hehe, good luck with the mapping I hope you stick with it as its very rewarding. Anything I can help with just ask! I cant wait to start picking on your maps :biggrin:

I just figured out something that I think you guys will love, if it works! Update in 25mins after the compile! :biggrin:

/me got slapped, leaving a red handprint across his cheek.

Ouch! But didn't you find the suggestion helpful? Don't the windows look much better and credible now?

Anyways, I like where your map is going. I just bought HL2
yesterday and I've started mapping already (I only finished about an
hour worth of the game so far). I made my first (obligatory) box
map in Source, just to get the kinks out of the compilation process.

Some images in this post have been automatically down-sized, click on them to view the full sized versions:

Just for you Satchmo!





and heres my 3D skybox-

Reno is right, the buildings stay fixed in place so when you move they scale to wherever you are. Unless like one attempt i put one too close to the skycam and it got bigger and bigger the closer I got to it but it was still outside the map...was freaky... like an invasion of balloon buildings!!

Satchmo im gonna slap you...grumble glass grumble.......

It shouldn't do that cass, 3D skyboxes stay in fixed locations. They
take a small piece of brushwork and scale it up to create the illusion
of scale even though the area taken up in the level is actually very
small. If you look at maps like de_aztec, many of the upper floors of
the buildings are actually part of the 3D skybox and yet they remain in
position at all times.

The skybox does indeed look good, but when you walk around the buildings will move with you, which will be awkward considering their apparent short distance from the map itself.

I like the stairs now, but...

The glass windows of the reception room are curved. Usually, the
junction of the curvature should have some sort of metal support (like
the thin black support going horizontally). Actual curved glasses
are expensive to make (not for the engine to render, but expensive in
the real world, thereby making them rare).

And I don't think the texture is bad at all. I think they're quite appropriate (and believable) for the setting.

If you look hard enough theres a whole host of Mini models to use in 3D skyboxes. So I didnt have to do much except choose some suitable ones:D

OMG THAT SKYBOX LOOKS AMAZING!!!

How the heck did you get that level of details its fantastic!

the stairs look better too.

Congrats dude, it look brilliant so far.

The actual structural work is about 90% complete, its mainly just a matter of detail now, which of course is even more time consuming!

Would still like someone to come take a look round with me to see what they think:D