So it’s been a little too long since our last instalment of In Development. Let’s rectify that, shall we?
Articles related to Source SDK
XboxAhoy’s Excellent Half-Life Retrospective
The popular “XboxAhoy” YouTube channel, which is a member of the Machinima.com gaming network, just uploaded an excellent retrospective video analysis that explores Valve’s success with the original Half-Life.
Written by Stuart Brown, the video analysis highlights the early influences of Half-Life, such as Quake as well as the affect that Half-Life’s release had upon the FPS in genre, including the modding scene as well as Valve’s later developments with Team Fortress, Steam and the Source engine.
If you have a spare 20 minuets, it’s well worth a watch!
How to Create Custom Textures for the Source Engine
This tutorial will show you how to create custom textures for use in creating maps for the Source engine. The process is also the same for creating textures for models, sprays, mods and essentially any image data within any Source game.
A Guide to Lighting in Source – Part Two
If you followed Part One of this guide, you should have some idea about the Source engine’s basic lighting capabilities. Now let’s go a step further to look at the more advanced techniques that the engine has to offer, including the extra capabilities of Portal 2, CS:GO and Dota 2.
A Guide to Lighting in Source – Part One
Thanks to our previous Source tutorials you may have created an excellent map, but without lighting your players are going to feel left in the dark.
There are a range of different entities responsible for providing illumination in the Source engine, and the number and complexity of options open to you depends on which game you are mapping for. This guide will begin with basic lighting for Half-Life 2 and other Source 2007 games, before shedding some light on more complicated techniques.
Beginners’ Guide to Triggers, Inputs and Outputs in Source
If you followed our first Source SDK tutorial, you should have gotten to grips with the basic features of Hammer: you can use brushes to create rooms and corridors, change textures and place props. Your level is still mostly lifeless though, so it’s time to use Triggers to make things happen.
Make Your Source Maps Glow with Cubemaps and HDR
Is your map looking a little bit flat? Does it need that extra zing? Then High Dynamic Range can help you add that warm glow to your creation.
HDR is a subtle effect; a simple explanation is that is the effect of your eyes adjusting to a dark room after being in the bright outside. This means that darker areas will be darker initially, and will then rise to a brightness level more suited for interior gameplay. This dynamic balance of brightness adds contrast to your map, meaning an overall brighter and vibrant experience.
Absolute Beginners’ Guide to Source Mapping
Welcome to the first of our new Modding & Development Tutorials. In this installment we’ll help you take your first steps into creating a map in Valve’s Source SDK.
Creating levels can be challenging, fun and very rewarding (albeit sometimes frustrating) and you will be able to release your creations to thousands of players worldwide.
Source 2 and New Source Tools Casually Released with Dota 2 Update
Recently Valve introduced new tools for the Dota 2 Workshop. But these are no meager ‘Authoring Tools’, this a full blown, updated, next gen, set of tools. Complete with a new version of Hammer, a Material Editor, and a Model Editor.
The Citizen Retuns – but is he worth your time?
Released last month, The Citizen Returns is the long awaited sequel to 2008’s Episode 2 mod The Citizen. As the name might suggest, we take on the role of just another resistance fighter in the battle against the Combine and the story (which is expanded from an earlier release known as The Citizen II) gives us several different missions to that end.