help needed for a noob !

[Cryx]

hello !

i started mapping only a few days befor (and im not english ,hope u would understand me :S)and i found some very usefull videotutorials
to use hammer !
but i have still some questions :

-how can i inserte new textures (i downloaded a texture pack but i cant use it :S)

-is it possible to use prefabs downloaded on prefabland even if they are for counterstrike 1.6 ,and if yes how?

-im searching for car models to insert in my map ,is it possible or can i only use the ones given within the SDK (optionally wher could i found some car models/prefabs ?


so thats all ! hope isnt to much for a first post !
thanx for helpin me !

 

[Geronimous]

hmmm

- if you install the textures in the right place, Hammer should have them available to you. Be sure to put them in the correct gamepath

- to some extend. brushwork should work, however textures will not work. Entities in the prefab only work if they are still used the same in the Source engine.

- you can use custom models, inclusing carmodels of course (non-drivable) browse through the model folders with Hammer or the Model Viewer to locate car models.

 

[Cryx]

ok thank you !
but what is the correct gamepath ?i browsed thruw my SDK folder and i didnt found any texture !

-i think i havent understand anything sorry !

-the question i have is how to add new car models to the ones i have allready in the SDK !for exemple how to add (and where to find them!!if i havent to make them myself :S)a sportscar model (non-drivible of course !)

thnx

 

[Ti133700N]

To create new texture you can use my VtexGUI utility (the link is in my sig).

I think you'r talking about models, not prefabs. Prefabs are only a bunch of brushes or entities created within Hammer and saved (like if it was a map). Ok... hum, you talked about prefabland so I guess you really meant prefabs but you should really use models instead, they are cheap to render and look much, much, much better. There are already alot of models included in the sdk (make a prop something and change the model property).

Yes there are some car models included in the sdk. Do like I said to insert a model and when you browse for the model file it's in the \models\props_vehicles folder. If you want cars that do not move, use the prop_static entity.

There are not sportscars in the sdk (that I am aware of). Custom models might be a little tricky. You'll have to find Web sites that gives custom models for Source games. Otherwise, you can export models from a 3D modeling package but that would be another chapter because as I said, it's a little tricky. If you really want to try I suggest you to use the modeling toolkit some0ne made (search the forums you'll find it).

 

[Cryx]

ok ok so i forget about the prefab idea and i´ll try to find some models !
could u give me a link for a tutorial for the tricky stuff ?
when u say export models u mean i must convert them between 2 file types ?
and for the textures: i dont want to create some but to use the ones i downloaded ! or do i have to use this soft to "integrate" them in a texturelibrary ?
thnx 4 taking time to help !

 

[RazorbackWarrior]

go to www.valve-erc.com and look for all the documentation, makes stuff a lot easier than those video tutorials to me. I'm new at this too!

edit: i have a question lol, where can i get the entity called info_player_deathmatch thanks if you can get me this help

 

[WAR_Nuker]

i remember coming across that player deathmatch problem too. i felt stupid after i figured it out. go to steam and play games. source sdk. when its done launching the little menu that pops up....theres a little pull down on the bottom of the menu. set it to half life 2 deathmatch. now the info_player_deathmatch entity will be on the list of entities for you to use

 

[RazorbackWarrior]

i was in the wrong game when i went to to hammer editor!! silly me!

 

[Ti133700N]

ok ok so i forget about the prefab idea and i´ll try to find some models !
could u give me a link for a tutorial for the tricky stuff ?
when u say export models u mean i must convert them between 2 file types ?
and for the textures: i dont want to create some but to use the ones i downloaded ! or do i have to use this soft to "integrate" them in a texturelibrary ?
thnx 4 taking time to help !

There are plenty of threads on this forum about how to import models into the game.

Yea basically you have to convert from a file type to another. You go from the file type your modeling package uses or you downloaded (e.g. .max for 3dsmax scene or .3ds for 3dsmax models etc.) and export it to smd. (there is a plugin for max and the free special version of XSI can do it without any plugin). Next you'll have to texture the model. Convert the texture to vtf/vmt. Then you'll have to make a .qc file (plain text format that tells wich texture to use, what type of material this model is, animations, mass etc... Then you have to compile it with studiomdl (included in the sdk). This will output mdl files wich are the actual model files source games can read.

For the texture, that's similar, although a lot less complicated. You'll have to convert your textures to tga 24 bits not compresses and resize them so that their size is a power of 2 e.g: 512x512 pixels. Then you'll have to compile those tga to vtf/vmt. My program does all this for you. You specify the tga to convert and it will copy it to the right directories, convert it so that you can use it in Hammer. There is also a wizard that can guide you step by step if you are new to this. You can specify en entire folder to be converted so all the tga in that folder will be compiled and can be used in Hammer.

Hope this answer your questions.

If I were you I'd start with custom texturing before custom models... but that's up to you.

 

[Cryx]

ok i ll try ur soft and i ll try the custom texturing first !
thanx you all for the help !


PS i ll post a screen of my map soon !