The Half-life Control Unit

Once you have completed the options dialogue and have clicked 'OK' WorldCraft will add the textures to memory [which takes time on slower computers]. Then it will show you the main window…

If you setup more than one Game Configuration in the options… WorldCraft will let you select what game you want to make the map for. Select your configuration. If you setup the WorldCraft options to use Half-Life and nothing else then you can go back later and add configurations. Tutorial One will show you how to do that.

In this tutorial, commands will be: written like this.

This first thing I would like you to do is click on File->New. This will bring up a new map for us to work with.

Once your 'New Map' is open you will see that the WorldCraft functions have activated. This is a good sign. If your option settings were wrong at this point, WorldCraft would of asked you to reconfigure the incorrect or missing options. If that happens head to Tutorial One for help.

Click for larger image.

Your working area is divided into 4 sections. The first window contains the 3D view. The second, third and forth windows contain the 2D views.

The 3D window is a dynamic 3D space where you can view your level from any angle. This is vital for inspecting textures and texture alignment, spotting leaks and just getting a sense of what your finished level will appear similar to.

The Map Tools Toolbar - [Back to Contents]

Look at the tool bar above… you can see it in WorldCraft… good.

As you move your mouse over the buttons [left-to-right or top-to-bottom] you will see a short description in the status bar at the bottom of WorldCraft's main window. This can be your reference for this tutorial.

Selection Tool:
The selection tool allows you to achieve a number of things. To simply select an object, just click the once. Carry on clicking on the selected area to cycle through the three basic transformation modes [resize, rotate, and shear].

Resize mode allows you to grab any corner or edge of the selected object and resize it by pulling it to the desired size.

In rotate mode, you can grab any corner of a selected object and pull it around to rotate the object into any position you wish. If you have the rotations set to 15 degrees by default (this is set in the 2D Views options), this can be overridden by holding shift while you rotate the object.

Shear mode lets drag the edges of an object parallel to its surface. For example, if you grab the top edge of a selected object while in shear mode, you would be able to drag that edge right or left.

You can click-drag the selected object it to a new position, regardless of which mode it is in.

If you have enabled Arrow keys nudge selected object/vertex in WorldCraft's 2D Options… using the arrow keys when you have selected an object will move it one grid unit in the direction of the arrow key corresponding to which view your in.

Magnify Tool:
This tool allows you to increase the magnification factor of the 2D views. Zoom back out again by clicking the right mouse button. You can also zoom in and out by pressing the number keys while the mouse cursor is in a 2D view. You can also you the + & - on the numeric pad.

Camera Tool:
This tool allows you to place and modify cameras within your level. While in camera mode, hold shift and left-click and drag a line to create the camera. A line with a dot (the view point) will be drawn in the 2D views, where you can adjust it until it is pointing in the direction you'd like. To place more than one camera in a level, just repeat the above steps.

Cameras are good for helping you picture the construction of your level. They are particularly useful when using the Vertex Manipulation tool as they allow you to see exactly what you are doing to a brush. You will find multiple cameras especially useful if you are working on several areas of a level at once. Placing a new camera in an area negates the need to search for that area when you want to work on it again.

When you're in camera mode, you can cycle through all available cameras by pressing the PageUp/PageDown keys. To delete the current camera, press Delete.

Entity Tool:
This tool allows you to place point-based entities in a map. [Point-based entities are those entities, which exist only at a point, and do not rely on a brush for their effect]. Once selected, the New Object dialog will have a list of entities from which to select. Click on one of the 2D views and press Enter to place the entity. If 'Snap To Grid' is enabled, the new entities will be snapped to the grid.

In order to place a brush-based entity [a func_door for example] you must first create the brush with the Block Tool, then select it, and press the 'To Entity' button on the 'New Object' dialog. [The dialog itself is not a separate dialog by default; it is usually embedded on the right side of the screen]. You will be given a list of entities to choose from which will be different than those shown with the Entity Tool.

Block Tool:
This is the basic creation tool accessible to you. It allows you to create any of the different types of primitive shapes.

Toggle Texture Application Tool:
This toggles the Face Properties dialog on and off. This dialog allows you to edit the texture properties of individual brush faces.

Apply Current Texture Tool:
When pressed, the current texture is applied to every face of the selected brushes.

Apply Decals Tool:
A decal is a texture that can be placed on top of another texture. Common examples include scorch marks or bullet holes. Use the 'Apply Decals' button to place a decal in the 3D window. Decal textures can be viewed and selected in the Textures window. Half-Life's decal textures are designated by the use of a { as the first character in the texture name.

Clipping Tool:
Clipping allows you to slice the currently selected brush. You have the option of only splitting the brush, or actually slicing a piece right off.

Vertex Tool:
Vertex manipulation gives you complete control over the shape of a brush. You can reshape the brush by manipulating individual vertices and brush edges.

Path Tool:
This tool greatly simplifies the creation of paths for trains and monsters. It allows you to create dynamic paths that you can add and delete nodes to.

The Map View Toolbar - [Back to Contents]

Look at the tool bar above… you can see it in WorldCraft… good.

Again, as you move your mouse over the buttons [left-to-right or top-to-bottom] you will see a short description in the status bar at the bottom of WorldCraft's main window. This can be your reference.

2D XY/YZ/XZ View:
These buttons control which planes are viewed in the current 2D window.

XY (top)
YZ (side)
XZ (front)

3D Wireframe/Polygonal/Textured View:
These buttons control the style of the 3D preview window.

Toggle/Smaller/Larger Grid:
These buttons control grid usage. You can toggle the grid on and off, or make it larger/smaller to suit your needs.

Load/Save Window States:
These buttons are used to save and restore window configurations when the independent window configuration is being used.

The Map Operations ToolBar: - [Back to Contents]

Carve:
When the Carve button is pressed, the selected brush will subtract its shape from the non-selected brushes around it.

Group/Ungroup:
Group/Ungroup binds two or more objects together so they may be acted upon simultaneously. This is not the same as VisGrouping. The two functions differ in that grouping provides a way of physically binding a group of objects together, while VisGrouping enables you to organize objects into a group that may still be worked upon as separate objects.

Ignore Groups:
Ignore Groups allows you to modify individual brushes that are part of a group or entity by temporarily disabling "groups."

Hide Selected/Hide Unselected/Show All:
Along with the Filter Control dialog, these buttons are used to control what does and doesn't appear in the 2D and 3D space of WorldCraft. Hide Selected and Hide Unselected both create new VisGroups with the newly hidden objects, and Show All will make visible any hidden VisGroup.

Cut/Copy/Paste:
These buttons follow the standard windows interface for cut/copy/paste.

Toggle Cordon State/Edit Cordon Bounds:
These buttons allow you to "cordon off" an area of your map. When the cordon state is toggled on, a thick red line will appear around that area. When you compile, only the inside of that red area will be compiled, and a box will be placed around the area to seal leaks.

This is extremely useful when you are working on a large level and want to look at changes made in only a small area. Rather than wait a considerable amount of time for the entire map to compile, you can selectively compile only a small area by using the Cordon functions. Be sure to place a temporary player start within the bounds of the cordoned area before you test compile that section.

Toggle Select-By-Handles:
When this option is toggled on, you will only be able to select objects by their centre handles in the 2D view. To select objects by their centre handles in 3D view, you must also be in wireframe mode. This is useful when there are several brushes overlapping in the 2D view, making the standard selection method [clicking on brush lines] awkward and inaccurate.

Toggle Auto-selection:
When Toggle Auto-selection is toggled on, you can select multiple objects by merely clicking your mouse button and dragging a selection box around the objects. When this option is toggled off, you can also select multiple objects by dragging a selection box around the objects and then pressing Enter.

Toggle Texture Lock:
This button toggles texture lock mode on and off. Texture lock allows you to move a brush laterally without disturbing the texture alignments. Texture lock will not preserve texture alignment when you are rotating a brush.

Run Map:
This button brings up the current compile dialog.

Whoa… That has covered the toolbar part the interface. Lets take a look at the dialogues you will be coming accustom to.