'emergency ladder'

i want to make a ladder unreachable at first, but when you shoot at
some kind of brush (like a 'brake') it should go down like an emergency
ladder. is it possible to do? does anyone know how to do one?

Place two ladder models (there are good ones in the [Root]/c17 folder) make one a prop_static
(this will be the top one that dosn't move) then place the other one
over it (side view ||<top ladder) and make that ladder a prop_dynamic.

Then make a brush that surrounds the dynamic ladder. Make that brush a func_door and name it ladder_01. Set the parent of the dynamic ladder to the func_door ladder_01.

Set the move direction of the func_door to down, set the speed to about 200, find a good move and stop sound, and set it to stay open. Then press the flag tab, un check all but non solid.

Now create the thing that you want to break to release the ladder. Tie that to a func_breakable, set it how ever you want. Now set its output to on break - open - ladder_01.

Then make your ladder, I cant quite recall what it is... It is a point entity, func_dynamic_ladder maybe? Set that up and name it ladder_02, and there should be an option start off? Set that to yes.

Then go back to the func_breakable and set the output to on break - activate - ladder_02.

Now when you shoot the func_breakable the ladder will slide down and
the player will be able to climb up. Before you make this as
right or wrong try it out and tell me if anything didn't work.
I'll write a tutorial about it.

thx, ill try...

hmm, there are no "func_dynamic_ladder"

look in the sdk_lockdown and check out how they did their ladders.

Ugh...use a normal func_usableladder that needs to be activated by a
trigger <span style="font-style: italic;">("start disabled - yes"</span>), and place it where the ladder should
drop down (don't forget to place some dismounts; look-up a ladder
tutorial if you don't know what I mean). Name the usableladder
"ladder". Now make the physical ladder, that you want to drop down, a
prop_dynamic and set it's parent "train". Now make a small func_train ,
place it in the center of the prop_dynamic and give it the <span style="font-style: italic;">"invisible"</span>
texture. Name the train "train" (who would have guessed?). Now move the
two (the train and the prop_dynamic) up from where you want the ladder
to drop down from. It must be just above the func_usableladder. Add the
required path_tracks. Make a func_breakable and, dunno, put it over or
around the dynamic prop ladder and set its outputs properly. One to
make the train move when the func_breakable breaks and another to
activate the func_usableladder should suffice. Now, when you break the
func_breakable, the train will drop down, dragging the prop_dynamic
ladder down with it. Adjust it to fall just 1 unit behind the
func_usableladder. If it overlaps with something, it won't work. You
should also set the second output's (the one that activates the
usable_ladder) delay to something like 2 or 3, depending at the speed with which the ladder drops down). This should work (presuming that
you've understood what I mean).

Is there a way to 'accelerate' trains, so that they fall naturally then? (see the Citadel thumper blocks outside on the first citadel level for what I mean) How else can you drag the ladder down?

I don't really know. And I think this can also be achieved by using a
func_door rather than a train. It should work especially since you
really don't need the ladder to go lower than it's own height.

Yeah the door is alot more simple to set up. To get a natural
fall though... you would have to make the ladder a
prop_physics_override and set up some kind of slide system with
phys_constraints that would break when tirggered.

But TBH I doubt the player would notice a diffrence, let alone
care. But it would be neat to be able to jam something in the
ladder to prevent it from falling. Then again it would be tough
to set up the func_ladder to turn on and off at the right time.

Is there a way to 'accelerate' trains, so that they fall
naturally then? (see the Citadel thumper blocks outside on the first
citadel level for what I mean) How else can you drag the ladder
down?

Path_tracks have a new train speed field.

That would be far more complicated to set up, and there are risks that
it would mess up durring play. If it isn't a huge game play
element then I say use the door method, I mean, its only going to fall
once.

though... it would be cool to have a drop down ladder that could be
pulled back up by the gravity gun and would latch when it hit the top,
so you could run up the ladder then lock it to the point where no one
else could use it.