A heads-up about the SDK

GPuzzle

L9: Fashionable Member
Feb 27, 2012
638
414
Wait, wait, wait.
So if that explains the Workshops (that's at least what I understood), then we can see a TF2 Map Workshop?
 

henke37

aa
Sep 23, 2011
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It would indeed help there.
 

Crash

func_nerd
aa
Mar 1, 2010
3,315
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They haven't said either way, but for what it's worth, this update appears to be geared towards make such a thing easier to do for them. Not necessarily for a map workshop specifically, but this is one step closer.
 

Mr. Happy

L6: Sharp Member
Jul 16, 2008
320
158
I was thinking about this and about how files are distributed and bzp vs. vpk. Currently if artists release custom materials/models and a mapper uses that they bzip. If two maps use that same texture they both bzip so now there is double the storage needed.


It would be cool if this system could somehow avoid that, say if there was a workshop that supported maps and assets then you would only have to pack a .res or something. Then the game reads that and gets the pack, or if it has the pack it doesn't have to get it again. Or something.


So I guess this makes bzip obsolete, but what if you distribute your bzp and vpk separately? I think that would be a good way to go about things if it works.
 
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ics

http://ics-base.net
aa
Jun 17, 2010
841
541
We should have a beta build ready on Monday or Tuesday or next week.

This was posted by Valve person today on hlds_linux mailing list when asked about the tools.

So hands up!
 

Seba

DR. BIG FUCKER, PHD
aa
Jun 9, 2009
2,364
2,728
I was thinking about this and about how files are distributed and bzp vs. vpk. Currently if artists release custom materials/models and a mapper uses that they bzip. If two maps use that same texture they both bzip so now there is double the storage needed.


It would be cool if this system could somehow avoid that, say if there was a workshop that supported maps and assets then you would only have to pack a .res or something. Then the game reads that and gets the pack, or if it has the pack it doesn't have to get it again. Or something.


So I guess this makes bzip obsolete, but what if you distribute your bzp and vpk separately? I think that would be a good way to go about things if it works.

What do you mean by "get the pack?" Pack of what? If a map uses only one model from the ConPack, I don't think downloading all 100+ megs of it would be the best option. If they were downloaded by folder, then maybe; but folders tend to change a lot and some modelers (me included) tend to throw new models into existing folders if they don't think they deserve an entirely new folder. IMO bspzipping is fine, we just need a Valvemade GUI for it that works properly.
 

A Boojum Snark

Toraipoddodezain Mazahabado
aa
Nov 2, 2007
4,775
7,669
They're probably referring to the built-in in-game/in-engine map editor that is drag and drop tile based editing. It is amazingly smooth and efficient for making plain chambers, though you need to go back to Hammer if you want any special decoration or story stuff.
 

Pocket

Half a Lambert is better than one.
aa
Nov 14, 2009
4,694
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That's why I figured there was going to be a shiny new SDK for "Source 1" eventually. Honestly, I'm surprised it's not in a finished state already. I know Valve Time and everything, but their internal tools tend to be the first things done since they kind of need them to work on other things.
 

PoignardAzur

L2: Junior Member
Mar 21, 2013
92
9
They're probably referring to the built-in in-game/in-engine map editor that is drag and drop tile based editing. It is amazingly smooth and efficient for making plain chambers, though you need to go back to Hammer if you want any special decoration or story stuff.
Oh, yeah, this one is great. Although they limited it too much - when you think about it, there's a huge amount of things (defective turrets, more "observation" rooms, props, doors, bottomless pits, etc...) they could have put quite easily into it, which would have made the thing far better - and they definitely should have added an option to directly generate bsp files :(
 
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henke37

aa
Sep 23, 2011
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There is an option to generate a bsp file from the in game editor. It's a console command.
 

henke37

aa
Sep 23, 2011
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Ah right, I mixed up bsp and vfm.
 

PoignardAzur

L2: Junior Member
Mar 21, 2013
92
9
Are you sure ? The only method I found to get Hammerable files with this tool was to "build" them into a playable map, then to decompile them. But I may be wrong.

Oh, btw, I had a question : have people ever tried reverse-engineering Hammer, or something like that ? You know, to make other tools like the perpetual initative editor, or simply to make a "Hammer in better". And by "tried", I mean "successfully" ^^
 

henke37

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Sep 23, 2011
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It's easier to just reverse engineer the vmf file format and make your own editor from scratch.