[Portal 1] Troubles to "connect' my objects
Hello. At first, you need to know that I'm not good at Hammer, I don't feel much confortable with it but I really want to make Portal 1 levels. I know how to create the objects I need thanks tot he tutorials (button, a door, a switch, a fizzler etc...) but I don't know how to "connect" (make work together ?) 2 objects. That is bad or not explained at all on tutorials and for someone like me who just follow the tutorials but don't understand the Hammer configuration (i mean, when I read the outputs of an objects, i don't always understand what it is supposed to do in the map), this is hard...
So, What I'm really asking is (please keep in mind that this is for Portal 1).
I know how to create the objects, but not how to link them together. When an energy ball system has been solved, how to make the platform move, and only when it's solved. How do I unactivate a fizzler as lons as the player stand on a button, this kind of things. You see, there is infinite possibilites but I don't know how to make these. The only one I couldnt find is a button that open a door, but that's not enough.
The perfect think i'd like is prefabs with already working systems (an energy ball system that actiavtes a door, or activates a platform, or moving stairs, button that rotates a wall in a 90? angle as long as the player remains on it etc...
I found many prefabs on the internet but it are only each object alone and then, nothing that can help me to link objects.
I hope everybody understand what i'm asking and I really hope someone will be able to help me.
Thanks in advance for the people that will try to help me. 
Each object should have a relay or trigger of some sort that is activated when it's solved, and/or one to turn it on in response to something else. For example, if you want to connect an energy ball catcher to a door, follow this tutorial and the first part of this tutorial, then go into the energy ball catcher and open the "trigger_ball_trap" entity. Add two new outputs pointing to "door_left" and "door_right" with the input Open. Then compile and test.
Hello there.
First of all,
CHEER UP!!! Only for this, I'll be the first to throw here some bit of help!
It's perfectly clear what you are asking. That is called the logic. You need to know that Portal is a game based in an Input/Output system (from now onwards, I/O system), and TRULY, it is not so difficult once you control it, and I can assure you that is very rewarding when you achieve those connections you mention 
OK, basicly, you need to think of each of the pieces that compose a puzzle element separately. Moreover if you're mapping for Portal: for example, the buttons in Portal has the bottom part (receptacle), and the upper part (the top circle-shaped piece), and they are independent; and then, there is a logic that you need to create apart; it is based on triggers, func_doors and other brush entities. In P2 this is much easier though because there are entities like the prop_floor_button (altogether with some others with similar functions) with all animations and I/O into it, so it is really easy to work with them.
Same with a door, in P2 there is a fuly working entity for this, while in Portal there is the left door leave, the right one, the frame, etc.
I guess that you must be missing many useful tutorials from the wiki though, because all the basics are there and they're really self-explanatory. Take a look HERE to the "Level Creation Tutorials" section. I think you should undersstand it a bit more clearer than now.
So, let's take for example a working button, meaning that you already created it and you can make it move up and down, ok? Apart from those animations (because that is only that, mere animations), you need to add some triggers and logic entities (everything is well explained in those tutos) to actually connect the button with a door for example, ok? So imagine it like this (a rough explanation only):
1. When I approach a cube to the button prop I created in hammer, I need a trigger brush called a trigger_multiple that detects the cube on top of the button, which will be invisible because I textured it in the toolstrigger texture, and this trigger_multiple will be the one that will actually fire the outputs to the door, ok?
2. If you open the trigger_multiple entity properties, you have the 'outputs' tab, where you can add all that you want to happen when the cube touches that triger, ok? So here you can add your outputs:
- OnTrigger > [left-door-leave-name] > Open
- OnTrigger > [right-door-leave-name] > Open
etc.
Soon you'll find that there's a certain more complexity in the logic than above example. You'll also find that there are more complex entities to play with, but they do more interesting stuff; and you'll end up knowing what entities to use in each moment depending on the logic system you want to create
There are some awesome tutorials here as well, take a look.
OK, as a first introduction I hope it's clear enough. Good luckk!
And happy mapping!
useful tools and stuff here on TWP 
[spoiler]
[/spoiler]Thanks you for your answers guys. Wow, what a big answer and how explained is the answer josepzedj!
Thank you for the tutorials links. I knew already valve's as this is the one i used to create the objects.
I'm trying to link them with triggers now.
I made an energy ball system that opens a door, it works (the doors opens pretty slowely for some reason, much slower than when it's openend with a button).
I had to add outputs to the energy ball catcher. OnTrigger, Left and right door, open.
That one is simple to make but the other ones will be harder. I'm trying to do some elses (energy ball that activates a platform that, when the energy ball system activated, won't stop to run on the choosen path). 
Soon you'll see that activating a lift is as simple as activating a door.
Thanks for answers.
@Dr.Toaster Waffles: I know "Valve's wikia portal mapping" page (call it whatever you want) and want to make the connections that are not mentionned on these pages. I mean, connect an energy ball to a moving platform. I didn't see such a tutorial and that would be something I'd like to make. Pressing a button for a fizzler not unfizzler as long as the player stand on it is another thing that isn't explained anywhere and that I would like to get. This is just exemples, but i'd like to have all the immaginables combinaisons possibles.
Again, all of this is done with simple outputs. I've never mapped for Portal, but looking at a VDC tutorial it looks like an energy ball launcher and target may be a little advanced for where you are right now.
However, if you know how to, as you say, deactivate a fizzler with a button, all you have to do is make your button like in the tutorial I linked. However in the outputs for your trigger_multiple add these outputs:
Output 1: (to disable your fizzler)
OnStartTouch
[name of your fizzler]
Disable
Ouput 2: (to enable it once the button has stopped being pressed)
OnEndTouch
[name of your fizzler]
Enable
That would be same for anything, really. You're saying you want all the outputs for anything possible? This isn't something that you look up for a list; you just figure out what outputs to send for what you're doing. And if you just use prefabs or instances for you mapping career, you'll never learn anything in Hammer.
It sounds to me like you should just be messing around in Hammer before making a map. My first map was a white room with flashing lights playing Robots FTW, a paint dropper, and a personality sphere. And if your fizzler works, then try these outputs to disable it.
Thanks for the answer again.
That is true that Hammer is a bit complex to me right now. I've been trying these thing, just trying "random" things on Hammer but as I couldn't get anything working, I made this topic
You tell me the way for the button/(un)fizzle. I tried to do something similar way which didn't work, which convainced me even more to make this topic (I use a trigger instead of a trigger multiple, which was probably why it didnt work, or maybe made a mistake. i'll retry this in the way you've said).
Before making a true and complete map, I wanted to know if i would be able to get in my maps this kind of connexions. If it was something impossible, I just would have give up. Nobody is here to just make a simple room. I wanted to know if I was able to make these things that are common and a part of the gameplay in Portal, because if I can't do that, I just can't do puzzles.
You are right when you say that I'll learn nothing with prefabs, but that was a solution between others to me^^
Dr.Toaster Waffles forgot to mention something which is necessary for Portal 1 fizzlers.
A Portal 1 fizzler has two "moving parts", so to speak (and then the little emitters on either side which don't need to do anything). A trigger_portal_cleanser, and an info_particle_system. To disable the fizzler you need to send a Disable input to the trigger and a Stop input to the particle system, and to start it up again send an Enable input to the trigger and a Start input to the particle system.
The hard thing about Portal 1 mapping is that the basic items take a lot of work to constuct. It means you can customize them (like in Blue Portals), but it also means it's harder to start mapping.
I'd recommend taking prefabs and (if they don't have one already) adding a big logic_relay in front of the item to handle inputs and outputs. This will make it a lot easier to connect them because you won't have to dig through and find which parts need to be triggered. Of course that means it's hard to wire up the relay in the first place, but you'll only need to do it once.
If you're having trouble putting in the relays (which is hard, I know), just send the prefabs to me and I'll add them in for you. Then you can just focus on two inputs or two outputs for the whole thing (turn on and turn off).