Creating an intro like the G-Man's

[archvilell]

How do I do it? I have a great idea for an intro, and I'm wondering how to bring it to life. It requires some video captured .avi's, however, and I am attempting to figure out the program I found (AVIedit, if anyone knows anything about it). Once I get that and string it together, how would I make the G-Man walk up to my character (who is frozen), walk around and talk to him then disappear? I found a file telling me how to run Faceposer (which I'll use to get lip synching right), but how would I get him to walk around, look at the character, etc. That's not a Hammer thing is it?

This video will be cool, but as of right now, I don't know how to create the last half, then put it all together. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

 

[archvilell]

Okay, I've got another problem. My AVIedit program says "My capture driver isn't connected. Please make my hardware is properly installed and connected." Hardware? All I need is software. And what is a capture driver? Where would I get one?

I know it's not HL2 related, but it is a minor part in one of my mods.

 

[Pi Mu Rho]

Valve helpfully provided the intro map in it's raw, uncompiled format. Look for d1_trainstation_01

 

[archvilell]

Hmm. I looked around in it and couldn't find anything super-prominant (I'm not, nor do I claim to be, a master at Hammer.) I looked for triggers and stuff and couldn't find anything setting off a movie or anything.

My question really was: How would I go about doing that?

Here's what should happen: a series of "flashbacks" (movies from play in OF played in short bursts. I'd put them together to make one avi) then it suddenly turns black. The G-Man comes and talks to the character (who can't move) then slowly fades away. A voice sounds and the view slowly fades back to normal. The character starts lying on his back (like when you first meet Alyx) and then stands up.

I know that sounds really specific, but all I want is a generic answer. Something like: "Make the first part up until yada-yadad a movie then make a map in Hammer and get it to play your movie."

Heh, I may have just answered my own question... what ideas come to your minds?

-Archvilell

Edit: Well, hmm. This flashback thing might end up on hold for a while. i don't know how to record what happens on my monitor. Like screenshots but only movies. I thought it was called "video capturing," but apparently that involves cameras and things. All I want is my computer to record what it displays from time x to time y. What is this called?

 

[Pi Mu Rho]

The thing is, the intro for HL2 isn't a pre-recorded video. It's done in realtime as part of the map.

there's software like Fraps that does what you want.

 

[brisck1]

I'd realy like to know how the screen FX such as black and white, crossfade etc were achived. I have looked at the trainstation map closely but still not come up with any ideas...

 

[AcousticToad]

Scene files combined with one Choreographed scene with multiple triggers, script_intro with the file scenes/npc/gman/gman_intro along with other files create the whole sequence.


Attached is a BSP and VMF of the intro, the map file contains just the entities that are required to create the scene, you can then work out what section goes where, although it looks like thats defined in the scene file (in Half Life 2 engine.gcf)

 

[brisck1]

does it show how the post image processing effects were done?

 

[archvilell]

I'm thinking that I could stitch the flashbacks together with some avi editting program (such as windows movie maker), get the G-Man to walk around and talk on a black background in Faceposer, save that as an avi, paste that on the end of the flashbacks, then the intro would be one big movie (since the character can't move and doesnt have a hud anyway) and make hammer play it before the game starts. Would that work?

 

[Dan]

I don't think HL2 can play .avi's in game. All of those scenes are rendered live. I suppose you could make it the intro intro part, like where the guy with the valve in the eyesocket is, that's a video file. But why not just script it into the game. Forget the whole pre-recorded scene.

 

[sabre0001]

Hey AcousticToad - that file wont open for me...

 

[AcousticToad]

Try changing it to .rar, rar wasn't supported and zip was to big so i did a rename job.

Im not entirely sure how its done, but im starting to think its to do with the scene files and remap entities, since then all have I/O's to each other and most of them mention blend modes and fade modes.

 

[Iced_Eagle]

arch:

It's easy to get it on a black backround just make a cube and apply the "black" texture (fliter for black in the texture browser)

 

[archvilell]

I want to have "flashbacks" in my video though, which are movie screenschots from Opposing Force. Would I have to remake the levels and all for each flashback then transport the player from map to map?

If so, that would suck and I would think of a new intro lol.

 

[Dan]

you could just use the original op force bsp and rip out the entities and put in your own camera entities and whatever else you need

 

[archvilell]

True. True. I'll keep that in mind.

I would need some major help in figuring out how to transport the player from map to map (all the pieces would be in one 'map,' but in separate areas. That way they're all loaded as one.) I can't get a guy to even move from one place to another and then back.

I was kind of hoping the intro would just be one movie that could just be played before the game started.