Creating Solids from Scratch
Creating solids is quite simple. The process always follows the same four basic steps:
1. select the Block tool
2. in the New Objects dialog, select the primitive shape in the Objects selection box. You will have 4 options:
• block
• wedge
• cylinder
• spike
3. drag a box in a 2D view, making sure it is the correct size and in the correct position in each of the views.
4. press Enter to create the solid
Creating Solids by Cloning
Cloning provides a simple way to quickly duplicate an object or group of objects. This includes both brushes and entities, and groups can contain a mixture of both.
1. Select the Selection tool.
2. Select the object (brush, entity, or group of brushes and/or entities) that you would like to clone.
3. Hold shift, and click and drag the selected object to its new position with the left mouse button.
4. While shift is still being held, release the mouse button. The object has now been cloned.
Placing Prefabs
Prefabs take the idea of cloning one (or two, or three...more like a dozen) step further. Once you have a prefab library created (see creating prefab libraries), it is a simple task to insert them into your level.
There are two ways to put a prefab into your level.
The more simple of the ways is to select the prefab library from the Categories selection box, and the specific prefab from the Object selection box, and then press the Insert original prefab button. This will insert the selected prefab in the center of the 2D views. You can do this with either the Selection or Block tool selected.
The second way to insert a prefab is with the Block tool.
First, with the Block tool selected, create a box the same approximate size you want the prefab to be. Then select the prefab library and prefab object. Last, press enter to create the prefab. This will create prefabs at any size you specify, rather than inserting them at original size and having to resize them manually. The object circled in the last picture is the prefab in its original size.
Related Topics: