Xash3D & XashXT - the next step in H Created 12 years ago2012-09-14 11:36:15 UTC by Qwertyus

Hello, guys! Let me inform you that not so far ago was released a new public build of Xash3D Engine. Xash3D (if you still know nothing about it) is a custom Gold Source engine build from a scratch which overcomes obsolete Gold Source engine's limits. It allows you to play almost any Half-Life mod (especially - singleplayer mods) with new quality of gaming experience. For example, you can easily use high-quality textures (up to 4096 x 4096 px) for any map object or studiomodel in any mod. Also you can use this engine to create new fantastic mods for Half-Life with new advanced features - source codes of Xash3D are fully opened and released under GPL license, so you can not only use any existing features of this engine, but you can also add something new for needs of your mod. Now the latest public build of Xash3D engine is a build 2015. This version contains a lot of bug fixes, improvements and new advanced features.

Moreover, XashXT aka Xash Mod v0.6 is released also! XashXT is a mod for Xash3D and a toolkit for developers (such as Spirit of Half-Life, but a far more powerful). Now it contains a full documentation and full FGD. Here is a brief list of the new XashXT features:

• Full compatibility with the original Half-Life entity set.
• Support for forming complex hierarchies of entities (Parent System).
• Mirrors that can skip reflection of any specified object or, conversely, show ordinarily invisible objects.
• Surveillance monitors (colour and monochrome).
• Portals that can take you from one point to another (as in Portal, but more basic).
• Weather effects (rain and snow).
• A powerful particle system with a standalone visual editor.
• A system of prefixes for making complex scripted scenes[/li]
• An extended decal projection system that works on both level geometry and characters (players and NPCs).
• Realistic lasers that can be reflected off mirror surfaces (used in gameplay).
• A large set of logical entities for implementing any conditions in scripted scenes or complex arrangements.
• A camera with flexible settings for cutscenes, letting you switch to any character's point of view (including inanimate ones).
• Configuration options for setting the attitude of any NPC towards others and towards the player.
• Dynamic coloured lighting that can project and play an animated texture as a light source.
• Playback of AVI files on level polygons and brush objects.
• A 3D skybox for simulating expansive areas.
• Bloom effects.
• Support for HD textures (up to 4096x4096).
• Background maps in the game menu (as in Source).
• Support for large game levels (32768x32768x32768 units).
• Shadow maps for dynamic shadows.
• More believable lighting.
• Realistic rigid body physics powered by a third-party engine (PhysX).
• Realistic water.
• Dynamic day and night cycles.

You can get both Xash3D and XashXT on ModDB:
http://www.moddb.com/engines/xash3d-engine/downloads

Official threads about Xash3D & Xash XT are at the HLFX.ru forums:
http://hlfx.ru/forum/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=1

The forum is on Russian, but you can use English too.

To try Xash3D and XashXT features you have to install Half-Life under Xash3D (build 2015) and then install XashXT v0.6 as a mod (in the main Xash3D directory).

Impressive list of features very impressive. No offence, but how does this differ from source now ? And what is the fps penalty compared to the original engine ?

Well, there are no ragdolls for models (because this requires a new models format, but this can be implemented, theoretically), there are no extended shader effects (such as bump, gloss, HDR etc., but if you creating your own mod/game, you can add a module with new render effects, if you enough experienced in coding). Also, multiplayer part of engine is not fully completed yet, because of lack of information about prediction system. Also, only Half-Life (1), Blue Shift and Quake (1) map formats are supported by Xash3D, so you cannot use some of advanced mapping tools and effects, which are working for Source map format. Plus Xash3D is still using old HL vgui.dll to support HL mods and there is no open sources for this part of engine.

P. S. Xash3D is FPS friendly, because it has better render system and a lof of optimizations.

Once The Core is done and released. I'll be moving on to Source. Xash3D seems like an incredible waste of time.

I still like GoldSrc, and this seems like it could be fun to play around with.

Why not just create your own engine at this point ?

Xash3D is the very own engine for creating and playing Half-Life mods, isn't it ? The main idea of Xash3D is not only a giving of the new visual experience to a player in the game, but is also a giving of extended abilities to those developers, who still like to create something really new with Gold Source tools and resouces. That's why we have not only Xash3D, but XashXT too.

This is exactly the same way Source evolved. Valve put tons of bullshit into GoldSrc till it became FuckingSource! Why not leave the big old air cooled buggy GoldFuckingSrc alone?

I wouldn't be as harsh as Urby to say it's a total waste of time, though I partially agree.

I've read the feature list and I must say, it is something! I only owe respect for the work that's been put into it, but you have to realize that if you came with this list 10 years ago it would have been something. Today... look around you. First of all, if you're a Half-Life fan, you have Source. Also, there are free developing tools like the UDK, or Unity.
Seriously, people have to stop developing on top of an old engine. If you want to create a game on GoldSource, then create it on GoldSource, unchanged! That's the whole point. The moment you start adding modern game features that barely run on an old engine, you lost the point.
Why don't people develop on top of Source? It's more modern, and it would make more sense.

It is regrettable that people waste their incredible potential on such things. The only way my opinion would be changed is if I saw a couple of GOOD mods being developed on top of this modified GoldSource engine.

Some people do whatever they like, even if other people think, that is a waste of time. And some people like to create something with GoldSource, even if Source is more popular or have more potential. So XashXT is for those people, who interested in new posibilities for GoldScr games or mods. And if more specifically, it's more suitable for singleplayer ones. But even if you are not interested to create something with XashXT, you can try at least Xash3D as engine for playing of existing Half-Life mods, because it has a lot of improvements which can make your game more interesting, comfortable and enjoyable.

When i did try it, i can honestly say it looked no different and was just way more glitchy, hense my saying it's a waste of time.

Kind of like that.

No offense, Qwertyus, great work guys. But you should just understand that people love HL not because it looks good, but because it looks bad.

people love HL not because it looks good, but because it looks bad.

This is so true. The only reason there's any interest in the engine anymore is nostalgia. It has no PRACTICAL value as a game engine, besides being retardedly easy to make simple, playable maps with, which is good for beginners (no messing around with props in external programs.)

I've played mods that are using souped-up versions of the Goldsrc engine, and their various various improvements feel out of place to say the least. There's no way you're going to get anything approaching a level of "realism" in the HL1 engine. Closest anybody's ever come is with Poke646 - Vendetta, which at its absolute best just looks like an average HL2 map. If you choose to use this aging engine in today's world, I think the best thing you can do fir it is to try and achieve an even visual style. Reflections and bumpmaps and such stick out like sore thumbs in such an outdated engine. I'm sure people have tacked these features onto Doom maps as well, but it gets to a point where it's just plain silly. It's just about the oldest engine available that you can still create reasonably convincing environments with (without having to squint and say "oh, I think that sprite's supposed to be a tree!"), but that's about it.

Even the Source engine from 2004 looks like junk by today's standards.

Shouldn't stop you from developing what you want tho. I make stuff all the time that you could reasonably say is an effort in futility. I'm dropping a built up motor into a car that was made in 1963. It's never even going to handle as well as a Toyota Camry made back in 1995. It's probably never going to be faster than a Mustang from 2005. It's all about the aesthetics. When you're laying on your deathbed, everything's pointless anyways. Might as well spend your life doing things that you enjoy.

people love HL not because it looks good, but because it looks bad.

Maybe it's a truth about someone, but it's not about me.
1. I like HL1 universe, its concept and atmosphere.
2. I like HL1 gameplay and balance.
3. I'm playing HL1 singleplayer mods all the time, so for me it's just a hobby, not a nostalgia.
4. I like to see how people are experimenting with GoldSrc, so even it's a monster car, it's interesting for me anyway.

But enough about me .

XashXT is just a tool for creating mods with new posibilities, and it's not only about posibility to create more interesting look, but also about posibilitity to create more interesting gameplay. And no one force you to make a "good" looking mod, if you want a "bad" looking style.

And about Xash3D posibilities, as engine for playing of existing mods:

• Most HL mods are now totally compatible with Xash3D, even old ones. For Steam HL you often need compatibility fixes to play old HL1 mods.
• Xash3D fast and very easy-to-use platform for installing and running singleplayer mods, more comfortable, than Steam HL.
• Xash3D has better render system, than HL. So there are better looking textures (especially on models), lighting etc.
• Xash3D allow you to use HD-textures (up to 4096x4096) for models and maps in any mod. The system is very simple and effective, just put right-named texture in right-named folder, that's all. If you put them in "valve" folder, you'll see them in any mod. And you can enable and disable the using of these textures directly in game.
• Xash3D has support for some interesting effect and abilities for modders, even if they don't want to use XashXT.
• Xash3D has extended and powerful console and multi-level logging system, it can be very helpful for mod developers, even if they want to create a pure GoldSrc mod.
• Xash3D has a lot of optimizations and common bug fixes, plus different small handy features, because author (Unkle Mike) has took into account many suggestions from beta-testers. And some mods are running more stable and smoothly under Xash3D. Yes, it still not ideal, but it worth that you try it.

First time posting here, but I do have a question about the Xash3d/XT source code.

It seems that it was built on the 3.2 SDK but without any of the clean up done to it to make it compitable with newer compilers. (MSVC++ 2010, Dev++, Codeblocks, etc...)

Where's the problem? Well, i'm running 64 bit Windows 7. I can't even get MSVC++ 6.0 to install, let alone run it. I've heard you can setup Codeblocks to do the job of 6.0, but as I said... Can't even get it to install.

Is there a work around, or am I simply missing something about setting up XashXT's codebase?

EDIT: Ignore my noobish foolishness. I was able to procure a work around involving 6.0. It now works. The installer tends to barf out errors thanks to Windows 7 not being the most welcoming place to programs over 12 years old. It's working, and i'm off to the coding-races. Yahoo!

You can get the SDK working under VS 2010 with some easy work mostly copy-paste

I know its very old engine that halflife use but I need a new advanced engine but same interface with hammer, you can say "use source" etc.. (i have it too) but its not enough, like what you guys said, its a junk by today's standards and people want impress others like me and when I create a maps for goldsrc, others says its junk you know?.. still can't find a coder but I guess its not important anymore

god why I'm not born when goldsrc popular? ahhh...

others says its junk you know?

Its not junk, you just have to lower your standards (still dont get it why is standard spelled with a "d" instead of "t"), if a person has never played cs/hl then they wont get it anyway. The gs engine is probably the best way to train new mappers just because of how easy to start with it is. If you want to develop for it - develop, but what I can say is that with that much coding put in it they would have probably made a better engine themselves rather than wasting time putting work into this one, if all you need is a step up from gs just use source, why bother putting something in the middle ?

Im just rambling right now anyway, short version: want better graphics and that old feel of quake legacy go source, its a bit steeper learning curve due to people expecting gold from everything. Else just stay with gs and lets face it you're old then.

already did some work in gs thats why I cant do with source and Im not too familiar with it much(source modelling, advanced mapping, scenes etc.) just stuck and sometimes feel like "forever alone" guy

Impressive work. Now please add all Opposing Force entities into your engine and I'll switch to it right away.

This sounds really awesome because the engine, gold source, is simply made for platforming.
Its the best movement engine ive ever used, in terms of having fun and messing around, not realism.

I support this and i will definitely give it a try.

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Rotating Skyboxes

YES!!

I would like too see FOG!

OK, want you or don't , but it's Xash3D again with its' final double update in the year 2012! Check the Xash3D profile at ModDB and get fresh Xash3D Engine build 2153 + XashXT mod/toolkit v0.61:
http://www.moddb.com/engines/xash3d-engine

Now both Xash3D and XashXT have support for new extended map format - BSP version 31. This format is based on Half-Life BSP map format (version 30), but has increased up to 3 times limit for clipnodes + improved lightmaps and subdivide for faces. Increased limit for clipnodes makes possible to create really big complex maps with much more objects on them. Improved lightmaps and subdivide give you much more smoothed shadows on any BSP31 map, without loosing of perfomance. And of course there are also some little bug fixes and other minor improvements + updated documentation, tools (e. g. new compilers for BSP31 format) and source codes.

You can also try a demo with 2 maps which were recompiled in BSP31 format. Not really too much to see, just the better smoothing of shadows:
http://www.hlfx.ru/xash/newformat.7z

Happy New Year!

Xas3D have been updated recently up to public build 2223, and stable version of XashXT v0.62 was released also. Please visit Xash3D profile at ModDB to download:
http://www.moddb.com/engines/xash3d-engine

A brief list of changes:

Xash3D Engine changelog (for build 2223, since build 2153):

Engine: added support for maps (only maps!) created for alpha version of Half-Life (with BSP version 29).
Engine: added support for "nomodels" option in liblist.gam (for disabling of using any model for player except modelsplayer.mdl).
Engine: fixed problem with activating of a mod if it has a "." (dot) symbol in a name of its' main folder.
Render: renamed missed cvar "r_anisotropy" to real name "gl_anisotropy".
Render: now "r_speeds 4" displays an actual count of "real" static entities which were created by call of MAKE_STATIC function.
Render: fixed bug with blinking of Quake sky while autosave in progress.
Render: keep actual hardware gamma for multiple instances of application.
Render: fixed an invisibility of map objects created by using of transparent textures with RenderFX=15 setting (rarely used in some mods).
Client: a new callback for render interface that is calling R_DrawCubemapView (for fixing of cmd "envshot" in XashXT).
Client: changed path and names for screenshots which are saving by "screenshot" command from "modfolderscrshotsmapnameshotXXXX.bsp" to "modfolderscrshotsmapname_shotXXXX.bsp" (for easy browsing and operations with files).
Client: engine is using callback CL_CameraOffset now.
Client: fixed angles for cmd "envshot".
Client: fixed disabling of custom gravity settings on a map for player after using a ladder.
Server: fix for client's rejection mechanism (in multiplayer game).
Server: using pfnClientDisconnect callback (in multiplayer game).
Server: some changes in physics code (for MOVETYPE_PUSH). This is fixing a variety of possible problems with pushable objects (and sometimes - with a monster's or NPC's physics) in some Half-Life mods.

XashXT changelog (for version 0.62, since version 0.61):

• Implemented a new system of save/restore (an analog of save/restore system that avaliable in Half-Life 2).
• You can view now a classes' statistics with using of in-game console (a set of commands beginning from dump_*).
• Custom system of string_t for better sorting and checking for duplicates (improving of render's performance).
• Env_sky can be enabled and disabled now, so you can use some different skies for one map.
• Minimizing of glitches with entities which sometimes can be visible through a skybox.
• Added player_keycatcher entity for checking keys that pressing by a player. It can be useful for creating of mini-games or for executing of different events for the player (depending on pressed keys).
• Some fixes in XashXT parent system (for func_tank, tripmines and crossbow bolts).
• Added a support for using of a chrome effect for brush entities and world (used texture should have a name that beginning from "chrome", as example, gfx/chrome.tga is using now). Chrome effect can be combined with any rendermode and with mirrors also.
• XashXT demo maps are updated.

Awesome, will try it out asap.