Comments

This comment was made on an article that has been deleted.
This comment was made on an article that has been deleted.
Commented 3 months ago2023-12-16 10:11:06 UTC in journal: func_illusionary and clipnodes Comment #105739
Where did hull 0 go? Aren't there four hulls? 0 is point hull, 1 is standing hull, 2 is big monsters, 3 is crouching. I don't get why the amount of clipnodes is 18/36 instead of 24/48.
Commented 3 months ago2023-12-16 09:30:25 UTC in wiki page: Tool Textures Comment #105738
I made a version with legends and emojis. The aim is threefold:
  1. trim the wasted space the table headers are using, and give more space for the description column
  2. Immediately infer the properties with emojis without constantly having to look up the yes/no columns back to the header way up the page
  3. hopefully get this to display better on mobile
For now it's in this comment for my personal use. If feedback is favourable then we can merge this version into the main page.

Legend

Z - zhlt.wad requirements
Usually available in standard WADs for a given GoldSrc game e.g. halflife.wad
Z Usually only available in zhlt.wad
Z* Used by ZHLT but not included in zhlt.wad
Properties
🏢 Allowed as World
🚪 Allowed as Entity
Casts Shadow as world brush
🌓 Has LightMap
✂️ Cuts VisLeafs
Visibility
👀 Texture is Visible in game
🫥 Textured face is inVisible, but the rest of the brush is
Brush becomes inVisible
Clipnode generation
0️⃣ Point hull (bullets, weapons, projectiles)
1️⃣ Player hull
2️⃣ Large monsters hull
3️⃣ Crouching hull

Tool Textures

Image Name Z W E S LM VL V H0 H1 H2 H3 Description
N/A !cur_0 Z* 🏢 ✂️ 👀 Acts like CONTENTWATER and func_pushable with a speed of 2048 units/s in +X. [note1]
N/A !cur_180 Z* 🏢 ✂️ 👀 Acts like CONTENTWATER and func_pushable with a speed of 2048 units/s in -X. [note1]
N/A !cur_270 Z* 🏢 ✂️ 👀 Acts like CONTENTWATER and func_pushable with a speed of 2048 units/s in -Y. [note1]
N/A !cur_90 Z* 🏢 ✂️ 👀 Acts like CONTENTWATER and func_pushable with a speed of 2048 units/s in +Y. [note1]
N/A !cur_dwn Z* 🏢 ✂️ 👀 Acts like CONTENTWATER and func_pushable with a speed of 2048 units/s in -Z. [note1]
N/A !cur_up Z* 🏢 ✂️ 👀 Acts like CONTENTWATER and func_pushable with a speed of 2048 units/s in +Z. [note1]
User posted image
AAATRIGGER 🏢 🚪 ✂️ 🫥 0️⃣ 1️⃣ 2️⃣ 3️⃣ Used for differentiating entities in the editor, and shouldn't be used on world brushes as it may cause bugs. VHLT strips faces with this texture, making it visually identical to NULL.
User posted image
BEVEL Z 🏢 🚪 0️⃣ 2️⃣ Acts like NULL, but changes the clipnode of a brush in a way that any player approaching the brush will not be collide with the brush until their origin reaches the plane that the BEVEL face lies on. It can be used to eliminate exterior corner clipping bugs, and any remaining clipping bugs that the -cliptype precise CSG parameter may miss.
User posted image
black_HIDDEN Z 🏢 🚪 🌓 ✂️ 🫥 0️⃣ 1️⃣ 2️⃣ 3️⃣ Acts like NULL, but has a lightmap. Brushes with this texture can cast shadows.
User posted image
BOUNDINGBOX Z 🚪 Similar to ORIGIN, but used to define a bounding box for an entity. Useful if you have a lot of complex, off-grid geometry and need a bounding box which is snapped to the grid.
User posted image
CLIP 🏢 🚪 1️⃣ 2️⃣ 3️⃣ Creates clipnodes on all three cliphulls.
User posted image
CLIPBEVEL Z 🏢 🚪 0️⃣ Acts like BEVEL but for clipnodes.
User posted image
CLIPBEVELBRUSH Z 🏢 🚪 0️⃣ Acts like CLIPBEVEL, but affects every single face.
User posted image
CLIPHULL1 Z 🏢 🚪 1️⃣ Creates clipnodes on hull 1, used by standing players.
User posted image
CLIPHULL2 Z 🏢 🚪 2️⃣ Creates clipnodes on hull 2, used by large monsters (apache, gargantua, gonarch, etc).
User posted image
CLIPHULL3 Z 🏢 🚪 3️⃣ Creates clipnodes on hull 3, used by crouching players.
User posted image
CONTENTEMPTY Z 🏢 🚪 🫥 Removes collision from a brush and marks it as an empty volume.
User posted image
CONTENTWATER Z 🏢 🚪 ✂️ 🫥 0️⃣ Marks the brush as a water volume that will not render anything outside of it. It also removes collision from a brush and mirrors the faces inside out.
User posted image
HINT Z 🏢 🚪 ✂️ Faces with this texture will split visleafs, allowing you to optimize what parts of the map are visible. Other faces of the brush should be textured with SKIP.
User posted image
NOCLIP Z 🏢 🚪 ✂️ 0️⃣ Acts like NULL, but no cliphulls are generated. Similar to the zhlt_noclip keyvalue in entities.
User posted image
NULL Z 🏢 🚪 ✂️ 🫥 0️⃣ 1️⃣ 2️⃣ 3️⃣ Removes the face of a brush it's applied to, however clipnodes are still generated.
User posted image
ORIGIN 🚪 The center of brushes with this texture defines the origin point for entities.
User posted image
SKIP Z 🏢 🚪 Ignores the face of a brush it's applied to. Should not be used on world geometry except with HINT, as it may cause bugs.
User posted image
SKY 🏢 ✂️ 0️⃣ 1️⃣ 2️⃣ 3️⃣ Renders the skybox on faces with this texture, and emits light if all faces of a brush are textured with SKY and you have a light_environment or light_spot entity. Clipnode generation is optional with VHLT and can be turned off with CSG parameter -noskyclip.
User posted image
SOLIDHINT Z 🏢 🚪 ✂️ 🫥 0️⃣ 1️⃣ 2️⃣ 3️⃣ Used to eliminate unnecessary face subdivision, especially on complex shapes such as triangular terrain.
N/A SPLITFACE Z* 🏢 🚪 Brushes with this texture will subdivide faces they touch. It can be used to eliminate bad lighting caused by opaque entities.
User posted image
translucent - 🏢 🌓 ✂️ 👀 Removes clipnodes and mirrors the brush faces inside out. All @ prefixed textures exhibit this property.
Image Name Z W E S LM VL V H0 H1 H2 H3 Description
Notes:
  1. Rendered as water, and completely fullbright

Legend

Z - zhlt.wad requirements
Usually available in standard WADs for a given GoldSrc game e.g. halflife.wad
Z Usually only available in zhlt.wad
Z* Used by ZHLT but not included in zhlt.wad
Properties
🏢 Allowed as World
🚪 Allowed as Entity
Casts Shadow as world brush
🌓 Has LightMap
✂️ Cuts VisLeafs
Visibility
👀 Texture is Visible in game
🫥 Textured face is inVisible, but the rest of the brush is
Brush becomes inVisible
Clipnode generation
0️⃣ Point hull (bullets, weapons, projectiles)
1️⃣ Player hull
2️⃣ Large monsters hull
3️⃣ Crouching hull
This comment was made on an article that has been deleted.
Commented 3 months ago2023-12-16 07:22:20 UTC in vault item: FORKLIFT CERTIFIED Comment #105736
I like It a lot! It's fun Messing around with func_vehicle
This comment was made on an article that has been deleted.
This comment was made on an article that has been deleted.
This comment was made on an article that has been deleted.
Commented 3 months ago2023-12-15 18:49:11 UTC in wiki page: monster_snark Comment #105732
I want one as a pet.
This comment was made on an article that has been deleted.
Commented 3 months ago2023-12-15 18:23:54 UTC in vault item: Lab Hunt Comment #105730
Honestly, i enjoyed playing this Little map. Its pretty fun also. Guiding Barney off some rooms, especially the starting room where you find barney can be pretty frustrating, because there Isn't a sigle mode graph. Another thing is the tank: seems parked in a small inaccessible room. And the last thing: the ending. You end in a room full of crates. And nothing.
But to be your First map, i think it's pretty good and fun! Keep Up the good work man!
Commented 3 months ago2023-12-15 18:01:48 UTC in wiki page: Tutorial: Models and lighting Comment #105729
@sirYodaJedi:
In SC the black_hidden texture is not drawn. It's also hidden.
This comment was made on an article that has been deleted.
This comment was made on an article that has been deleted.
Commented 3 months ago2023-12-15 10:28:18 UTC in vault item: The New (Un)Forgotten Testament Comment #105726
0.4/10
Architecture — 0
Texturing — 1
Ambience — 0
Lighting — 0
Gameplay — 1

I kinda thought this might have a few jokes. It's presented as a troll map, but just lacks any attempt at lulz, earned or otherwise.

Architecture:
Extremely blocky. There are two clipped/VM'd brushes in the entire map.

Texturing:
Mostly aligned, but very strange choices throughout. Two separate wads for a grand total of two custom textures, both of which are somehow simultaneously overused and also completely absent.

Ambience:
70MB of completely unnecessary, base-game overwriting song ripped from, i think, Mario 64?

Lighting:
Floating point-lights with no source. Over-bright in most areas, plus eye-gouging colour clashes with the texture choices.

Gameplay:
Monsters stuck in floor (yellow dots), monsters clipping through walls, no node navigation. One vaguely interesting combat space in the whole map with your office cubicles that might have been fun if there had been nodes to let the monsters run around.

If this was a genuine attempt at a fun map, I apologise for being so harsh. But it needs a lot of work to be worth a download.
If it was a troll map... it's totally devoid of any personality or jokes.
Commented 3 months ago2023-12-15 10:04:10 UTC in vault item: The New (Un)Forgotten Testament Comment #105725
If you're overwriting original game files (Suspense02.mp3), please package this as a minimod, otherwise the file will be changed in the player's base game.
Click here to see how to do this with no effort
Commented 3 months ago2023-12-15 06:56:24 UTC in vault item: Lab Break Comment #105724
9.0/10
Architecture — 9
Texturing — 9
Ambience — 10
Lighting — 9
Gameplay — 8

I liked a lot playing this map! Actually, This feels really like a Lab!
Commented 3 months ago2023-12-14 18:38:48 UTC in vault item: fy_aztechill Comment #105723
I like It! Maybe Needs to be more complex, but thats a good work! Keep It up man!
Commented 3 months ago2023-12-12 15:56:34 UTC in news: Competition - Half-Life 25th Anniversary: Vanilla HLDM Comment #105722
Welp... there goes my free time
Commented 3 months ago2023-12-12 13:36:11 UTC in news: Competition - Half-Life 25th Anniversary: Vanilla HLDM Comment #105721
Thanks to all mappers =)
Commented 3 months ago2023-12-12 06:30:43 UTC in vault item: Diesel electric generator Comment #105720
Nice prefab! A lot effort has putted into!
Commented 3 months ago2023-12-12 06:22:11 UTC in vault item: Okinawa Comment #105719
Dude, it's Amazing. It looks very good, i think its a good CS map. Keep up the good work man!
Commented 3 months ago2023-12-12 06:20:35 UTC in vault item: On The Other Side (2005) Comment #105718
I see a lot of effort here! It's incredibile you did all the furniture out of brushes! Even if the map was short, i liked it
Commented 3 months ago2023-12-12 06:17:27 UTC in vault item: corridors_collide Comment #105717
9.0/10
Architecture — 10
Texturing — 9
Ambience — 9
Lighting — 8
Gameplay — 9

This map i tryed was well made. It has good and creative level design, with cool lighting! I like It a lot
Commented 3 months ago2023-12-12 05:44:49 UTC in wiki page: Tutorial: Evolving Grass Comment #105716
Captain P said:
Hey Windawz, just wanting to let you know that this tutorial inspired me to add a brush-merging mechanism to MESS: https://pwitvoet.github.io/mess/covering-terrain-optimization.html#merging-props - so thanks for writing it! :)
Hey, that is wonderful!

Although I'm myself practically retired from mapping by now, and wasn't a big practitioner of mapping automation through tools like MESS, I found the tool remarkable and unique in what it does during my brief period of trying it out. In fact, I think that new mappers should absolutely try adding MESS to their compile process and utilizing the macros that it makes possible to engineer - it has great potential to reduce a lot of annoying and unnecessary work.

Brush entity merging is a really annoying technique to use manually: to reduce the amount of limits taken up by your map's entities this way, you have to sacrifice "readability" of your map source file. For example, it's rather time-consuming to take a single piece from merged entities and perform any individual operation on it. Your tool finally providing an abstraction over the technique gives me the hope that it can go as far as make this optimization zero-cost in terms of mapper's time spent, and this is extremely important - nothing kills the wish to map like the amount of brush paperwork that you have to do at times.

I'm excited to see where MESS will go in the future and would love to hear of any further improvements and new features!

EDIT:

Looking at the feature description, although this is a rather small detail that can be avoided if you use the feature carefully, I wonder how it determines the resulting "principal" or "primary" entity to merge all of the provided entities into. I think there should be a way to explicitly specify which one entity will serve as such.

It can make the map more refactoring-friendly: when you change things, some keyvalues may go out of sync with your changes and intent, and you may end up with bugs that you may not immediately notice.
Commented 3 months ago2023-12-11 17:07:19 UTC in journal: Goldsrc BSP relational model Comment #105715
The bsp takes a little getting your head around but its a real impressive design. I found a few vids on quake but the collison detection is way over my head ;)

https://www.youtube.com/@MattsRamblings
PVS from the top
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMeUxF4mHJA

You might find this code helpful.
https://www.codeproject.com/Articles/32751/Half-Life-Game-Level-Viewer
Commented 3 months ago2023-12-11 09:23:04 UTC in wiki page: Tutorial: Editing Compiled BSPs With newbspguy: The Basics Comment #105714
And now it support languages using language.ini files.
Commented 3 months ago2023-12-11 09:21:49 UTC in wiki page: Tutorial: Editing Compiled BSPs With newbspguy: The Basics Comment #105713
Now problems with parsing J.A.C.K fgd files solved.
Worldspawn model vertices can be edited using Face tool, but it not easy, and map crash if do big changes.
Whole map can be exported to .obj with all textures (for example convert part of map to .MDL to bypass BSP limits) but without lightmaps.
Also part of map can be compiled as func_wall and exported to .BSP model with working lightmap and collision to bypass BSP limits.

Also can export .wad from embedded textures. Import textures back to map. Can export files needed for HLRAD.exe for recompile lightmaps. Any bsp solid entity can be exported as .BSP model with working collision and lightmap.

New update has many bugfixes. Please create issue on GitHub if have problems or feature requests
Commented 3 months ago2023-12-11 00:50:13 UTC in wiki page: Tutorial: Making textures with WadMaker Comment #105712
@The WON Guy: that's strange. Could you send me one of the images that's giving you trouble so I can have a look?
Commented 3 months ago2023-12-10 18:08:25 UTC in wiki page: Programming: Implementing Discord rich-presence into your mod Comment #105711
I'd rather have it be in the mod's own DLL folder, but I'm not entirely sure how to change that...
Have you found out that? i've implement this in my mod and it's a really cool feature so people get it, i'd even add a button for "Download mod" but i have only one concern, are the discord_rpc.dll going to difeer between updates? if so, i'd like to have it in the mod folder as well if posible
Commented 3 months ago2023-12-07 14:41:36 UTC in wiki page: Tutorial: In the Beginning Part 5 Comment #105710
The original Part 5 of Worldcraft 2.x's tutorial covers more things than just prefabs (which aren't available in JACK, which made people skip this part and miss other basic detailing things)

For now, I'll copy-paste just this part, until there's an agreement on a more permanent inclusion of this part or the whole of WC's original tutorial series into the wiki.
Excerpt from wc.hlp
Details. These are the things that aren't necessary to the gameplay of your level, but they do help to give it a certain atmosphere, which is essential. Right now, the tutorial level is just a couple boxes separated by a tube. There really isn't anything in it to draw your attention besides a flickering light. This must change!

Once again, here is out baseline picture...
User posted image
Now, I'm thinking..."What are these rooms??" This is the main question that should help you decide what to put into a room as details. This could be some type of control room. In that case, there would be some type of computer equipment. Most places will have some type of ventilation system. Let's say this room has it exposed. Some pipes, running to...who knows where? Basically, you have free reign to add all the touches to the level that make it "yours".

Go ahead and add stuff to your tutorial level, or load up tut5.rmf in Worldcraft to see my example.
User posted image
As you can see from the above pictures, details make a big difference. Some of the things done were:
  • signs - the biohazard sign and the emergency shower sign give the area a realistic look. Half-Life's texture set includes a number of signs that can be used within your levels.
  • furniture and accessories - in the starting room, there is a swivel chair and ashtray, and a shelving unit with some random boxes on it. None of this would matter in gameplay of course, but it gives the level an interesting look.
  • exits - although they don't go anywhere, and in fact do not even open, I've inset two doors in the level to make it appear like this is actually a part of a building. It is important to make the player feel like he is not just being dropped into a box.
  • interactive objects - the medikit box on the wall can open, dispensing health. (It is actually a rotating door with its "healthvalue" key set to "15", so that when the player opens the door, 15 health points are transferred to him). The boxes on the shelves are explodable if shot.
  • shaping - the immediate tendency for most people when they start editing is to make everything square and flat. Square rooms, doors flush with walls, and things like that. It is important to get to know the three main types of brush shaping Worldcraft has to offer: Carving, Clipping, and Vertex Manipulation.
Sounds like fun...
Sound is another important aspect of a level. Up until now, the only sound you'd hear in your level is your own footsteps. Let's add some other sounds now. The computer, pipes, and flickering light are candidates for sounds.
User posted image
To give an object a sound, you need to place an ambient_generic entity near it. The only thing you'll need to do in the entity properties is specify which WAV file to play.

Evolution
Well, from the first tutorial to now, you can see quite a bit of evolution at work.
User posted image
I tried to grab the accompanying tutorial files but the installer cannot be run. sorry.
Commented 3 months ago2023-12-07 09:46:34 UTC in journal: Starting half life map development Comment #105709
Welcome!

As for leaks, the map must be completely sealed against the "void".
While it has to do with how the compilers process the geometry and calculate what's supposed to be visible, you can think of it as entities not being allowed to come into contact with the void and so you must build an airtight container for all entities in your map.

It's easy to be tempted to put a giant hollow box around your map to prevent leaks, but this will cause the compiler to think everything in your map is supposed to be on the inside and fail at optimising it. It's essentially turning your entire map into one big open area, which the GoldSrc engine really doesn't like.
Commented 3 months ago2023-12-07 09:07:28 UTC in journal: Starting half life map development Comment #105708
In the good old days of 1998 when Half-Life hit the shelves, bundled in the CD with the game is Worldcraft 2.0. It's really primitive and so is the compilers, but it has one very crucial thing: A step by step "In The Beginning..." tutorial that guides you step by step of making a playable, presentable first Half-Life map. The tutorial series was dropped in later Worldcraft versions, and that I think was a misstep. Sure, everyone is borderline terminally online 25 years later but not having an "official" tutorial series leaves new people reaching, bewildered by 25 years of accumulated knowledge, and become paralized.

Luckily for you, the "In The Tutorial" series has been somewhat recreated here on TWHL.
It's good enough but one part deviates from the formerly-official series so it left a basic knowledge gap. Luckier still, I have the old help file, with the original tutorial series, decompiled below:
Loading embedded content: Vault Item #6737
You can take a look at the original tutorials and start your journey the same way I did in the early 00s. Note: the images are not embedded into the text document but you can just cross-reference with the images on the archive.
Commented 3 months ago2023-12-07 07:33:26 UTC in vault item: crossfire_rainyday Comment #105707
Nice and very moody, I love it.
Commented 3 months ago2023-12-06 20:37:10 UTC in journal: #7365 Comment #105706
You're 35 now. Nuts.
Commented 3 months ago2023-12-06 17:00:39 UTC in vault item: dm_leveldirector Comment #105705
Got to try it, it's quite sick. I love the lighting in this map.
I spotted two g502 lightspeed boxes ;p can I assume this mouse is good but also has defects often? That is my experience with them at least.
Commented 3 months ago2023-12-06 14:50:43 UTC in vault item: corridors_collide Comment #105704
Aaaa I forgot one entity ;_;
Commented 3 months ago2023-12-06 12:12:27 UTC in vault item: corridors_collide Comment #105703
Looks like you still left one entity with fluorescent.wav. It's not a big deal but consider that my server already has sound/ambience/fluorescent.wav and I don't know if it's the one you intended, but it would get propagated to other players. That's a minor issue but what if someone's server does not have it, and one player has it and another does not, then the one with it will be at a disadvantage having more difficulty hearing someone else's steps. And Half-Life does not complain about missing sounds like it does about missing models or sprites.
Commented 3 months ago2023-12-05 23:42:37 UTC in wiki page: Tutorial: Random entity triggering Comment #105702
Instead of manually placing all these entities, I have written an automation tool named MESS that can generate this entity setup from a single mtl_trigger_random template entity. It also uses less entities than the setup in this tutorial by giving the func_buttons carefully placed origin brushes, so there is no need for info_targets.

Note that the 'Random strike' flag is not required for random targeting - it randomizes the time between strikes.
Commented 3 months ago2023-12-05 23:35:17 UTC in wiki page: VERC: Random Event Generator Comment #105701
An alternative to manually placing all these entities is to use mtl_trigger_random, a template entity that comes with MESS, an automation tool that can generate entities for you. One added benefit is that mtl_trigger_random produces less entities by giving the func_buttons a carefully placed origin brush, which removes the need for info_targets.
Commented 3 months ago2023-12-05 23:24:05 UTC in wiki page: Tutorial: Evolving Grass Comment #105700
Hey Windawz, just wanting to let you know that this tutorial inspired me to add a brush-merging mechanism to MESS: https://pwitvoet.github.io/mess/covering-terrain-optimization.html#merging-props - so thanks for writing it! :)
Commented 3 months ago2023-12-05 17:48:04 UTC in wiki page: info_texlights Comment #105699
It's worth noting that, as with lights.rad, you can add a fourth value for intensity
e.g.

LIGHT1 150 200 255 2000
Commented 3 months ago2023-12-05 17:46:24 UTC in vault item: dm_leveldirector Comment #105698
Apologies, that should be fixed now
Commented 3 months ago2023-12-05 08:33:59 UTC in vault item: corridors_collide Comment #105697
@kimilil I decided it wasn't really worth keeping. The sounds were only in 1 small area and were being drowned by other noises anyway.
Commented 3 months ago2023-12-05 05:41:51 UTC in vault item: kz_pipe0(地下通路:序章) Comment #105696
你说得对,我也能找到不少相关的教程,不过,我希望别人能用到我制作的纹理,因为我用了不少别人制作的纹理。礼尚往来,这算是我的一份回礼。
You're right, I can find a lot of tutorials about it, but I hope people use my textures because I use a lot of other people's textures. Well, if that's what I want, it's a little something in return.
Commented 3 months ago2023-12-04 20:41:49 UTC in vault item: Default Room Comment #105695
Why did you post this
Commented 3 months ago2023-12-04 20:39:24 UTC in vault item: Flow Control Comment #105694
Bare minimum as a mod, kinda funny at first, but I'm mad about it losing it's initial name
Commented 3 months ago2023-12-04 20:23:10 UTC in vault item: MyHouse.BSP Comment #105693
That's a big house you got there, but you should also add zhlt.wad into the files as well
Also this door is kinda weird..
User posted image
Commented 3 months ago2023-12-04 20:05:41 UTC in vault item: Sehc's Labs Comment #105692
There's a separate category for hldm maps
Anyway, I think the map should be a little smaller, and maybe with some more details.
Straight wide concrete hallways are boring to look at and play, so maybe change up floor and ceiling heights, add some pipes, bridges, pits etc.
Cool toilets tho, and I got caught off guard with the giant fleshy rotating "SEX" in the middle of the map.
Try looking at the official deathmatch maps (espeically the new ones) for inspiration on how to decorate your creations.
I hope you don't take the 2 stars as completely negative, It's just a honest review and a sign that you should try to improve