Tell me about the Valve Hammer Editor

[The Tao]

Edit: After thinking, if a Moderator wants to move this to "Tech Talk", it'd probably be better than in here. I recently downloaded this, and wanted to know if anyone here has any experience with it, and if they'd know if its possible to create maps in it, and then convert those maps to useable file types for programs such as Flash CS3 and other things to be useable in flash games. I'm getting good at the texturing and designing of the maps, but I'd like them to be useable in other places, and so far, this is the best program I've found... the only downside to it is, it only exports in 2 formats, and neither are compatible I think with other programs. Any information to go about this, or to better use the Editor is appreciated, and if you know where to download any .wad texture packs, a link or 2 would be nice also.

[Wavefunction]

Moved to Tech Talk.

[The Tao]

Thanks a bunch Wave

[Serkat]

I've worked quite a bit with the good ole Hammer. Since it compiles geometry to old school .bsp, you should be able to convert that into any format you like. However, as for textures, entities and lightning, don't expect them to convert. They are all set up to be used in-game. It would be much easier to just use a classic 3D modeling application and work with common 3D-formats. I don't know Jack about Flash, but I figure it would be a lot more compatible to any classic 3d scenery format than compiled bsp. Also to use the textures, you would have to extract them from the gcf files. Possibly google for vmf converters, would be a good idea.

[The Tao]

I've worked quite a bit with the good ole Hammer. Since it compiles geometry to old school .bsp, you should be able to convert that into any format you like. However, as for textures, entities and lightning, don't expect them to convert. They are all set up to be used in-game. It would be much easier to just use a classic 3D modeling application and work with common 3D-formats. I don't know Jack about Flash, but I figure it would be a lot more compatible to any classic 3d scenery format than compiled bsp. Also to use the textures, you would have to extract them from the gcf files. Possibly google for vmf converters, would be a good idea. Well, there is a website I know of, where people are using the hammer editor to create levels in Goldeneye 007, and they have been able to import the textures into another editor to create the levels for goldeneye. I asked on that site too, but its not nearly as active, so I'm not expecting a reply anytime soon. Anyway, my main goal is to create a 3d model that has the same textures after exporting it into a format thats compatible with a flash program so that I can move about the map in the finished flash movie/game. Afterwards, I wanna work on adding things to the map that I can click on and interact with. This is all mainly for an Online text-based RPG game that I help out with, and me and the owner of the site were wanting to create a map that we can move about and interact with for the players so that we can add a new depth of play to the site because things are getting kinda repetitive. If I can figure out the exporting of the map (with textures intact) and then import, he can take care of the rest. On another note, how would I add some clipping to the map so that the walls aren't just visible, but actually solid so that people don't walk through them, or fall through the floor? Thats probably a more technical level, and we'll get into that later, but some information on that would help us later on.

[Serkat]

Anyway, my main goal is to create a 3d model that has the same textures after exporting it into a format thats compatible with a flash program so that I can move about the map in the finished flash movie/game. Afterwards, I wanna work on adding things to the map that I can click on and interact with. This is all mainly for an Online text-based RPG game that I help out with, and me and the owner of the site were wanting to create a map that we can move about and interact with for the players so that we can add a new depth of play to the site because things are getting kinda repetitive. If I can figure out the exporting of the map (with textures intact) and then import, he can take care of the rest. I really don't know anything about 3D Flash so I would be hard pressed to help you here, sorry. First you should know what type of data Flash will eat and how it is implemented. On another note, how would I add some clipping to the map so that the walls aren't just visible, but actually solid so that people don't walk through them, or fall through the floor? Thats probably a more technical level, and we'll get into that later, but some information on that would help us later on. All standard brushes in Hammer are solid. Do you have any source game to test it? If you port it to Flash, it's a whole different story though. The source engine does all the work of collision-detection etc. for you, but in Flash I don't know if it comes with an engine or something... the map alone won't do it for you, that's just data, nothing functional.

[The Tao]

I really don't know anything about 3D Flash so I would be hard pressed to help you here, sorry. First you should know what type of data Flash will eat and how it is implemented. All standard brushes in Hammer are solid. Do you have any source game to test it? If you port it to Flash, it's a whole different story though. The source engine does all the work of collision-detection etc. for you, but in Flash I don't know if it comes with an engine or something... the map alone won't do it for you, that's just data, nothing functional. Yeah, thats what I was afraid of, we'd have to manually add all the clipping, and while time consuming, if we had to, would be worth the effort. We could actually just use fixated camera point of views, and rather than control your character with the mouse keys, make it so you gotta click on certain points to proceed into the map, and have it automatically move you. Theres a few different ways we can do this I guess if we need to, but the most important part would be importing the model with all its textures in tact into the flash program. If we can manage that, I'll be happy. Thanks for the help so far though.

[arby]

If you want to be making 3D stuff and using them in flash, swift 3D is your best bet compatibility-wise. It was designed partially as a supplement to flash. EDIT: Also, if you want to be programming anything in regard to the 3D models, look up paper vision.

[The Tao]

Ok umm... what about Free programs. I really have no money, and the money the owner of the site has, isn't enough to spend on the program and pay for the site and pay some bills... Thats the biggest reason I'm stuck, we don't have the money to put out for all these programs.

[arby]

papervision, the glue that can stick a 3D game together in flash, is open source.