VHE (Valve Hammer Editor) has tutorials on basic mapping under help. This shows how to set up all the options for VHE.
Some tools:
Zoner's Half-Life Tools - Custom Build (better compile tools)
ZHLT Compile GUI (better way to compile)
BSPtwoMAP (a decompiler, to let you poke around inside existing maps)
Wally (texture editor)
Some good reference sites:
The Handy Vandal's Almanac
Valve Editing Resource Center
-Valve's info on rico entites (all valve game entities are listed in there too, very handy)
-Wadinclude (if you use the compile GUI, only the bit about what -wadinclude is, is important)
Huge list of problems and solutions.
If you want something to get downloaded with the map (models, sounds, new sky textures), you have to make a plain-text file with the same name as the map, and a .res extension. Here's what I have in rc_clockwise.res:
Regardless of what you hear about skyboxes being evil, don't listen. A rico map has to be in one; no way around it. However, the maps are small enough it doesn't matter. Just remember a trigger_discreturn above and below the map. You'll also need an info_ricochet somewhere, so the map'll show up in the create server dialogue.
Vital stats for Ricochet (most of this is done for you in the .zip):
Pads:
World Component: 20 sided cylinder, 16 units thick, 256 accross.
Scale the trim_* textures (the stripe on the side) to X = 6.00, this keeps it from blurring when viewed at an angle.
Entity Component: info_target dead centre (marked by an 'x') on the top surface, info_player_deathmatch centred but bottom edge is 48 units above top pad surface, each additional one's bottom edge is 16 above the top of the previous (stacked for smaller dm maps).
NOTE: For multi-level maps, the distance between the top surface of one pad, and the bottom of the next higer level's is 240 units.
Jumps:
World Component: Half a square-based pyramid, 17 units thick (the extra one sticks up above the pad), 38 from base to tip, 80 wide.
Entity Component: Rectangular-prismatic trigger_jump, placed such that it sits on the jump, with one side centred on the vertex. 120 units long, 16 wide, and 8 thick.
Make sure both +*square textures are at the same stage as the +*arrow, and are facing the right way. (one needs to be backwards [make X scale negative], or rotated 180 degrees)
Bounces:
A bounce is a free-floating jump.
World Component: Square-based pyramid, 95 units high, 48 from base to tip, and 110 wide.
Entity Component: Rectangular-prismatic trigger_jump 136 units wide, 23 deep, and 96 units high (extra over top). Bottom edge lines up with that of arrow, sits centered on tip (with no overlap).
Interior Rails:
Placed between pads on the same level.
World Component: Rectangular prism as long as needed, 8 units wide, and 16 high. The texture strip1a is used for the metallic sheen look on the top/bottom, but it needs to be rotated and shifted for the effect to work. Just do it to taste. Top surface 48 units above top of pads.
Entity Component: Rectangular prismatic trigger_push (direction should be perpendicular to path, and flat [ie. z = 0]. Speed 100) as long and wide as the bottom half, 8 units high. Placed exactly over the bottom, no gap.
Exterior Rails:
Used to border map levels.
World Component: Exactly the same as above, but 16 units wide.
Entity Component: Also exactly the same, but 16 wide.
Valve seems to use clipping brushes to prevent cakewalking on all rails which don't have a jump path over them. This is why you can stall camp on rc_deathmatch, and why you can't hop over the 'V' on arena. It isn't necessary to prevent camping, as the player cannot shoot anyone on a pad from a rail, but the players on the pads can shoot the cakewalker. Mapper's call.
In rico_prefabs.zip, I've included one of everything (except for the little four-square thing, and a teleporter haven't made those yet :\ ), so you shouldn't need to manually create anything. Some of the things are grouped, so don't drive yourself nuts trying to select an individual thing without ungrouping first. I've also included the full ricochet.wad, since not everybody has it, and there are a few more textures to choose from.
Some tools:
Zoner's Half-Life Tools - Custom Build (better compile tools)
ZHLT Compile GUI (better way to compile)
BSPtwoMAP (a decompiler, to let you poke around inside existing maps)
Wally (texture editor)
Some good reference sites:
The Handy Vandal's Almanac
Valve Editing Resource Center
-Valve's info on rico entites (all valve game entities are listed in there too, very handy)
-Wadinclude (if you use the compile GUI, only the bit about what -wadinclude is, is important)
Huge list of problems and solutions.
If you want something to get downloaded with the map (models, sounds, new sky textures), you have to make a plain-text file with the same name as the map, and a .res extension. Here's what I have in rc_clockwise.res:
Code:
// .\rc_clockwise.res - created by desNotes--er, I mean Wha?... Who only sort of ripped off desNotes to make this work.
// .res entries:
maps/rc_clockwise.res
gfx/env/csidbk.bmp
gfx/env/csidbk.tga
gfx/env/csiddn.bmp
gfx/env/csiddn.tga
gfx/env/csidft.bmp
gfx/env/csidft.tga
gfx/env/csidlf.bmp
gfx/env/csidlf.tga
gfx/env/csidrt.bmp
gfx/env/csidrt.tga
gfx/env/csidup.bmp
gfx/env/csidup.tgaRegardless of what you hear about skyboxes being evil, don't listen. A rico map has to be in one; no way around it. However, the maps are small enough it doesn't matter. Just remember a trigger_discreturn above and below the map. You'll also need an info_ricochet somewhere, so the map'll show up in the create server dialogue.
Vital stats for Ricochet (most of this is done for you in the .zip):
Pads:
World Component: 20 sided cylinder, 16 units thick, 256 accross.
Scale the trim_* textures (the stripe on the side) to X = 6.00, this keeps it from blurring when viewed at an angle.
Entity Component: info_target dead centre (marked by an 'x') on the top surface, info_player_deathmatch centred but bottom edge is 48 units above top pad surface, each additional one's bottom edge is 16 above the top of the previous (stacked for smaller dm maps).
NOTE: For multi-level maps, the distance between the top surface of one pad, and the bottom of the next higer level's is 240 units.
Jumps:
World Component: Half a square-based pyramid, 17 units thick (the extra one sticks up above the pad), 38 from base to tip, 80 wide.
Entity Component: Rectangular-prismatic trigger_jump, placed such that it sits on the jump, with one side centred on the vertex. 120 units long, 16 wide, and 8 thick.
Make sure both +*square textures are at the same stage as the +*arrow, and are facing the right way. (one needs to be backwards [make X scale negative], or rotated 180 degrees)
Bounces:
A bounce is a free-floating jump.
World Component: Square-based pyramid, 95 units high, 48 from base to tip, and 110 wide.
Entity Component: Rectangular-prismatic trigger_jump 136 units wide, 23 deep, and 96 units high (extra over top). Bottom edge lines up with that of arrow, sits centered on tip (with no overlap).
Interior Rails:
Placed between pads on the same level.
World Component: Rectangular prism as long as needed, 8 units wide, and 16 high. The texture strip1a is used for the metallic sheen look on the top/bottom, but it needs to be rotated and shifted for the effect to work. Just do it to taste. Top surface 48 units above top of pads.
Entity Component: Rectangular prismatic trigger_push (direction should be perpendicular to path, and flat [ie. z = 0]. Speed 100) as long and wide as the bottom half, 8 units high. Placed exactly over the bottom, no gap.
Exterior Rails:
Used to border map levels.
World Component: Exactly the same as above, but 16 units wide.
Entity Component: Also exactly the same, but 16 wide.
Valve seems to use clipping brushes to prevent cakewalking on all rails which don't have a jump path over them. This is why you can stall camp on rc_deathmatch, and why you can't hop over the 'V' on arena. It isn't necessary to prevent camping, as the player cannot shoot anyone on a pad from a rail, but the players on the pads can shoot the cakewalker. Mapper's call.
In rico_prefabs.zip, I've included one of everything (except for the little four-square thing, and a teleporter haven't made those yet :\ ), so you shouldn't need to manually create anything. Some of the things are grouped, so don't drive yourself nuts trying to select an individual thing without ungrouping first. I've also included the full ricochet.wad, since not everybody has it, and there are a few more textures to choose from.