Creating Mafia scenes in Valve Hammer Editor – TUTORIAL

13 years, 5 months ago

#6646

Hi everybody. I uses this metod to create interiors and exteriors for Mafia, so I decided to show you how it’s done.

First I’d like to tell You, that this is not “kosher” way, but it’s easy, when You have experiences with Counter Strike modding. And that’s the reason, why I won’t teach you, how to work with VHE. You must have at least basic experiences with Counter Strike mapping. Many tutorials can be found on internet, http://modmapping.borec.cz/, here’s the one in Slovak language. This Tutorials is based on tutorial by Kirov-MG, http://www.mafiascene.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=11318. Don’t be afraid to ask anything, but remember, I count, that you have som experiences with VHE and Zmodeler.

What we need: Rigt-configured VHE, Noesis and 3DSmax (or any other SW capable to convert .OBJ to .3DS)

Before you’ll start making a map: REMEMBER, that Noesis (BSP to OBJ converting tool), don’t support single WAD files, but it can load textures included in .BSP file. So you have 2 options, you can texture model externally in Zmodeler, or use WADINCLUDE. Don’t be affraid to include whole half-life.wad into BSP file, compiling program will include only textures, which are used on model.

TIP: Don’t use standard HL textures, they are in very, very low resolution.

REMEMBER also the second thing. Even if you will texture model in Zmodeler later, each VHE textured material will be separated material later.

So, just create map, imagine that you are creating standard counter-strike map (also use scale info-player-start as a reference for scales), don’t use lights (it’s totally useless), try to not make LEAK errors. Creating the map is fully in your hands…

So, when you have compiled the BSP file, let the party begin. We will use Noesis to convert BSP to OBJ. So Open Noesis, open you BSP file and click on EXPORT. Set it like this:

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And then, you’ll get a .OBJ file. Open 3DS max and import .OBJ file in. While importing, set scale to 0,0264 (yes, CS maps are 38x bigger, than Mafia maps) ” data-emoticon=”” srcset=”/wp-content/uploads/invision_emoticons/biggrin@2x.png 2x” width=”20″ height=”20″>

Rotatate scene in 90ÃÂ° (or you can do this in Zmodeler) and export as a 3DS.

Good thing is, that you don’t need to retexture the model, just open matterial editor and materials will have the exact names, as texture files.

HINT: Convert material type from “Standard alfa glow transparency” to “Unused” and change color to white.

There are some special material settings:

Standard alfa glow transparency-windows /semi-transparent/, must be textured with TGA

Color key: When you want to have transparent color on your model, select this

Non-alpga glowing: Material is always shinig, don’t matter about lighting (for textures of lights, displays,etc.)

When you have the model textured and rotated, try to import it to Mafia (Always use .4DS while saving, saving files with extension written in capitals makes the unlocked, .4ds makes unlocked files). From time to time, it will happen, that you are not able to create lightmaps or collisions on you model.

Solution is easy, but time consuming. Reason, why is that happening is, that sometimes zero-sized polygons just appear (they are not visible but they are there and MWE tries to compute lightmaps also for them). Just turn Zmodeler into faces level, select manually only visible faces (select-single and rigt click) and detach them from zero-sized faces.

Don’t be affraid to ask, if you don’t get something ” data-emoticon=”” srcset=”/wp-content/uploads/invision_emoticons/smile@2x.png 2x” width=”20″ height=”20″>

13 years, 5 months ago

#15209

Well, what about materials in standart Half-Life maps?

13 years, 5 months ago

#15211

It’s a little bit complicated… BSP file cannot be edited, editable HL maps files are .rmf or .map … BSP file is a result of compilation process /it’s something like exe file/. You can use BSP2MAP for decompiling BSP files, but it’s not 100% process, it will deform or destroy whole map. But nothing si impossible and when you have map in good shape, just use wadinclude -half-life-wad -decals.wad and compile BSP file again. Give me an example of map that you want and I’ll try it.

13 years, 5 months ago

#15213

Screenshots of finished result?

13 years, 5 months ago

#15214

[img]//s6.postimage.org/60yw3ax2l/Game_2012_08_08_09_30_13_92.jpg&key=eae26f33c801a5d77ec364a75cc2d828b0ef3e7f738564626d1f3e7877328daa[/img]

[img]//s6.postimage.org/dtkhy5wq5/Game_2012_08_08_09_29_52_75.jpg&key=76bb5b795757cfcbcc05afdc90fc3bbeebe615b4d8430ba7c2e1aabfb43ef07a[/img]

[img]//s6.postimage.org/udi6kem0d/Game_2012_08_08_09_29_15_19.jpg&key=08ad57d7a661d0cac2660712f9753c210f8fd79b50e631f56a03e8928597bdb8[/img]

[img]//s6.postimage.org/6nsqvpnn1/Game_2012_08_08_09_29_21_74.jpg&key=8af26465dd5f616c9f26c12e39561ff2e155555e207f77fa5071ff48357e5e3d[/img]

Wihtout model objects placed….

13 years, 5 months ago

#15220

It’s a little bit complicated… BSP file cannot be edited’ date=’ editable HL maps files are .rmf or .map … BSP file is a result of compilation process /it’s something like exe file/. You can use BSP2MAP for decompiling BSP files, but it’s not 100% process, it will deform or destroy whole map. But nothing si impossible and when you have map in good shape, just use wadinclude -half-life-wad -decals.wad and compile BSP file again. Give me an example of map that you want and I’ll try it.

Well, i need a standart SP maps from Half-Life. I think that textures are stored in a specia archive.

13 years, 5 months ago

#15222

Well done Vapno, this will be an easier way to create scenes (with Mafia textures) for those who can’t use 3DS Max.

13 years, 5 months ago

#15223

Nice tutorial thanks

13 years, 5 months ago

#15224

I think that textures are stored in a specia archive.

Valve/halflife.wad <img decoding= ” data-emoticon=”” srcset=”/wp-content/uploads/invision_emoticons/wink@2x.png 2x” width=”20″ height=”20″>

13 years, 5 months ago

#15235

I think that textures are stored in a specia archive.

Valve/halflife.wad ” data-emoticon=”” srcset=”/wp-content/uploads/invision_emoticons/wink@2x.png 2x” width=”20″ height=”20″>

Thanks a lot

13 years, 5 months ago

#15238

Well done Vapno’ date=’ this will be an easier way to create scenes (with Mafia textures) for those who can’t use 3DS Max.[/quote’]

I don’t call it easier, but 3DSmax is very complicated for me, and I spent 5 years by CS mapping, so creating maps in VHE is the fastest way for me. I uses Zmodeler to create smaller, but complex objects.

I think, that this is the better way, than creating house from pre-fabricated walls and floors. (Seriously, I saw it in some mods, /also in Commision/, there is wall.4ds, floor.4ds and they are placed, cloned and stretched in MWE. I tried it once, and it’s even more time consuming process, than classic modelling).

13 years, 5 months ago

#15239

Well done Vapno’ date=’ this will be an easier way to create scenes (with Mafia textures) for those who can’t use 3DS Max.[/quote’]

I don’t call it easier, but 3DSmax is very complicated for me, and I spent 5 years by CS mapping, so creating maps in VHE is the fastest way for me. I uses Zmodeler to create smaller, but complex objects.

I think, that this is the better way, than creating house from pre-fabricated walls and floors. (Seriously, I saw it in some mods, /also in Commision/, there is wall.4ds, floor.4ds and they are placed, cloned and stretched in MWE. I tried it once, and it’s even more time consuming process, than classic modelling).

I tried to do this, but i don’t how how to create a doorway, and windows.

13 years, 5 months ago

#15240

That’s that problem. Houses created by that way cannot have windows. And many people, who do houses by that way, are placing them into “cleaned” tutorial, so there wouln’t be any enviroment behind the windows.

13 years, 5 months ago

#15241

That’s that problem. Houses created by that way cannot have windows. And many people’ date=’ who do houses by that way, are placing them into “cleaned” tutorial, so there wouln’t be any enviroment behind the windows.[/quote’]

Yeah i know