automatically transferring maps

Hello, I'm really new at this and I was wondering if there was a way to
make it so my maps would automatically go to the hl2dm folder so I
wouldnt have to put it there manually each time, its driving me
crazy.

This question is less important, but is also bugging me. Is there
a simple way to make a ramp that a car could drive down? I've
been trying displacement effects and I think I'm going to explode.

1) I think there is a way, but I don't know it because I use Batch Compiler......

2) Try the "wedge"-shaped brush :smile: Alternatively (but more complicated) you could make a cube and then merge some vertices to get a wedge.

1. Your in luck, though I think you need to use the expert compile
mode. Thankfully, you don't need to be an expert to use it, because Lep
has written up a tutorial...

http://www.snarkpit.com/editing.php?page=tutorials&game=HL2&id=126

In hammer use the expert compile mode and set it up as per the tutorial
floating around on this site and others. After you set it up to
simply compile, put another command in to copy the .bsp file to
whatever dir you want.

As for a reamp that a car could drive down, you could always just make
a ramp section by section, ie you have a horizontal plate. You
use the face shift tool (whatever its called, the one thats like the
third click of the arrow) to shift that to the angle you want.
Clone it or copy-paste so that you have another just like it lined up
right next to it. Then shift that face to the angle you want, ad
infinitum so you get the shape you want.

Another way would be to use displacement surfaces. Do the same
thing as above except with larger brushes so it has sharper
angles. Then clone that ramp left and right and raise the sides
of those up. So now you have a ramp with a bowl shape.
Select all the faces you are driving on then create disp
sufraces. then select all of them and subdivide them. In
the middle you should have a reasonably smooth ramp. Although at
the exit point it will probably be a weird shape but you could always
fix that up later with the paint geom tool.

1) In Hammer, go to Tools->Options->Build Programs, then under "Place compiled maps in this directory", put

C:\program files\valve\steam\steamapps\[username]\half-life 2\hl2\maps

or whatever directory you have to drag your maps into.

2) I would make a regular quad, and then use the Vertex manipulation tool to make it into a triangle-like 3D shape. >_>

For non-expert mode, Joe is on the money, though for HL2DM its xx\half-life 2 deathmatch\hl2mp\maps