[MISC]Your Guide To Mapping

[CabooseJr]

When making maps for Source engine games, it can take some time to get them right. Here are some of my suggestions on making maps.
1. Don't release your first map
It doesn't matter how awesome you make it look, first maps are basically first impressions on mapping communities. Send the map to a few of your friends and see what they think of it. Listen to what they have to say, if they like it, then release it, if they don't, then work on it.
2. Run Fast Compile
Run VIS and RAD fast, it makes compiling the map much faster. I always tend to do that first and test it and if I like what I see, I will run VIS and RAD at the normal settings, I'll even sometimes compile it in HDR if it looks good.
3. Find and fix leaks
Leaks, these are the enemy of source mappers. When somebody accidentally makes a brush too short and you are able to see through into black, that causes a leak. It makes compiling maps much slower, which is why you should compile your map the fast way and find the leaks by going to Map>Load Pointfile. The leak will be found by a red line in the 3D window. All you would usually have to do is resize the brush to go over the red line and you're good.
4. Read up on Tutorials
Trust me, tutorials help a lot. When I make a map, I always have a window open to Interlopers, there are tutorials floating everywhere on the internet.
5. Don't use the carve tool
The carve tool may be useful for some tasks such as make recessed lights for Portal, but try not to fall in love with the tool. Using the clipping tool is so much more efficient.

Here are multiple websites that will help you out when trying to map for Source games.
1.Interlopers This is a website I truly love. It has an error page where you can copy/paste your compile log and it will tell you what is wrong with your map and will also tell you how to fix it.
2.Valve Developer Community This is the official site set up by Valve to help users out with their mapping needs.
3.Facepunch Studios Yes, it may be the Garry's Mod forum, but it has a lot of tutorials on mapping their mapping section. Just a word of advise, if you ever make an account there, if you make a dumb post, you will be permanently banned. They have little tolerance there, so you might want to watch it.
Hope those helped, if you want to add anything, feel free to say something.
4. http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=VaaMap = A youtube channel with assorted tutorials provided by JK-47.
5. http://wiki.thinkingwithportals.com/wiki/Main_Page = The Thinking With Portals tutorials wiki provided by SpartanAI.

[guysullavin]

in response to Facepunch studios: Caboose isn't kidding, I put tl;dr and they banned me for 24 hours, read the rules, seriously.

[JK-47]

They had a forum update, which got rid of the intelligence system. Using things like that put you at a certain level, and if you got to a certain level, I think you automatically get banned.

Also, for tutorials, this guy helped me out a lot:

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=VaaMap

That's a newer channel, so his previous tutorials are under "Favorites".
They are for CS:S, but regardless, it shows you around Hammer.

[SpartanAI]

Nice tips but i would just like to add for portal moding http://wiki.thinkingwithportals.com/wiki/Main_Page is a good place to look.