Gabe Simplifying Hammer - Games

I hope they make creating QC files more simple. It took me forever to figure out how to get my models to stick to walls like the circular saws do.

Holy shit, maybe they're releasing Source Film Maker with the new SDK? [img]http://static.facepunch.com/fp/ratings/rainbow.png[/img]

[QUOTE=GameDev;28309269]Holy shit, maybe they're releasing Source Film Maker with the new SDK? [img_thumb]http://static.facepunch.com/fp/ratings/rainbow.png[/img_thumb][/QUOTE] SO MANY TIMES, YES! Ever since I heard of it, I wanted to play around with it.

Flags tab FUCKING FLAGS TAB

Hope it turns out like the Spark Editor! :D

[QUOTE=Trini8ed;28294666]They should remove the carve tool.[/QUOTE] But I'm too lazy to use the brush tool to make windows. :smith:

It really depends on opinion whether or not Hammer is difficult to use, some people have more trouble than others when it comes to level design and work flow. The real problems lie in the core mechanics of Hammer such as the "void" system where light will leak out like water out of a fishbowl. Also, lighting could be overhauled there needs to be better dynamic and ambient light.

[QUOTE=kaine123;28310484]Also, lighting could be overhauled there needs to be better dynamic and ambient light.[/QUOTE] Well... Portal 2 is coming out soon.

[QUOTE=DOG-GY;28292958]That's because the UDK is in every way better. It's on an infinitely better engine too. Hammer is a pain in the ass to use, and too confusing to use to much potential (hardly anyone uses Source for AAA titles).[/QUOTE] Hammer has a superior solids-making system than anything else by FAR [editline]26th February 2011[/editline] [QUOTE=Ond kaja;28309861]But I'm too lazy to use the brush tool to make windows. :smith:[/QUOTE] [img]http://gyazo.com/2581449870abf271ef21d9de7ba2508d.png[/img]

[QUOTE=A B.A. Survivor;28302726]I just put VIS on Fast so it compiles in 3 minutes instead of 2 hours.[/QUOTE] Additionally: Cordon off parts you want to test. Hammer isn't that bad, though optimization is tedious and distracts from actually making the map. Brush creation is easy and quite efficient once you get used to it, though displacements are slightly clunky.

[QUOTE=benjgvps;28312337]Additionally: Cordon off parts you want to test. [/QUOTE] Huh? Last I checked, it still compiled the entire map. And if it does allow to compile cordon-only area, then HERE COME THE LEAKS!

[QUOTE=gufu;28313002]Huh? Last I checked, it still compiled the entire map. And if it does allow to compile cordon-only area, then HERE COME THE LEAKS![/QUOTE] No it auto-seals for you.

[QUOTE=wari65;28310701]Well... Portal 2 is coming out soon.[/QUOTE] I assume they will release the update to SDK after portal 2 is released.

[QUOTE=GameDev;28309269]Holy shit, maybe they're releasing Source Film Maker with the new SDK? [img_thumb]http://static.facepunch.com/fp/ratings/rainbow.png[/img_thumb][/QUOTE] watch them make it 15 times harder to use than when it was illegal

[QUOTE=xpod1;28315789]watch them make it 15 times harder to use than when it was illegal[/QUOTE] You now must code each individual frame's lighting.

Finally, I can import mods into Source Engine 2009. Without the grid bug.....

[QUOTE=Trini8ed;28292268]RATE! ME! CLOCKS! I wanna beat the clock record![/QUOTE] I dont' know what the clock record is, but you have at least a hundred more to go to beat mine :unsmith: [editline]27th February 2011[/editline] But yes, this means I can go back to mapping. I never really was any good, but I thought it was fun.

[QUOTE=supersocko;28320594]I dont' know what the clock record is, but you have at least a hundred more to go to beat mine :unsmith: [editline]27th February 2011[/editline] But yes, this means I can go back to mapping. I never really was any good, but I thought it was fun.[/QUOTE] Mapping is a pretty good hobby.

It's pretty easy to understand once you enter on it.

Personally I think hammer is great, especially when you develop your own, albeit somewhat unorthadox methods to produce the effects you desire. [img_thumb]http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll188/ViralHatred/vh_gpstest_parent0011.jpg[/img_thumb] [img_thumb]http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll188/ViralHatred/vh_gpstest_parent0007.jpg[/img_thumb]

[QUOTE=HatredViral;28321791]Personally I think hammer is great, especially when you develop your own, albeit somewhat unorthadox methods to produce the effects you desire. [img_thumb]http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll188/ViralHatred/vh_gpstest_parent0011.jpg[/img_thumb] [img_thumb]http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll188/ViralHatred/vh_gpstest_parent0007.jpg[/img_thumb][/QUOTE] You should talk to reepblue, Im sure he would love to tell you how much he [i]loves[/i] having to do workarounds.

I love the challenge of it.

[QUOTE=superdinoman;28322163]You should talk to reepblue, Im sure he would love to tell you how much he [i]loves[/i] having to do workarounds.[/QUOTE] Oh yeah I do, its a shame that I can only find good use to use shortcuts in Portal. For me, the way that level designers make maps in Hammer is very fun and interesting. Sure its not the easiest thing to learn, but once you understand how the I/O system works and other entities, Source becomes your very own sandbox. What I don't like and I'm sure everyone else does not like is Hammer randomly crashing and vrad crashing as well. If they just fix those issues, I would be a happy camper. But according to the article, it looks like they are updating the user interface, which is fine. One thing that concerns me about that is that they will move stuff that I currently know where they are. For example, what if Valve move the toggle ignore group button and put it under Maps in the top menu? You would be spending ages looking for something you commonly use only to find out its in a silly location. Another thing I'm worried about is if the UI is too flashy and needs more RAM? I'm sure my PC will run it just fine but what about those people who down the line just want to make maps for Source 2006 and have lower hardware specs? How will they be effected? I'm sure Hammer will still be the good ol' Hammer we known for years, but a change more then memory leaks gets me concerned. I hope when they said "easier", I hope they ment you can do stuff without headaches, not doing things differently to do similar tasks.

[QUOTE=reepblue;28324134]Oh yeah I do, its a shame that I can only find good use to use shortcuts in Portal. For me, the way that level designers make maps in Hammer is very fun and interesting. Sure its not the easiest thing to learn, but once you understand how the I/O system works and other entities, Source becomes your very own sandbox. What I don't like and I'm sure everyone else does not like is Hammer randomly crashing and vrad crashing as well. If they just fix those issues, I would be a happy camper. But according to the article, it looks like they are updating the user interface, which is fine. One thing that concerns me about that is that they will move stuff that I currently know where they are. For example, what if Valve move the toggle ignore group button and put it under Maps in the top menu? You would be spending ages looking for something you commonly use only to find out its in a silly location. Another thing I'm worried about is if the UI is too flashy and needs more RAM? I'm sure my PC will run it just fine but what about those people who down the line just want to make maps for Source 2006 and have lower hardware specs? How will they be effected? I'm sure Hammer will still be the good ol' Hammer we known for years, but a change more then memory leaks gets me concerned. I hope when they said "easier", I hope they ment you can do stuff without headaches, not doing things differently to do similar tasks.[/QUOTE] All it really needs is a UI update (nothing flashy but needs to be acceptable) GPU accelerated compiling Distributed compiling (VMPI is broken!) Streamed lightmaps OH! and a compiler thats not from 1989

[QUOTE=wari65;28310701]Well... Portal 2 is coming out soon.[/QUOTE] Projected textures: [img]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3779442/Screenshots/Projected_hug.jpg[/img] PROPER DYANMIC LIGHTING: [img]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/7340612/sdk_vehicles0034.jpg[/img] Valve, please stop fucking around. (Yes, the second picture is Source. Custom dynamic lighting & deferred shading ftw.)

[QUOTE=Legend286;28329126]Projected textures: [img_thumb]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3779442/Screenshots/Projected_hug.jpg[/img_thumb] PROPER DYANMIC LIGHTING: [img_thumb]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/7340612/sdk_vehicles0034.jpg[/img_thumb] Valve, please stop fucking around. (Yes, the second picture is Source. Custom dynamic lighting & deferred shading ftw.)[/QUOTE] Um... what the heck is the second picture supposed to be? Am I just oblivious or something? Actually, it looks like a Borderlands RTS :v:

All I really want, is a working lighting preview, and the ability to see what your map looks like scale-wise, from within the preview viewport.

This is great news. I think valve wants to wait a bit before episode 3/half life 3 so they have much cooler technology to work with. In the meantime, they have extra resources to do stuff like improve the sdk.

[QUOTE=Samuelgames;28329298]You do realise the same effect can be achieved in the second picture with the same projected texture shader, Do you even know what are you saying? That isn't even deferred lighting.[/QUOTE] Clearly you haven't got a clue. Go ahead and try and do something remotely as fast to render with projected textures and come back and cry how you can't do it. Do you even know what deferred shading is? It has no visual difference but performance wise it's much better if you plan on having a lot of lights. You won't even get close in fact, because projected textures don't use proper shadow mapping, use way more shadow maps than they need to, and look shit in general. [editline]28th February 2011[/editline] [QUOTE=supersocko;28329214]Um... what the heck is the second picture supposed to be? Am I just oblivious or something? Actually, it looks like a Borderlands RTS :v:[/QUOTE] A mod, Extreme Dinosaurs.

[QUOTE=Samuelgames;28330187]We already did in City 17 EP1 and it looks beautiful and cheap with our shader wizard 1/4 Life :v:, And yes I know what Deferred shading is, and you can't get deferred shading in source because that would require rewriting of all the lighting system[/QUOTE] Which is what Biohazard has done? He's wrote his own deferred shading. Clearly you don't know as much as you think you do. Brb using 4 more shadowmaps than needed to get projected texture ~dynamic lighting~ kthnx.