Absurd Minds

Commonly-used terms between guides. (click on a word to get it's definition)



AAATRIGGER

Batch Files

Brush

Brush-based Entites

BSP

"xxxxx".bsp

Bounding Box

Carve

Channel

Clip

Clip Plane or Clip Node

Clipping a Brush

Compile/Compiling

CSG

Decal

Decompiling

Epoly

Entity

Error

Face

FPS

"xxxxx".fgd

Flag

Front End

FULLBRIGHT

HINT

Hollow

Hull

Leaf

LEAK

L.O.S (Line-of-Sight)

Model

Notepad

NULL

ORIGIN

Plane

Prefab

"xxxxx".pt#

"xxxxx".pnt

R_speed

RAD

Render

Scale

SKIP

SKY

Sky_Enviornment

Sprite

Texture Light

Texture Tile

Transparency

Trigger

Vertex

VIS

VisGroups

"xxxxx".wad

Wordpad

World

Wpoly

World Spawn

AAATRIGGER:

A texture commonly used for identifying brush-based entities (which are invisible in-game). This texture rarely likes to work correctly when applied to a normal brush and frequently causes errors when compiling.

Batch Files

An alternative way to compile maps than the stock compile tools that come with WorldCraft/Hammer. Batch compiling takes less resources than standard compiling, but it also takes longer to complete the compile.

Brush

A 3D object that makes all the pieces of your map. Almost any polygon is create-able in WorldCraft/Hammer, but the stock shapes - that can be easily created through use of the brush tool - are blocks, cylinders, wedges, spikes, and arches (which are actually somewhat complex to create, even with the brush tool!)

Brush-based Entities

A brush that has been tied to an entity, commonly textured with AAATRIGGER so that it's easily identifiable. Common examples of brush-based entities are: moving trains, doors, and elevators.

BSP


One of the four Compiling Tools. BSP is the second in line of the four compiling tools. What BSP does is it takes the info from .pt0 that
CSG created and makes a .pt1 file for VIS by preparing clip planes, leafs, and portals. It also checks for LEAKS.

"xxxxx".bsp

A map in a format ready to be played/tested in a Half-Life or the Half-Life MOD that is was designed for.

Bounding Box

For a player model, boxes that outline the player model so that It's easier to see the limit of the player model/ box surrounding the player model so that you don't have part of the model inside , say, a wall or the floor.

Carve

A tool in WorldCraft/Hammer that lets you cut into another brush. If used even semi-carelessly there's a somewhat good change you'll end up with an error or one type or another.

Channel

Each sound played in game requires a part of the sound card, so sound cards have a have a limited number or sounds they can play. Too many sounds in a map may cause sound card failure to players with older sound cards.

CLIP

A special texture that when applied to a brush makes the infamous "invisible wall" that's pissed off so many players in It's time !
CLIP textures are commonly used with Transparent textures to make them "rough" as they're normally not solid and you can walk through them.





Below: The clip texture as it would appear in the Texture Browser

Clip Plane or Clip Node

A special plane which is assigned to brushes - any kind- so that a player cannot walk through them. It makes them "solid". example: Zoner's compiling tools will automatically put a clip plane all around any SKY textures. There is a limited number of clip planes allowed, but putting a larger CLIP brush around smaller brushes reduces the number of clip planes required.

Clipping a Brush

A special tool in WorldCraft on the side toolbar that when used "cuts" a block. There's three different modes that can be used : lose right, lose left, and keep both parts. More detailed information

here - placeholder for now.



An example of the three modes of the Clipping Tool:

Compile/Compiling

Taking the data from your .map or .rmf or even .txt file and changing it - with help from the four compile programs - into a .bsp file that can be played in HL/HLMOD. All four compile programs must run in the correct order and if one works incorrectly, then the following programs will work incorrectly as well.

CSG

One of the four compile programs and the first up-to-bat. What CSG does is simple. It takes the info from the .map file and prepares and .pt0 for BSP to use. In more detail, it checks WADS, and stores them, and checks for invalid brushes, invalid face planes, and badly placed/sized textures.

Decal

A special painting, usually 256 greyscale, that can be added to a textured brush to give signage to the brush or variety to the texture tiling. Custom decals to be added to the map should be placed with Wally in the decals.wad file, which in turn should be -wadincuded during CSG into the .bsp file. Common examples of Decals are: bullet holes, targets, Letters in the wall, ect...

Decompiling

Ripping a part .bsp into a .map for format. Remember, this is considered stealing and blah blah blah blah .......

Epoly

One face (or facet if your just fancy like that) of a model. Too many epolys can cause lag, but it would require A LOT of epolys, so its uncommon.

Entity

An entity is a special instruction/program that makes things happen. Entites can be a point entity or a brush entity. Entities have several different prefixes such as: func, env, triggers, buttons and more. Some Entities are designed to run once per round whereas others are meant to be useable throughout the round. Examples: doors, trains, spawns, lights, buttons, triggers, windows

Error

Something that goes wrong while compiling your map. Errors can be as simple as a LEAK which can be easily fixed 99% of the time. Or Errors can be annoying to the point that you need to literally copy and paste each part of your map on to a new .map file before the error reveals itself.