Hammer - Vertex Tool

[Sudano]

In Hammer, when I select the Vertex tool, sometimes I accidently make something, it looks like a brush, and it has a yellow x in one corner, but it's only one face, and I can't seem to get rid of it with undos or deletes. When this is there I can't move any of the verticies either. What is this?

 

[msleeper]

Pretty sure you are refering to the Vertex Selection Tool. It is a pretty long-known bug that it hangs around when you don't properly exit from vertex editing. You should be able to get rid of it by switching from Vertex Editing to another tool (such as the Brush tool), switching back to Vertex Editing without making any changes, then selecting another tool.

I could be totally wrong, do you have screens of the problem?

 

[Sudano]

I thought I tried that, but let me get a screen to make sure we are on the same level here.

Damn, if you cant read that let me know. Didnt think it would come out like that, sorry.

 

[msleeper]

No I can read it fine. I may not be the best help right now because I'm not at my home computer to open up Hammer with. I do know the problem you are having. Have you tried going into Vertex mode, clicking the box and pressing escape and/or delete?

 

[Asknoone]

Press escape.

 

[-Psy-]

I think you push Enter.

 

[Ennui]

Ah, I've been having to deal with that bug for years. Hate it, it completely confused me the first few times I encountered it.

 

[Vegeta897]

It's not a bug... that box is the selection box. When you draw it, it stays there for you to draw the handles or move it to where you want, then press enter to select the verticies in the box. It's just like drawing a brush with the brush tool. You have to press enter to confirm it before going back.

 

[Ennui]

Halle-****in-lujah. Although I think I've tried that to no avail before so maybe not.

 

[Sudano]

Try it in the morning, Thanks!

Surprised it's a bug, thought it was just something I didn't know how to get around or use it right.

 

[Crispy]

Press escape.

It's easier to select the brush you want to vertex manipulate in the camera view (by holding down space to take you into camera mode). The 2D vertex selection tool is, quite frankly, annoying.

 

[Ennui]

Press escape.

It's easier to select the brush you want to vertex manipulate in the camera view (by holding down space to take you into camera mode). The 2D vertex selection tool is, quite frankly, annoying.

Aye, that's my preferred method, otherwise picking the desired vertex can be a pain

 

[msleeper]

It should be noted for any new mappers reading this, that messing with vertecies is a really bad idea unless you know what you are doing. Vertex editing is the fastest and easiest way to make invalid solids.

 

[Crispy]

It should be noted for any new mappers reading this, that messing with vertecies is a really bad idea unless you know what you are doing. Vertex editing is the fastest and easiest way to make invalid solids.

As long as you check "Map >> Check for errors" whenever you're doing any heavy vertex manipulating, any new mapper will quickly come to understand what Hammer defines as an 'invalid solid', and the sooner a mapper learns this, the better.

One other thing that is essential when vertex manipulating is to make sure you have the right grid size. If your grid size is too small you will end up putting vertices 1 or 2 units away from where they should be, which can cause invalid solids depending on what shape you're trying to make. If your grid size is too large, you might not be able to move vertices to where they need to be.

In general, if you're doing detailed work, bring the grid size down to as low as you need it. The second you go back to less detailed work on a bigger scale, bring the grid size back up (unless you're moving detailed objects, especially groups of objects). When you're new to Hammer it's very easy to kid yourself that working with the smallest grid size gives you the most control and is always the best option. This is not true.

 

[Vegeta897]

Halle-****in-lujah. Although I think I've tried that to no avail before so maybe not.

You have to be in vertex edit mode when you do it, of course.