In this sample tutorial I will describe one of the best ways to create a cave in Terrain Generator. + This tutorial also shows the general use of the Raise/Lower and Touch-Up tools as well as the + smoothing pass.
+ +First off we need to generate our starting terrain. Because this is only a small cave I chose 12 * 12 + dimensions with the Length set to 128 units. Don't use any of the other generation options for this + step.
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Once you've got the terrain ready select the 'Touch-Up' tool. With it lock all the vertecies that you + don't want to use for your cave, ie outline the shape of your cave by locking all the vertecies + outside of it. To lock a vertex simply press the 'L' key when you have it highlighted. You can cycle + through the selected vertex in a square by rolling your mouse wheel. Also locking lots of vertecies + tends to slow the program down, to fix this you can choose not to highlight locked vertecies in the + 'View-->Highlight' menu. Your final outline should look something like this:
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Next alter the heights of the vertecies on the border of the outline with the 'Touch-Up' tool so that + they form a uneven outline. Note you can use the 'Page Up' and 'Page Down' keys for greator control: +
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Now were going to make the bottom half of our cave. With the Raise/Lower tool make a rough outline of + the shape of the caves base. Next run it through a smoothing pass (in the 'Map' menu) this will give + you a good smooth general shape to work off of. Finally add some roughness back into the terrain with + the 'Raise/Lower', 'Noise', or 'Touch-Up' tool (up to you). Your result may look something like this: +
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Now that the bottom of our cave is complete were ready to export it. In the 'File-->Export' menu + select the 'Exportation Options'. I'd recommend you use the 'Best Fit' style and uncheck the 'Hints' + and 'Sky Brushes'. Also make sure for the 'Direction' you have 'Flatten Bottom' selected. Now that + your ready export it using the 'Export to .MAP File' command:
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Next were going to take the terrain we made for the bottom of the cave and reuse it for the top. + Simply take the 'Raise/Lower' tool and following the steps used before do the same thing only make it + a hill instead of a valley. Your finished result may look something like:
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Again were going to export the terrain only this time were going to set the 'Direction' to 'Flatten + Top'. Once you've done that export the terrain again (only to a different file):
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For this next step I'm going to be using the QuArK editor. However, this step does not require any + special features and simply reading what I write should be enough for you WorldCraft users to follow. + Start a new map in your editor and copy and paste the cave bottom and cave top into it. Then simply + align the two together (because we locked the outer vertecies it'll be a perfect fit)! It should look + something like this when your done:
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Next we can clean it up a bit by deleting any unused triangles:
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And last but not least we'll add some funky lighting, a walkway, and stick a little hole in the roof + for looks. This is what my finished terrain looked like in Half-Life. Not bad eh?
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+ I've uploaded my finished map so you can take a look at it. Unfortunately the map is phrased in QuArK + which means WorldCraft users will lose some texture alignment data when they view it. You can get it + here + (23kb zipped).
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+ I just found tg and am reading your tutorials, and just thought i'd say that this is an old version of + tg in this tutorial and is a lot different from the new version. I guess it really isn't important, i + just thought i'd point it out.
+ Just thought i'd also say tg is a great tool. Thx!
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+ It was v2.3.0 Beta, I've been meaning to update it but it still should get the job done as is.
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+ Although this is a good tutorial, i dont understand the "Exportation" part towards the end
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+ but apart from that TG is a really useful program Thank. Also how can i play these maps on CS, im new..+
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+ Hey nem,
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+ Since you are apparently well versed in the ways of map making, I was wondering what you considered as + the pros and cons of the various map making tools (Hammer vs. Worldcraft vs. QuArK)
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+ I currently am trying to learn Hammer, but when I export your files to hammer .rmf format, they lose all + their textures and the water disappears.
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+ Also, is it easier for half-life to run a map made with a room cut out of a series of large triangles + (as exported by your terrain editor) or as a set of walls?
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+ any kind of general tips would be meditated upon daily.
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+ Thanks in advance, Zoltan (n00b local chapter 133)
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+ You shouldn't be losing your texture information when you open the .rmf files TG creates in Hammer. You + do however need the same .wad files you use in TG to be open in Hammer.
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+ TG exports triangles because it simplifies the whole process (triangles must be planar). Do not go + splitting your walls up into triangles, it will produce more polygons then necessary and confuse + CSG.
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+ how do i hollow out the cave once i have the two halves put together?
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+ The cave should be hollow if you set the exportation options correctly. TG 3.0.0 supports the same + options.
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+ P.S: this program is great
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+ BTW TG is freaking awsome
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+ Just an idea, but if you have a section of terrain that you'd like to invert, you could lock the rest of + the terrain, then scale that section by -1.
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New users can register here. +