Creating Portal Vents

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Introduction

Vents found throughout the BTS Areas

This guide will teach you how to create vents.

These vents are mainly used for lighting.

Vents

Inside

Inside of the vent

Create 2 48w*16l*40h brushes.

Create 2 48w*40l*16h brushes.

Create 2 16w*40l*40h brushes.

Texture the back with the light_orange001.

Texture the sides with metalwall_bts_006b_gradient.

Surrounding

Surrounding of the vent

Create 2 4w*2l*40h brushes with the nodraw texture.

Create 2 4w*36l*2h brushes with the nodraw texture.

Texture the front faces of the vents with metalvent001a.

Select the front visible faces and open the Face Edit Sheet and enter the following properties:

Texture scale:

• X: 0.15
• Y: 0.15

Texture shift:

• X: -7
• Y: 5

Select the top and bottom faces of the center faces, enter the following properties: Texture shift:

• Y: 64
• Rotation: 180

Grating

Create a 4w*36l*4h brush with the nodraw texture.

Position this brush right below the top surrounding.

Use the Clipping Tool to cut the brush as seen in the image.

• 

  Grate cut

Select the front face and set its texture to metalvent001a and enter the following properties with the Face Edit Sheet:

Texture scale:

• X: 0.15
• Y: 0.15

Texture shift:

• X: -4
• Y: 219

Set the bottom face's texture to metalvent001a.

Select the back slope face. Set its texture to metalvent001a and enter the following properties with the Face Edit Sheet:

Texture shift:

• X: -8
• Y: 192

Copy and paste the brush 6 times as seen in the image.

• 

  Grating

Select both the Surrounding and the Grating and tie them to a func_detail

Lights

Create a light_spot entity and enter the following properties:

Property Name	Value
Pitch Yaw Roll	-22.5 0 0
Brightness	242 91 0 800
BrightnessScaleHDR	.5
Constant	200000
Inner (bright) angle	15
Outer (fading) angle	30
Pitch	-22.5

The vent lights in Portal don't have a specific angle or position. However, it is safe to keep the lights near the orange texture face and you can modify the light to point in a specific direction (only slightly).

Note: Only use this next light in long hallways

Create another light_spot and enter the following properties

Property Name	Value
Pitch Yaw Roll	-15 0 0
Brightness	242 91 0 150
BrightnessScaleHDR	.5
Constant	200000
Inner (bright) angle	1
Outer (fading) angle	60
Pitch	-15

Place this light as seen in the image

• 

  Optional Light Source

Implementation

Assuming you build your maps in 16 units wide, put the inside of the vent just outside of the brushes. Cut a hole using the clipping tool (make sure the hole is center with the texture) and place the vent in the whole.

Fill in the nodraw spaces and you have a vent.

See Also

• Portal Behind The Scenes Level Creation

• Portal Level Creation