Mapping for L4D?

[uuk] · November 26th, 2008, 01:48 AM

Hey.. i was just wondering if it is possible to map for left 4 dead?

I did notice that there is no L4D folder.. but there is gcf. files.. but i am unable to move / extract any files, and put in any files into the gcf. file.

Feedback would be appreciated.

><0>* · November 26th, 2008, 03:27 AM

valve is moving their data from GCF's to .VPK, but there is no FGD anywhere to set up hammer so untill some one can extract that, we'll have to just wait for the SDK to release.

You can extract the models and textures to set it up in hammer, here is the link to the extractor.

Rick’s Game Stuff Blog Archive Left4Dead *.vpk Extraction Tools, now with UI

Cook1eMan · November 26th, 2008, 06:02 AM

Any chance you know how to get the textures and model's into hammer from there. I have it all decompiled, but can't figure out how to get it in hammer.

><0>* · November 26th, 2008, 05:28 PM

A little searching and googling works wonders. but here is the jist

you need to make your own 'mod' via the SDK, I called mine Pre-L4D.

Then you go into your source mods folder and take the decomplied texture folder and drop it in the correct folder.

That will get the textures to appear in hammer.

That's a small map I was bored and tossed together in an hour, Apartment complex, blocked stairs, though a side in a wall, down the street, into a store and out a back ally, though most of the geometry has not yet come together. This just give a good example of what the textures are.

The models are a bit harder, the ones you decomplied don't work on their own, but they need 2-3 copies of it for a few eventualities and directx versions. I haven't bothered trying to get it to work yet. Though people have, and even have the models in garry's mod. all you need to do is some coppy and pasting and renaming or just make a batch file.

It should be possible though to get the models working, I have off from school for thanksgiving maybe i'll get time to post up a batch file that works.

Or if your enterprising.

Rick’s Game Stuff Blog Archive Left4Dead *.vpk Extraction Tools, now with UI

Half way down the page,

Mystfit Says:
November 14th, 2008 at 8:24 am

I managed to open Zoey up in hlmv. You need to copy the .vtx file of the model 3 times and rename them with .sw.vtx, .dx80.vtx and .dx90.vtx on the end.

Do you think it would be possible to add a renaming option in the extractor for copying and renaming .vtx files? It’s mainly useful for us to play around with the models in Garry’s Mod.

Also,

Ferdam Says:
November 14th, 2008 at 5:22 pm

You can create a Batch file with this code for the copying and renaming vtx files part :

copy *.vtx *.dx80.vtx
copy *.vtx *.dx90.vtx
copy *.vtx *.sw.vtx
del *.dx80.dx90.sw.vtx
del *.dx80.dx90.vtx
del *.dx80.sw.vtx
del *.dx90.sw.vtx

then run the bat file

Note : You’ll have to add this bat to all models folder and run it..

This will most likely not only make the models visible, but also bring them to hammer.

Here is a picture: http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/9086/49332314xg4.jpg

THE FINAL part for mapping before the SDK would be the FGD (which is how the game tells whats, what and describes new entities) Sadly, i have yet to find anyone who has found the L4d.fgd in any folders or files. Thusly, you can't actually create a map yet, if you can find the FGD, i can make a whole shpeil about how to map before the SDK.

****EDIT****

There is a new version of GCF scape out, rick claims that it supports .VPK, i'm going to try it out in a bit

http://nemesis.thewavelength.net/index.php?p=26

Andz · November 26th, 2008, 05:56 PM

Nice

I want to try make a L4D map myself, but I think I'll wait for the SDK :P

I'm kind of noobie at this kind of stuff.

><0>* · November 26th, 2008, 06:00 PM

Its most likely best to wait for the SDK, since it will 'hammer' out all the bugs. I've tried using the batch file and i can't get any of the models to load into the model viewer or get the associated trappings to show up in hammer, though i can see their outline box.

You really can't make a 'true' map till one can find the .FGD, I'll keep messing around with it most likely.

Any chance we can get this thread stickied or something so people stop asking about how to map? Or if i ever find the FGD i'll make a new one i suppose :P Just to stop people asking.

hellishinc · November 27th, 2008, 02:33 AM

Thanks for the info "><0>*" (fish?) got me started.

I'm currently "making" (going thru looking for valid flags really..) a FGD. I already got pain pills, ammo, health kits, and spawn points working.

FYI, to properly get players to spawn, you need BOTH an info_player_start (just one) as well as info_survivor_position. You then need to tell hammer which survivor to use for each position or it throws errors.

edit:

Heres a quick update! All items/weapons are working! I forgot to set a default model for the ammo pile, thus the "ERROR"

><0>* · November 27th, 2008, 03:34 AM

Your work is truly inspirational sir, i'm sure all the groups on the Forums will look forward to downloading the code for that FGD. Should you get it all set up, we should make a post and spread it around so people can get started.

If it helps, Here is the link to all the L4D entities:

List of Left 4 Dead entities - Valve Developer Community

hellishinc · November 27th, 2008, 03:51 AM

Dont get too excited, Valve may beat me to releasing an FGD.

The player spawns and items are by far the easiet things to do.

I'm looking at valve's maps trying to figure out what triggers what but holy crap theres ALOT of stuff going on everywhere. Compared to the single player maps from HL2, these got alot more going on. Every wall is basically a trigger :headbash:

The list of triggers is also incomplete. Theres nothing relating to NPC spawning (zombies) or general "no spawn zone" and the such (if any of those even exsist is yet to be seen.)

Now I know why valve made each section of map so short, any longer and the mappers would of probly shot themselves trying to keep track of what does who and why.

><0>* · November 27th, 2008, 03:55 AM

L4D is inherently alot of triggers, more so for vs, there are breakble walls, triggers for the algorithims for the AI director, and most of the junk you see is most likely the AI paths because they need the horde to get anywhere the player can go.

How are you viewing the maps? my .bsp compiler doesn't work on the new-er maps. (VMEX)

hellishinc · November 27th, 2008, 04:25 AM

VMEX does work, it just decompiles a bit sloppy and you need to go in and manually fix the problems (notepad).

Try loading the map in hammer, it tells you what line the error is on.

The problem with VMEX is that theres TOO many entites for it. Theres alot of stuff missing. Intrestingly enough, the versus maps decompile with less errors and more complete then the campain ones do. If you really think about it, in terms of numbers of ents/trigs... VS is actually easier to do, as there arent as many if/ands. Theres no random special infected, and zombies only spawn when a boomer makes them (for the most part).

As for how the game handles the infected playable characters, right now im guessing that its hard coded to be determined by the current survivor locations. It's possible that it uses some "cameras" (for lack of a better word) to determine the initial spawning locations. My reason for thinking this is possible is that the whole "go into your characters head" at the very beginning is actually a bunch of triggers, and they determine your actual spawn point, not the info_survivor_position entity.

Breakables are actually pretty basic from what it seems. Nothing more complicated then say a shattering window (although there are some extra values that are undetermined thus far). The entity for these is "func_breakable_surf"

onto AI pathing. I havent really seen any pathing but then again with so much to see I could be simply overlooking it...

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b1...ere/hammer.jpg

Notice the constant orange "trigger" texture just about everywhere. Every single corner in the game has a trigger as does everysingle height level (i guess you could say floor?)

edit: oh I should say, the pic of hammer is actually a "simpler" one where I deleted alot of the non essential brushes. (the brushes that make up the static world)

liq3 · November 27th, 2008, 04:48 AM

I don't think the actual map has anything to do with AI pathing or spawning (except for scripted events). I'm rather sure everything is controlled by the nav mesh and Director as far as pathing and spawning goes.

I mean, I made a very basic maze map. It only has the most basic entities (player start and director and some weapons) but the director still spawns zombies. It chooses where to spawn them and everything. This includes boss infected (though I've never seen a tank or witch on it...though, it's very small and I've played it about 10 minutes).

Also, the nav mesh that was created by using nav_generate (ingame with console) automatically made it possible for the zombies to climb over the low (about 100 units high) walls I made. I saw a smoker get up on top, as well as a few normal infected.

><0>* · November 27th, 2008, 04:48 AM

Yea i guess so, considering if they use the same bot system for Counter strike: source then you have to compile the paths from the geometry with a command in game.

Dang, that is alot of trigger, the bigger story telling maps always have alot of layered triggers.

hellishinc · November 27th, 2008, 04:56 AM

yeah it uses nav files. Lol how i forgot with the huge "MAP NOT PLAYABLE MISSING NAV FILE" is beyond me.

Liq3, anychance youve had some success making a safe room?

I think it pertains with these:
prop_door_rotating_checkpoint
info_changelevel
info_landmark

now as how to actually make it work...

><0>* · November 27th, 2008, 05:00 AM

Alrighty then, my models are up and working and working in hammer. Silly me, didn't use the bat file on ALL the folders the first time round. All thats left is the blasted entities, either tomorrow or the next week i'm gonna see if i can set them up. really all you 'want' / need is the Ai director.

0-----------------------------00
For those who need to know until a thread is set up.

use the .vpk extractor or GFC scape to get the model folder out.

Paste the model folder over the model folder in your sourcemods folder (since you've already read the above and created your own mod. Then comes the annoying part.

Create a notepad file

paste this in it

Code:

copy *.vtx *.dx80.vtx
copy *.vtx *.dx90.vtx
copy *.vtx *.sw.vtx
del *.dx80.dx90.sw.vtx
del *.dx80.dx90.vtx
del *.dx80.sw.vtx
del *.dx90.sw.vtx

Then save the file as codefix.bat (or whatever you prefer)

then run the bat file in EACH of the folders that contain models, doing so will make the appropriate copies of the .vtx files. That way, you can use the models in the viewer and hammer via the set up that i said ealier (making your own mod)

Then your ready to have boomers run miniguns.

Btw, this should also work for garrys mod, but i haven't tried it yet.

hellishinc · November 27th, 2008, 05:04 AM

Well, your going to need the safe room if you want to be able to end the level... otherwise it would just continue forever no?

oh and even with the bat file, not all models work. That or they are missing and are from a different mod (most probable) although the saferoom door model itself is MIA.

><0>* · November 27th, 2008, 05:10 AM

hahaha that is soooo true. But you could always create a kind of "death match" sort of mini map :P

Updated the above post for people who can't connect the dots, erm DOS, bats? whatever.

I'm gonna double check that the door is missing :P

EDIT:

Landmark and change level are triggers from HL2, landmark helps orient you in the world from changing from one side to the other (if i recall) and change level is a trigger to initiate the swap to the next level in a succession. There is probly a diff trigger.
--
I found the door.

There are alot of different versions of it. Its called "checkpoint door" its in props_doors.

Open hammer, make a prop_dynamic, load up the interface to search for models in the mod you created and search for door

hellishinc · November 27th, 2008, 06:20 AM

Yeah the model itself works but not with my prop_door_rotating_checkpoint, means i got something wrong.

I know some of those ents are from HL2 itself but I still beleive they are used to trigger the map change. The only place you see any of those triggers is in the safe room.

edit:

GRRRR I had written up some info i collected from my observation of the safe room and the forum discarded it all. >:[

If I get it to work... meh.

oh and btw info_changelevel is a new entitiy. Still havent figured out how to get it to work though. I tried to recreate everything from an official map but since its not working im obviously missing something. This is frustrating me xD!

If I do manage to get it to work, we will basically have everything we need to make CO-OP maps, and ill upload my current fgd somewhere, but till then its not really worth it.

Theres still alot of other entities that need to be added, but stuff like the laddersimple (for vs and ai) should be simple to add. They dont rely on parents or other ents to function.
--
Well, somewhat good news. I got the saferoom to work and take me to the next map, however the next map seems to be not loading properly, possibly due to something missing (a variable id assume?)

The next map is completely lit up, not fullbright, but similar. All zombies are also dead, as if someone cleared it for me...

I'm also having problems with the nav file (im probably forgetting something stupid) but when I generate it, i still get "NAV ERROR - Map unplayable"

/sigh

NecroViolator · November 27th, 2008, 02:03 PM

Hope the map editor is as powerful as Serious Engine, all built into one engine and no "build" time...
Just build away, every model/mesh is put into map and press "T" and test straight away

Simple, easy and extremely fast to edit all in one map editor...

OR,
Is the map editor going to be like HL 1 ??? a waste of Poly's behind objects, walls and such... Using resources when they are not needed...

Hope better and more advanced

...

><0>* · November 27th, 2008, 03:37 PM

If i recall, you need the landmark to show a point. Then changelevel you need to add the next map string to and trigger change level once the conditions are met (all 4 survivors in saferoom / all alive survivors) Then it changes blah blah.

"Changelevel" is not new, but normaly it was a trigger not an entity.

Trigger changelevel - Valve Developer Community

The "hammer" in HL1 is similar to the "Hammer" editor in HL2

I'm surprised they made a custom door kind of thing, they could just use a nodraw box for a rotating door and then attacked the door as a prop then when its 'closed' just trigger the change, its weird.

Mapping for L4D?

L4D & L4D2 Maps: Left4Dead & Left4Dead2 custom maps discussion forum.