Stairs & Piston Platforms
So this is sort of a two part question...
1) There aren't any piston models that I can see that have animations. So I decided to make my own.
I grabbed some models of the pistons and the platform and parented them both to an invisible brush tied to a func_tracktrain. I can get it to move up and down with path_tracks, but when it shows in game, the train tilts to a 90 degree angle, consequently tilting the piston and platform sideways. So number one, are there any piston animations, and even if there are, tell me how I fix this. OR just tell me how pistons are really made.
2) I used what I believe is the PTI stair model because its animations look similar. I'm able to set its animations and everything fine, but when I parent a brush to it to make the actual stairs, it won't move with the stair model.
I can get you the model name if you need it when I get back to my computer with Steam and Hammer on it.
Thanks.
Pistons, as in the things that hold platforms in Portal 1? Those can be made with prop_dynamic models parented to func_movelinears as well, that might be slightly more useful and easier.
Oh, regarding that angled glitch, I believe you want it to have a fixed orientation, in the flags. Also, the path_tracks it passes, make them have no change for orientation type property.
Pistons don't have animations. Portal 2 comes with a few vmfs of official maps to show how the themes are done in the sdk_content/maps folder. "sp_a4_laser_catapult" has two piston platforms in it. Don't look at the pti instance, it has far too much complicated logic. Usually what you want is a nodraw func_door or func_movelinear with the arms parented to it.
All the models made for the PTI are in the props_ingame/ folder.
To get brushes moving with panels you need to set the attachment points. This is a good tutorial.
I'd suggest you don't use the PTI model, the standard arm ("arm64x64_interior.mdl") has some better animations, although you'd have to setup 8 different arms. You want the animations starting with "rampa_stair".
[spoiler]- BEE2 Addons | (BEE2)
- Hammer Addons
Maps:
- Crushed Gel
- Gel is Not Always Helpful[/spoiler]
I don't use the PTI piston lift instance, but I know how to use it if I want to.
1) There aren't any piston models that I can see that have animations. So I decided to make my own.
I grabbed some models of the pistons and the platform and parented them both to an invisible brush tied to a func_tracktrain. I can get it to move up and down with path_tracks, but when it shows in game, the train tilts to a 90 degree angle, consequently tilting the piston and platform sideways. So number one, are there any piston animations, and even if there are, tell me how I fix this. OR just tell me how pistons are really made.
You are on the right track. As mentioned above, pistons haven't got any animations, you just use them parented to moving brush entities, like func_tracktrains, func_doors, func_movelinears, etc. As Tmas98 said (dude! glad to see you participating here 
), if your train is being spawn at wrong angles it's just because you didn't ticked the flag "Fixed orientation".
I can get you the model name if you need it when I get back to my computer with Steam and Hammer on it.
Thanks.
You need 2 outputs for the panels (func_brush) to be actuallly parented to the arm models or panels (call them what you like 
). Use a logic_auto and add:
- OnMapSpawn > [func_brush1] > SetParent > [arm_model1] | delay 0.10
- OnMapSpawn > [func_brush1] > SetParentAttachmentMaintainOffset > panel_attach | delay 0.10
And so on with the rest of the func_brushes
useful tools and stuff here on TWP 
[spoiler]
[/spoiler]For the pti stair model ("props_ingame/arm_8panel.mdl") you'll need to use the attachment points "panel_attach1" - "panel_attach4". One should be for the lowest stair, four for the top stair brush. To check attachment points, open the model viewer from the authoring tools (the green box hammer is launched from). It's one of the tabs in there.
[spoiler]- BEE2 Addons | (BEE2)
- Hammer Addons
Maps:
- Crushed Gel
- Gel is Not Always Helpful[/spoiler]
As been said before here;
A func_movelinear or a func_door is a better option than a tracktrain, it's easier to setup, and it only is one entity/edict instead of 3. Specially in very large complex maps this is very important.
I'll try all of these... I knew nothing about func_movelinears or attachment points. Thanks for so many replies.
(and it's great to see you here, tmast.)
I think this might work the best, I was looking through the arm64x64 animations but I couldn't find any stair ones, nonetheless eight of them. Plus I don't want my map to have the exact same PTI animations, I'm actually planning to release this one.
On the pistons...this could be harder, but thanks for the orientation fix.