Mapping FAQ Created 16 years ago2008-02-10 21:25:11 UTC by ATDestroy

Ive looked through tons of forum posts, and theres some questions that come up dozens of times. While it is encouraged that you use the search option, most of the time it just doesnt happen. With this thread, im hoping to compile a list of frequently asked questions, so that mappers with questions can browse and find answers to tons of questions. It also provides a one spot of info for those who search the forums. Feel free to add in answers to questions that you notice are asked over and over.

Ill start:

Ive seen this question asked many times.

how do i loop an aiscripted, or scripted sequence?

A simple answer, looping multimanagers

*Name: MM1
Key: script1 Value: 1
Key: MM1 Value: 1

*multithreaded flag set

That multimanager displayed above will activate a scripted sequence (script1), then trigger the multimanager again, creating an infinite loop.

Set the correct action animation you want to loop in the scripted sequence. Experiment with the settings for different results. Compile a map, and test it. You should have an entity (preferably a scientist) performing the animation you specified, and then looping over and over.

Some animations, known as idle animations, can be looped by setting them in the idle animation box in the scripted_sequence entity settings. Beware, some animations will not work, because they are not "idle" animations. Experiment, and learn. Hope this helps

How do I loop sounds?

Any sound can be looped easily. Download a program called "goldwave". This program can be used to edit all your half-life sounds and convert any sound into the right format for half-life (16 bit mono, 22050).

Open your sound in goldwave, than go tools>cue points, than add a cue point at the start of your wave file, then save your file and thats it.

Now when you trigger the sound in half-life, it will keep looping until you trigger it off or if the sound has a "is not looped" flag checked.

Very right aaron, let me add one thing:

goldwave 5.20 free download

Another frequently, and recently, asked question.

why does my trigger_changelevel not work?

First, read the tutorial, understand it, obey it. http://www.twhl.co.za/tutorial.php?id=62 Also check out the info_landmark, and the trigger_changelevel pages in the entity guide.

Sometimes, you get an error message saying the map cant be found, sometimes it just crashes half-life, and sometimes your player is transferred to the center of the map, dead.

All these problems occur from a botched changelevel. Discovering the problem is very difficult. If you encounter one of these problems, its best, in my opinion, to just delete the changelevels, landmarks, and any other enities that have to do with the level change. Start from scratch, and keep in mind that:

1. the center of the landmark must be the same distance from the center of the changelevel brush.

For example, i have my info landmark, 10 units away from the trigger changelevel, in the next map, the info landmark, whatever direction it may be, must be 10 units away from the trigger changelevel in that map. Pretty simple, right? Easiest way i do it, is setting the grid size to 8, and the center of the info landmark is easy to see, and the center of the changelevel brush is easily found by looking for the "x" in the center.
A great idea to easy changelevel making was said by unbreakable.

unbreakable: theres an easy method of doing this... put your info_landmark in the world where you need the transition to take place.. save the map.. now delete everything outside the hallway or room that cannot be seen, and build on your new level, and this time hit Save As, and save it as a new map name... easy as pie.

2. when you make the levels with the changelevel between them, make sure they are both fully compiled with the changelevel before running it. For example, i made a changelevel in one map, didnt make the changelevel in the map it pointed too, ran it, and bam, a botched up changelevel that i had to completely delete.

3. Never ever have capitals or spaces in a map name, or the map specified in the "new map" area, underscores ( _ ) are fine. For example, my maps in my current mod are made like this: space_1 ---> space_2 ----> space_3 and so on.

4. make sure you carefully revise your entity settings, even seasoned mappers can miss one crucial setting. Check your spelling, make sure everything points to the right thing.