Start mapping with Hammer

Overview

– AND WHERE TO BEGIN – Hammer is perhaps the most common name for the tool people are using to create more complex maps for a variety of Source engine games like Portal 2. This humble guide will give you a first step on where to start.

INTRODUCTION

At some points I’ve been receiving questions regarding map making for Portal 2. Portal 2 is an amazing game which also supports custom made maps by the community. The tool that I’ve been using is called Portal 2 Authoring Tools – Beta, also known as Hammer, and can be found in everyone’s library. Hammer is the term I’m going to use henceforth. With other words – I’ve not been using the ingame editor Perpetual Testing Initiative (PeTI). With this guide I’ll try to explain my first steps and how YOU can start creating your own maps and puzzles for this amazing game.

I’d like to point out that creating maps for Portal 2 is time consuming. You should take a minute to really think through if you’re ready to spend the time or not. If you do want to proceed, then I’m sure you’ll find a very interesting, creative and rewarding experience. If not, perhaps PeTI is a more suitable solution for you.

It’s not as scary as it looks

I wish that I had read something similar to this guide, which is the major reason to why I created this guide in the first place. I do hope you’ll find yourself an easier way to start creating maps with Hammer and finally will be able to publish amazing puzzles for the rest of the community to solve!

This is how Hammer looks like.
Quite different from PeTI, right?

This is how it looks ingame.

WHAT AND WHAT NOT

• A text helping you to get started creating maps for Portal 2
• A introduction to map making with Portal 2 Authoring Tools – Beta (Hammer)
• A compilation of good tutorials for the beginner

• The one who wants to take a step further from PeTI
• The interested in learning – you’ll probably have to read and watch a lot of tutorials
• The patient – it will be time consuming to start mapping

• The impatient
• The one who’s afraid of longer texts
• The one who’s afraid of longer video tutorials
• The one who has already gotten started with Hammer

• A tool to create maps for Portal 2
• A tool which will give you greater mapping freedom
• A tool which is more complex than the ingame map editor PeTI

FIRST STEP

First of all you’ll need to download the Portal 2 Authoring Tools – Beta (yes, Beta is the correct one). You’ll find it in your Steam Library.

1. Click on LIBRARY,
2. then TOOLS
3. and finally select PORTAL 2 AUTHORING TOOLS – BETA for download.

Once it’s downloaded you are pretty much set to getting started. Good work!

It’s highly unlikely that you’ll get started all on your own without the help of others. This is a powerful tool but at the same time it requires a lot of time to learn. If you aren’t a savant I’d suggest, strongly suggest, that you make use of all the hours others have put down on tutorials so that YOU can have an easier ride.

From now on you have a great deal of different tutorials at your display. Most are very good indead. It might even be a bit overwhelming at first. There’s simply just so many of them. Here’s where you’ll get that first push in the “right” direction. At least it’s the direction I wished I’d start from. It would’ve probably saved me a couple of hours, at least.

My suggestion is that you watch the following tutorial made by TopHattWaffle. He’ll go through how to setup Hammer, create your very first room and play it. His videos are generally easy to follow.

THE OTHER STEPS

If you’ve come this far that you now can create your very own room in Hammer, you’re amazing! The question remains if you think this is something for you or not. Creating maps for Portal 2 might, and probably will, require a lot of your time. Not only does the level creation itself take time, but you’ll need to acquire a great amount of knowledge in order to proceed further and further untill you’ve finally come to the stage where you feel that you want to publish your creation.

Here are some video tutorials that you can start with:

Mapping requires some knowledge in different areas. Perhaps you already have an idea made up. But have you thought about lighting or the players pacing? Creating maps isn’t just making rooms, putting a button and a cube in different spots. If you want the player to emerge into your vision you’ll have to think through what it is you want the player to see, to feel. Here are some points worth keeping in mind:

• Solo or Coop

  – Is your map going to be for a single player or two?

• Themes

  – originally there are different types of themes or scenery in Portal 2, as you might already have noticed playing through the main story. These might be themes such as overgrown, reconstructing, clean, behind the scenes, underground, destroyed or even your own if you like.
  Link: Themes

• Lighting

  – Depending on which theme you’d like to work with the lighting may differ. If you for instance wish to choose the overgrown theme there might be a hole in the ceiling giving space for the bright sunlight to shine down. This lighting will differ from the underground theme where you’ll find a more industrial and weak lighting. Even the shadows will look different. With the bright sunlight there ought to be more hard shadows while the softer lighting will produce softer shadows.

• Puzzle Elements

  – There are different approaches to creating a map. Some will have a grand idea of how their map will look like, including working puzzles. Others will come up with puzzles along with creating the first rooms. What might be worth your attention is what type of puzzle elements you wish to work with. Do you wish the player to use a ball instead of a cube? Will you implement a faith plate or excursion funnel into your map? Think through the elements you want your map to include.

• Difficulty

  – If you’ve played several custom maps you’ve probably come across at least one map being so difficult that you’ve either quit or “noclipped” you’re way out (noclip is a cheat console command used to be able to fly and get through walls). Personally I enjoy maps with a medium difficulty. That’s why I try to create semi-hard maps myself. How difficult are your favourite maps?

USEFULL LINKS

Here’s a short list of website links that I’ve found usefull, in alphabetic order. Let’s hope they’ll inspire you aswell!

• https://www.youtube.com/user/Arachnaphob/videos – a few tutorials mainly focused on the different aesthetics and environments found in Portal 2
• https://www.youtube.com/user/SolarChronus/videos – both basic and more advanced video tutorials on Hammer for Portal 2
• Interlopers[www.interlopers.net] – an older website not specifically aimed for Portal 2 but has good articles and tutorials for Hammer in general
• TopHattWaffle[www.tophattwaffle.com] – easy to follow video tutorials (especially V2 series) for many Source engine games
• Valve Developer Community (VDC) – hub with loads of helpful information for all Source engine games

This, on the other hand, is a small list of some popular community guides right here on Steam, also in alphabetic order.

• [link] – This guide focuses on mapping ideas rather than technical documentation. You’ll find tips on what a good map might contain and what you should avoid doing

  [link] – Describes and gives feedback on how one’s level design process might look like.

  [link] – The author shares some personal ideas of how to make you map better

  [link] – A short and informative list of “thing to avoid when creating puzzles”

These links are far from a complete setup of guides. It’s a mere start for you, the rest is for you to explore.

FINAL WORDS

I know this must be a lot to take in. There’s so much to take in, a whole lot of guides and information that might be overwhelming at first. One thing I’ve learned though, and that I keep reminding myself of, is taking one step at a time. Trust me.

Then there’s the type that just likes to play around, creating and keeping most of it for him/herself. Sometimes I’m that person. And it’s all good. There’s an uncommon swedish word (originally from german) called “funktionslust”. Bisacally what it means is that you do something creative just for the fun of it and not for a specific end product.

I hope this guide has (or will) help you to get started mapping with Hammer. If you have any suggestions, thought or question, please feel free and post them in the comments section. Oh, and don’t forget to have fun cake!

Go ahead and give yourself a pat on the shoulder.
Have some cake.

TWELVE IS THE KEY

And last but not least, my contribution to the Portal 2 puzzle solving community:

[link]