Vertices and Merging Created 12 years ago2012-02-29 22:37:12 UTC by camplo

Do I have to worry about merging brushes for the sake of optimization or am I correct that the compilers merge anything mergeable anyway.

Secondly, how or can I add or delete vertices?

ok merging vertices was easy, just drag it to, and it ask.... so now how to add them.

Hammer isn't as powerful as a 3D modelling program, you can't add vertices with vertex tool. The easiest way to add vertices is to use the clip tool to shave off a corner to create an additional vertex. You may need to retexture the new face though.

Also, the compiling programs do not merge brushes. You should always try to use as few brushes as possible. So if you can get away with using bigger, but fewer brushes, then it's better.

Wow, microbrush2 is calling my name...merge city.

You can create new vertices with the VM tool though. Select two yellow centre points on the same face and press ctrl+f.

...Someone needs to write documentation for some of Hammer's more obscure yet useful features.

Yeah, I've been using Hammer for 8 years and I didn't know that one.

I know me neither, until i think Zombieloffe mentioned it like a year ago or something, and i've been using it like a banshee ever since. (well maybe not quite like a banshee, but i definitely use it ;])

Afaik, it all in the ball in the help file, just none of us bother read it?

I can't remember exactly, but I think I found that out from the help file that came with one of the old versions of WorldCraft.

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use hlfix to "fix" this. Compilator makes it very easy to use hlfix, if you have trouble setting it up.

As an alternative, you can also try Vlcuzan's floating-point Enabler. I've never tried it but i hear good things.

I have the flouting point thingy installed. my problem is twisting faces. I have brushes that have been rotated of grid, so certain plains that needed to be flat were impossible to make since the true flat plane lay off grid. I see that now.... So how big of a deal is it to have a vertice lay off grid?

In that case you have to use brushwork made entirely out of tetragons or "triangles" as many people say. A quick example.

Yeah I've been seeing that tetragons make hammer happy. thanks for the link. =)

I still can make it break though

The brush on the left is not a tetragons but the brush on the right that appears to not render right is. The shape on the left has an extra vertice that is parallel to the other. So yeah I am starting to get better I guess. Thanks for helping you guys. This is the only place for support it seems.

Turns out with that brush the angle got too sharp and could not be rendered so I just reshaped it so that face wasn't showing at all.

Wtf I didn't know that either, I went hotdog's route with that. Thanks TJB.

Well looks like we all learn new things about hammer. I knew Ctrl + F , as well as that weird other keybind that can scale vertices as well for years , but it was only a month ago I learnt of shift-dragging

I knew SOMETHING made extra vertices, I just didn't know what.

Then there's something like CTRL+> and CTRL+< (or something) to increase or reduce grid size. I never know what it is, but I know because I always end up accidentally pressing it.

You can size the grid with the [ and ] keys.

Yeah that then.

C and D do something like that too, I think. Or maybe it's zoom, I don't know.

C and D zoom. Useful for mapping on a laptop without a mouse.
Shift+drag copying = amazing
Alt+right-click for texture alignment = godlike
Ctrl+I for flipping selection vertically (in current viewport)
Ctrl+L or horizontal flipping
Everyone knows Ctrl-p right?
Ctrl-a for autosizing view ports
Shift-z for maximizing current viewport
Z locks the camera and allows for panning with the mouse.
So if your view ever goes haywire hit z and see of that solves it.
Tools>> show connections: draws gray line in 2d view connecting entities to ther targets. Just wished it worked in 3D view.

For source, pressing x in the 3d view allows for scaling and movement in the 3d window.

I still can make it break though

Well ya, of couse it u twist or shift the brushes insied-out. It's Pretty failsafe within reason.

95% of the time though, ou can handle complex stuff wit normal brushes, which is good becaue objects built ebtirely from pyramids is veey inefficient, and can cause other problems if u abuse them

Yeah I guess you can, or atleast try. Try doing it when the objects planes are off grid though... don't work out.

Z locks the camera and allows for panning with the mouse.

Not just panning. Complete noclip movement controls.

Nice! I always panicked and assumed it was only stationary camera look around.
Learning is fun!!