Merging on Sandbox By: RedNeck Merging into map geometry is no easy task. Merging into Sandbox's geometry is even harder. With the absence of a matter less object (the door/window panel) merging has become more tedious and it will test the skill of a forger to the limits. To succeed in merging objects into Sandbox's geometry one must understand merging to its fullest. You can not hope to succeed at these kinds of merges without an understanding of basic merging. I will briefly touch on these techniques but please take the time and read other merging guides from the Forging 101 sub-forum. Basic Merging Techniques As this guide's soul purpose is to teach new techniques on merging in Sandbox this portion will not be complex. Save & Quit This method is used to keep objects from doing unwanted things such as skewing from braces or moving to deep into map boundaries. To do this set your merge up as usual and grab the object by pressing 'A'. Wait roughly 2 seconds (or the time it takes you to save the map) then save your map and quit out ASAP. Bracing under the map To do this simply place a double box on the floor and set it to not spawn. Then place a receiver node roughly in the center of where the box should be. Stand on top of the node and wait for the box to spawn. Then force yourself under the map by moving or jumping (be sure to go into monitor mode the moment you get under). At this point bring your receiver node under the map by simply grabbing its tear drop, Save & Quit the node where you want it and continue the merge as planned. This method prevents the box from going down into the map farther then intended. Receiver Nodes Receiver nodes serve as an amazing bracer, but it can be used to move a box as well. When doing this, place the node in place of the door so you can ever so slightly move the box into a more desirable location. Then simply grab the box and the node should move the box ever so slightly in the desired direction. Cannon, Mans More commonly known as Man cannons, these can be used to prevent an object from going to deep into the floor, or from getting to far out of control when merging. To do this simply set up your merge as usual and place man cannons facing the opposite way that which the object will be merged and continue the merge as planned. Which Object and Why Merging in Sandbox may not seem difficult but it will prove to be one of the hardest methods of forge there is. With the absence of matter less objects such as the door or the window panel one must resort to walls and/or blocks to merge objects. My preference is to use the block. Using a block to merge your object proves simpler to me because a block can easily be set up straight. Using a wall to push an object into the geometry will increase your chances of miss placing the wall and thus messing up the merge. Now we come across the problem of what block to use. With the creation of the "forger's paradise" Bungie has given us a wide variety of blocks to use. In my preference, I use the block, huge; mathematically it is 1 half the size of the double, block long ways therefore it can be used more like a wall. For a wall will actually merge the object easier (using the principal that the larger the surface area, the bigger the chance of messing up the merge), but could very easily result in a skew merge. Specifics of Object Placement Okay, in order to get the object into the map's geometry we will have to first get the block, huge into the object. To do so simply set the object you are merging not to spawn and start a new round. Then place the block, huge in the area the object will spawn. Of course, there is a catch. Placing the block, huge to deep into the object will make the merge fail and placing the 'block, huge' to shallow into the object will stretch out the time it takes to merge the object to an unnecessary length. The best place to get the block is about 3 or 4 wall widths into the object. To do so use the sender nodes you placed as braces to set the block, huge on. From here it becomes like a normal merge. Place man cannons if you want and it is recommended that you save & quit after merging. Ghost Merging Through this glitch you no longer have to worry about OLN objects as this method allows you to have any object be a no-clip object. This method is also the easiest method to date for Ghost Merging. To start off load up any canvas - this time it can be Foundry or Sandbox, It simply doesn't matter. Next, spawn two of the objects you want to use, in this case Foundry's double box, and set one of them to never respawn and leave the other one alone. Now here comes the difficult part. You half to Dummy the two objects. Dumming is a glitch that makes any immovable objects movable. To do this press A over the object and turn back into a spartan at the exact same time. If done right you should be able to hit the objects away. If the object is still immovable than just simply repeat this step until you get it right. Now that the objects are movable move them off there original spawn point with a different object. Do not pick them up in monitor mode or it will void the glitch. It doesn't madder how far or where they are moved as long as they are moved off of there original spawn. Grab a hold of the box that is set to respawn and wait until the other despawns. Once the object despawns set the object your holding's run time minimum to the highest possible. You should now have a new object in your hand.This object is not effected by gravity and will pass through anything it comes in contact with. To place it simply drop the object where you want it and it will stay put. Specifics for Merging into Dunes Merging into the dunes of Sandbox can prove to be more difficult then merging into the floors. If you want to be good at this you must have a very skillful and good understanding of how to use regular objects to merge another object. I suggest you practice merging this way before you enter the world of the dune merging. The major difficulty in merging into the dunes is the placement of the object you are using to merge. If you merge more then one object, and they are off centered, then your object will not line up in the way you want it. If your braces are not set correctly, and they aren't flat, your object will fill the gaps left by the brace thus messing up your merge. I have explained mostly how to do this in the sections above but here are a few tips: Remember this: An object would rather die then go into map geometry. So, make sure you place all braces correctly and in the most efficient spots. Be sure to adjust every brace before continuing your merge. Use guides to line up your object pushers straight and don't be afraid to set the object you are merging to not spawn for 180 seconds to get it just right. Remember this is one of the hardest merges out there and you must be patient if you want to excel. There is also one other known method of merging into the dunes. This method involves simply pushing the object into the dunes and saving & quiting it where you please. If you are going to do this make sure you mark where you want it to end up because it will not stay exactly where you want it without the use of braces. Also, this method is mostly effective when using a block. Walls and other objects can also be used but you may find it more difficult to get the object into the dunes. Wait! There's More There is one other known way of merging tubes on the main layer of Sandbox. This method is used for avoiding placement of tube ramps as they look sloppy. To do this, place your tube in the desired location. Get in the tube and fly to the bottom of it. Look down and rapidly press A until the bottom part of the tube is beneath the ground. This method is very simple but, again, it comes with a catch. In order to do this you can not be the host, therefore you must forge with another. Also, if you want to use this method in the Crypt you must turn the tube upside down so the tear drop of the tube does not fall below the Crypt floor. Updated For Specifics of Merging into Dunes Updated For No-Clip Merging. Updated For No-Clip Merging (easier method). Updated Grammar fixes and minor details.
Merging the tube works fine in the crypt. Just flip the thing over so that the dot stays above the ground. If you merge past the dot in the crypt, it will undo itself after a save.
The guide is great, it is the first one i have seen to this extent. The only thing i would add is say more pictures of other ways to merge (other than just the standard interlock turns into merge) add pictures of how to place the man cannons. Also if you can add a more in depth part about merging into the dunes cus that is really the hardest type of merging in my opinion. All in all 9/10 EDIT: You might also want to put in reasons why merging is important for new people to the Forge.
Hello, I don't know anything about forging because I have never forged in my life, but this 101 excels in demonstrating how to merge objects into the geometry of the map itself. With great vocabulary and organization you allow for the viewers to easily and steadily understand what is happening at a decent rate, it also makes your work seem professional and is most likely to be taken serious. The Images also make it easier to understand for those who learn by viewing and images rather then by reading or speech to understand the message you are applying. This has been greatly organized using a difficulty scheme, from the easier to do ground forging, to the very complex dune forging, I give you a thumbs up as you have always made successful attempts at writing beautiful descriptions for your maps, and now you are teaching Forgehub a skill which will allow it to further grow as a Forging Paradise. I praise your work and can only hope that a Forgehub staff will find and move this piece of art into the 101 section and perhaps even promote it in the home page. Best of luck from yours truly... ~RadiantRain X's and O's :lol:
I'm pretty sure the guy asking how to merge into dunes was talking about the just push it in and wiggle a little method. The sand on Sandbox is "softer" than the other parts, so you can get objects to sink in nicely by just shoving it in as the monitor, and then just save when it is in the spot you want it.
I never had any luck with that method so I didn't put it in. But I may make a side note about it. And, Thank you Radiant Rain. For your thoughts.
Great guide redneck, you've introduced me to some techniques I was completely unaware of. Great write up and I support the recommendation that this should be put into 101, its of the same standard imo. I tried the bracing under the map technique but everytime I tried standing on the top of the TP I just went through it and was transported elsewhere...
Nice addition to your guide. This technique is very diffuclult to explain, but you did well. There is also a minor spelling error in your writeup, you might want to fix that. Anyways, great guide.
Wow, this is definately the most efficent and helpful guide to geomerging of any support. And thanks for the cred for my discovery, but there are plenty of other people who deserve credit (i.e. Fritzer and tylyr1) with this. All I did was accidently discover it and try my best to keep the massive thread organized. But back to your guide; Its simple, easy to read, helpful, and makes things that seem complicated rather easy to understand. But, you didn't say anything about how geomerging can make your map look professional, or almost like its a default map of its own. You might want to mention that... Edit:
Thanks for pointing that out apesap. As for YoYo: I will give credit to Fritz and Tylyr1. Thaks guys. Updated For No-Clip Merging (easier method). Updated Grammar fixes and minor details.