Help with cutting wall Created 17 years ago2007-08-07 15:19:26 UTC by SmokinAces

I need some help, I made a wall. At the time, I didn't have a door for it. I have since made my door, actually it's a big steel gate, my question is, how do I cut the wall, so my door will fit in it? Is there a way to cut out around the gate, so that it fits perfectly in with rest of the wall? Help please!

There are various ways.

1. You could use the clip tool (on the left hand tool bar) to split the wall in half, and then shorten each half to make a gap for your gate.

2. If the wall and the gate both have perfectly square edges, then you could make a block which is the same size as the gate and then use the carve tool (right click menu) to make a gap in the wall which is the same size as the gate.

3. You could make the existing wall 50% shorter, and then clone it by dragging it as if you are going to move it, but hold down shift while you do this. When you let go, the solid will be duplicated. Then you can pull the two 'halves' apart to make a gap for your gate.

4. You could demolish the existing wall and build a new one in it's place out of two or three brushes instead of just one. You could arrange these so that there is a gap where the gate will fit.

I actually recommend that you practise all of them.

Thanks man, I will give them a go!

On the clip tool:

The clip tool is quirky at first but as soon as you work it out, it will open up a vast array of possibilities for you. It has 3 modes, which aren't totally obvious at first.

You switch between the modes by simply selecting the clip tool again, which isn't so obvious at first when you haven't been told to do it. To cut something in half (for example) using clip without deleting anything in the process, you will need to select the clip tool 3 times to get the right mode. (This assumes that you haven't used the clip tool in the current Hammer session)

You'll work it out if you practise. Can be frustrating at first, but it's so worth it.

Just make a map with a single, big cube in it. Then practise cutting it up until you get a grasp of it.

you missed something important.
The parts of the brush your clipping in red are discarded. To keep the whole brush you need to use the mode which keeps both halfs white which is the 3rd mode.

Also, be careful if you choose to use 'Carve' it can screw up a lot.

cutting a square into a wall should be fine. carve isn't as deadly as people think, just if you use it wrong.

Indeed.

The rule for carving is that, if your carving will only produce exact 90 degree angles in your brushwork, then it will be just fine.

If carving would make anything other than 90 degree angles, then you should find another way to do what you want to do.

I get compile errors if I carve with cylinders.

not really supriseing considering how it splits the bush up and leaves stuff off the grid which can cause various problems.

Basicly the carve tool hates solids with multiple sides such as a Cylinder like Dave said, or anything with 3, 5 or more sides, but a square is fine for carveing. Also, turning the object and carveing it will also screw up things.

not really supriseing considering how it splits the bush up and leaves stuff off the grid which can cause various problems.

You fail sarcasm class.

Basicly the carve tool hates solids with multiple sides such as a Cylinder like Dave said, or anything with 3, 5 or more sides, but a square is fine for carveing. Also, turning the object and carveing it will also screw up things.

Which is what I said, just in a different way. This is not criticism, just pointing out to our student that we mean the same thing.

Thanks for all this help, you guys are great! I used the clipping tool, but yea, I didnt get it cut in half, I didn't know to select tool again. I ended up deleting one of the halves. So I just used "shift" and left click to dupe the wall, then made a 3rd wall to fit above the door. Back to what you guys were talking about, I originally tried the carve tool, but in no way could I figure out how to carve my wall to make an opening, it actually didn't seem to do anything. :

How to carve:

1. Make a wall
2. Make a block which has the same dimensions as the doorway that you want to cut through the wall. But extend the third dimension, so that the block passes through the wall. Then 'carve' it.

3. Delete the carving brush.

Then you have a hole in your wall. As long as the hole you make consists only of 90 degree angles, it will be fine.

Um, I think I get it now. (sorry am a bit dumb with this stuff) I will play around with it.