L4D Level Design/Getting Started
- Getting Started
- Your First L4D Level
- Ladders
- Visibility
- Nav Meshes
- Checkpoints
- Checkpoint Rooms
- Outdoor Levels
- Level Organization
- Level Standards
- Clip Brushes
- Elevators
- Panic Events
- Breakable Walls
- Finale Events Part 1
- Finale Events Part 2
- Finale Events Part 3
- Additional Finale Components
- Nav Flow
- Advanced Nav Editing
- Versus Maps
Starting Hammer:
Select the Tools Tab in Steam and launch "Source SDK"
In the Source SDK window, do the following
Change the Engine Version to "Left 4 Dead"
Change the Current Game to "Left 4 Dead"
Double-click on the Application "Hammer Editor"
Once Hammer is loaded, you can start a new level by clicking on File > New
Four editing windows should appear.

[edit] Hammer Editor Basics
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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