Talk:Valve Hammer Editor

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Valve?[edit]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm sure that Valve didn't make the first versions of this software (for Quake).

  • In my understanding valve brought the software, and the developer of it, for use with the Half Life engine. Though the orignal 1.0 relase was made for Quake based games, everything after it has been for Valve products. You will also be hard pressed to find the orignal editor now days as well. --Amckern 08:11, 8 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yes, they did buy the software and the developer, but at first it was still "Worldcraft" and still supported any Quake engine game. Also, looking for Worldcraft redirects here, so there should be some information on the Worldcraft that was, at least historically. Early versions of Worldcraft were free to distribute (at least the non-paid version) so if any site has those up for download, they could kind of be under see also links. 72.192.237.134 15:58, 14 July 2006 (UTC)Ismail[reply]

Compiling[edit]

Can someone write something about the compiling time? I don't know where to put it.

Compiling a bsp file with no visual stuff takes about 5-10 seconds, while a map normal map with lights, HDR and all that can take up to 3 hours.

Also, can someone add information about the nodraw texture. Why it improves performance?

The nodraw texture is used to tell the engine not to draw that surface. Because the engine draws everything, even if you cant see it.
Wrong. The engine draws every surface ONLY if the surface(s) in question is within the player's PVS (Potential Visibility Set) which is calculated by the VIS compiling stage. Yes, the engine draws everything if the VIS stage is somehow skipped. (A Leak error, for example) The NODRAW texture is used to mark a face that is within the player's PVS, yet is in a position where it is impossible for the player to see. Without the NODRAW texture, the face WILL be rendered, just in case the player SOMEHOW gets there (which we have already established as impossible)

And, can sumone add why were using VisZones, or whatever theyre called?

Viszones is, like the nodraw texture, to stop the engine from rendering it. A viszone is a block, with the viszone texture (blue if I'm right...). the mapper can then assign data to the block. For example: A player inside this block can see everythin in here, and everythin in that block over there, but he can't see whats in this VisZone. Improves performance. (Please note: mat_wireframe is used for testing, if you use this command you will see that the engine does only render the zones of your choise. this can also be used as an weapon against the wallhackers (CSS cheat) since it's not rendered, they cant see it.
Think maybe he means VisGroups, which is simply a tool for creating and managing content layers. Bv3r 12:38, 31 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Nah... sounds more like areaportals, or due to the name, visleafs... --Darthkillyou 03:23, 2 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Finaly, Anyone add some info about HDR and hammer?

HDR is used to improve graphics. High dynamic range (not render). For example it calculates the light comming into the players eyes, and simulates the reaction of a human eye. So if you come out of a dark room, you'll be flashed by the amount of light untill your eyes has adapted.

Can someone please add this info? I'm not good at writing english, since I live in sweden. And this article REALLY need to be upgraded. Thank you in advance.

Cybesystem 11:48, 5 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

This stuff is map developer stuff and I don't think it belongs here in wikipedia. The article is for the general knowledge of how hammer works, not how to use it. HDR info is fine, though. Just add that the map needs to go through two stages of RAD compiling. --Darthkillyou 03:23, 2 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]


As sexy as Gabe Newell is, I didn't feel this information was pertinent to the topic of the article. [JDM. 02/18/2007]

Hammer 4.1 HL1[edit]

I just wanted to say that it is not possible to create HL1 maps with Hammer 4.1. A friend of mine has a few years of mapping experience, and wanted to create a HL1 map with 4.1, and he says it's not possible to do so.

JeFFJuH 10:57, 2 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Hammer 4.0 and above (so far) is configured for Source Engine mapping only, and HL1 runs on the Goldsrc engine, not Source. --Darthkillyou 03:26, 2 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]

From the article: "The current version supports both Source and GoldSrc...". Is this really true? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 213.66.115.51 (talk) 09:02, 12 November 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Hammer 4.x supports HL1 mapping, you just have to go way out of your way to configure it to do so. I spent some time last night tinkering around with it and got it to open a HL1 RMF and use WAD files. It's much easier to use Hammer 3.x though, unless you absolutely can't find it anywhere. Ggigabitem (talk) 18:08, 1 October 2009 (UTC)[reply]

In Need of Rewrite[edit]

The following sentence, currently found in the Level Design with Hammer section, is not only ungrammatical, but also mostly incomprehensible:

Prior to the release of the Source engine, the Editor used only brushes (blocks) called primitives sets of simpler primitives, they can be used in older games that are not based on the Source engine.

I'd clean it up myself, but I'm not really sure what the original author was trying to say. I suspect it should read something like the following:

Prior to the release of the Source engine, the editor used only geometric primitives called brushes, which were the only geometry allowed in the Quake engine and its derivatives, such as that used in Half-Life.

Ideas? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.142.194.209 (talk) 01:28, 5 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Wow... what the heck? I'm not sure what that paragraph said. I'd say just delete it for now. --Darthkillyou 03:28, 2 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]

What's this? no mentioning of "teh hammre"?! Not right. -dm —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.46.137.100 (talk) 07:10, 29 November 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Rating changed[edit]

I just changed the rating from Start to Stub, in accordance with my discussion with the original rater here: User_talk:Haipa_Doragon#Valve_Hammer_article_rating --DanielPharos (talk) 21:54, 19 April 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Picture[edit]

Maybe replace the main picture with one of Hammer's logo? The current picture can be placed somewhere else in the article. G. Fire (talk) 21:36, 20 September 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Updated picture[edit]

I've updated the picture with a more recent and lower resolution version. I believe it conforms to fair use rationales but I am new so I'm not entirely sure. Washington Irving Esquire (talk) 23:05, 22 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

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