How to Make Left 4 Dead Map using Google Sketchup

[Sadiee]

Hi all,

Left 4 Dead 2 is immense fun, but I find that there are only so many maps that in fact come with the game. And until Valve releases any additional map packs, community-created maps are your best bet for clean content. But why I need learn how to make your own custom maps with Google's free SketchUp program. Thanks a lot.

[johnson22]

I am also big fan of Lest 4 dead. Before you can make game maps you need to primary get the right tools. You need to install Hammer, simply go to the tools tab in Steam, and install "Left 4 Dead Authoring Tools" or "Left 4 Dead 2 Authoring tools" depending on which game you desire to work with. When you open the Left 4 Dead authoring tools you are agreed access to a selection of programs, the most important being Hammer. Check it out and reply.

[Techguru01]

If you are built a map through the hammer, first you require knowing the policy for making a map in Hammer, and how to copy those rules inside of SketchUp. Hammer utilizes a game map technique known as BSP, or Binary Space Partitioning. The easiest means to think of how BSP work is to picture your own house as a 3D game map. Inside your house, you have rooms divided by walls, doors and other partitions. while making your game map, all you really are doing is creation individual rooms that the game can decide are connected jointly. Best of luck.

[deveritt]

You can use the Brush tool built into Hammer. A brush is a solid rounded object. The simplest type of brush is a cube with six sides. A model of a more multifaceted brush object is a cylinder. However, there is one rule to stay in mind when making brushes in both Hammer and SketchUp that all brushes have to be convex in shape. Convex means that if you will to sketch a line though the shape it would never cross with more than two points on the object. If you want to make a curved in shape, such as an arc, you would require making the arch away of smaller convex blocks. For at this time, i will be simply operational with basic blocks and creation the outdoor portion of game map.

[Trio]

You need to launch Hammer from the Left 4 Dead Authoring Tools. From the organize bar, go to File then New. You be supposed to now have a black window among four smaller windows inside, three of which explain a grid. Moving clockwise from the peak right, these windows by default are: 3D view, Top 2D View, Side 2D View, and Front 2D View. In the 2D views there should be two aqua-colored lines that interconnect. These lines point to the source or coordinates: 0,0,0 of the map. This origin is significant for align objects between SketchUp and Hammer. Check it out and reply.

[Techno01]

Left 4 Dead can automatically launch and start packs your new map. just the once in the game you will get an error stating: "NAV ERRORS, Map unplayable" You can disregard this for now. What it means is that the artificial intelligence does not so far know how to travel in your map. It is not a great deal, but it does authenticate that your compile worked. Close Left 4 Dead and go back into Hammer. Check it out and reply. Best of luck.