i was wondering were or how you learned to mod HL2.

is XsI incorperated in HL2?

do you need a to anything special from valve for this sort of thing?

any information you could contribute would be much apreciated

Maps are created by Valve Hammer world editor.

Models are created by a number of different programs, but valve has a free xsi mod tool you can download.

Textures are pretty much anything like photoshop and vtfedit.

Coding is probably done by *Fill in blanks here Hischild/Zoc*,Visual studios?

Basically, you have three primary elements to the code. You have Steam and direct Steam interactions. You cannot change this.

Then, you have the engine itself. This you also have very limited access to unless you purchase a license.

Finally, what you can change, is in essence game mechanics and logic. You can manipulate parts of the engine from here but not change the actual engine code.

You don't need anything from Valve but the SDK you download over Steam and Visual Studio (even the free Express will suffice.)

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Make sure you get Visual Studio 2005, rather than 2008. To compile the code in 2008 currently takes some work, a lot easier just to use 2005.

If you want to learn how to model I'd go and download the SoftImage XSI Mod Tool there are a huge amount of videos and tutorials available for getting to grips with it.

For mapping, head over to Interlopers and EditLife, as well as using the resources available on our own wiki.

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God.

Basically you only need visual studio for the compiling. I've been doing quite a bit of my work in Kdevelop and in Kate. Also, if you want to use a linux server you need a linux box to compile on, which takes some work.

Also, vs 2008 does work, however the work required to get it working isn't worth what you get in return.

Modelling can be done in any 3d program and then exported using a variety of formats and then using mdlcompiler be compiled to a source model and be used ingame.

i wouldnt use mdlcompiler... you miss alot of functions when using the cmdline one valve gave out... GUIStudioMDL makes things alot easier... for any modeling problems post in modeling help... see what we can do about it then...

later

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You don't miss out any functions, you just need to use the command line and QC files to get at those functions. GUIStudioMDL only adds a GUI wrapper around the command line version, considering command lines are actually more user friendly than GUIs, when it comes to ease of use and replication; it seems like the better options just to learn the flags you'll need to use.

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God.

Seems to me using command lines would be easy for a coder who wanted to export models, but the GUI would be easier for an artist who wanted to export models.... since coders think in code, and artists think in pictures.... =D

This also has some helpful stuff.

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nobody

True, it's just a lot easier to remember words than it is to remember what you clicked on last time you used it as you can just store the commands in a file, it's also slows you down quite a bit, for example with map compiling to final the maps I just run a batch script that compiles everything in the folder. Okay that's slightly advanced, but you're probably right anyway.

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God.

0_o wow that is crazy! I hope to learn all that when I get back going through college, but right now - ZOOM! ::info flies at light speed over my head:: I mean I get some of what your saying, but yeah, zoom.

LOL!



EDIT: Oh yeah, and you don't NEED to have a concept artist. Just a perk! ;D



:P

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nobody