Level Design

Covers four different ways of making Volumetric Light and in part two shows how to create fake shadows.

Control NPC actions

How to set up a zombie breaking through a wall, out of a cupboard and through metal panels (a bit like in the early coast level). I have tried to show a few ways of doing it using, and in the process illustrate a couple of ways of blowing up walls.

This is another PORTAL tutorial. This one is the basic circular door model. Next tutorial will deal with the button that you put the box on to open it.

Making a Rotating Fan

How to make the inside and outside of a dome using displacement surfaces

This is another PORTAL tutorial. This one is the basic circular door model with the button that you put the box on to open it.

Counter-Strike Source and R_speeds

Alot of people have problems with opening their console.

Design realistically-breaking glass doors

Creating the unpluggable TV, as seen in Half-Life 2.

The actbusy system is used to make NPCs appear busy. NPCs do so on placed nodes and will act busy until certain conditions are met (such as hearing an explosion).

Making Maps Realistic

This is a basic tutorial about the ai_goal_police . This is basically an entity that when triggered forces a named npc_metropolice to guard a particular area in your map.

This is a basic tutorial about npc_helicopter

A guide on the three diffrent types of glass the source engine is capable of

CSS Bomb target

Draws a basic outside area with trees and fog, and suggests a couple of good sky and light environment combinations to get a good effect.

You have an nice interior area of your map. You have a few opaque windows and you want to have them cast light into your map.

This is a short simple tutorial outlining the steps you need to take to get an NPC to lead the player to a particular place.

how to make the Magnusson Device spawner from Episode 2.

Reducing Vis Times

In this first tutorial on the Arch tool, we will make a tunnel, like those seen in HL2.

Triggered door with button

The basic principles to Game_UI and Logic_Compare entity control.

Create a simple setup with a door that rotates

This is part of a series of tutorials on making better maps through simple techniques. This isn't about performance, this is about style, read another tutorial to get higher frame rates.

This is a tutorial about stairs.

Make a door that can only be opened with a key card

This tutorial follows a request on the Halfwit-2 forum about respawning items.

Disguising the player as a combine by Treb_Treb

This tutorial shows how to 'fuel' an energy source.

This tutorial will teach you how to make a func_breakable_surf start out broken when the map loads without the player doing anything to it.

Hanging Entitys from a rope in CS:Source

This tutorial shows how to make a simple rotating light. It's illustrated here as two lights on opposite sides of the fitting, but you can have one or three or more.

Illustrates a use of the trigger_wind entity. The VMF has a simple set up some containers on a table and a cardboard box are blown by a gust of wind.

Resembling the automatic stairs in Portal, this was made for Ep 2. It will work in both Half-life 2 and Portal, just be selective with your textures.

This is how to recreate the dog/ball interchange that appears in Eli's lab in the game.

Part two of an In-depth tutorial covering the ins and outs of lighting in the Source Engine

This is a basic tutorial by Raidenator on how to create a displacement brush. These are the brushes that are used mainly for creating terrain.

This shows how to build a Revolving Door. The tutorial will cover making a plain door; a door with glass in, and a door with breakable glass in.

How to place weapons with ammo in CS:S

In this second tutorial on the Arch tool. In it we will look at how to make curved corners and coving in rooms.

It makes a Rope Bridge that spans a gap of 256 and is 64 units wide. There are two examples one is breakable.

Moving water layer

In this tutorial I will show you how to use lightmapscale to help make good, realistic looking shadows.(#1Duck)

Looks at both way of putting a sun (env_sun) into your map.

This tutorial explains how to make a picture of your choice load up as the background picture on the ingame menu page.

This is a follow to Simple Lasers. It demonstrates how to link lasers to entities which move. Two ways are illustrated here and in 137 - a laser that goes up and down and one that revolves and moves to and fro at the same time.

This is an extension of the tutorial on cameras.

This tutorial shows how you get a Dropship to drop a Strider.

how to make a func_physbox explode upwards, and basically how to fling heavy objects into the air.

This tutorial illustrates how to recreate the effect of Gordon Freeman waking, then getting up.

Getting it done despite the bugs

This tutorial shows how to make an 'Iris' door.

A different way of doing it

Texture variation within a terrain surface

In this series of tutorials we will take the room made in the first tutorial, duplicate it, and make a two level room.

Making a Camera

Hidden and Dangerous: npc_sniper

Let you map have light! A tutorial that will give you a better idea of how simple lights are implemented into your maps and also the effects that they will have on the compiled product.

DON'T LOOK AWAY

This is a simple tutorial; how to make it snow. The standard brush env_precipitation does not really work, everything in it looks like rain. However env_embers is a good substitute.

This tutorial is about the Clip tool.

Create a basic water setup for your source level

make antlions or other npc's assault / move to a place on the map

Ambient_Generic

This is our first PORTAL tutorial. It shows how to make the Pits that appear throughout the game.

Want some realistic terrain? Read on!

This is a basic tutorial on displacement mapping

Second Video tutorial showing how to get your creations into Half-Life2 by means of a logic_choreograpphed_scene.

You want to make a ceiling collapse, whether to let in combine soldiers or headcrabs, or just to block a route. In this tutorial, I'll be showing you the basics.

Leaks, Pointfiles, and You

Making the Gman into a 'Model Citizen'

This is a basic tutorial on how the Gravity function works. Put simply, to change the gravity the player must walk through a trigger_gravity brush.

This is fairly basic and does not require an extensive knowledge of Hammer.

It is the Battery Puzzle in HalfLife 2 where you have to get the batteries all hooked up.

Made in Episode 1 config. Tutorial shows how to blow up doors with combine lock on.

This is a tutorial on simple lasers using env_beam ). It looks at 'Trip' Lasers, that when you walk through make something happen and harmful lasers that hurt or kill the player.

Learn how to use the npc_maker entity to create attack waves of enemies

This is a basic tutorial about how to get the Strider to fire the minigun and the cannon. The set up is straightforward, just a bit specialised for the demonstration VMF

This tutorial demonstrates the use of the logic_case and logic_timer entities.

This is another PORTAL tutorial. This shows how to make the 'Emancipation Grill' or Portal Cleanser, that removes the useful boxes, when you walk through.

Import Custom Textures

A basic application of the ai_relationship entity

This is a short tutorial on the new func_reflective_glass and texture,

This tutorial shows how to make a conveyor that transports the player - so a moving floor I guess. I will put up a tutorial on how to make one for transporting objects later.

This is an example using the undocumented info_lighting_relative entity. Its primary use seems to be to light a prop_dynamic or prop_physics in a situation where a normal lighting source will not fit, or where a special lighting effect is desired.

Using assault_ entities to direct Combine assaults

A short story on a 1.6 to source conversion

This is a set of stairs that slide out from a wall.

Movable objects

Making Props Show Up

create a CCTV style monitor that will display two different camera locations on one monitor toggled by a button.

In this and the last two tutorials, I have tried to show how to set up a zombie breaking through walls: out of a cupboard and through metal panels

Making it Rain or Snow

Add manhacks to your level that are hostile towards the player

A trick for improving player movement through your single or multiplayer level. Touches on the proper use of prop_physics, player clips, and layout techniques.

Creating a Mounted gun, for Orange-box games and mods. (Ep2, etc)

This is a tutorial on how to make ladders that actually work

Real Constructive: Hammer Geometry for Unreal Mappers

A tutorial on how to get an npc_cscanner to equip itself with Combine Mines and drop them. The scanner uses Path Corners to guide it's movement.

The PVC is a camera that you can have static or moving. It changes the players view from the player, to anywhere you like.

This tutorial will describe how to set a sky different than the default one. At the end of the tutorial there is also a list of all the available skies as well as a link to a picture of them for reference.

Create a TV with Breen talking on it

Blow up a wall with an airstrike

Shows you what you should use subdivide for

An introduction to terrain creation

In this short tutorial we'll get a citizen to run from one side of the map to the other screaming.

Using them, and stopping them from kicking up dust

How to make a simple door that swings open

A short tutorial illustrating how to get an npc_metropolice to shoot a flare into the air.

In this tutorial we will take the room made in the last and put in two ways of turning the light on and off.

How to use XSI to detail your world geometry

Part 1 - This tutorial shows how to make a single drawbridge.

This is a tutorial on the ai_relationship entity. It will emerge in parts as I experiment with what works and what doesn't. In this tutorial we will look at how to get the npc_combine_s to ignore the player.

Part 3 - This tutorial shows how to make a double drawbridge.

This tutorial is another train oriented one. It shows how to make a couple of trains go from one tunnel to another, and after a short while they do it again endlessly.

How to add custom sounds to Source maps

This tutorial covers the basics of gameflow, why it is important and how to achieve it.

This shows one way of using the aiscripted_schedule entity. We will create a group of combine, who will seek out and come after the player.

This tutorial was put together by Raidenator and shows how to make flares the player can pick up.

this shows how to make the headcrab canisters that crash in from the sky and disgorge a number of headcrabs.

Using Math_Counters To Trigger Single Events From Multiple Triggers

This is a revision (April 2009) of the original tutorial which turned out inaccurate either because I'm dumb, or because of a change in the SDK. It's an addition to the tutorial (53) on the Point_viewcontrol entity.

This is another PORTAL tutorial. This one is the basic circular door model this time with two buttons needed to open the doors.

You saw them, you want to make them...

The input/output system for the Source engine is a very powerful tool, read on to learn its secrets

How to create a rotating door using models.

An intermediate tutorial, it will try to give as much step by step as possible, but assumes you have Basic knowledge like making a room, using an info_player_start, and putting in a light entity.

An easy little tutorial that teaches the user to create hinged objects. In this example, we'll be making shutters.

Create a remote control mechanism that applies to a vehicle.

Have you ever noticed that some 'grass' textures also have tall grass and weeds that show up in game?

Using the displacement feature

A quick guide on how to make that really fantastic looking water from Half Life 2/Counter Strike.

This shows how to construct a water area that kills the player. Obvious example is from Lost Coast - where if you venture into the water you see all these white leeches and you die fairly quickly.

Adding that touch of ambience to your Source maps

Illustrates the use of func_tracktrain, path_track and the phys_ragdoll_constraint.

Weapon entity

The Tangled Web We Weave: Ropes in HL2

How to blend two existing textures

This tutorial shows how to electrify something so that touching it hurts the player.

Doing Buildings and Models the Combine way of life.

Making a Bomb Site in CS:Source

Based on a VMF supplied by Bud Doug Lee this shows how to set up an active Energy Ball launcher and trap for PORTAL.

How to make a hanging/swinging light fixture.

Ever wondered how Valve made them, find out here!

Ever wondered how you can make caves like in Episode 2?

This tutorial shows how to make a simple camera and project a scene onto a monitor.

How To make a ladder

Placing a BuyZone in a CSS map.

how to set up the exploding Gaspumps found in one of the coast levels.

In HL2 City 17 - there's a scene where you and some rebels are trying to get through a combine gate.

Quick and Easy Working Ladders

a tutorial on how buildings that are not accessible to the player, but form an essential part of maps, were made, and were able to look so realistic.

This tutorial shows how to place and link, ai_goal_assault, assault_assaultpoint and assault_rallypoint.

Following on from the bomb target tutorial - how to set Bomb advance in your CSS map with fire and sound. This is a VIDEO tutorial.

A list of them, and solutions

In this Tutorial we will explain you how to create your first room. You will learn to place one light and a player start and something more. So you got a basic knowledge of building a map.

little how-to on the new way to link entities

this is how you make the camera drop to the ground like in the singleplayer game.

Making a Rotating Door

This one shows how to create the Zombie lying on the floor who gets up when you appear, 'Zombie Slumprise' I think.

Making a freight elevator with props

Simple tute showing how to do this. Be aware that when they get shot a headcrab appears from nowhere !!

Making a Camera Part 2

This is a tutorial showing two ways how to make a door that stays locked until the player has a 'key' to unlock it. Can be used with any sort of door. This tutorial will use a func_door , a func_rotating_door .

*Clip clip* Learn it. Use it. Love it.

Cutting holes in things: which tool and why

Make a door open when shot

Using displacement maps to preserve texture alignment around arches.

This is a tutorial on how to make a 'real' lift/elevator. This is the prop_dynamic model lift seen throughout the HL2 game, primarily in Eli's Lab.

A tutorial on how to create a tire swing with physics and constraints

An easy to use tool that makes life easier in many ways.