Sites:
TWHL (The Whole Half-Life)
Sourcemodding.com GoldSrc section
RunThinkShootLive
Sven Manor (Mapping For Sven Co-op)
fnky's Sven Co-op mapping repository
The SnarkPit
LiveWires List Of Mapping Resources
ValveDeveloperUnion Archive
Wavelength.net Articles (Down) Archive link
Tools & Plugins:
Wadmaker & Spritemaker by Captain P (new cmdline wad & sprite creation utility)
Hl-Texture tools - Wad & Sprite Creation Utility
Wally wad editor
Half-Life SDK (can also be downloaded through steam)
BSPGUY by w00tguy - A BSP editing/ripping, viewing BSP multi-tool
NEWBSPGUY - A fork of BSPGUY with more features (warning: might be buggy)
XBLAH's modding tool
ModDb's Half-Life Section
GameBanana's GoldSrc General Tools Section
GameBanana's Half-Life Tools Section
GameBanana's CS1.6 Tools Section
Sourcemodding.com GoldSrc Tools Archive
GoldSrc multi-tool extractor
Half-Life Zone Editing tools (archive link)
Nem's Crafty BSP Viewer Tool(Down) Mirror link
Mapping Specific:
J.A.C.K Map Editor (Ships with VHLT)
VHLT - Thread & Documentation archive
SvenCraft
(obtained via steam Sven Coop SDK: common\Sven Co-op SDK\mapping\hammer)
TrenchBroom
Map2Prop by Erty: Turn brushwork into modelfiles (mdl)
Map2Curve by GibShooter: Creates complex curved brushwork for your maps
Modelling Specific:
Current Sven Coop Studiomdl.exe
(Most up to date and modernized of the studiomdl.exes, new commands , fixed shifting, and other options More info here)
Crowbar MDL decompiler and GUI compile tool
Half-Life Asset Manager - GoldSrc MDL viewer/light editior
P2MV Model Viewer (Xash only viewer)
Game Zombie 3DSmax (2014~2022) SMD Tools
WallWorm 3Dsmax Tools & Utilities (current:2022+ Legacy versions:2008~2021)
Blender SMD tools
Zode's Blender utilities
Wunderboy's Tools (Down) Archive link
NeilJed (Wunderboy)'s 3DSmax 2017~2020 SMD importers
NeilJed (Wunderboy)'s 3DSmax 2017~2020 SMD exporters
fragMOTION editor (built-in SMD support)
kHED (Free) lightweight editor with built-in SMD support)
kHED (Free) website archive
kHED (Steam - Paid) page
Mapping:
Admers Advanced terrain creation tutorial
Advanced lighting for VHLT
TOOL textures reference
VHLT Map optimization tutorial thread with pics and multiple methods
Models & Lighting tutorial
Slartibarty's func_detail document
func_vehicle CS.16 tutorial
If you are coming from a source engine background this quick reference will show common equivalents:
func_brush ---> func_wall func_detail ---> func_detail (loaded with zhlt.fgd) I/O system ---> multi-manager (turn off smartedit to add outputs) prop_static ---> env_sprite with model path or cycler_sprite or item_generic (OPfor, CZ & sven entity) prop_dynamic ---> monster_generic (with scripted_sequence to activate animations) nodraw,tooltextures,ect -----> zhlt.wad (get Vluzacn's Map Compile Tools ). also Nodraw = "NULL" |
Wads, models and Prefabs downloads:
NightWatch texture pack
The Wadfather archive
17buddies GoldSrc Model Downloads
Gamer-Lab GoldSrc Content Downloads Resource
The Rimpository: Mapping Prefab mega pack
The Half-Life High Definition Pack
Coding:
Solokillers updated HLSDK that is compatible with VS2019 and 2022
Original HL SDK by Valve (works on Steam, not for WON)
HL SDK 2.3, the one that works best with WON
Sourcemodding programming tutorial list
Engine notes from metamod.org
Wavelength coding tutorials (Down) Archive link
Some notes from various people
- Learn the basics of C/C++, most of the problems people have are basic C/C++ mistakes and not realted to HL1
- Start small, go bigger. Another problem of "beginners" is that they want to turn HL1 into Unreal Engine 4 without knowing how to make a simple entity and such.
- Have patience, you can't program a new weapon in 30 seconds and expect it to work as you would like to.
- Avoid copying/pasting code blindly without knowing what it does
- Always make clean and documented code (don't be like Valve)
- Use VCS if you know how to use them (git, SVN, Perforce...)
- Making a MP mod? Support Linux for moar dedicated servers
- ideally you should use CMake to manage the project files, it's easier to do cross-platform that way
Video Tutorials:
Mapping Videos:
Half-Life Mapping introduction by Admer456
TrenchBroom Playlist by Dumptruck_ds
Level Creation Guide by Chaos7040
HL Mapping Tutorial by lymphoid
Half-life Mapping Tutorial by Dimbeak
RunThinkShootLive's Hammer Beginner stream tutorial
RunThinkShootLive's Level Design Academy Playlist
Hammer Speed Mapping Terrian video by ToTac
Transparent Textures
Animated Textures
Modelling Videos:
Modelling For GoldSrc In Blender 2.79 Series
(NOTE: export procedure in video is deprecated, refer to blender 2.79 export page)
Animated Helicopter In Blender 2.79 Tutorial
kHED simple prop by the303
Programming Videos:
Half-Life SDK Programming by Admer456
Creating a Mod playlist & Hammer
GoldSrc Programming and other playlists
Communities:
The Whole Half-Life (forums & discord)
GameBanana
LambdaGeneration community
SourceModding Discord Server
Sven Co-Op general discord
Sven Co-Op modding Discord
Half-Life Creations Forums>(Down) Archive link
Alliedmodders forums
Legacy Content:
The Valve ERC
Slackillers Collection Of Legacy HL Tools
Snarkpit Forums
legacy modelling docs:
CS1.6 Playermodel Tutorial
HLDM playermodel method
PlanetQuake's Half-Life Tutorials
Legacy 3DSmax Plugins
PeterTheGoats SMD converter (for older versions blender SMD tools)
GS-HL Tools archive
legacy mapping docs:
Sledge Map Editor
Hammer 3.5.3 by Yo-Den
RIPENT - BSP entity ripper
BSPedit
Unknownworlds Big Forum Thread on Half-Life Modding
CounterMap2 CS Mapping site
Hammer Content Pack
EYERONIK'S Mapping Tutorials
ZHLT - Hammer Compile Tools
Legacy Optimization docs:
r_speeds guide
hint brush tutorial
twhl r_speeds guide
r_speeds and fps charts