 259Members
    Pretty much what Fam said. I myself am an experienced mapper, and now working professionaly. Note that you can't use the q2 compile tools with Worldcraft. Zoner's compile tools are the best HL compile tools out there. Merl however are specificly designed for compiling NS maps (I think). They come with the NSTR2.

    As for textures, they are incredibly hard to make and require lots of still and experience. There are many textures that come with the NSTR2 that you can use.

    And, Paint Shop Pro is NOT free. It is almost as expensive as Photoshop and nearly as good. I find it much easier to use and get used to using as well. I believe it is the second most popular 2dart program in the world. If you do decide to buy it, it is well worth your money. It is also my personal choice for 2d art.

    As for mapping. Well, in the NS community you'll find most of us are friendlier than most mappers from other communities, perticularily CS (They're quite greedy there, I hear). If you need help with anything, just ask.
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  • FamFam Diaper-Wearing Dog On A Ball Join Date: 2002-02-17 Member: 222Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor
    I have never really used Paint Shop Pro, Im a Photoshop junkie and Artwork forum hermit myself, but PSP is the 2nd most widely used paint package, and is nearly as functional as Photoshop. If you still cannot afford this, do not worry, there are other shareware paint programs out there, and with the high-quality Natural Selection textures already in the mappers release, there is little need anyhow to make your own.

    The community is very helpful. If you have any questions that cannot be answered by Valve ERC or a simple search, pop into the IRC channel (#natural selection on Gamesnet) for help. We are very friendly.
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  • Hand_Me_The_Gun_And_Ask_Me_AgainHand_Me_The_Gun_And_Ask_Me_Again Join Date: 2002-02-07 Member: 178Members
    Probably the first thing I would suggest to someone considering starting mapping is to start small.

    Don't immediately try to build a huge, sprawling masterpiece for Natural Selection (not the easiest mod to map for, from both a technical and aesthetic viewpoint) - start on some small and simple single-player or Half-Life Deathmatch map. It probably won't be that great, and you don't have to release it, but it'll be a great learning process.

    Just remember, mapping's meant to be about having fun - it is working with a computer <b>game</b> after all. <!--emo&:)--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'><!--endemo-->

    As for a graphics manipulation program, I'd recommend <a href="http://www.gimp.org/" target="_blank">The Gimp</a>. It's not the easiest of programs to learn, but it's ridiculously powerful (vaguely similar to Photoshop, but with programmable bells and whistles). Plus, it's Free. With a capital F. <!--emo&;)--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=';)'><!--endemo-->
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  • ChromeAngelChromeAngel Join Date: 2002-01-24 Member: 14Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor
    You'll also want something to get your textures out of your paint program and into Half-Life.  I recommend <a href="http://www.telefragged.com/wally/" target="_blank">Wally</a> for this job.

    Paintshop Pro Rules.
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  • nonamenoname Join Date: 2002-04-30 Member: 556Members
    thanks for all the links and encouragement.  i tried to build a spraling, huge map for other games, didnt work.  all i wanna do right now is build a lil room with the basics and maybe a few ns specific things.  can i edit textures that are provided by the nstr2 with paint shop pro, photoshop, etc.?
    thanks for the quick replys
    noname
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  • RamsesRamses Join Date: 2002-05-21 Member: 642Members
    For a batch-programm instead of q2beaver i would use "Nemesis' Batch-Compiler" at <a href="http://countermap.counter-strike.net/Nemesis/batchdown.html" target="_blank">http://countermap.counter-strike.net/Nemesis/batchdown.html</a> ...
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  • ChromeAngelChromeAngel Join Date: 2002-01-24 Member: 14Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor
    The guys here seem to be quite cool about using their textures as a base for your own, so long as they are only used for Natural Selection.

    You can use Wally to extract textures from the NS.WAD
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  • Black_DogBlack_Dog Join Date: 2002-02-10 Member: 190Members
    Welcome and good work <!--emo&;)--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=';)'><!--endemo-->

    personally i think that use a professional SW like Photoshop like i do,also if i haven't bought, isn't a crime if u don't have a money return. for a student is almost impossible to learn to use professional tools and achieve enough experience for a job if he has not much money like most students.
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  • nonamenoname Join Date: 2002-04-30 Member: 556Members
    could someone tell me where i could find a basic tutroial showing me how to create a room?  has anyone made any kind of ns tutorial?
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  • ChromeAngelChromeAngel Join Date: 2002-01-24 Member: 14Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor
    Their are a few sample maps in the NSTR, but no tutorials so far.  You can find Half-Life mapping tutorials at <a href="http://www.planethalflife.com/wavelength/levels/tutorials/" target="_blank">Wavelength</a>.
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  • ComproxComprox *chortle* Canada Join Date: 2002-01-23 Member: 7Members, Super Administrators, Forum Admins, NS1 Playtester, NS2 Developer, Constellation, NS2 Playtester, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Silver, Subnautica Developer, Subnautica Playtester, Pistachionauts
    If I only had taken some shots. I had no ammo, down to my knife, with 3 health and 3 level 4s and a level 1 20 feet away from me. I was hiding in a corner, yelling for health and ammo. My commander, being so nice dropped some ammo, attracting their attention, and the rest is history <!--emo&:p--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':p'><!--endemo-->
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  • Black_WolfBlack_Wolf Join Date: 2002-03-13 Member: 310Members
    nice comprox, but to do with this guys request? no, not at all =P

    ill give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you thought you were in another thread.
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  • nonamenoname Join Date: 2002-04-30 Member: 556Members
    thank you very much chrome this site will be very helpful <!--emo&:D--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'><!--endemo-->
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