That's pretty much right, but for a metallic sheen typically you'd use a much simpler image - 64 sqaure of wobbly, watery looking shapes, which is rendered as an environment map, probably with a mask so that the whole thing isn't reflective.

But I don't know source at all.

Cubemaps are usually used for big stuff, like water. 

You can set them to be rendered as small or as large as you like, but they're still a cubemap so you get the impression of the correct colored light being reflected off a surface, even if the actual reflection isn't visible. 

need 1024x1024 at least! 

I've been trying to make a super-colliding super-button based off of the test_chamber.vmf mappy, but my button doesn't work properly. Anyone know how to make super-buttons? 

super. That should do it. 

http://portal-mods.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=70

http://www.portalmaps.net/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=10

FYI I've followed several of the tutorials, and since everyone is still figuring everything out, quite a few of them are inaccurate or contrary to what valve actually did. I get the most help from looking at the decompiled official maps. ( http://www.fpsbanana.com/threads/95314?5 )

Zwiffle, if that's not enough, I can send you my testing map where I'm just getting familiar with all the mechanics, super-buttons included. 

at mapping for this. This game kicks ass.

Some pretty good custom maps have already been released. The first two (the RenTests) on this page are good:
http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=611925

This is still in beta, and just crazy fucking hard. I spent a couple of hours on it last night, and made some progress. I'm still trying to get a companion cube:
http://www.horizonscape.com/shmitz/maps/portal/shmitzchamber_01_beta_0_1_2.zip 

from Ray's links a companion cube is a prop_physics with a model portal/metal_box and skin 2 (the one with the heart shape.)

I'm working on how to manipulate portals, like opening/closing them etc etc. 

I was still trying to get one in that last level. During gameplay. 

How the fuck do you get past the jumping puzzle in patterns? 

Patterns? Is that a custom map? What the hell are you talking about?

I just re-scanned the whole thread, thinking I had gone senile.

Of course, me not finding anything re: "patterns" doesn't disprove much. 

After you get up from the Trajectory part of the map you go into the Patterns part. =/ 

I didn't even remember seeing the "Patterns" label.

I assume you've ridden the lift up, and are trying to get over to where the energy ball is going into the room on the other side?

Until told otherwise, I'm going to assume that you want a relatively subtle hint (and I don't want to spoil it for others), so...

If what you need isn't nearby, you may need to expand your search. 

I finally finished the level tonight. Great ending. I had to get a hint in one part after being stuck for a while with no idea whatsoever.

I probably spent more time solving shmitz's level than I did playing through the entire game. 

Did that hint help at all, or do you want me to just tell you?

Just trying to make sure I'm not being an asshole... 

http://planethalflife.gamespy.com/screenshots/full_res.php?ss=2181 

i was just wondering how many of you managed to beat this thing.

i based my head against it for half an hour and gave up. i didn't really enjoy it tbh. obviously, it's much more difficult than stock portal, but i think there could have been some kind of hints or something. it seemed more like he simply tried to hide the correct solution instead of making it something you could solve logically. is there somewhere that i can see the solution and see if i'm correct? :P 

and gave up on the Patterns portion of it.
I thought it was ridiculous tbh. I also didn't enjoy it very much. 

I actually enjoyed it quite a bit. :)

Patterns spoiler (reversed): .mutnemom yrassecen eht teg ot ti otni nwod pmuJ .)detrats uoy erehw nwod( aera tsrif eht ni kcolb detnals eht no nwod latrop ecnartne eht ecalp dna ,ssorc ot gniyrt er'uoy moor eht fo roolf eht no latrop tixe ruoy ecalP

The point after that (with the rocket launcher bot) is where I got stuck: .ebuc a teg ot ereht ni pu teg dna ,wodniw noitavresbo eht ta dekcor a erif ot rehcnual tekcor eht teG .gnirreh der a s'taht tub ,ni si ebuc eht ebut eht yortsed ot ti teg dna tekcor a latrop ot deirt I

Text-reverse:
http://www.textreverse.com/

necros, if there's a particular point you're wondering about that I didn't mention, feel free to ask. 

fuck! i read the first paragraph before i noticed what the link was. >_< :P

what about the very first room? :P i tried using the slanted block to launch myself into the hole in the cieling, but the angle is wrong, and i just land on the far ledge, which doesn't get me anywhere that i can see. 

if there were a portal on the far ledge to land in...a time or two... 

I probably should have put the link first.

Sorry about that. 

the only way i can play this map is with "host_framerate 0.001". thank god they never bothered to change the console commands! :P

this kind of thing is way too fast for me. i really hope other mappers will focus more on logic and puzzle solving instead of just twitch stuff. i disliked the twitch maps the most in stock portal. :(
the thing is though, that twitch maps are probably the easiest to create. i goofed around a bit, but coming up with some inventive puzzles is pretty tough. this requires much more planning than quake ever did. 

problems 2 and 3 are less twitchy than that first bit. :)

I actually don't mind twitchy stuff if it's also quick. (In other words, if I fuck up, it's over in a matter of seconds and I can try again.)

What annoys me (and I've seen in a couple of maps I've played so far) are things where it takes quite a bit of time and skill to set up right, and then if you screw up you have to start all over.

Example, I just played one map where you have to build up momentum by repeatedly going from a high to a low portal, and then you get a bit higher on the arc between the two each pass. Eventually you get high enough to get over some brushwork that's blocking your path.

Problem: There's a field just below the critical point, so if you don't hit the lip just right on your first opportunity, and fall back, your portals are gone and you have to start over. Fuck that. That replaces "challenging" with "tedious".

You're right about twitch maps being easy to create. That's actually what I liked about the next two parts in that particular map; they force you to think outside the box a bit. (Actually a lot, with part 3.) 

After necros post about portal map making requiring more planning than Quake did, I was wondering if anyone actually did make puzzle-themed maps for Quake? There's no reason it can't be done, even without qc changes. Anyone up for it?