Hammer update!

[KungFuSquirrel]

So some of the issues supposedly should have been addressed already (such as the missing grid issue), but if you're still having issues, list them in as much detail as you can give, with steps to repro (if applicable, some stuff is more readily apparent). I'm passing this link to the guy I've been talking to so he can help get the info collected. Rick Johnson has been doing a good job from what I've seen of scouring the issues posted to the Steam forums, and if you talk to anyone else with issues, make sure they get passed along to the appropriate place.

You've got an internal tool set on a specific range of hardware and software being merged into a huge install base, so unfortunately some stuff is going to slip through Hopefully can be addressed quickly. It really is a nice update when it's working!

[PhilipK]

Hey guys,

For those of you still poking in Hammer, there's a new Source SDK/Hammer update that adds some neat stuff. .vmf instancing a la L4D2, manifest/layer support, some show/hide stuff, and some updates to the displacement tool (a new "sculpt" tool). May be some other stuff, since I can't find a proper changelist anywhere... just trying to get what I can from a former Raven colleague out at Valve.

If I find a proper changelist, I'll post it here - I encourage you guys to do the same

Seems like some cool updates

The instancing should be great. I'm also interested in seeing that new "sculpt" tool

[sirocco]

@ KungFu Squirrel

Thanks for looking into the problems. These are the problems I'm having atm with Hammer

1 When I select a brush, it is no longer highlighted and hard to distinguish from surrounding brushes in the 3D window

2 When I select a brush and go to a 2D window to re-size it, I select a handle and when I move it,

the window goes all black and I can't see how far it has moved until I release the handle, trial and error is a pain

3 Models are rendered in 3D as all black

4 The cursor cross hairs are not always visible making it hard to know if I have selected anything unless I look in 2D windows to check

5 When I use Ctrl-E to center on an object or model it doesn't always center properly

Has the basic configuration for hammer and how been changed for some reason?

If I have to learn hammer all over again I will probably just give up as there is little support from Valve on it's use.

I love mapping, and all things half Life, but these problems are unacceptable.

It seems to me that Valve wants to phase out mapping and Modding for their products by making their editor unusable.

Maybe it's time to move on and map for a game company who looks after its customers.

[schoft]

I just returned from my 2 week break at hammer and it seems that my vacation has been lengthened. I'd rather wait for another update than using an old binary. For some reason i believe it could do harm.

Add -dx80 to the launch options and it should fix the problem.

I believe you meant -dxlevel 80

[Bic-B@ll]

how does instancing work with leaks? and if you rotate an instance, isnt the point entity still stuck t the grid so the edges arent necessarily stuck to the grid making it hard to mesh with the outside world or separate pieces you want to place within an individual instance?

[skdr]

You're not supposed to use instanced on setpieces that are part of the whole sealing process

[KungFuSquirrel]

sirocco: I wouldn't look at it that way. They didn't have to make new updated features publicly available for an old version of their toolset. Unfortunately, some things broke in the transition from internal dev to external release. They'll track them down and fix them, and you'll have a stronger Hammer than you did before out of the deal.

Bic: Instanced geometry is combined into the map at compile time, and leaks behave accordingly. If the instance covers the hole, the map will seal and compile. The point entity represents the world origin of the instanced .vmf file. If you rotate it, it can be tricky to line up correctly, but you'd also want to plan for that as you build it. Think of it like the pivot of a model. You want it at a point where it will line up with geometry. For a full stand-alone building or structure, you can just center it and call it good. For something that lines up with a wall, line it up flat against the appropriate axis. For the case of my circular structure, I built them so every instance is placed on the world origin and rotated in place, which allows all the edges to line up - I cut the edges off by creating a wedge of two brushes and carving the sides to create precise rotational seams. Fun trick I learned in UE3 from a friend at GBX that also works nicely here with the new update.

[Bic-B@ll]

it would be nice if you8 could add a second origin so as to make 2 corners meet appropriately

[Puddy]

I'm supposed to finish my mod! :/

Can't get it working with -dxlevel 80.

I'll watch gameplaytest-sessions in the mean time but damn Valve, get it fixed!

[2d-chris]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2c4L4CPfQY8

although I use some of the best tools in the industry, I must say hammer still has a place in my heart

[Wesley Tack]

yaaay, valve updated HAMMER... and once again break it along the way...

jeez, how many days will I loose now because of this fuckup (or weeks)...

this is what I have to work with..?

Add -dx80 to the launch options and it should fix the problem. It seems as they broke the direct 9 version of the viewports.

yea thanks, I saw this on the steam forums as well.. luckily the thing still compiles in the current state, at least I'm able to work in -dx80 mode and compile in the current "broken" mode ;o

hopefully the full fix will arrive this week...

[Psy]

Hopefully they'll also fix the arrow keys being broken when using the texture app tool. So frustrating being unable to change the camera angle whilst texturing.

[-HP-]

So frustrating being unable to change the camera angle whilst texturing.

lol, what the fuck man... You guys must really love source engine.

[ElectroSheep]

I'm happy to see that I don't have any problem with the update (I don't know why)

@ HP : It's probably not the source engine we love but the games it use (and personaly it's because I could not run anything before having a new cg two months ago)

[Psy]

@ HP : It's probably not the source engine we love but the games it use (and personaly it's because I could not run anything before having a new cg two months ago)

Exactly. I would love to make levels in UE3 or Cryengine but there's no games under those engines that interest me or seem to have as big a fanbase as a lot of Valve games do.