SDK released!

Rayne · **Joined:** Thu Dec 05, 2002 2:08 pm **Posts:** 1415

Wow... Nice year for FPS's

http://www.valve-erc.com/srcsdk/

MBolus · **Posted:** Sat Nov 06, 2004 12:49 am

I noticed some nice documentation on my initial visit, but on first glance I didn't notice other downloads such as tools/code/etc. I will head back to look some more as soon as I get more time.

pi · **Joined:** Sat Aug 07, 2004 9:10 pm **Posts:** 42

Anyone know of a good HL editing community ala this one but for HL 2?

I'm enjoying Hammer, but I'd like some forums etc to help explain some of the minor problems I encounter as I go.

Black Dog · **Joined:** Mon Mar 01, 2004 9:22 pm **Posts:** 890

Reading through the docs I almost thought I was reading about Quake 3, so many things are the same.

I was a bit disappointed about this:

Quote:

Model geometry does not block visibility and cannot be used to seal the world or any two areas. Additionally, although models have the ability to cast shadows, they do not use lightmaps for shadows cast upon them like brushes do. They use a simpler vertex-based lighting model for increased speed.

BloodRayne · **Posted:** Sat Nov 06, 2004 9:14 am

Black Dog wrote:

Reading through the docs I almost thought I was reading about Quake 3, so many things are the same.

I was a bit disappointed about this:

Quote:

Model geometry does not block visibility and cannot be used to seal the world or any two areas. Additionally, although models have the ability to cast shadows, they do not use lightmaps for shadows cast upon them like brushes do. They use a simpler vertex-based lighting model for increased speed.

Hey, it's not doom. :wink:

But trust me, I think it will prove versatile enough!

Black Dog · **Joined:** Mon Mar 01, 2004 9:22 pm **Posts:** 890

Oh, I don't doubt Source will be verstatile. I just would have liked an option to lightmap models q3map2 style, so that the mapper could have the choice of fast Gourard-shading where that is sufficient, and lightmapping where that gives questionable results.

The thing is that unless your scene is washed out or highly tesselated vertex lighting is shit. It can't produce decent shadows, it can't give good highlights or handle trim lighting, and due to geometry dependence you can easily get horrible artifacting on large surfaces (or on transitions from lightmapped to vertex lit surfaces). That means if you want to model any big piece of map the lighting will likely be substandard. Bleh.

With the ever-increasing use of modelling to provide realistic environments, I see this as a definite problem.

odex · **Joined:** Wed Aug 04, 2004 9:03 pm **Posts:** 19

pi wrote:

Anyone know of a good HL editing community ala this one but for HL 2?

I'm enjoying Hammer, but I'd like some forums etc to help explain some of the minor problems I encounter as I go.

Try Leakfree.org, we're starting to get in business, especially now with the release of the SDK you'll see alot of tutorials soon.

pi · **Joined:** Sat Aug 07, 2004 9:10 pm **Posts:** 42

Quote:

Try Leakfree.org, we're starting to get in business, especially now with the release of the SDK you'll see alot of tutorials soon.

Awesome site, thanks a bunch. The Snark Pit's HL 2 section hasn't really taken off yet (and their forum is pretty buggy, especially in Opera) and the only other active community I'd found (other than the Steam forums, yuck) was [url="http://www.chatbear.com/board.plm?a=boardlisting&b=4986&v=flatold"]the VERC boards[/url] which are nice, but still not that active yet (and I'm not a huge chat bear fan).

Anyway, thanks for the link.

bozo · **Joined:** Mon Feb 17, 2003 1:10 pm **Posts:** 96

@MBolus
it seems that you can only download it via steam when you have allready buyed a hl2 version, what a shame, so i can not take a look on it

MBolus · **Posted:** Sun Nov 07, 2004 6:20 pm

That's what I was thinking. Although it sounds a bit retro, I will probably just get the game at a local store in a week and go from there. I haven't had time to weigh options yet. Full SDK should be available later, even if a bit of a delay, yes?

I'm planning to play the game first anyway.

goodoldalex · **Joined:** Sun Jun 29, 2003 2:40 am **Posts:** 645

Erm, sorry for off-topic, but is there a demo coming at all?

Doom3world

SDK released!

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