TF2 Mapping-Link Resources

[DJive]

TF2 Level Editing & Modeling Link Resources

"CTRL+F" is your best friend here.

--> Getting Started with Source Engine Level Editing - The Setup

--> Feedback - On posting new links in this Thread.


Color Legend
* Main Topics in Orange.
* Topics in bold.
* Sub Topics are marked in yellow.
* Important information is marked in Green.

What this Resource includes:

Getting started guide
Explains step by step what you need to do to get the SDK and Hammer World Editor working on your computer!

An extensive list of tutorials covering just about everything!
This list is constantly being updated and expanded upon, look out for the featured tutorials!

Level Editing Articles
These articles discuss a broad range of topics. They range from mapping for competitive TF2 to lighting to simple prop visibility control. Must read articles for anyone who wants to further understand game design for any game.

Tools to help you share and customize your maps
Need a file sharing site? Looking for that Photoshop or 3DS Plugin?




Still can't find what you are looking for?
Try the Archived TF2maps.net Level Editing Forum Threads

[DJive]

Getting Started with Source Engine Level Editing
The Setup

Download Source SDK Level Design software
1. Open up Steam Tools. click the gray "Source SDK" then "Install" on the bottom right
2. Install may take a while. Once done "Source SDK" will now be white in the "Tools" tab.

Configuring Hammer Editor for Team Fortress 2.
3. Open "Source SDK". On the screen select "team fortress 2" in the drop down.


4. Double Click on the Hammer Editor "top" and it should open now.

5. Once open go to Tools>Options.

6. Select "Team Fortress 2" from the drop down and make sure the following is filled in.


7. Once correct hit apply/ok.

8. Now go to File>New and start mapping!

Quote:

Feedback

Post all of your known links here in this thread to help out other mappers.

--> Please check to make sure the link is not in the list below before you post!
--> Please only post relevant information.
--> Please let us know if any of the links are dead or have new URLs.
--> Broken links are marked with ***, if you know replacement links, post them!

Also note:

Visit TF2Maps.net for the most up to date level editing links and news.

-

[DJive]

General Level Editing Links

---------------
TF2Mappers Chat Log
In the the TF2maps Steam chat many questions are asked and answered.
----------------

Architecture, Environment & Level Design

• Mapping for TF2 by Snipergen, Great read
• 3D Terrain Generator - Interesting..
• TF2 Skybox Textures Texture names and Setting for Lighting
• A Discussion On Lighting - Whats a Spot light?
• Lightmaps - What they do and How to use them
• What Makes A Good Map - CS:S however still a very good read.

Displacements

• [GUIDE] Youme's guide to displacement cliffs
• Valve Wiki Displacements
• Interlopers.net
• Displacement Performance Hit - a Great need-to-know

Errors, Help with

• Interlopers.net - Error Finding Page
• TF2maps.net Mapping Forum - Link to Mappers Community
• Source SDK Help Forum - Source Mapping community, not TF2 specific

FAQs

• Valve Hammer FAQs
• Compiling Theory - What it all means, vrad, vvis, etc.
• Level Design - Organized list of mapping resources on the wiki
• Team Fortress 2 Mapper's Reference - References such as player sizes, jump distances, 2fort's room dimensions
• Team Fortress 2 Level Creation - A list of some useful TF2-specific pages in the wiki

File Hosting

• DropBox*
• Mediafire
• FileHost

*This is the preferred and best way to do off-site file hosting/sharing

General Help

• Readme 1st: Common TF2 mapping mistakes and how to fix them
• Building Cubemaps (get rid of the purple checkers)
• (More info on cubemaps)

Lighting

• Wiki Lighting - Links to lighting guides and explanations of the lighting entities
• Lighting Tutorial - Covers entities & variables with examples
• Removing ugly Shadows - Great write-up by Youme again.
• [TIPS] Brightness (increasing a light's strength) - By Grazr
• [RESOURCE] Lighting prefab library - By Ravidge

Mapping Communities and General Sites

• Steam Forums - Mapping Community
• FPS Banana - Map hosting / General Gaming Community

Map files

• The original VALVe maps - Great Resource
• TF2Maps.net Maps - Link to the Download Section
• FPS Banana Map Database

Optimization Guides / Techniques - All these are a MUST to read

• [TIP] Leaks, Hints and Areaportals - By Spaceweasels
• Useful console commands for mappers - Mappers .CMD list by Bandished
• [GUIDE] Learning to Use the Command Line, the Console, and .CFG Scripts - Great write up By fartron
• [TIP] Props on top - a Must Know from Spaceweasels
• Basic visibility control - Great read with Examples from Shmitz
• Half-Life 2 Map Editing Optimization Guide - If there is an ultimate guide.. this is it

Prop Library:

• Prop Library - Contains 850 props across 19 categories. Amazing. By A Boojum Snark

SDK Resource:

• Improved FGD - Fixes to SDK, great for mappers. By A Boojum Snark

Screenshot | Image Hosting

• Photobucket
• Image Shack
• Image Farm.net
• picoodle.com
• https://www.dropbox.com/ (for hosting/syncing your images (and other files) on a virtual, online drive)

Sky's and Skybox's

• Sky list for TF2 - The skies available and suggested lighting settings
• TF2 Skybox Textures - List off all TF2 skys and light settings

Sound Effects

• Find Sounds
• WavCentral
• WebPlaces-Sounds
• Sound Snap
• The Freesound Project

[DJive]

Tutorials

---Here you will find many links to "how-to's" and "step-by-step's" For search reasons, some of the links will be multiple.
-----IE. whats found under "displacements" may also be under "how to create a cliff"

Your First Room:

• Beginners Guide to Valve Hammer Editor - Where I learned
• A Beginner's Guide:The Spawn Room - By Half-Life_Maniac
• A Room (Updated) - Link to halfwit-2.com
• Your first map (VDC) - where Youme learned (he swears by it)

Cliffs:

• Youme's guide to displacement cliffs - By Youme

Stairs:

• [GUIDE] Creating stairs of various styles in Source/TF2 - By Grazr

Cubemaps:

• Building Cubemaps (get rid of the purple checkers)
• (More info on cubemaps)

Detail:

• [TIP] Don't get hung up on the details - By Alexforcefive
• [TIPS] What adds Detail to your map? - By Swift
• [GUIDE] Details: how VALVe do it - By Youme
• [TIPS] Overlooked details: A guide to roofs - By Grazr
• [GUIDE] TF2 aesthetics theory - "Base Facades" - By Grazr
• [TIPS] Immersion and "lamp shading" - By Grazr

Displacements:

• Displacement Pipes/Sewers - By Logo
• Round and Smooth corners - fpsbanana

Doors:

• Making awesome doors! - By Spaceweasels
• [Tutorial/Prefab] Flag Carrier Only Doors - By Logo

Elevator / Lift:

• The Elevator Trifecta - By Spaceweasels

Forward Spawn Room:

• CTF with Forward Spawns - By SaerisHawkeye

Game Types:

• Guide to Gravelpit-like CP maps - By MacNetron
• SCTF: Sequential Capture The Flag - By Kernel
• How to set up Territorial Control rules (like Hydro) - By Gearloose
• Arena maps, everything you need to know - Nice write up by Youme
• Gametype Library - MUST for anyone! By A Boojum Snark

Custom Menu:

• Menu Photo's - By Swift
• How to make an intro movie - By Spaceweasels

Layout Help:

• TF2 Style Fast and Easy. - By MangyCarface
• [GUIDE] A guide to scale - By Grazr
• [GUIDE] A guide to attack/defend level design theory - By Grazr
• [GUIDE] Defining your objective(s) - By Grazr

Overlays:

• Making a Poster Overlay. - By Nineaxis

SkyBox:

• Making a cool 3d skybox. - By Spaceweasels
• [TUTORIAL] The Complete Guide To Implementing Custom Skybox Textures. - By Big Roxy

Texture Creation:

• Texture Creation 101 - great step-by-step
• Making a Poster Overlay - Very good step-by-step by Nineaxis

Tool Use: (Work in progress)

• General description of each tool
• Skip and Hint
• Block Light
• Occluder
• Area Portal
• Skybox

Water:

• Flowing Water - By Snipergen

YouTube SDK Video: - If you prefer watching and learning

• YouTube - PH4T3's How to Make Maps for TF2 Tutorial - Chapter 1
• YouTube - PH4T3's How to Make Maps for TF2 Tutorial - Chapter 2
• YouTube - PH4T3's How to Make Maps for TF2 Tutorial - Chapter 3
• YouTube - PH4T3's How to Make Maps for TF2 Tutorial - Chapter 4
• YouTube - PH4T3's How to Make Maps for TF2 Tutorial - Chapter 5
• YouTube - PH4T3's How to Make Maps for TF2 Tutorial - Chapter 6
• YouTube - PH4T3's How to Make Maps for TF2 Tutorial - Chapter 7
• YouTube - PH4T3's How to Make Maps for TF2 Tutorial - Chapter 8

[DJive]

Useful Tools

Map Packing / Distributing

• Pakrat - Used to embed custom textures, Sounds, and Models in the .bsp file
• 7-zip - Used to compress your .bsp's into .bsp.bz2's saving a TON of file size
• Winrar - Great zipping utility

Map Decompiling / Extraction Tools

• GCFScape - Explore GCF directories and extract files.
• VMEX - Decompile BSP maps into VMF files.

Model / 3D Editors

• Blender - 3d modelling and animation
• Gmax
• Milkshape 3D
• Rhino
• XSI Mod Tool - Three tutorials on modeling with XSI and many links
• XSI - 3d software

Texture Editors/Resources

• The Gimp (Texture tool)
• Artweaver
• DeviantArt - Great selection of brushes/texture tutorials
• Brusheezy - great selection of brushes
• Paint Shop Pro
• Photo Referencing (on figures, but gets the point across and the method VERY well)
• Photoshop
• TexSynth (Creation of tileable textures)
• VTFEdit -VTF and VTM editor / batch texture compiler
• CGtextures - AWESOME collection of texture stock

Photo Referencing and Inspiration:
Industrial photography, history and architecture

• Industrialdecay.blogspot.com
• Flickr - Industrial decay
• fotosearch.com - Industrial images
• hfinster.de archives

[DJive]

Guys;

This is a constant work-in-progress to us all. Please check this out and post any and ALL comments, links, changes, ETC you'd like to see. Please add Idea's as well.

Lets get a nice one-stop thread going for people starting up, and advanced users to have easy to find/access mapping resources.

Error checking tool on interlopers :
http://www.interlopers.net/index.php?page=errors

[DJive]

Added.

Thank you, i was wondering where that link was =p

[YM]

Why its right here in my faves... so I can deag and drop it into threads like this - http://www.interlopers.net/index.php?page=errors

but you've already got it, so I'm just proving I do too

[MrSinistar]

May I suggest a site to be added to the sound section:

The Freesound Project

An awesome site, IMO.