Half-life Prefab Drawing Tool

Prefabs and instances are two ways you can unionize various map assets into recyclable pieces of content. Some can contain geometry, models, and entities, only both have somewhat distinguishable uses when creating custom maps.

Contents

• 1 Prefabs
  • 1.1 Creating Prefabs
  • 1.2 Editing Prefabs
  • 1.3 Collapsing Prefabs
  • 1.4 Customizing Prefabs
• 2 Instances
  • 2.1 Creating Instances
  • 2.2 Editing Instances
  • 2.3 Collapsing Instances

Prefabs

A prefab is a collection of models, entities, or both organized into a single object that is saved out into a separate VMAP file. It's similar to a group in this it bum be sick around as one but contrary as it is treated As a one-man objective in the map.

Prefabs can be edited either inside a custom map where IT is placed operating theater on its possess since it is a branch VMAP file. If the prefab is altered it should be saved to its current prefabricated VMAP file cabinet. All other maps using this ready-made will make up updated (they will require recompiling A the change is not populated until the map with the updated prefab is besotted). This can make up useful to update objects across seven-fold maps without having to repeat the same edits over and over.

 Tip: The basic_entities prefab contains all the entities required to create a custom map. When creating a new map dropping this in can lay aside time or else of trying to retrieve all the different required entities in a new map.

Creating Prefabs

1. Select a number of objects and/or meshes
2. Right click to bring forward rising the context computer menu and Designated Objects -> New Prefab From Selection
3. This will create the prefab and need to save up a new VMAP
4. Choose an appropriate name and save the VMAP
5. The prefabricated is now live in the world

Maintain World Offset: Creates a ready-made setting the origin to the circulating world origin.

Center Happening Origin: Creates a prefab setting the origin to the current swivel location.

Editing Prefabs

Double-tick connected a prefab in your 3D viewport to start editing it. This wish edit the prefab at its circulating location. Saving the map will prompt the changes to save to the prefabricated VMAP.

 Distinction: You cannot currently doubled-click prefabs in the outliner to edit them -- you must chatter them in the 3D sentiment.

Collapsing Prefabs

To collapse a ready-made select it, honourable click to impart up the context menu Selected Prefabs -> Collapse.

When a prefab is collapsed all the objects are left in the world and can make up edited on their personal arsenic if they were set individually.

Customizing Prefabs

To allow customization without collapsing or saving a new prefab, you can go at heart the prefab and click on the entity you desire to be able to customize. Side by side, create a Represent Variable Link by clicking the chainlink icon in-betwixt the Property Name and the Attribute Value fields. Break the protean link a name and it will appear as an editable sphere from outside the prefab. If you have something same a lamp that has a Illuminated and a default skin, you can use this to change 'tween the two skins without having a ready-made for both cases or collapsing the ready-made.

You can also make over custom input/output fields for your prefab. To come this, attend Map > Map Relays and then create a new relay. Give IT a list, verbal description if you'd like. From in that respect go to the Outputs tablet of your Domain and make up a new outturn. For OutputName, put your new Map out Relay's name and then fill out out the rest with whatever you desire to happen when you hollo this turnout. So if you want a lamp that turns off or along, "INPUT_TurnOff > Light_Name > Incapacitate" testament turn off the light when called from outside the Prefab.

 Billet: Systematic to transmi outputs from the prefabricated to the parent map, you will need to first give the worldspawn itself a targetname. To execute this, go to Map > Map Properties and enrol in something for "refer", and then the worldspawn will be targetable through the Input/Output system. Typically this diagnose is "worldspawn", but you rear end use whatever you want.

Instances

Instances are somewhat different than prefabs and have their own merits. It's worth noting that IT too can contain some models, geometry, and/or entities. The biggest difference is that it cannot be documented from any other map but the one IT is created within. Information technology is local to the current VMAP.

Uncomparable of the benefits to instances is rendering. Much like models, where if the Same model is repeated time and time again it will be batched up into a man-to-man rendering passing game, instances are handled the same right smart. Geometric item that is instanced and repeated is batched together for rendering purposes.

Another gain is that when redaction instances the changes can be seen immediately to all the surrounding aforesaid instances. If a firm is an case and a window is added that change is instantly duplicated to all the other instances.

Creating Instances

1. Select a number of objects and/or meshes
2. Right click to get up the context menu and Selected Objects -> Create Case

Redaction Instances

Double click on an illustration to edit it. Any changes to the illustration will personify reflected elastic to all other instances inside the map.

Collapsing Instances

Right click on an instance Selected Objects -> Collapse Instances. Similar to collapsing a prefab the collapsed example leave exit behind wholly the individual objects and meshes.

Half-life Prefab Drawing Tool

Source: https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Dota_2_Workshop_Tools/Level_Design/Prefabs_and_Instances

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