Dynamic Materials with Proxies

by Andy "Velvet Fist, Iron Glove" Durdin @Nodraw.net

This picture constantly rotates.

Material proxies are a neat little feature of the Source engine that let you alter various properties of a material dynamically.  This can produce some neat effects, as the texture position, scale, rotation, transparency and much more can be changed continuously, or even in response to game events.
Take Half-life 2, for example.  You know those combine force-fields, that ripple with energy, and fade out as you move away from it?  Or in Team Fortress 2, you’ll have seen the rotating radar screen in the 2fort basement.  Both those effects are done with material proxies. Read more ...

Source SDK Update Released

Updates to Source SDK have been released. The updates will be applied automatically when your Steam client is restarted. The specific changes include:

Source SDK

• Added source files for ten shipping TF2 maps
  
  • arena_lumberyard
  • arena_ravine
  • cp_badlands
  • cp_dustbowl
  • cp_granary
  • cp_gravelpit
  • ctf_2fort
  • pl_badwater
  • pl_goldrush
  • tc_hydro
• Updated shadercompile binaries and added missing DLL needed for shader compilation

SDK Tools

• Fixed the issues with the following tools: height2ssbump, normal2ssbump, pfm2tga, splitskybox, vbspinfo, vmt_tweak, vmtcheck, shadercompile
• Fixed an issue in studiomdl pertaining to $shadowlod

Hammer

• The texture browser automatically ignores most textures that cannot be placed on brushes or displacements, as well as anything inside a .svn folder for those using svn as their choice of versioning software.
• Added additional auto visgroups for sprites and cubemaps
• Separated the VRAD calls into two sequential while using HDR (-ldr and -hdr) instead of -both
• Model browser is now created once per session
• Displacement brush dial now has greater range
• Added a stop button to sound previews

SDK Launcher

• Added the ability to edit game configurations with vconfig

Source Code

• Added a new template mod that replaces the old 'advanced' source . This template has options for teams,classes, sprinting, prone, stamina, etc.
• Added shader source; fxc.exe, psa.exe and vsa.exe must be placed into the dx9sdk\utilities folder and you must modify materialsystem\stdshaders\buildsdkshaders.bat to set your paths.
• Most tonemap controller options now work in multiplayer. The 'template mod' map 'sdk_teams_hdr' demonstrates this.
• All three mod types by default mount the required appids - Multiplayer uses 218 and mounts 320 for example. Gameinfo.txt contains a new entry 'AdditionalAppId' for this purpose.
• Particle systems can now be defined with a per-map manifest, similar to soundscapes.
• Fixed a number of issues which caused the server to not compile in linux

Multiplayer Source Code

• Players animate with the new animation system that came along with TF2.
• Fixed third person animations and all effects
• Fixed SLAM issues
• Fixed Use of UTIL_GetLocalPlayer on the server in various locations
• Fixed a number of other bugs / asserts

Singleplayer Source Code

• Fixed a number of issues preventing the source from functioning correctly
• Added new vehicle "hl2buggy" so that users may have both the charger and the old buggy

• http://store.steampowered.com/news/2579/
  http://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Source_SDK_release_notes_archive#6.2F15.2F2009_Release

Source SDK Updated

The Source SDK has been updated with content and tools to create maps, models, and textures for Half-Life 2: Episode Two, Portal, and Team Fortress 2. In addition to support for games in The Orange Box, the Source SDK can continue to be used to create content for other top-selling Source engine-based games, such as Half-Life 2: Episode One and Counter-Strike: Source.

Included in the Source SDK are:

• The Hammer World Editor, which provides the capability of creating custom levels for Source engine games
• Valve’s custom Faceposer tool that allows users to produce choreographed sequences in the Source engine
• A model viewer that allows artists to preview models and their animations quickly and easily
• Source code that allows mod makers to create their own game based on Half-Life 2 or Half-Life 2:Deathmatch
• All of the tools required to make build custom textures and models for Source engine games

Future Source SDK updates will provide new development tools, as well as source code for creating single and multi-player mods that utilize the latest Source engine features.

• http://store.steampowered.com/news/1294/

Day of Defeat: Source Update Released

Updates to Day of Defeat: Source have been released. The updates will be applied automatically when your Steam client is restarted. The specific changes include:

Day of Defeat: Source

• Added new Detonation game mode
• Added two new Detonation maps: Jagd and Colmar
• Added film grain and color correction cinematic effects while in spectator
• Optimizations to the player animation blending system
• Improved bullet and melee attack hit detection
• Shortened the BAR reload time
• Reduced recoil and fire delay on the Garand
• Added CVAR cl_autorezoom - set to 0 to not rezoom sniper rifles and rocket weapons
• Added new image-based texture blending shader
• Added new light warping shader
• Added new phong Shading/Rim Lighting on player models
• Added support for bloom on DX8 video cards
• Added vertex lighting to props
• Fixed a case where players could get under terrain in Argentan
• Made it more difficult for players to repeatedly block the same cap in order to rack up defend points
• Fixed player being able to clear mg42 heat by undeploying and redeploying while reloading
• Added blocking walls to enemy spawn entrances
• Fixed stepping over window ledges in Avalanche

• http://store.steampowered.com/news/668/

Day Of Defeat Source Summer Update Coming June 28

Valve's Popular WWII Online Action Game Approaches First Birthday

Bellevue, WA, June 22, 2006 - Valve® announced a Day of Defeat: Source Summer 2006 Update featuring a Free Map Pack is scheduled for release on June 28 via Steam to everyone who owns a copy of the game.

The Map Pack, which arrives just before DoD: Source's 1st birthday, introduces a new gameplay style, Detonation, in two brand new missions (Jagd, Colmar). In addition to the new missions and gameplay style, the Summer 2006 Update also introduces new technical features and gameplay enhancements to Day of Defeat: Source. Some of the new gameplay enhancements - such as spawn clip adjustments, improved hit location detection, and weapon balancing - were made after reviewing the player statistics gathered since the stats feature was added to DoD: Source earlier this year.

Since its original release in the fall of last year, Valve has introduced a number of new features, missions, and enhancements for the game - following in the company's long tradition of ongoing development for its online properties. Below is a summary of the new missions and features added to Day of Defeat: Source since the initial launch:

New Missions Added:

Colmar (June 2006) -- Set in Northern France, Colmar introduces Day of Defeat's Detonation style of gameplay. Marred with cold weather conditions, Colmar's Detonation objectives drive successful teams to attack target areas in unison.

Jagd (June 2006) - Jagd challenges teams to a more advanced urban Detonation mission, one that must be completed in a limited amount of time and is therefore unforgiving to unorganized offensive attacks.

Kalt (February 2006) - The narrow city streets, wheelhouse, and center bridge on which Kalt is fought challenge Axis and Allied forces to disperse and hold multiple points. As such, surging attacks and sudden changes in momentum may be common.

Argentan (January 2006) - The first new mission introduced after the initial launch of Day of Defeat: Source is set alongside the rolling hills of a French trainway. It's hillsides and country structures provide the setting for punishing sniper and machine gunner standoffs.

Technology Updates:

• Color Correction
• Film grain
• New Shaders:
  • Image-based texture blending
  • Light warping
  • Phong Shading/Rim Lighting on player models
• Improved Animations
• Support for Bloom on DX8 level GPUs
• Prop Vertex Lighting
• Engine Optimizations

Gameplay Enhancements:

• Spawn Clip adjustments
• Improved Hit location detection
• Weapon balancing
• Detonation Gameplay Introduced
• Player Statistics

Available via Steam and at retail outlets the world over, Day of Defeat: Source is one of today's most played online action games. Players join the ranks of Axis vs. Allies battles in Western Europe at the height of the war in 1944. Players enlist in specific combat roles, ranging from scouts to sharpshooters, and are tasked, as a unit, to complete objective-based missions.

For more information on Day of Defeat: Source, Valve or Valve's games, please visit www.steamgames.com.

About Valve
Valve is an entertainment software and technology company founded in 1996 and based in Bellevue, Washington. The company's portfolio of entertainment properties includes Half-Life®, Counter-StrikeTM, Day of Defeat®, and Team Fortress®. Valve's catalog of products accounts for over 20 million retail units sold worldwide, and over 80% of PC online action gameplay. In addition, Valve is a developer of leading-edge technologies, such as the Source game engine and Steam, a broadband platform for the delivery and management of digital content. For more information, please visit www.valvesoftware.com.

• http://store.steampowered.com/news/662/

Texturierung eines Raumes

by Dr.Death @MapScene.de

Stell dir unter dem Begriff Textur einfach eine Tapete vor, die du auf die Seiten deines Raumes aufträgst. Nur das dieses Vorhaben nicht langwierige Stunden Arbeit braucht sondern im Editor mit wenigen Mausklicks erfolgt. Im 3D-Fenster ist dir sicher schon aufgefallen, das dein Raum bereits eine Textur auf allen Seiten hat, diese werden wir jetzt durch eine neue ersetzen. Um Texturen auf die Wände Ihres Raums auftragen zu können, benutzt du das Texture Application Tool. Du findest das Tool in der Tool-Leiste auf der linken Seite, das sechste Symbol von oben oder einfach durch das Drücken von Shift + A. Wenn du nun mit der Maus über das 3D-Fenster gehen, siehst du einen kleinen Farbeimer am Mausicon. Read more ...

Tutorial - Wie mache ich Türen

by The^Kitty2k @MapScene.de

Es gibt zwei verschiedene Arten von Türen (die ich benutze), die ich euch heute vorstellen möchte. Einmal eine normale Tür und eine Schiebetür. Read more ...

Tutorial - Eigene Texturen

by KingJoe @MapScene.de

Um in Half-Life 2 eigene Texturen benutzen zu können, sind folgende Sachen nötig:

1. Ein Bild (Für die Textur)
2. Ein Grafikprogramm
3. Source SDK
Read more ...

Tutorial - Detailtexturen

by CrazyHunter @MapScene.de

Wie erstelle ich detallierte Texturen?
Ich habe mich mal hingesetzt und versucht, ein leicht verständliches zu schreiben.
Read more ...