HL:Source Overhaul modification

HL:Source is just HL on the HL2 engine (Source), with nice water effects and lighting. They're not updating textures (materials), models or maps in the slightest.

We're aiming to not just upgrade all of the above, but take HL to the limits of the engine, really show off what it could have been like with this technology all those years ago :)
 
I can use a decompiler to look at the maps in world craft. I look at the objects (I count the units) and recreat them in another program. I'm modling the train right now. Shouldn't trake long. I'll post a pic when I'm done. Recreating all or most of HL in another program is going to be a pain in the ass. But I always wanted to do it. Now I have a better reason to do it.
 
You mean your modelling the train that Gordon enters Blackmesa on?

As Dark Elf said make it nice and high poly, will be layed over a less high one later on :)
 
I making a copy of the one in HL with the same textures. It helps me make a high poly one when I do that later.
 
Hear is my copy of the train. It's not much to look at but I have it done in the program and its mine to tweek. Based off of this I will make a better one that could be used in the game.
train3.jpg
 
Great start :)

A nice high-poly one next would great

Never been a fan of those textures, always steered clear :D
 
Yep, what you should do now is use that as the base, and then build a high poly (any number of polygons, no limit) and create the same thing using geometry for as much as you possibly can, even the tiny details. They'll all be important when it comes to baking the normal maps, aswell as the differences in lighting and shadowing that bump maps wouldn't give.

Just go crazy on details, even down to modeling dints and uneven "flat" surfaces with polygons. Even the smallest difference in the angle of a polygon will get picked up by the normal map baking. And later when textures can be even higher resolution, even more detail will be captured.

Once you've done that, add textures, lots of procedural ones, lots of images, don't UV map the high poly model, it'll be next to impossible with so much detail, and you really don't need to. Use just about any mapping technique you want until its loaded with detail, don't worry if it ends up taking three days to render it neither, you'll only need to bake all that information once and its done

Also working from a high poly model like that will let you make a very optimised low poly game model cage, knowing exactly what you should and shouldn't model in the low poly version. UV map the low poly model.

Then when its all ready to make, light the high poly version evenly, don't use any direct lighting on it, have a good overall light, global illumination can work well, just to bring out the details even more. Then bake all the maps onto your low poly UV. Done right, you'll have a low polygon game model that looks scarily like its made up of a few million polygons, yet can wizz around the screen without slowing down once.
 
I've never really looked into all this baking and such (saw that cliff video from valve).

Might try model the flatbed tram and see what can do with it.

@ Dark Elf - After the highpoly version is baked onto the low poly frame do you UV map that and then skin the model then?
 
You have to UV map the low poly model _first_ before you can bake the high poly detail to it.

Once you bake the information onto the low poly model, thats your texturing finished, you don't do anything to it then. Baking it bakes the normal maps, the diffuse maps, the specular maps, the color maps the luminosity maps the reflection maps, whatever maps you require. It spits them out as separate image files, that perfectly match your low poly UV map, from there you'll just convert them to the correct Source image format and bobs yer uncle its done.
 
Hmm, still not sure how the actual texture (not like normal maps or anything) the e.g. Bitmap image skin, when they gets put on the model.

On the low poly model like NWD has done?

Really need to learn to use XSI, don't think MS3D cuts it anymore!
 
jheaddon said:
Hmm, still not sure how the actual texture (not like normal maps or anything) the e.g. Bitmap image skin, when they gets put on the model.

On the low poly model like NWD has done?

Really need to learn to use XSI, don't think MS3D cuts it anymore!
Click to expand...
The baking process _projects_ the information on the surface of the high poly model, onto the low poly UV map. Thats why the low poly model has to generally match the overall shape of the high poly model for it to work correctly.

Imagine you've got a stain glass window, and you shine a light through it so it projects the patterns in the stain glass window on the floor, you then paint onto the floor what the projection looks like, turn off the light and you've got the projected image baked on the floor surface

Here's a quick example

highpoly.jpg
Thats the high poly object

with.jpg
Thats the low poly object with the data from the high poly object baked directly onto it

without.jpg
Thats the same object, minus its normal map

Done in a few minutes to show how quickly it can be done. Texturing it by hand would have taken longer
 
Ahh i see :)

Doesn't look as good as the highpoly (obviously) but still pretty amazing for low poly model :)
 
jheaddon said:
Ahh i see :)

Doesn't look as good as the highpoly (obviously) but still pretty amazing for low poly model :)
Click to expand...
It was done in the simplist way (It was originally made to prove to Epyon that a vase does NOT take three months and counting to make) it took a few minutes, and to prove how fast I just lowered the poly count on the low poly one from the high poly model.. But you should always make the low poly one manually from scratch, better results.
 
Really need to learn a new program, looked at gmax, 3ds (same pretty much) and xsi, all alot more complicated than i'd like heh :)

Think i'll stick mostly to mapping, what i'm good at
 
jheaddon said:
Really need to learn a new program, looked at gmax, 3ds (same pretty much) and xsi, all alot more complicated than i'd like heh :)

Think i'll stick mostly to mapping, what i'm good at
Click to expand...
I'd go with XSI, since we've got a guy from Softimage on the forum who'll happily help out with sensible questions.
 
Ah thats always nice to know :)

Am home tonight so will get to work on design document again, see how much i can get patched up and will then send your way :)
 
so you're taking the HL2 models and putting them in the original source? if so then count me in! Im a 3D artist :), sounds like a really fun idea
oldfaq
 
Planning to create the models from scratch oldfaq, makes things much less complicated.

Planning to use a lot of baking and such to get the best from the engine :)
 
jheaddon said:
Planning to create the models from scratch oldfaq, makes things much less complicated.

Planning to use a lot of baking and such to get the best from the engine :)
Click to expand...
Thats a good idea, will look good then :)
 
Your idea :p

Just going through hl quickly picking out all major events and cool things would like to keep in
 
jheaddon said:
Your idea :p

Just going through hl quickly picking out all major events and cool things would like to keep in
Click to expand...
You have to keep those ridiculous ties.
 
Oh you'd better believe it, and the other witty remarks.

Will need some new voice actors later on, you want a go at the ties? :)
 
Dark,

Thought it might be worth caining the Hazard Course first, release that when its done (as a trailer and maybe playable), to get people interested.

What you reckon?

Pretty easy to do compared to the entire sp episode at first, get us warmed up to it.
 
jheaddon said:
Dark,

Thought it might be worth caining the Hazard Course first, release that when its done (as a trailer and maybe playable), to get people interested.

What you reckon?

Pretty easy to do compared to the entire sp episode at first, get us warmed up to it.
Click to expand...
yeah you could do that. Or the parts up until the accident for a challenge and to make em really want more ;)
 
Have written a quick review of the hazard course and how i'd like it to happen, fancy a look? *Attached*

Have made it so that you can play it from the game menu and when you enter the facility (after the tram introduction) the barney and receptionist asks if you would like the introduction.

Will writeup a nice layout for the tram introduction (should've done first really!) next. Any ideas or things you would like to see going on during the trip?

Maybe some experiments and things being moved or created. Maybe the little trolley with the rock thing you push in the test chamber being brought in?
 
First, as in development.

Or as in before tram journey? Thought it made more sense to be in the facility doing the training, seems a bit back to front the other way.
 
My idea for the tram:

TramDesign.jpg


Right Hand-Side with the door.

Left Hand-Side with no door and glass panel all the way around for better viewing.

A crap front picture.

An inside picture followed by an ontop inside picture.

Got the monitor in there and less sitting space, but have put in hand rails like on buses and trains where you can stand.


Thoughts? With the left side all glass (and no door) would be easier to be like HL and have most things happen to the trams left.

Not sure how easy that would be to model, obviously its a little more rounded on the fronts and such but i'm not that good at drawing so :p
 
Hey I like the new tram style. Could be an interesting mod could this :D:D:D
 
Dark Elf, check the other thread, see what you think about last 2 pages lol.

Also, was talking to a developer (working with hl2 sdk-legit) and he reckons highly against using lots of XSi created parts in maps, i.e. lots of baked models instead of any textures
 
The Dark Elf wasn't saying to use static props to the extent - he meant recreating the textures by physically creating the objects they represent.

Example: instead of making a brick texture, you make a brick wall, modelling the bricks and mortar, apply relevant materials, light it and render it. That's your texture.
 
oooh right i get it now :)

thanks Pi -mm

makes much more sense lol, sorry
 
jheaddon said:
oooh right i get it now :)

thanks Pi -mm

makes much more sense lol, sorry
Click to expand...
Yep, exactly how Pi said.

now go tell your sdk owning friend he was barking up the wrong normal mapped tree and go back to his WWII mod ;)
 
Fine :(

You have a chance to read the hazard course plan? Needs changing a little but you get the gist.

Also drawn out some sketches for the tram ride, will post soon (damn i need to learn to draw..)
 
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