Hammer Cordon Usage

Overview of the Hammer Cordon Tool

The cordon tool is used to box off the playing area to either save compile time, test areas individually without interference from their surroundings, or to find the location of an unknown problem.

Compiling with cordon boundaries set will compile only the area within the cordon bounds (safely enclosing this area in a sealed box to prevent leaks).

Use

Using the cordon tool allows the developer to compile only one room, or test lighting in a particular area, without having to compile the entire map. Excluding large or complex areas in this way can save a considerable amount of compilation time.

Cordons can also be used to eliminate areas from compilation when trying to find the location of a problem. This can be done by gradually decreasing the size of the cordoned area until the problem is elimnated, defining the area in which the problem must be. It is also possible to move the cordoned area around the map until the problem is found or eliminated.

Note:Before compiling, make sure that the cordon area contains a start point for the player (an info_player_start or an info_player_deathmatch) or else your map will not work.

The Edit Cordon Bounds Button

This function is used to set, or alter, boundaries of an area to "cordon off". Only objects that are at least partially within these boundaries will be compiled, and a box using the assigned cordon texture will be placed along these boundaries to seal leaks.

The Toggle Cordon State Button

This function will toggle the cordon state i.e. the effect and visibility of the cordon area (created with the Edit cordon bounds tool).

While the cordon state is active, the compiler will only compile the cordoned off area. The objects which will be included in the compile will be reflected in the 3D view, boundaries of the cordon area will also be outlined by a thick red line, like the pictures below show.

File:Cordon2.jpg

Cordon boundaries selected.

File:Cordon3.jpg

Cordon boundaries activated.

With the cordon state deactivated, the compiler will compile the entire map as normal, and the cordon area will not be visible. (See Edit cordon bounds above for information on how to create and edit cordon areas.)

To create a new cordon area

1. Select the Edit cordon bounds button ( ) on the Map Operations Toolbar.
2. Drag a selection box in one of the 2D views around the section you wish to compile.
3. As the cordon area is a 3D cube, you may find it neccessary to resize the height, width, and/or depth of it (in any of the 2D views) to fit the intended area.
4. Select any other editing tool from the Map Tools Toolbar to finish creating the cordon area.

Tip:Make sure a player start point lies within the bounds of the cordoned area before you run a test compile, otherwise the game will place the player at the world origin (0,0,0) when you load the map in the game engine.

To edit an existing cordon area

1. Select the Edit cordon bounds button ( ) on the Map Operations Toolbar.
2. To resize a cordon area, drag its boundary handles in any of the 2D views.
3. To move a cordon area, click-drag in the center of the selection box.
4. Select any other editing tool from the Map Tools Toolbar (like the Selection tool, for instance) to finish editing the cordon area.

Changing the cordon wall texture

File:Cordon4.gif

One downside of the cordon tool is the annoying black and purple texture that represents the cordon boundary in the 3D view. It can make you sick after moving around a lot. Fortunately, it can easily be changed to a different texture by changing the cordon material.

1. Go to Tools > Options... > Game Configurations tab.
2. Locate the Cordon texture field, and click the Browse... button next to it, to open the texture browser.
3. Double-click to select a different texture. The tools/toolsskybox texture works well, but you need to make sure you have a light_environment in the bounds for the skybox texture to light the world properly after compile.