Source Mapping Tutorial 15 - 3D Skyboxes

[XazoTak]

Tutorial makers! Stop filming your screens! Get a screenspace recorder, or stop spamming on youtube. Oops, nevermind, for some reason the quality was different for a moment.

[XazoTak]

Tutorial makers! Stop filming your screens! Get a screenspace recorder, or stop spamming on youtube.

[halo22222q]

Shit creepy but thanks

[RatmanXX]

Very very very good tutorial! I see this is Tutorial 15, but I see, you have only 5 videos in your uploaded videos list...

Where are number 1-11?

Your tutorial looks really helpful!

[GiveMeBass93]

song? :3

[SWBF2Reviews]

you are the only person i know who uses naught (?) instead of zero.

[Supremerful]

wow, this video is relaxing to listen to

[RamboHax]

And a add on my other comment, please make a tutorial about how to make trains and elevators.

2 Years since you uploaded this video and said you was going to make it, so it better be time soon :D

Im looking forward too it, because thats a nice thing to know.

Thank you :)

[RamboHax]

Thanks for all your tutorials, a lot of help in these videos!!

I love you're explenations and I didn't fail so much when I did what you did.. Great work man! :)

[jeffjohnvol]

Nice tutorial. It would be nice to see the compiled version of your demo. Thanks for sharing.

[parent912]

lol pay attention on my voice not this message XD

[DogGYMV]

i cant stand that voice srry

[TakeBackTheWorld]

Just saying, but your voice sounds epic and intense with the background music you chose.

[mikkoass222]

ive got only one problem these tutorials didnt show... how do u get the .nav and .bsp files of the map?

[redyps405]

nice tutorial. This is the first one I've looked at and it's already helped a lot. I'm sure I'll be looking at more of them shortly.

[JuiceBoxMaster]

hey i got a request for this i need help making a secert room so when somone walks through a certain part of the room they can enter

[HankTehTank]

Like, a fake wall? so they can walk through it?

Make a func_illusionary

[VaaMap]

Make the wall a func_brush and fiddle with the solidity option.

[GrannyPig21]

@VaaMap Or make a func_illusionary

[Floorhugger24]

nice tuts man! when are you going to make another one, and what will it be about?

[mrgrinch14]

Nice tutorial man, i'm going to check out the others for sure.

[VaaMap]

Saying "Why the fuck do you hve those titles in the beginning?" isn't exactly going to endear people to you or your input.

I made this with WMM. It has one video track and the audio is linked to the screen capture so I couldn't fit pictures in. I could have gone back and refilmed the corrupted section but I didn't deem it worth the effort.

I'm an engineer not an artist. I judge quality by client satisfaction.

People will be more open if you don't completely deride them and their work.

[jonasrud2]

plz make vid to tell me how to save map as .bsp so i can play it in css..... plz?

[VaaMap]

As covered in Tutorial 1. to convert the map to .bsp you need to compile it. Press F9 and click Ok.

[Knightcrim]

Is it just me or does he sound like Giles from Buffy the Vampire Slayer?

[29ejs08]

WHEN is your next tutorial coming out?

[VaaMap]

I don't know, don't hold your breath.

[SilverFrosting]

its not you lyer thats on fpsbanana :l

[kebabuk]

You Have Weird Music And A Sort Of Epic Voice On Mic

[XFuncCaRteR]

Why the fuck do you hve those titles in the beginning? Put in some pictures or something.

[Nikotehwolf]

Wow, that was a retarded comment, hes not here to impress you with pretty pictures...

[tedflb]

this isnt a documentary film, he's helping thousands of people to use hammer - fuck off!

[HankTehTank]

Hmm.. the fact that the beginning is "Broken" does not really matter. the video is great, i was able to make my skyboxes perfectly. You are just somewhat retarded

[ZOMbyNE]

lol the music goes with your voice :D

[mcottier]

Hi. My sky camera is a grey box in hammer editor, why is your's dark blue? Is it just an optional color, or does it mean something?

[VaaMap]

I don't think it is significant but see if you can get it to work.

[mcottier]

Thanks for the reply. For some reason it just is not working for me. Before I tried to make my own sky I had another sky in place. Well now even when I have everything set up like you do for my own sky, it still is showing the other sky. I even went into map properties and deleted the sky texture name, so it should not be using the old sky anymore..but it is.

Very weird stuff, maybe the sky_camera has something to do with it?

[VaaMap]

So you are having trouble changing the sky texture? Are you sure that the map is compiling properly?

[mcottier]

Well now that I think about it, the sky texture is seperate from the sky camera, so I guess what I am wanting to do is create my own sky texture and load that. I imagine it would reuqire me converiing the texture image I want as the sky to a readable texture format by Hammer, and then telling it to use that texture in the map properties.

Is there any step by step guide you know of out there for this?

Even if you can't help me, thanks for answering me back, I really appreciate it :)

[loweiyuan]

Hey, can you make a tutorial on how to make a laser?

[halfdeadsk8er15]

do you have a video tutorial on showing how to make objects move, like a car?

[VaaMap]

I don't, and I don't know when I will make one.

[diehard12345678]

Use a path_track  Name the object the same as the name of the path track, or something like that. Make path_tracks and connect them. Then it should work. What i have understand from a friend.

[Jonseredi]

Next tutorial: Cameras and multiple moving doors plz!

[Zacq768]

Hey do you ever get the problem of the map not changing after you save it?

Like you will compile the map but it hasnt changed since the last time you saved it?

[VaaMap]

Check your compile log to see if your map is compiling correctly.

[Arbiter9]

Sorry, got another question. Whenever I put brush entities into the 3D skybox (such as mountains), they don't show up in the map. I scaled them down to .0625 and it still won't work. Do you know what I did wrong?

[VaaMap]

What do you mean by 'brush entities' or 'mountains'? Do you just mean brushes or displacement geometry? Can you get anything to appear in the 3D skybox?

[Arbiter9]

Yes, I mean displacement geometry. The only things I can get to appear in the skybox are prop_static skybox objects (such as buildings), so I know I am making some sort of mistake here.

[VaaMap]

If you can get displacement geometry to work normally then try moving it into the 3D skybox without scaling it. Make sure that will be definitely looking down onto it.

[Arbiter9]

Ok I'll try that out. Again, thanks for the quick responses.

[Arbiter9]

Is it possible to create multiple 3D skyboxes, each one applying to a different area?

[VaaMap]

I don't think so.

[Arbiter9]

Ok thanks!

[freakin1random]

Really nice videos. I wasn't sure where to ask, but I made a map and smoke grenades dont work. Any help is much appreciated.

[VaaMap]

Have you checked that your map isn't leaking and that the lighting is ok? What happens when you use a smoke grenade?

[freakin1random]

There's no leaks and I'm not sure about the lighting, but I have a precipitate around my whole map too. When the smoke grenade goes off, only about 1:10th of the smoke comes out, just a corner of its sphere. If you walk through it it though, it still goes grey.

[VaaMap]

If all the shadows are fine then the lighting is probably ok. Try removing the precipitation to check if that is the problem.

[freakin1random]

It's the precipitate. I'm just going to leave it out of the map. Thanks for the help :)

[supermariobrothers1]

2 tell u... your voice, plus the music is kinda hipnotic.. i felt sleepy when watching it. but i understood it. good tut.

[etiLSD]

fan va grym du e! dina guider äger!

(you're so damn good! your guides own!)

[MedicineCowz]

This is true but that brings up another thing. I suck at making any kind of building.

[MedicineCowz]

Because I try to avoid 3D skyboxes and I'm thumbed down? So mean. I only avoid them because I try not to do outside-ish maps as I suck with displacements.

[VaaMap]

You don't need to use displacements in 3D skyboxes. You can do urban themed maps, have highish walls around the perimeter of the map and stick a few large buildings or the special 3D skybox scaled props in the 3D skybox. You don't need to do anything fancy to get an alright looking outdoor map.

[faszika]

thanks... those values are gold

[Zacq768]

Hey when i look in the sky i can see the big map from underneath, and if i noclip into it it claggs my pc.

I have a separate little 3d skybox area with the sky_camera in it and the walls on the big area and the skybox area are painted with the tools/skybox thingy.

Any idea why its doing this? (i followed all your instructions with the video)

[VaaMap]

Did you forget to delete the sky_camera in the 2D skybox?

[Zacq768]

thats what i was thinking but i cant find any other sky_cameras in the playable area. is there a way i can locate hidden things?

[VaaMap]

Map -> Entity Report -> 'Select something' -> Go To

[Zacq768]

Hey

for some reason when i go ingame,in the sky when i look up, i can see the map from underneath except its mcmassive!

i dont rly no what i did wrong :(

[Zacq768]

LOL OMG MY SKYBOX IS A GIANT VORTEX OF DEEEATH!!

- no walls outside big skybox

- only one sky_camera in smaller skybox

[Zacq768]

Hey dude, how can i make like an invisible wall that does not allow people to get past it?

[VaaMap]

Use the player_clip texture.

[Zacq768]

where can i find that?

[VaaMap]

Type 'clip' into the texture filter.

[Zacq768]

whoa thats just what i was lookin for, thanks..thatl keep those annoying bug finders at bay.

[MedicineCowz]

I try to avoid 3D Skyboxes.

[faszika]

your loss ^_^

[arnoke123]

I have sent you a mail with some questions.

Can you please answer fast (i also sent it too your other account.)

[useaz09]

Kickass!! Radiozones next?

[VaaMap]

Radiozones?

[etiLSD]

Yes. I wanted to make radio zones in my maps, you know, like in f e dust2 there are middle, side door, double doors, ct spawn, t spawn, bombsite A, side etc, you get me. I spoke to useaz09 about it and he said he had posted a comment about it. PLEASE make a video about radio zones (if it is possible). PLEASE!

[raineoffyre12]

dude, you rock.

It's very convenient having some guy TELL me everything in 10 minutes instead of browsing the source wiki.

Thanks!

[yaho022]

Time to a new tut?

[chrisros88]

how exactly do you copy the main skybox light environment?

[VaaMap]

Select it and press Ctrl+C or right-click -> Copy.

[XRanmaKunX]

Hey there! You're tutorials helpted me a lot already, but can you tell me, how to make your own Sky-textures? o.o

[VaaMap]

I'm not sure how. Try the FPSBanana site.

[lildragon5555]

I played a lot of surf maps because I like surfing. So I was wondering if you could put up a tut on how to make surf ramps. I've been trying to make one for a long time.

Also, do you know how to make speed boosts?

[VaaMap]

Tut.5 covers making all shapes of brushes. You want trigger_push for speed boosts.

[BuCk3Th34D411]

Hey VaaMap, Im working on a test map using some of your techniques and I will hopefully be making a video of it soon. When it is done and the video is up, would you like me to send you a link?

[VaaMap]

Go on then.

[BuCk3Th34D411]

well, im sorry to say the file has been corrupted... It was very nice too. I will make another and give you a link.

[rasmuslundstrom]

hey vaamap/vaatrad, i have a little thing... do you know how i can open alrdy done maps into source SDK? I mean like if i can open maps ive been playing in the game and then open it in SDK?

YOU OWN!

[VaaMap]

You can open custom maps with a program called vmex. Google it.

[rasmuslundstrom]

Okey thanks, do you have the program? if you have i'd like to ask you why some maps doesnt work... i mean like when i take a map and click decompile nothing happens.. :(:(:( plz help

YOU OWN!

[VaaMap]

Some custom maps might be locked. You can get it to work for some maps though?

[robmaister12]

google VMEX. It turns .bsp files into .vmf files for Hammer. But there will be a lot of errors and if you want to modify the map and then release it, you will have to redo almost half the brushwork for it to compile properly. The best way would be to kindly ask the original maker of the map if you could have a copy of the .vmf

[St3lk]

Wonderful tutorial, about the song, type in the video search engine "Allegri - Miserere - Part 1" the whole song..

[Mekose]

Vaamap for some reason whenever i minimize hammer and maximize it again i cant select or do anything only move around with the camera I've tried clicking everything opening new windows and alt+p'ing and even saving my map and reopening but even that doesn't work! i have to make a entirely new map please help me resolve this i don't want to lose 5 hours of hard work.

[VaaMap]

Try spacebar.

[Mekose]

I fixed it by minimizing again and reopening it somehow worked that time if it happens again ill try spacebar thanks alot!

[ASH576465684]

I love these tutorials!!!

When is the next one coming out?!

[xXStandAndDeliverXx]

All your video's are relaxing, i dislike opera or anything like that .. but your videos make me like it :D very calming after i just came out of a stressfull CSS game :)

[soccerrdude123]

Your videos are kind of relaxing.

[Universalphenomenon]

nice music, is that Eric whitacre by any chance?

[VaaMap]

I've no idea. The track is called "08 - Miserere" and I've forgotten anything I might have know about it.

[benguy1]

hey vaamap my question is when will ur next tutorial be

[isfredawesome]

Hello Vaamap.

My question is: How do you make a prop spawn using a button or trigger value (anyone works). I have been busy trying to find it out but I havn't seen anything that would help me out. Regards Fred

[VaaMap]

Make a copy of the prop which you want to spawn, name it and hide it in a safe location in the map. Make a point_template anywhere in the map, name it and enter the name of the prop into the Template01 keyvalue. Make an env_entity_maker where you want the props to spawn, name it and enter the name of the point_template into the EntityTemplate keyvalue and fiddle with its options. Create a button or trigger to make the env_entity_maker ForceSpawn.

[isfredawesome]

now for the tricky part: I want the object to spawn, but I also want an object inside the object, so the spawned prop is going to be breakable and have something popping out when its broken by damage, and also. What do you mean by copying?

[isfredawesome]

I figured the copying bit out a second after I posted the reply, sorry for that. You do mean that you edit the Visgroup and then edit the name, setting a desired name for the prop, am I right?

[VaaMap]

The prop needs a name. You don't need to do anything with Visgroups. You can give the prop an output so that on break you force spawn another entity. The second env_entity_maker will want to be on/in the first prop and parented to it and its name entered in Template02 in the first point_template, I think.

[isfredawesome]

I've been fiddeling around for hours, I might be stupid or just plain blind. But I can't seem to be able to name my prop in any way.

Are we talking about an entity? In that case what entity, is it prop_static, prop_detail, prop_ragdoll (or any else)?

Best regards Fred.

[VaaMap]

You will probably have to use prop_physics.

[cruckz]

lol he has the poshest voice ever

[BuCk3Th34D411]

Hey Vaa, i was wondering: I want to make a Half-Life Storyline, how do I go about putting credits at the end and the HL2 logo and fading the screen in and out?? Ive looked around, but I haven't found much...

[VaaMap]

I only know about mapping for CS:S but you could try env_credits and env_fade.

[ASH576465684]

wnen will the next one be out?

I want to know how to make elevators and trains and you are the only person that gives tutorials that are any good.

[VaaMap]

I might make it this month but I am a bit busy.

[petemyster101]

your voice is so relaxing :P

[AngelicBlade1000]

Love the tuts, thanks mate. btw can u tell me how to create a surface that kills the player on contact (or anything to that effect).

Cant wait fo the next one.

[VaaMap]

trigger_hurt and fiddle with the options to get what you want.

[AngelicBlade1000]

Thanks. I actually found this just a few minutes ago while looking at something totaly different but al the same i appreciate it.

[ex3vious]

i love how he says sky box,

3d sk-i boox

[XxHAMMERMANxX]

I really want to know how to make trains and elevators and thats your next tutorial! When will it be released?

[VaaMap]

Soonish, when I get round to it.

[diehard12345678]

Thanks man!! this helped me a lot !!!! I didnt understand the tutorials of valve But you helped me out!!! thx mate!

[dengalnaharen]

what is that church music all about? Oo

Kinda creeps me out..

[VaaMap]

I just put classical music in the background of my tutorials.

[XxHAMMERMANxX]

When will your next tutorial be out?

[VaaMap]

This week maybe, whenever I feel like it.

[DrAg0nFiRe]

how do you put custom made skys in?

[VaaMap]

I don't know how to add custom material I'm afraid.

[XxHAMMERMANxX]

I hope in the next tutorial you will cover how to insert sounds into maps.

[Entice]

I made a 3dskybox for my map and put the sky_camera where I want it to be. But, when I compile and run the map, the ''skybox'' is up in the air, thousands of feet away...and looks like my normal gameplay map. Is there a reason it is thinking my gameplay map is the skybox? (Hope I explained that well enough)

[VaaMap]

Did you leave a sky_camera in the gameplay area?

[Entice]

no, I didn't

[VaaMap]

Ah, right, I remember now. That is the gameplay area that you can see. Put the 3D skybox above the gameplay one.

[Entice]

You sure? A lot of maps I have decompiled have the skybox underneath the gameplay box...any maps from CS1.6 to CS:S to TF2

[VaaMap]

It might be something to do with surrounding your gameplay area with sky brushes or texturing the back of things with nodraw then.

[Entice]

Hmm..am I not supposed to put skyboxes around my gameplay area?

[VaaMap]

You are. I don't know if having it completely surrounded changes anything though.

[8ratchet8]

ok:) i have watch all the tuts now i thing you should make one there show how to make sound and music in the maps it's just a tip :)

[XxHAMMERMANxX]

how do i line up the info target with the  env sun

[VaaMap]

The env_sun will appear in relation to the map on the same angles it is in relation to the info_target. Experiment to work out what is going on.

[DanTheDeathDude]

When will you begin making the next tutorial?

[VaaMap]

In a couple of weeks probably.

[DanTheDeathDude]

Really? Why does it take so long?

[VaaMap]

I have other things to be doing with my time.

[DanTheDeathDude]

Wow. You must have to do a lot. Exams? Tests?

[VaaMap]

Ye, exams and project work.

[DanTheDeathDude]

I hate last term exams as well. Good luck with them.

[wardzy2006]

umm, how do you make ninvisible walls and stuff. or windows/holes in walls that are camoflauged and you can walk through.

[VaaMap]

Solid but invisible brushes:

Use the invisible texture (or the playerclip texture, as covered in an earlier tutorial, if you want only players to be blocked by it).

Non-solid but visible brushes:

Make the brush a func_brush and fiddle with the solidity setting.

[wardzy2006]

k, thx that helps, but how do you make a hole in the middle of a brush?

[VaaMap]

You don't, you just use more brushes.

[isfredawesome]

A question as a fellow mapmaker. There is one thing that I have never been able to make. That is the "ropes" that hang in midair like they do in many of the "original" maps such as de_dust2 de_dust and so on. I really want to know how to make these ropes "hang" in the air from one point to another. Thank you in preview.

[VaaMap]

Start with a move_rope then add further keyframe_ropes.

[Dojbot]

how do you add pitcures or text in the maps like in surf maps it says CT T for the teleporters above it. Thanks

[VaaMap]

I don't know how to add custom textures. You can make text out of brushes though. If it is small make it a func_detail to improve performance.

[jjpjimmy]

Your going to need a couple of things.

*GIMP

*VTFEDIT

-you can get them on google, all are freeware.

First with the images you want as a texture, open it up with GIMP and save it as a .tga file to the folder

...Steam\steamapps\[youracount­name]\sourcesdk_content\[gamen­ame]\matrialsrc\*MAKE A FOLDER IN HERE*.

When your done with that run VTFEdit. On the toolbar, go to Tools and click "Convert Folder".

Set "Input folder:" to the same place you saved the .tga files.

Set "Output folder:" ...

Second

[jjpjimmy]

...\steamapps\[youracountname]­\[Game]\[game]\materials\[same name as the map made for .tga files](you must make it)

then select the "To VTF" and leave it *.tga.

Then click convert and go into sourceSDK and check. You should have it in your texture browser.

You can also use valve's own vtex.exe program, which can be found in sourcesdk/bin/[gamename]/bin/

[viikto0or]

Very good tutorials, looking forward to the next one :)

But do anyone know about a mIRC channel or something where I can get fast help with map making etc.?

[VaaMap]

I don't know of any mIRC channels or the like for mapping.

[Killthehorde]

Vaamap how do you make spheres and circles and stuff like that?

[VaaMap]

Tut.5 covers brushes. There is a sphere brush type or you could make one out of a few simpler brushes.