Level Design

A guide to light ents for newbies

This is a basic tutorial about the ai_goal_police . This is basically an entity that when triggered forces a named npc_metropolice to guard a particular area in your map.

Making a freight elevator with props

Resembling the automatic stairs in Portal, this was made for Ep 2. It will work in both Half-life 2 and Portal, just be selective with your textures.

This tutorial shows the basic steps to change from one map to another (level change)in the game.

A Physics Collapsing Ceiling

Counter-Strike Source and R_speeds

Texture variation within a terrain surface

Hanging Entitys from a rope in CS:Source

It shows how to make a lift that will visit anyone of five floors, by pressing the appropriate button

Introduction to, and use of, a logic_case

Making the Gman into a 'Model Citizen'

This article can help bring your older mods back to life on Steam pipe

In this series of tutorials we will take the room made in the first tutorial, duplicate it, and make a two level room.

This is a set of stairs that slide out from a wall.

Illustrates how to make fast zombies climb. Also in here is a way of starting the map in cheat mode on map spawn.

High Dynamic Range can help you add that warm glow to your creation.

AI path Finding in Half-Life 2

Adding that touch of ambience to your Source maps

Finding leaks in the new Hammer

This tutorial is about Teleports. The map shows four teleports, A to B then B to A.

Part one of an In-depth tutorial covering the ins and outs of lighting in the Source Engine

create a CCTV style monitor that will display two different camera locations on one monitor toggled by a button.

This tutorial demonstrates some of the action in the Coast levels in the game.

Creating a Skybox

how I made the tunnels in my map

Create a simple lift/elevator system for your maps

One way of using trigger_look. In the VMF - you see a screen of the adjacent room, then a shelf falls down in the room enabling you to get a gun and ammo. Zombies Optional !

Tutorial showing how to get citizens (NPC's) to come through a door.

Looks at both way of putting a sun (env_sun) into your map.

In this Tutorial we will explain you how to create your first room. You will learn to place one light and a player start and something more. So you got a basic knowledge of building a map.

In this tutorial I will try to describe how to make a 3d skybox. See tutorial 100, here for the theory. The map I am making here is a bit like the SDK_3dskybox map, simple enough, but the principles apply to more complicated maps

Quick and Easy Working Ladders

How to make stuff respawn if the conventional ways fail.

This is a tutorial for how to spawn objects with a press of a button.

This is another PORTAL tutorial. This one is the basic circular door model with the button that you put the box on to open it.

The most common reason for props not showing up in the game

Shows you what you should use subdivide for

Configure advanced compile to run with extra parameters etc.

Draws a basic outside area with trees and fog, and suggests a couple of good sky and light environment combinations to get a good effect.

This is a tutorial from Nero that shows you how to make a carryable blowtorch that you can use to cut open a door.

This is the second tutorial on moving lasers. In this one the laser is in a round tunnel, it moves back and forward through the tunnel and revolves at the same time.

This tutorial is a continuation of the fourth tutorial, we will take the rooms made there and join them with a corridor.

A short story on a 1.6 to source conversion

The PVC is a camera that you can have static or moving. It changes the players view from the player, to anywhere you like.

This tutorial shows how to make a conveyor that transports the player - so a moving floor I guess. I will put up a tutorial on how to make one for transporting objects later.

and why yours might not work

A trick for improving player movement through your single or multiplayer level. Touches on the proper use of prop_physics, player clips, and layout techniques.

A tutorial on how to create a tire swing with physics and constraints

This is a timer put together by Bud Doug Lee for PORTAL. It is set up so that as soon as the map starts the timer counts down from 30 seconds to zero.

How to make the inside and outside of a dome using displacement surfaces

Create a TV with Breen talking on it

This is a tutorial is the first on the logic_choreographed_scene.

This shows how to make a npc_c scanner on the same path patrol endlessly.

This is part of a series of tutorials on making better maps through simple techniques. This isn't about performance, this is about style, read another tutorial to get higher frame rates.

Create a simple room with a light

This tutorial shows how to make an 'Iris' door.

Part two of an In-depth tutorial covering the ins and outs of lighting in the Source Engine

Disguising the player as a combine by Treb_Treb

Creating an arch that fits in a square hole

Elapsed Time by Bud Doug Lee

This was put together by qwerty who was trying to find a way to make the Citizen act like a metrocop guarding an area (ai_goal_police).

Using Math_Counters To Trigger Single Events From Multiple Triggers

Making it Rain or Snow

How to construct one from scratch - though there is a prefab in Hammer.

Practical Displacements

This tutorial on an alternative multi choice lift using func_movlinear instead of func_tracktrain.

how to get npc_seagull to spawn and to fly.

Triggering a Sound

Make players start out with certain weapons.

It shows a good way of using a math_counter and triggers, to set off a number of events.

Getting it done despite the bugs

This tutorial will try to explain how the phys_pulleyconstraint entity works.

how to make a mirror

This tutorial shows how to make the plug that features a lot in the game.

Making a Ladder

This is a basic tutorial on displacement mapping

This tutorial shows the very simple way to make cylinders and spheres using displacements.

how to make water rise and fall in a map

Making a Spawn and func_buyzone in CS:S

This is a basic tutorial about npc_helicopter

little how-to on the new way to link entities

Env_Beam

This is a basic tutorial by Raidenator on how to create a displacement brush. These are the brushes that are used mainly for creating terrain.

This is a tutorial about stairs.

I have taken the Hotel building from Trainstation and constructed it from scratch.

A guide on the three diffrent types of glass the source engine is capable of

In HL2 City 17 - there's a scene where you and some rebels are trying to get through a combine gate.

This tutorial covers the env_steam entity , and includes a valve to turn it on and off.

In this tutorial we will learn how to use the sew command with displacement mapping, as well as a few tips for easier dispacement mapping.

Leaks, Pointfiles, and You

A tutorial on how to get an npc_cscanner to equip itself with Combine Mines and drop them. The scanner uses Path Corners to guide it's movement.

This tutorial shows how to build a garage door that opens up and over.

This is a tutorial on how to make a 'real' lift/elevator. This is the prop_dynamic model lift seen throughout the HL2 game, primarily in Eli's Lab.

List of Half-Life 2 and Counter-Strike Source skynames

How to set up a zombie breaking through a wall, out of a cupboard and through metal panels (a bit like in the early coast level). I have tried to show a few ways of doing it using, and in the process illustrate a couple of ways of blowing up walls.

This tutorial shows how to place and link, ai_goal_assault, assault_assaultpoint and assault_rallypoint.

Movable objects

How to add custom sounds to Source maps

The basic principles to Game_UI and Logic_Compare entity control.

Design realistically-breaking glass doors

Have you ever noticed that some 'grass' textures also have tall grass and weeds that show up in game?

This tutorial shows how to 'fuel' an energy source.

make antlions or other npc's assault / move to a place on the map

This is a list of soundscapes for some Source Games

Create a simple corridor in hammer

In this second tutorial on the Arch tool. In it we will look at how to make curved corners and coving in rooms.

This is an illustration of some of the things you can do with Trigger_push. Most of what you need to know is in the VMF as you can experience the effects there.

Ever wondered how you can make caves like in Episode 2?

It is the Battery Puzzle in HalfLife 2 where you have to get the batteries all hooked up.

Import Custom Textures

Let you map have light! A tutorial that will give you a better idea of how simple lights are implemented into your maps and also the effects that they will have on the compiled product.

In this and the last two tutorials, I have tried to show how to set up a zombie breaking through walls: out of a cupboard and through metal panels

CSS Bomb target

Covers four different ways of making Volumetric Light and in part two shows how to create fake shadows.

This tutorial is just another way of triggering something into action.

Want some realistic terrain? Read on!

Make combine NPCs hurl barrels at the player and fire at them

How to create a rotating door using models.

Made in Episode 1 config. Tutorial shows how to blow up doors with combine lock on.

This tutorial follows a request on the Halfwit-2 forum about respawning items.

a tutorial on how buildings that are not accessible to the player, but form an essential part of maps, were made, and were able to look so realistic.

This one shows how to create the Zombie lying on the floor who gets up when you appear, 'Zombie Slumprise' I think.

Real Constructive: Hammer Geometry for Unreal Mappers

This shows how to put the Episode 2 car in your map. It also shows how to set up the radar unit, and an example of using it.

This example demonstrates how to build a 21 floor spiral staircase using the Paste Special function.

Add Breakable Glass to your level

Simple tute showing how to do this. Be aware that when they get shot a headcrab appears from nowhere !!

Shows you how to make a tunnel through the use of displacements

An easy to use tool that makes life easier in many ways.

This is a basic tutorial on how the Gravity function works. Put simply, to change the gravity the player must walk through a trigger_gravity brush.

This is just an illlustration of what can be achieved with creative brushwork, so you don't always have square or rectangular rooms in your map.

Cutting holes in things: which tool and why

This tutorial shows how to make a breakable padlock, enabling access to a locked/padlocked area. This is the promised extension to the env_steam tutorial ( No: 51) and uses that VMF.

This is a tutorial for creating an initial block map for an outdoor real world location.

how to make a func_physbox explode upwards, and basically how to fling heavy objects into the air.

Displaying something, and plugged into the wall

Hidden and Dangerous: npc_sniper

This tutorial by Maloof?/Superbacon of the Facepunch Forums, covers the placement and basic animation of the Citadel Core from Halflife-2: Episode 1.

Set the mood of a scene easily using Source's in-game GUI colour correction editor.

Ever wanted to give areas in your map a name that'll show up under the radar, next to teamchat and that bots will refer to?

Moving water layer

This tutorial shows how to make npc_metropolice and npc_combine_s patrol. It's based on ai_goal_actbusy and info_node_hint entities.

The Tangled Web We Weave: Ropes in HL2

This tutorial demonstrates the use of the logic_case and logic_timer entities.

This Tutorial assumes you have completed 'Part-1', of making the corridor.

Tutorial on how to set up Floor turrets to shoot at your enemies.

This is an extension of the tutorial on cameras.

This is a follow to Simple Lasers. It demonstrates how to link lasers to entities which move. Two ways are illustrated here and in 137 - a laser that goes up and down and one that revolves and moves to and fro at the same time.

This is a PORTAL tutorial. Shows how to construct the Rocket Gun - from a VMF by Bud Doug Lee.

Part 3 - This tutorial shows how to make a double drawbridge.

Using them, and stopping them from kicking up dust

This tutorial was written in response to a query on the Chatbear forum. Shadowofamn wanted to know how to make a ladder, like a fire escape, that slides down to ground level so you can use it.

Shows how to make an angled pipe using displacements.

Creating a Mounted gun, for Orange-box games and mods. (Ep2, etc)

Using displacement maps to preserve texture alignment around arches.

In this tutorial we will build a room and divide it with a wall.

How to get physics objects into your Source engine maps

Making a Bomb Site in CS:Source

A short tutorial on how to add decals to brush entities.

This tutorial shows how to get citizens to jump down, as in the d3_c17_04 level HL2.

A short tutorial illustrating how to get an npc_metropolice to shoot a flare into the air.

This camera is good for when you join a map, it gives you a view of the map before you join a team

Portal: Changing Textures/Signs

how to set up the exploding Gaspumps found in one of the coast levels.

Ever wondered how Valve made them, find out here!

Doors in HL2: The prop_door_rotating Entity

Triggered door with button

This tutorial shows how to insert your own .wav file and get a model (GMan in this case) to mouth what you have recorded.

Blow up a wall with an airstrike

In this Tutorial we'll explain you how to navigate the Hammer Editor. You'll learn more about the functions of the Tools and the handling of the Editor.

This is a basic tutorial on lighting which I discovered on thread at Facepunch Forums. I liked it's simple straighforward four step approach to getting good basic lighting effects.

This tutorial shows how to make a simple camera and project a scene onto a monitor.

In this short tutorial we'll get a citizen to run from one side of the map to the other screaming.