An introduction to clipping.
by Joshead (view all articles)

unrated
*Clip clip* Learn it. Use it. Love it.
by Joshead (view all articles)

unrated

Introduction
Hi, and welcome to my first tutorial. This will introduce you to the clipping tool, and what it does. It requires you to know...
- How to make a basic room
- A fraction of a brain.
it would help if you knew
- Were the clipping tool is
If you don't know where the clipping tool is, don't worry, ill explain the best I can for you.
With all of that, lets get started.
The Basics
First up, create a basic room. Then, create a block of texture anywhere in the room, like shown / / / /

Take note: In the image, on the right, the circled icon is the clipping tool.
Now, select the selecting tool, and select the block you made. With it highlighted red, click the clipping tool. Go to the window showing SIDE on your hammer, and make a line going though the centre, by clicking and dragging your mouse across the shape.

Now, take note that the top part of the shape is red, while the bottom is white. If you was to press ENTER now, the top part of the shape (the part with the red outline) will be deleted. Try it now. Press enter to delete it. Once you have seen the affect, press Shift + Z to undo the move, and have the full shape back. We can do more basic things than that however. We can make slopes, for whatever reason, maybe as an alternative to stairs, or perhaps as an escape slide or something.
Cutting the texture
Now, have your shape cut in half, like in the 2nd screen shot above. Click the clipping tool or press Shift + X. Take note that now the top part is white and the bottom is red. You may have already guessed that if you was to press Enter now, the bottom part of the shape would be cut off. But don't. Press Shift + X or the clipping tool button again. Take note, that now ALL of the shape is white. That means that if we press enter now, nothing will be deleted. Instead, the shape will be split along that line and will be 2 shapes, like shown.

Ok. So what to do now? Well, for whatever reason, we could move the 2 shapes apart

or, change the texture, or textures if you have cut it 4 way or something.

This tool is useful, and often required in doing things, such as making windows easily, and doorways the correct sizes.
The Example Map
Oh oh oh, nearly forgot. If you really really really really want to see the finished result, for whatever reason, the map can be downloaded here. It works in Hl2 dm, Garry's mod 9 and 10, and maybe hl2, iv never tried it.