WIP / Concept Area Screenshots

A singleplayer thing I have been working on.




What do you guys think of the map so far? I'm thinking its a bit linear.

---

Aaron's Stuff

I'm not sure what that place is supposed to be, it's a bit dark but it looks interesting.

It's difficult to judge a map like that from screenshots, as we're not actually exploring your level.

I'm also working on a singleplayer mappack/mod with friends which is based in Black Mesa, here are some shots.

Executive Hallway

Crate Room

Generic Tunnel

Bumpmapping on Hl1 textures

The Central Transit Hub:
Departure Lounge (WIP)

Meeting Room (WIP)

Management

Maintenance access

Pipe room

The half life 1 textures and assets in these shots will be remade from scratch, with bump and specular maps, the current ones are just placeholders. I am new to mapping with hammer, so these shots might not look great.

Aaron, I like the feel, but it's way to dark. I have trouble making out most of the parts. Might get a little technical, but... if this isn't HDR (doesn't look like it >_<) you only have 255 brightness levels per color with 0 being pitch black and 255 being bright white. Your pictures only uses the lower 1/4 of that range. Just like in a good photograph, you generally want to use a balanced spectrum, with equal distribution between dark and bright pixels. Even for night scenes. Especially the floor area, which usually makes up about 50% of your screen, should be in the brighter range for good navigation.

Here are the levels of your screenshot in Photoshop. You hardly make use of brightnesses over ~64. This also means a lack of contrast since you're not making full use of the available spectrum. Enforcer, those screens look interesting. Are those screenshots in Goldsource?

It's for half life: source/half-life 2, as I said, the textures which you see will be remade (some already are) with bump and specular maps.

ah, finally a mod for half-life source! (a reason to buy it now :P)

When you say the textures will be remade from scratch with bump and specular, does that mean you will be creating an all new texture pallet for this mod? or just bump and specular versions of the existing (huge) texture pallet? either way that's a lot of work! Good luck!

---

Blog: www.playingarchitecture.net
LinkedIn: Eric Lancon
Twitter:@Riven202

Well, since it wouldn't be legal to use half life textures in a Half-Life 2 mod, we have to actually remake them, but that's fine, because we can have higher resolution textures.

It's not so much work, we will only remake the textures that we use, and have new ones also.

So this mod will be available for both Half-life 2 and Half-life: Source. And thanks!

"Enforcer" said:
Well, since it wouldn't be legal to use half life textures in a Half-Life 2 mod, we have to actually remake them, but that's fine, because we can have higher resolution textures.

Yes you can use them,but you can't use them for a commercial project.

---

Never think about bad things!
TNKqwe:The New Killer qwe
[img]http://images.quiz.wegame.com/production/personalities/22/badge.jpg[/img]
I am Engineer - Play Free Online Games
[img]http://media.moddb.com/images/global/moddb_88x31_v12.png[/img]
Citizen Arms

Are you sure? I was told otherwise by someone else.

Surely they would need to own Half-life or half-life source if content from our mod contains half-life textures/enemies/weapons?

I was typing a reply to this thread but I was at school and the computer I was working on got the blue screen of death so I'm going to write the post again briefly in point form:

• I don't remember this thread or posting those screenshots.
• Thanks for that reaper, I'll keep it in mind.

• Enforcer, I don't like the lighting. You have great contrast in your lighting (pitch black ceilings in supposedly bright rooms for example), it's unrealistic and not attractive imo. Light your spaces more diffusely, stop using spot lights for every light seemingly or increase light bounce.

---

Aaron's Stuff

Oh yea, I meant to comment on enforcer's pictures as well...

Most of the shots have good lighting. I can tell you've given it a lot of attention, but in other areas I think it must just boil down to taste. These scenes: IMO, those shots don't look nice with the spot_lighting. for one it looks distractingly unrealistic the way they cut hard shadows that should otherwise bounce around to the rest of the room, not focus like a cone as if it were pitch black around them. You can keep the spots, but you definitely need to add some point lights to fake the bounce effect they should be having with the ceiling. Unless this is the particular look you're going for? -Like I said, it boils down to taste methinks.

---

Blog: www.playingarchitecture.net
LinkedIn: Eric Lancon
Twitter:@Riven202

I have since fixed those problems by adding in ambient light (manually bounced light), because for some reason Half-Life 2's bouncelight isn't working on my maps.

Late edit: This problem is as a result of a leak in my map, but I have no idea where to start looking for that bastard.

After you've compiled your map (dosen't matter with or without vis and rad, just a finished compile) go into the hammer toolbar: map > load pointfile. Then find and follow the red line and it will show you where there leak is.

That space is lit much better now, would you agree?

---

Aaron's Stuff

aaron_da_killa said:

• I don't remember this thread or posting those screenshots.

I never look at the dates... your post was over a year old.

aaron_da_killa said:
That space is lit much better now, would you agree?

Well, I'm sure it would look nice, but after fixing all the leaks my map now appears to be pitch black.

aaron_da_killa said:
That space is lit much better now, would you agree?

Now my leak is finally fixed, yes there is an improvement. It will be a while until i post anything new, I get episodic amnesia and can't remember my original ideas.

Looks nice. If you get those super-sharp shadows by turning up light-patches resolution incredibly high, realize this will increase your compile times and BSP file sizes by a factor of 20 or more. You might want to turn them down a little.

Yes, but i do not mind longer compile times for quality lighting, when it's finished it's finished.

I have made one nice shadow test.Give it a look:
[URL=http://img195.imageshack.us/i/specialshadowtest0004.png/][IMG]http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/4999/specialshadowtest0004.th.png[/IMG][/URL]

---

Never think about bad things!
TNKqwe:The New Killer qwe
[img]http://images.quiz.wegame.com/production/personalities/22/badge.jpg[/img]
I am Engineer - Play Free Online Games
[img]http://media.moddb.com/images/global/moddb_88x31_v12.png[/img]
Citizen Arms

tnkqwe said:
I have made one nice shadow test.Give it a look:
[URL=http://img195.imageshack.us/i/specialshadowtest0004.png/][IMG]http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/4999/specialshadowtest0004.th.png[/IMG][/URL]

Tnk, there is actually a way to get high detailed shadows in goldsource. This is what my map looked like before i ported it to source

PICTUREFINGYLOLZ

I'm not sure what method you used, but those shadows look razor sharp/hard.

Basically, the lower you scale a texture, the more lightmap quality you trick the engine into drawing; so a surface with a scale of 0.25 can have about four times more detailed lighting than a surface with a scale of 1.

But in order to do that without screwing up the appearance of a texture, you need to export the image somehow, stretch it to as high as possible, re-import it with wally then apply it to a surface in game and lower the size (so it will look normal as well since you stretched it for this purpose) and you should then get a surface with high lightmap detail, so then the engine can calculate its own shadows rather than have to improvise with artificial ones.

Enforcer said:
Yes, but i do not mind longer compile times for quality lighting, when it's finished it's finished.

Compile times are your decision... but I just warn you about people looking at a 500 MB file for 3 levels and just skip it because of size. I mean yea, it's less of an issue in the day of 100Mbit DSL. But don't underestimate it. Just a tip.

I have tested super high lighting detail in a really big map, and at most it was around 60 mb (i think), 3 levels would never accumulate to that much but I understand what you are trying to say.

"Enforcer" said:

tnkqwe said:
I have made one nice shadow test.Give it a look:
[URL=http://img195.imageshack.us/i/specialshadowtest0004.png/][IMG]http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/4999/specialshadowtest0004.th.png[/IMG][/URL]

Tnk, there is actually a way to get high detailed shadows in goldsource. This is what my map looked like before i ported it to source

PICTUREFINGYLOLZ

I'm not sure what method you used, but those shadows look razor sharp/hard.

Basically, the lower you scale a texture, the more lightmap quality you trick the engine into drawing; so a surface with a scale of 0.25 can have about four times more detailed lighting than a surface with a scale of 1.

But in order to do that without screwing up the appearance of a texture, you need to export the image somehow, stretch it to as high as possible, re-import it with wally then apply it to a surface in game and lower the size (so it will look normal as well since you stretched it for this purpose) and you should then get a surface with high lightmap detail, so then the engine can calculate its own shadows rather than have to improvise with artificial ones.

I gave it a try.But I failed.How do you do it?

---

Never think about bad things!
TNKqwe:The New Killer qwe
[img]http://images.quiz.wegame.com/production/personalities/22/badge.jpg[/img]
I am Engineer - Play Free Online Games
[img]http://media.moddb.com/images/global/moddb_88x31_v12.png[/img]
Citizen Arms

Sorry, i don't think there is an actual tutorial on this, I'm not sure how to better explain it.

Do you know how to import and export textures with wally?

Also, here is a shot of a new texture for the mod i am working on. Which replaces this old texture: But for some reason i am not totally satisfied with it, i don't know why.

Enforcer said:
Do you know how to import and export textures with wally?

I've done it before but I can't remember anymore, I do remember though it's very easy to do.

As for the texture, it looks fine but it's probably a bit too wet/shiny looking for what your using it for, it almost looks like ice. Might want to tone the scratches down too, subtly is the key here I reckon.

---

Aaron's Stuff

Well, regarding TNKs' problem I was asking him whether he knew how to do it or not, I don't need to know how to do it :P

imho the texture looks featureless without those scratches, if i made them any subtler they would be invisible.

I know how to work with Wally.Problem was that I edited the bar's texture,not the wall's and floor's texture.My mistake.I'll give it another try. [quote="Enforcer"]Sorry, i don't think there is an actual tutorial on this, I'm not sure how to better explain it.

Do you know how to import and export textures with wally?

Also, here is a shot of a new texture for the mod i am working on. Which replaces this old texture: But for some reason i am not totally satisfied with it, i don't know why.[/quote]
By the way,I can make the same wall in GoldScr.Trust me.1 unit in Source=1 unit in GoldScr.I'm a mapper who is trying to make HD maps in GoldScr.Problem is that I can't make any bump.But I think the wall is quite nice.

---

Never think about bad things!
TNKqwe:The New Killer qwe
[img]http://images.quiz.wegame.com/production/personalities/22/badge.jpg[/img]
I am Engineer - Play Free Online Games
[img]http://media.moddb.com/images/global/moddb_88x31_v12.png[/img]
Citizen Arms

Ah, that's cool.

A few months ago i was making this in Goldsource, but then my friends convinced me in porting it over to source.

Any regrets?

---

Blog: www.playingarchitecture.net
LinkedIn: Eric Lancon
Twitter:@Riven202

"Enforcer" said:
Ah, that's cool.

A few months ago i was making this in Goldsource, but then my friends convinced me in porting it over to source.

If you ask me - HL mapping is more interesting than Source,because in GoldScr you have less opportunities-you have to make something nice with something old.But is always your choice.

---

Never think about bad things!
TNKqwe:The New Killer qwe
[img]http://images.quiz.wegame.com/production/personalities/22/badge.jpg[/img]
I am Engineer - Play Free Online Games
[img]http://media.moddb.com/images/global/moddb_88x31_v12.png[/img]
Citizen Arms

I can understand exactly why goldsource mapping has it's perks, as I map for the first Unreal which was released in 1998.

Although I have no regrets about moving to source, when I think about it i would rather make something awesome with something just good, rather than make something good from something old

Working on my GoldSrc to Source port:

Old
http://www.flickr.com/photos/43319150@N02/3991737152/in/photostream/

New (All terrain is placeholder, and the building is still WIP)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/43319150@N02/3991737308/in/photostream/

Other side, old:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/43319150@N02/3990988837/in/photostream/

Partially complete, new:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/43319150@N02/3991737206/in/photostream/

PS I'm testing Flickr, never used it before

Gorbi,

It looks good man.. I am partial to the old, but that maybe just because they are in the setting already. The new look good, and maybe once in a setting like the old, I will like them more. Good work man.

Okay ReNo, I'l post some screens for a couple maps I've been tinkering with. Not sure what to make the first one for but the second is a L4d2 map. I was rather dissappointed with the mall so i decided to make my own. What a colossal job that's turning out to be, I want to make it so you back track alot and spend alot of time in it.
first map

[IMG]http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j262/boppa54/dm_hippieworld_test0032-2.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j262/boppa54/dm_hippieworld_test0041-1.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j262/boppa54/dm_hippieworld_test0044-1.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j262/boppa54/dm_hippieworld_test0047-1.jpg[/IMG]

second map

[IMG]http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j262/boppa54/themaul0000.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j262/boppa54/themaul0001.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j262/boppa54/themaul0002.jpg[/IMG]

---

Light is faster than sound:That is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.

Your riches in life are family and friends, everything else is just a distraction.

@ stgfly:

The first map screenshots look like they were taken way back before the EP1 engine merged into the old HL2 2004 engine. The screenshots are showcasing the old grass detail sprites.

Looks to be interesting. Definitely fits the gloomy overcast hl2 skyline. I like what I see with the arched colonnade around that unique building. There is plenty of fauna, and the displacements help to make the landscape interesting. The treehouse is a nice touch, and I think the overall "complex" looks like an interesting place to visit if you were passing by it on your way to C17 in the buggy. (single-player anyone?!!?)

The L4D2 map is completely different obviously but sure does get the atmosphere across. I never cared for the completely blacked-out sections of L4D2, (or L4D1 for that matter), and I don't care for them here. I understand the context calls for power outage, but perhaps that could be rectified with some emergency lighting casting some cool shadows across important focal areas? Otherwise, it looks like a genuine L4D map in the images

Looks nice. I would like to play them soon!

---

Blog: www.playingarchitecture.net
LinkedIn: Eric Lancon
Twitter:@Riven202

Hi all, havent posted here for a lonnnng time! Just wanting to show peeps my come back map. Let me know what you think http://www.worldofleveldesign.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1706&sid=15e865892c45245133bc40d2bca8a6e9

Thanks!

Wow, that looks pretty good! -You should totally add that to the SnarkPit here!
-It totally deserves a spotlight here!

Nice job.

---

Blog: www.playingarchitecture.net
LinkedIn: Eric Lancon
Twitter:@Riven202

Still a wip, a quick gameplay vid with some special models!
Http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-jn27KLNaA&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Map I have been working on the last 3 days..

[IMG]http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c149/MuhnayShot/de_forgottentemple.png[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c149/MuhnayShot/forgottentemple_top.png[/IMG]

Put this in your maps bud. And please GOD no more png files.

---

The best things in life, aren't things.

Orph,

1st: you forget I dont like you, so I am not gonna lower my image standards just for you. So either deal with it, or shut up, no one cares about your metered connection.

2nd: I have deleted everything from the PIT, I will think about adding stuff back, once I feel RIVEN will be more serious and devoted to the site and starts to monitor and admin the site on a regular basis. I had asked that he delete me and everything about me from this site, but that is under discussions right now.

Muhnay said:
Orph,

1st: you forget I dont like you, so I am not gonna lower my image standards just for you. So either deal with it, or shut up, no one cares about your metered connection.

It's nice to see this place has kept its friendly and welcoming atmosphere during my absence.

More on-topic, however, is my new attempt at HL2 mapping -- which is just a Source remake of DM_Shafted.

[IMG]http://i54.tinypic.com/2q9a0bs.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i54.tinypic.com/1j7vas.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i52.tinypic.com/akh9pv.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i51.tinypic.com/n1bjuu.jpg[/IMG]

---

I'm allergic to tequila, it makes me break out in felonies.

Hey Victor, been a little while since we've heard from ya. I'm guessing with this new project, we'll get to see ya a little more often?

I can't put my finger on it, but those screens remind me of a DM map someone else already posted here on the Pit several years back. It was a really well designed map that was set underground.

But so far so good. I'd say the lighting is looking fairly interesting. At least without it, this map would be completely dark, so by default a dark map should have nice lighting one would suppose.

From the screenshots alone, I'd have to say the areas look rather varied, which should keeps things interesting. It looks cool basically. My only negative crit might be it's not messy enough for an underground mine. There should be rocks, or other debris hanging around. Do you have any flickering lights in it yet?

It looks like it would be fun to play through.

Glad to see ya back!

---

Blog: www.playingarchitecture.net
LinkedIn: Eric Lancon
Twitter:@Riven202

[EDIT]

Victor-933 said:
It's nice to see this place has kept its friendly and welcoming atmosphere during my absence.

Actually things are much better. Muhnay is our last truly destructive/disruptive member left.

As for the map, is it based upon another? It REALLY looks familiar.

---

The best things in life, aren't things.

Riven said:
I can't put my finger on it, but those screens remind me of a DM map someone else already posted here on the Pit several years back. It was a really well designed map that was set underground.

Orpheus said:
As for the map, is it based upon another? It REALLY looks familiar.

Maybe inspired by, but there was another mine map, named (gasp :-o) DM_Mine. I think it inspired me to make a mine-themed map in HL1, and after that lingered in development hell for about a year and a half I decided to port it to HL2, and here we are.

Considering I'm using stock resources (I'd like to get a good feel for Source mapping before I dive into custom assets) I'm probably kinda limited in my themes anyway.

---

I'm allergic to tequila, it makes me break out in felonies.

Riven it looks a lot like the map sections in the PIT PROJECT, where I made the trophies for. Still looks great though, regardless.

Victor, nah, I just don't like ORPH is all.. and he knows it... he just needs to be reminded from time to time ( He is OLD after all ). If you look at many of his recent post, he does nothing but rag on and belittle the PIT and a few member.. and then acts coy and innocent as if his shit don't stink, or he has no idea he is being an asshat. Look at how many times CRONO and he have had it out in the last couple months to see that I am not the last of anything.

Oh and ORPH, I have asked RIVEN to deal with you, or delete me.. he has asked me to stay and make the pit better.. I dont think it will be better until your gone... and I dont think he will remove you either.. so I have removed all my content from the pit, and am waiting for him to honor either of my request...

Well I'm not going to pass judgement, since I haven't been here in forever anyway and don't know what the hell is going on anymore

Back on topic, however.. I'm going to add a lot of physics objects eventually. I don't want to clutter things up too much while I'm still doing a lot of major edits.

The main problem I'm having right now is a lack of connectivity between the surface and lower levels -- so far there's the main elevator and a small ladder shaft. Since redesigning the displacments above ground it might be easier to add more smaller access points, but that probably won't help too much. I'll see what I can figure out.

---

I'm allergic to tequila, it makes me break out in felonies.

So the fist version was yours then?
Either way, it looks great.

As for me and Adam, we are connected at the hip and that's the end of that story.

TBH, I don't think its the least bit fair to ask Riven to decide your fate. Its truly not his problem and forcing it upon him is simply wrong.

---

The best things in life, aren't things.

Orpheus said:
So the fist version was yours then?
Either way, it looks great.

...no not sure where you got that idea

---

I'm allergic to tequila, it makes me break out in felonies.

Its been way to long, but the map I am thinking of is HL2.. Not HL1.

Anyways, I thought you meant you ported a map of your own. Since I am thinking of an HL2 map, then I am unsure now.

It was my understanding that ported either meant copied or transformed. In that case I also assumed you had the original RMF or VMF.

Sorry for my confuzzlement.

---

The best things in life, aren't things.