L4D Level Design/Getting Started

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Starting Hammer:

Select the Tools Tab in Steam and launch "Source SDK"

Selecting Source SDK from the Tools.
Selecting Source SDK from the Tools.

In the Source SDK window, do the following

Change the Engine Version to "Left 4 Dead"

Change the Current Game to "Left 4 Dead"

Selecting Left 4 Dead from the Current Game list.
Selecting Left 4 Dead from the Current Game list.

Double-click on the Application "Hammer Editor"

Selecting Hammer Editor from the Applications list.
Selecting Hammer Editor from the Applications list.

Once Hammer is loaded, you can start a new level by clicking on File > New

Selecting New from the File menu.
Selecting New from the File menu.

Four editing windows should appear.

The 4 editing windows in Hammer.
The 4 editing windows in Hammer.

Image:note.png Note: If your viewports are not equally sized as in the image above, you can resize them by going to View > Autosize 4 Views.

Selecting Autosize 4 Views from the View list.

[edit] Hammer Editor Basics

The different sections of the Hammer UI.
The different sections of the Hammer UI.

UI Layout:

[edit] Tool Bar

The Tool Bar switches to different modes that allow you to select, place entities, build brushes, texture, etc.

[edit] Select Box

The Select Box switches between modes of selecting

  • Groups – you will select the whole group of objects if you select one of the children
  • Objects – you will select an entire object even if it consists of more than 1 brush
  • Solids – you will select each brush separately even if it has been joined with other brushes to make one object

[edit] Texture Box

The Texture Box allows you to see the current selected texture and to browse for other textures by going into the Browse… Button.

[edit] Entity Box

Entities are the various things that you can place in your level that are not brushes. While brushes are the basic building blocks of levels, entities are pretty much everything else. You can place lights, props and items using the Entity Box.

[edit] VisGroups Box

VisGroups are a way to organize your level. You can place both brushes and entities into VisGroups and label them so that you can hide them or reveal them. This allows you to see what you're working on in a much cleaner way than leaving everything visible.


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