Half-Life maps as online VRML, 3D chat w Created 16 years ago2008-04-20 00:17:35 UTC by Tito

A while back, I created a website of having to do with a concept of giving alternate uses to custom made Half-Life maps. My idea was to convert Half-Life maps to the web-3d format called VRML (Virtual Reality Modeling Language), upload them to my website and have these virtual Half-Life game levels as 3D chat worlds on the Blaxxun multi-user server. But now, apparently the Blaxxun server is down, maybe for ever. So, I went ahead a did a major re-make of my Half-Life / VRML website and switch over to another multi-user server platform called ABNet.

Anyway, if any of you here made maps with custom textures and would like the opportunity to see your map (minus the map's entities) as an online multi-user 3D chat world where others can visit and interact with each other, let me know, I might be able to use your map. But before you do, go and check out my website first at: www.virtualhl.info so that way you can see for yourself what I am talking about. As of right now, I have 5 Half-Life maps on my site running as multi-user VRML worlds, but I will be adding more later. This is an excellent way of show casing your Half-Life maps in real time 3D glory, not just mere pictures to the rest of the world. Even people that don't have Half-Life game installed on their computers, will be able to venture inside your maps! Once more, the URL: www.virtualhl.info

Well now that's just... weird as hell... and to be honest those don't look like Half-Life maps much at all, they look better. How did you get the detailed skies and dynamic lighting and stuff?

I assure you they are Half-Life & Counter Strike maps, or at least until they were converted to the VRML format. As for getting the detailed skies and dynamic lighting, the VRML editors that I use to straiten up the maps will give by default, a uniform and balanced lighting accros the board, it's all done automaticly by the program. Also, the rendering settings on the BS Contact browser plugin has a lot to do with this too.

just added a new HL map called "Sunden", origionaly made by Rimrood.

Lol fail.
Anyway, it doesn't seem to work for me. I click the ENTER THE 3D CHAT WORLD! button but nothing happens.

To MuzzleFlash:

Did you download and install on your computer the VRML viewer "BS Contact" and the "ABNet client"?

You need both of these to get on the ABNet multi-user server and view the VRML worlds. I do provide the two links on my site for these two downloads. Also, always make sure when you go through the login process, never click on your browser's back button and repeat a selection, this will mess up your login. If need be, just click on the "New Login" link on top of the page to start over.

If anybody else here has already downloaded the two needed plugins and successfully logged in to the online VRML map worlds, please let it know on this thread as an example that it can be done. Thank you.

Woops, missed that part.

How do you convert HL maps to VRML anyway?

To MuzzleFlash:

If you want to know how I converted the .bsp map files to the vrml format, I will gladly tell you. But here's the thing: I want to do a good step by step tutorial on the method used and the particular programs that I used to accomplish this and where to download them. I am going to need to ask you if you give me 2 or 3 days for me to gather and type up the information needed for this quick tutorial. I will then post it on my website. In the mean time, try to see if you can log in, maybe I might be lucky enough to meet you there and other from this forum. Another fun thing about the VRML maps, are all the different, whacky animated 3D avatars you can choose to navigate these VRML worlds. I made available a few of them that you can choose from, so check them out. I will be adding more in the next few days, also some new maps too.

Cool.

One other thing, can you do Source maps as well?

To MuzzleFlash:

I tell you what, go to this website: http://nemesis.thewavelength.net/index.php?p=45

Then, download the program there called "Crafty" and then install it. Make sure you read the descriptive info on the Crafty website so you know what it can do. Now, try to open any Source map with Crafty and see if it lets you. If it does, and you can see the textures, then yes, Source maps can be converted to VRML from the .OBJ format that Crafty exports to. Converting from the .OBJ 3D format to the VRML format can be done by any number of 3D modelers out there. I will get more on this on my future tutorial.

The plugin doesn't install for me. I suppose that's because I'm running FF 3.

To SpaG:

Okay, first....which plugin are you talking about, is it the BS Contact or the ABNet Client or both?

And second, I am not sure of what you are referring too when you say you are running "FF 3". Can you please elaborate a bit further?

Mozilla FireFox i think he means.

SpaG: i think it the progam even says it needs IE to run if you try in firefox.

To Captain Terror:

Thanks for the info.
And you are right about using Internet Explorer when it comes to the browser plugins. In fact, it is just better to start off using Internet Explorer altogether on my website since a mash-up of custom javascripts are running on my site too.

It doesn't work with FireFox and its it's too buggy.
Good idea, though.

Well there goes any chance of me clicking the link in the first post.
Any website that forces you to use IE is pure rubbish and should be removed from the internet.

Don't mince words PB, tell him what you really think! = >

Interesting idea, but I only use Firefox.

You can have multiple browsers installed on the computer. So, if you normally use Firefox, then fine, but when a certain site shows up running advance scripts or exotic active x controls that only IE can handle, than you have no choice but to use IE. Now, it's not like you have to remove Firefox or any other non Microsoft browser from your system to switch to IE, no, just do this: If you have Firefox running, close it. Then, just find the IE desktop icon or from the programs list and launch the IE browser. Once you are done using IE, close it then go back to Firefox, it's that simple! I know a lot of people that do it this way, some in the IT field.

One other note: If you ever decide to do some online banking, stock trading, online gambling, booking a flight or doing a secure remote server management protocol, then chances are the only browser for the job on a capability and security stance, will be....You guessed it......IE. You see, a lot of these financial websites use some hard core security javascripts and AJAX scripts that some times even Firefox can't execute properly.

A website that doesn't support Firefox is a website that doesn't adhere to the W3C standards. Simple as that. It's like a flash drive without a USB port. Useless trash.

Anyone who knows about the existence of Firefox and still uses IE is an idiot.

When you say "advanced scripts that only IE can handle", you really mean "badly written, malformed scripts that only run on IE because every other browser supports the standard form of the language".

Any javascript or AJAX application that doesn't work in any browser other than IE must have been coded by a monkey with a brain deficiency. Firefox handles standard javascript much more efficiently than IE, and implements the standards of the language such as XMLHttpRequest(). (Fixed in IE7, but a fair chunk of the market still uses IE6)

IE also handles CSS incorrectly, with IE6 not supporting many CSS2 standards such as min-height, while IE7 has limited support for most CSS2 standards, it is far from implementing the entire specification.

It has been proven that Opera and Firefox are much more secure than IE, and both support the standards that Microsoft continue to ignore. IE is killing the internet.

So no, I will not "close Firefox" (why close it anyway?) to load your piece of shit which you call a website.

For your information, I too have Firefox installed on my PC, along with two other little known web browsers called Deepnet Explorer and Hydra. Anyway, I normally use Firefox if I am just surfing around from here and there, because I do agree that Firefox is a faster browser than Internet Explorer. But when I need to do some risky thing like transferring money from my bank account to my IRA account, logging in to my Scott Trade account's trading console or just booking an airline ticket, I will then use Internet Explorer.

For example, I was recently applying for Social Security disability benefits on behalf of an older friend of mines online about two months ago, but this federal government website made it mandatory the use of Internet Explorer! I tried using Firefox and it gave me an error. You see, these so called "badly written, malformed scripts" as you put it, are actually the norm in much of today's business, government and to some extent, entertainment websites. And the more flashier AJAX scripts, they are actually part of the W3C standards for "Web 2.0". Google it and see for yourself.

There is this website about cutting edge DHTML scripts located at: www.dynamicdrive.com It is perhaps the best bank of Dynamic HTML scripts on the net. Using Internet Explorer, I viewed the working live samples of just about all the scripts on the site with a 100% success. I will like you to try that using Firefox, to see what will be your success rate. After that, you can go ahead and tell the folks at Dynamicdrive.com that some of their scripts are badly written, I'm pretty sure they would like to hear that. Firefox is a better browser in the speed and to some extent, HTML and CSS display. But it needs to do some serious catching up on the scripting and encryption departments, and it's not me saying it, it's internet establishment saying it.

For a more further and deeper discussion on all of this with experts in the field, I recommend you checkout: www.programmingtalk.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Explorer_7#Security

"Exploitation of Internet Explorer's security holes has earned IE the reputation as the least secure of the major web browsers."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firefox#Security

"improved security is often cited as a reason to switch from Internet Explorer to Firefox."

Compare:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Explorer_7#Standards_support_2
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firefox#Standards_support

Notice that Javascript is in the list for Firefox, but not for IE?

This is the best a quick google found: a comparison of FF3 and IE8 in javascript. But it pretty much sums up FF2 vs. IE7 as well:
http://frickinsweet.com/ryanlanciaux.com/post/IE8-vs-Firefox-30b5--JavaScript-Part-1.aspx

Please do your research before you try to prove me wrong, because I rarely am when I'm talking about something I know a lot about. And before you say it, Wikipedia is much more accurate than an internet forum.

(PS: Most of the scripts at Dynamic Drive are pure trash. I figured this out even before I knew about Firefox)

Opera's even more secure than Firefox too, but yeah, I don't use ActiveX at all as a general rule of thumb. PB and I absolutely hate IE: the shit we had to do to get TWHL3 partially working on IE6 and below was ridiculous. Heck, even on IE7 it was a stretch.

For example, I was recently applying for Social Security disability benefits on behalf of an older friend of mines online about two months ago, but this federal government website made it mandatory the use of Internet Explorer! You see, these so called "badly written, malformed scripts" as you put it, are actually the norm in much of today's business, government and to some extent, entertainment websites.

And what? It's not possible for them to be dipping their fingers into other peoples pockets, is it? You've never heard of money-grabbing corporations marketing subpar products? Cramming bullshit down the throats of people who honestly don't know any better, or otherwise 'buying' peoples loyalty?

Those scripts are the norm because web developers are lazy and retarded. Pure and simple.

http://secunia.com/product/11/ <- IE6
http://secunia.com/product/12434/ <- FireFox
http://secunia.com/product/10615/ <- Opera

I made my choice back in 2002 and I'm not switching back anytime soon.

You could always just use IE Tab if you need to view an IE-only page in FF.

For the sake of ending this browser word of wars, you have the last word, Penguinboy. It's got to a point where this thread is already turned into a battle of the FF vs. IE fanboys, and as fun as it was, I got tired already. Nice come back, too. I will look into trying to come up with making my site Firefox friendly in the meantime. Have you ever tried to delete completely IE from Windows? Man, less than a week since signing up with TWHL and already I got enemies, all because of the browser that I use! You guys are too tough.