Hello and welcome to the brief guide on using forge guides. I started working on a guide a while back. I thought that I might as well post this. Here is the updated version: This sub-section will cover the use of guides (and probably tell you more than you need to know). Guides are something I wished I knew from the beginning. There are several different methods, but they are all for the same purpose. That purpose is getting everything aligned correctly. Have you ever seen a map that could have been great, but everything was crooked an sloppy? This is where guides come in. My preferred method is using immovable objects. The way this method is used is by pressing the object against it. The guide will need to be in a location that makes the object be where it is supposed to be. For example, you have a box exactly where you want it be. You need to place a box next to it and you want it to be perfectly aligned. You press your guide against the original box and ease it into its place. From now on, let’s call these “intentional guides” Then you do the same with the second box to get it aligned the way you want it. That is only one of the things guides can do. Be creative while using guides. If you don’t like this method, try using other guides. Other guide guides include Foundry’s floor or Sandbox’s grid, spawnpoints, cones etc., and original map geometry. *1 Now that you know what guides do and how to use them, you can begin utilizing these methods. Generally, every object needs 3 guides (more or less depending on how exact it need to be *2) excluding original objects. The reason why you need 3 is because there are 3 different axes that the object can move on, width (X), height (Y), and depth (Z). In the example above, there is one obvious guide that was used. I called that guide “guide”. “Well, wait” you might wonder, “I thought there needs to be 3 guides.” There are. The original box is the second guide. What is the first? Not the intentional guide. The floor is the first. It is first because it was there first. The intentional guide is the third. *3 Acknowledging the floor as a guide becomes important later when you learn about floating objects.*4 *1: Using the guides mention go by “eye balling” it. Using map geometry is a good way to align it with the map for original objects. *2: The more guides, the harder it gets. Using 2 guides can be used if it doesn’t matter where it is on one axis. 4 can be used if it needs to be exact in one direction. 5 can be used if it needs to be exact in two directions. 6 cannot be used. *3: Summary: 1. Floor 2. Original Object 3. Intentional Guide *4: Floating does not use the floor. Therefore you will need an extra guide.
This is a nice start to a guide, but I feel that it lacks substance. Guides are most commonly used when interlocking objects, setting up symmetrical maps to be as symmetrical as possible, and for geomerging. Arguable, guides are most important for geomerging because they ensure that the object that you are geomerging only moves along the axis that you want it to. An example would be trying to merge a double box into the wall on foundry. You would brace the top of the box, and the two vertical sides that are perpendicular to the wall. Then you would place your doors or window panels into the double box and grab the box, save, and quit. The reason that you do not need to brace the bottom is because the floor acts as your brace. BTW: I recommend adding additional examples and pictures, just in case someone needs a visual reinforcement of what you are saying.
This is a pretty nice guide, but I didn't know that till I read your thread so I could figure out if this guide to guides was a good guide. I have concluded yes, that in fact, this guide guide is a good guide guide. One thing I would suggest is to add some links to guides that you recommend from personal experience.