How To Make Stairs Using GLB3

1: Draw the basic U shape or L shape etc. of the stairs in the top view.

In the drawing below i used these points [-128,-128], [128,-128],[128,256] and [-128,256]

 

2: Set the wall Height and Width spinners to 16 and 80. Then add the line to the plan by using the 

'Add To Plan' button. 

 

 

3: Use the 'Add Vert' button to add extra vertices at the turns so as to keep them level when raised.

 

4: Raise the vertices so they form the shape of the stairs you want. Use the 'Edit Verts' button on the GLB3 ui to allow the selection of the vertices and then use GLB3's Nudge Tools to simpley nudge up the verts of each section. Note you can get the pitch of each wall by using the 'Edit Properties' button and getting the properties of the wall whose pitch you want to know. This can be useful in keeping each section of your stairs raising at the same angle. When your done it should look something like the picture below.

5: Open the Utilities tab and use the Measure tool in max or gmax to measure the Z height of the walls you are going to make into steps, then divide this number by the height you want each step to be eg. 8 units. (In half-Life the maximum step height a character can step up before he needs to jump is 16 units.) The number you calculate will be the number of steps you want to turn each wall section into.

 

6: Select the first wall to convert to steps and get its properties with the 'Edit Properties' button on the GLB3 user interface. Now use the 'Divide wall(s) in:' spinner to divide the wall into the number of steps you want. eg. if the wall raises 128 units you should make this into 16 steps (128/8 = 16). Once you've set the spinner to the number of steps you want press the 'Go' button.

 

7: The wall should now be divided into as many pieces as you chose. Repeat this process for each of the sloping walls that you want to make steps out of. When your finished your walls should look something like this.

8: Select all the walls that are to be turned into steps and press the 'Level' button in the 'Edit Walls' section of the GLB3 ui. A window will then open asking you if you would like all the walls to be levelled to the same altitude, chose 'No' here. You should now see all of your walls turned into steps.

 

Time taken to create: ~ 90 seconds

 

You can then export to WorldCraft or QuArK etc. and compile your map.

Here is the completed stairs in the Half-Life engine.

To ask any questions go to the Maple3D Forums .

Copyright © 2006 Michael Little, All Rights Reserved.

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