Fuck yeah i just did LOL!!!

edit: i'm at the paranoia site but can't find fixes only explanations. If you mean to tell me i just spent 2 hours of my life that i'll never get back trying to update my video drivers, searching the error, and trying different things, then I'm so pissed...

Do you know how to fix?

edit: K. Deleting "opengl32.dll" fixes the problem, and Paranoia still works, just the advanced effects will not work.

Thanks Mr. Madcow! = )

ok, pretty cool.

today I tried to load half-life and I get this little message:I tried updating my gfx drivers, but no change. I haven't changed any video options and I've never had this problem. the only thing I did steam related close to the time when it happened was I tried to download the SDK without having HL2 installed (i didn't know it wouldn't work without it, but it makes sense).

Was there a steam update recently? If I can't get it to work Direct3D works, but the general consensus is that OpenGL is better for HL so I'd like to get it working again.

Thanks for reading! = )

Then you have to find somebody who can map source do it... I would if I had the capability! = (

It'd be hugely unfair, considering the enormous entity capability of Source. Make one for HL NOW or run to failure towne! = )

TJB (Madcow blocked edit lol): Your entry has nice advantages being built of brushes. Very nicely implemented. If I did this method i'd probably use env_renders and transparent textures, but just goes to show you all the variations of just ONE method of making the timer!

Download TJB's updated timer

(i hope you don't mind! when you fix the wad problem in the map, feel free to have a mod delete my bastart version of your map! = ) )

Fine by me!

I have some ideas for the next challenge (if nobody else pics one)... aren't there so many possibilities for fun entity setups?! ; )

TJB: I recompiled your map (without the intended textures unfortunately: it was just easier then hunting the wads. DON'T FORGET TO FIX YOUR MAP VAULT ENTRY!). It was very similar but by no means identical to Tetsu0's in idea/execution.

Anyway, another superb entry, way above and beyond the challenge. For this type of situation, there is only one answer:

The Epic Badge of Win.Really guys, I'm so impressed with the work on these timers. If no one else joins, we will have to pick a winner soon. (remember, the Epic badge of win is a special award, like a medal of honor, only given out for extreme win in a situation, and is not directly linked with the challenge).

Will we get any more timer entries? Hope so! = )

I just read Crafty Object viewer works for source?!

So I can start mapping for source (for practice) before I get a computer that can handle source well?

Has anybody had any experience using it? ( I suppose I could just dl some source bsps/vmfs and try it I guess)

Any thoughts/opinions on this, as well as pros and cons? I'm getting a new computer in a month or two, but I'd like to start practicing now.

edit: i tried it but I can't get any of the textures to load becuase I don't have Source installed. It works pretty well though, you can open .vmfs in it too.

Um, yeah, about that... = )

Klobb: You can use the same method we used in the sphere challenge for at least parts of the bottle.

For the trickier parts--the nexus of the klein bottle and the 1/2 twiest of the the mobius strip I would recommend using stuff made out of only 4-sided polyhedra (3-sided spikes): this should cut down on errors, invalid brushes and HOM.) Try your best to keep it neat from the start and on-grid, else you will have problems later! = )

Doing it that way is by far not the only method tho, I've seen people do really tricky geometry in hammer with clipping and using alt-E to scale (see the snarkpit sphere tutorial). This method is much faster but much more prone to errors imo. It's not a method I've ever been able to get to work for me.

Just when I've thought I've seen "every way" or the "only way" to do something, I'm proven wrong again, so use your imagination! = )
***

Yeah this i'm almost sorry I even suggested this challenge because it is such a pain in the ass... However tho, it's teaching me to make efficient use of visigroups with vertex manipulation: trying to VM massive groups of objects without hiding others in direct line of sight, makes a difficult task almost impossible to select the right verticies!

I hope to have mine done soon but who knows! = )

Anyway, here's a funny pic (i think) with tons of verticies:
http://captain0terror.googlepages.com/vmlol0000.jpg

Dave932932: Thanks! I couldn't find that though you have limited options on what you can get. the first 2 machine builds are too weak, and there xps gaming machine is nice but like the alienware, is pricey.

I'm leaning toward the alienware because you seem to get some extra stuff for a little less money (triple-size raid HDD for $250 less the total expense of the Dell).

Opinions between the Alienware and Dell?

Tetsu0:

For epic performance, above and beyond the mandate, please
accept this modest commendation to recognize your achievements:

The Epic Badge Of Win.

WIN.

Superb work Tetsu0! I started the timer and it's still going after +9 minutes and still going! This type of work is way more than I expected for this challenge!

YOU WIN GOOD DAY SIR! = )

(the compo is still on for people if you still want to join, but Tetsu0 still wins forever and ever amen! : P )

TJB: It says it's missing a wad! I'll try to find it or just rename it in a little while so I can look!

K, new geometry challenge!

Challenge #7.1
Build a nice-looking mobius strip.

Challenge #7.2
Build a Klein bottle.

I will make one too! (in fact, I think the challenge author should always do a version of his own challenge = ) )

)

You have to use a track train for that. Search the map vault for an example, and/or decompile a map you know of that has trains that move like that.

"Dell still sells systems with XP"

Which machine and are you sure it was a notebook? Every notebook I've looked at comes with only Vista Home Premium and Ultimate editions, that's all. ( I hope you're right but I don't think you are)

In an intance like this, I would just decompile one of the popular MP maps with vehicles, and study the entity setup. Func_vehicles can be tricky and buggy imo.

TJB: your method sounds neat, do you have any example maps, screens?

Tetsu0/Hlmapper: It seems there are at least 2 different ways to make that work, and after rereading penguinboy's post, I guess I don't really understand what he meant.

I thought he was talking about "nudging" each 10-sided thingy to it's correct position using a multimanager targeting the train to start and stop, but He too was talking about keeping all the "reels" spinning at their own constant speeds too?

anyway, If I get some time I want to try this method for the heck of it, plus TJB's method sounds intriguing too. = )

Try remaking the areas that look bad. If the glitch part was cloned that is another reason to suspect, because hammer's clone option sometimes "breaks" the brush. (If it was indeed cloned, delete the bad brushes and clone it again to see if it fixes)

Also, make sure all your vertices are on-grid, even though it doesn't look as if that's your problem.

There should be lots of spiral staircase examples in the forum, map vault, and on the interwebs, but If you still can't get it to work, post a link and we will look! = )

LOL Macs can run XP but microsoft machines can't anymore?? ( i don't know about Macs, but I'm guessing you can emulate XP on ur Macs? If so how is it?)

Best-case scenario I'd like to be able to edit HL1 and 2, but Maybe it's time to leave HL! alone!

edit: lol is there a object viewer for source, lol <cries>

Wow, those are my worst fears! = (

I should mention I found that AlienWare will allow you to build an XP machine, but their prices are very high. If I'm not mistaken you could get Dell and some others to ship with XP a short time ago, but no more afaik....

Hi I want to buy a notebook to map for Source, something you can get off the shelf like an hp or whatever. I realize I'm stuck with vista now, so I just have a couple questions, and maybe you can help! = )

1. Are there issues to work with vista and source?

2. Would I be better off finding a used xp notebook?

3. I know slightly older notebooks were able to be rolled back to xp because they were built when xp was still ok, and you could download the previous drivers. Is there a way to "rollback" current machines ( i think i know the answer)

4. If i have to buy a vista notebook, should i forget about mapping with goldsource completely? besides the issues with Hammer I've heard about, do they exist with Nems and Wally and all the other HL1 mapping utilities?

Thanks for listening! = )

K. first of all your light had something in the "target name" field, so it reused to light... kinda annoying : )

Did you build one 4-piece wall and then clone-drag/rotate/paste it to the other side? Sometimes cloning "breaks" or screws up the brush(s), making them unusuable and doesn't always give you an error.

Just delete the "disappearing" wall, and clone the other side again, and it should be ok.

Oh I see it would "click" 1/10th at a high speed for each second. I was envisoning using reels rotating at different speeds... the first one at a full rotation every 10 seconds, the second reel at each full minute, and so on.

Ur way is much better. MM to advance/stop the cylindrical train (angular velocity needed?). then use a trigger relay to start/stop it? I hope somebody does one like that and can make it work = )

On a unrelated note did you ever look at the KZ climbing timers?! I can't even figure out how they work!

Haha cool, like an olde-time crank counter you see in turnstiles! = )

The recent "Text Timer" thread inspired me to make one of my own. The KZ or "climbing map" timers are excellent, but comprised of hundreds of brushes and entities, I decided I wanted to make something simpler. After thinking about a couple ways to go about it, I finally came up with this:Download

It's a timer that starts and stops at the push of a button (no reset capability, max duration 60 seconds). I thought it might be fun to make this a challenge to see how many different ways people might come up with to make a HL text timer.

Timer Challenge
**********
Build a timer that counts up to at least 60 seconds and is something you can stop and start at the push of a button.

Bonus points for making it resetable, and/or longer duration than 60 seconds.

I'd like to see how many people will build one, and then we can all vote on the timer we like the best (The first entry does not win automatically).
**********

Have fun! = )

If you're interested in how mine works, read on:

It uses a togglable func_train with textured numbers. The moving "list" of numbers acts as the timer. This Timer is very primitive.

The Max duration of the timer is dictated by the size/scale of the font you use, and the length of the train. This design has it's limitations if you want one that can go on for more than a couple minutes: the train becomes impossibly long after a short while.

The train button (red one) is a simple button that targets the train's name. This is the only button that is needed for timer operation.

The yellow button targets a trigger_relay, that was used on an earlier version of the train that used a func_wall instead. (I was hoping the relay would stop the movement of the door mid sequence, but it does not.)The yellow button will also stop/start the timer, but is redundant.

I can thing of 2-3 additional, non-entity intensive ways to to make a timer, but I'm sure there are more.

LOL you are all very funny! : P

Isn't ResGen for this?

http://www.thezproject.org/projects.php?pid=2

Found this... it seems a more concise explanation, so I will post the relevant portion:

Transparent HL textures In Wally
***********************
By NinjaGrinch

Any part of the texture that you want to be transparent needs to be the same color as palette index 255. Generally its a good idea to use a specific color like pure blue/green/red or my favorite, magenta RGB(255,0,128), that stands out from the rest of the texture.

The best way to set the color you want to index 255 is to first get the image looking how you want in Photoshop (or whatever your prefered graphics program is), then open it up in Wally.

Pick the color you want to be transparent (Use the "Eye Dropper" tool to select the transparent colour as your primary colour.), then choose 'Translate Colors' from the Colors menu. For 'Source pixels' enter the index number you noted, then put 255 for the 'Destination Index' and CHECK the box 'Swap Indexes'.

Full thread here:
http://www.chatbear.com/unity2/668/403,1064167071,2615/536206?v=flatold

And finally another helpful Transparent Textures HL tutorial, this one with pretty pictures at Egir.dk:
http://www.egir.dk/index.php?page=wal_transparent/wal_transparent.html

Yay works now!

Thanks so much Urbanebula! = )

Oh wow so it means like retexturing the whole thing? ewww = )

Any idea why the black renders invisible if it's additive?

K. I read a bunch of forum posts, and searched for wally tutorials for transparency, to no avail. Here's some screens of two textures I'm trying to make transparent:

In this first one it will not go transparent regardless of any render options:In the second one, it'll go transparent but only as additive and 255!!:Here's the files if you want to check them out:
http://captain0terror.googlepages.com/ct_timer0001.zip

Thanks in advance for any help! = )

True enough Tetsu0. I'm racking my brain to think of new challenges and coming up dry. I mean we can go through a bunch of different polyhedrons and stuff I guess, but what else can we do that lies in the pure realm of geometry and is still fun/interesting?

Haha that is wicked! Good work CactusJack! =)

I'm working on a system that's a hundred times (literally) less complicated, but I have to get it to work first... ; )

ah I loved the bionic commando for nes. I found it a long time ago in arcade version but i can barely remember! (I think I have the arcade rom someplace but i'm not sure)

For the windows I cheated. Instead of VMing all the window pieces and creating, oh i dunno 60 brushes (if you made each pane it's own), I simply made one big brush, made it a transparent window, and it covers all the window holes, inside the wall. There could be a downside to this with the intersection, but since it's a func_wall It should be ok. It should be less r_speeds and look the same is the point.

the window panes are also func walls, and I had to make seperate ones for each side of the window. furthermore I had to seperate them from the glass about 5 units, else they would render weird when you walked to far away from them. (an easier/better fix to this might be to use a window texture with the panes in them).

Ant22 are those Hammer shaded polygons or is it a model!? I seriously can't tell! : O Whatever they are: win.

Klobb: It was fun working on it, but I agree with Daubster the textures could be improved a lot. Is that Bionic Commando for you avatar?!

Daubster don't limit your ideas to game text... there's 10 different ways you could do this (probably).

If I get time I'll put up an example if I can get my idea to work; entity setup compos here we come lol! = P

"Never tried the program, but"

For anyone who doesn't kno, Crafty Object Viewer (one of Nem's tools) is an outsanding quick way to look at maps. It's great for people's map who leave out a wad, you can still open the map and walk around, and the lighting still works. You can hold both mouse buttons for mouse view, and use the wsad keys to navigate around in 3D.

Did I mention it was great?! =)

Ur kidding?!

Here's my #7 entry, but it's weird.

The challenge is about building the balcony, but I focused on the building itself and spend about 4 minutes on the balcony! The balcony turned out to be the under detailed portion of the entire map!

If I was spending more time on it, I'd add fancy supports underneath and adjust the proportions a bit.

Anyway. it was fun building this. Here's some screens and the bsp:http://captain0terror.googlepages.com/balcony0004.zip

obviously you're looking for new content. i wouldn't have posted it if I knew it was at the bottom.

Tommy14's is amazingly comprehensive.

Here's a little one on zhlt.info:
http://zhlt.info/common-mapping-problems.html

Is there a max number of seconds they're in the room before something happens? (it would be easier if there were a known maximum time) If you can give all the paramaters/limits I might have a simple way to do it...

In line with wut Urbanebula is saying, there are probably multiplayer mods written already that'll allow you to do weird stuff like this. Is this for DM or CS or what?

I vote for the excavator! = )

Very sexy work and OMG I thought that was a model! I'm humbled by your hammer powers sir! (now we hafta do a heavy machine challenge woo yay!)

Well since the view participants we had are dying off, I'm going to play around with Klobb's balcony challenge for an unofficial #7. His original challenge and the base map can be found here:

http://twhl.co.za/forums.php?pgt=1&action=viewthread&id=14999&pg=1

Crafty can be really choppy because the mouse view is so fast, so that could be it. I get this too kind of when you have too many visible objects in hammer and/or vming too many objects: my 3d view becomes choppy and erratic.

The choppy movement could be it, if that's the case, ask you docotor for some dramamine, or maybe check for that brain disorder! I HOPE IT"S NOT A BRAIN DISORDER! = )

It might be a tumor... : /

Ant you better finish your pillar sometime or else... I'll hunt you! = )

edit: CRAP forgot to mention for the hypercube, PRESSING the light on the floor starts the rotation! (I forgot to make a proper switch for the thing)

I'm sorry why would you want to change it whilst steam is running? I mean, I guess it could be cool, but...

I downloaded and started messing with it. ( you have some nice porno textures lol ; ) )

maybe put this in the thread that's stickied with the other ones? Or maybe it would be cleaner/better to put challenges in there own thread... We could make this challenge #7 if you wanted; I think we're all looking for a fresh one! = )

Seeing it in a couple hours JA JA!