Thrik

I created a tool to help generate ideas for making HL2 maps. With renewed interest in HL2 from the 20th anniversary update, it would be great to see more new custom maps for HL2. Hopefully this helps anyone come up with some basic ideas for what to include in a map, or even just challenge yourself to come up with a short map using a small selection of game elements.

https://www.msleeper.com/hl2gen/

Click "Generate" to come up with a new selection of elements. You can click the lock to keep a current element if you like it.

I tried to account for things like only allowing Bugbait when the "Antlion Army" game element is active, but I'm sure I overlooked some of these cases.

Enjoy and feel free to share.

Thanks for your input @Thrik. As you suggested, I ended up adding just a tad of blue to those stone brick walls, and the small change in contrast did make it better.
You are right about the open areas too. It gets better on every version though, as I am adding things here and there.
 

Hello,
I am currently (slowly) developing my first cs2 map! The current version even includes original models and textures! 
Feedback is Appreciated! 
Workshop link: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3085507504

Okay this is very important to me. I am currently applying for a vocational college education program in Level Design. It is a 30 month long education in Sweden, it is a honour for me to be accepted. Now I meet all the requirements but, yes there is a but. The college requires me to show a portfolio before last of April.
I am to draw or design a two paper world map by myself. Also volunteering showcase 5 items I have designed or draw.
Here you come in. Do you sense it! I have never draw or designed anything.
I need help with this, please reach out to me. I can show the description of what needs to be made. Please help me achieve my goal to become accepted to the college as a Level Designer. If necessary, I might pay if no volunteers is available.
If this is on the wrong post, let me know.
Thank you in advance!
/Edgar

They are low poly static props used with the spray tool. 
From what i had seen their impact on the fps is insignificant.(tested on a full server of 38 real players, before and after adding them). During the compilation they are automatically joined into a larger prop depending on the distance and área they are filling.  The map (de_amalia) its on the workshop if you want to inspect it. 

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3120867158&searchtext=de_amalia
 

I had ported one of my older maps from CSGO to CS2, to learn and practice the new tools (which i find very easy and intuitive to use, finally PBR!!! and also i love that feature that matches the light environment with the sky). I had ported it simply by opening the old .vmf file. The hammer transforms automatically every brush in a mesh. (the method proposed by valve gives a lot of errors and does not port the map). Anyway i´m in the process of rebuilding it "from the ground up" as they say. 

 

Thank you, Thrik! 😊 Happy to hear that, I hope you’ll enjoy the game! 

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3140366695
I imagined a theme where the protagonist as a thief can steal the two cubes away through technology.
But not stealing squares makes the game easier, while stealing squares is more of a test of skill.
I don't know if my level accomplishes this. So I'm hoping to find some feedback.

Fantastic. Nice work on it! I’m really looking forward to playing the game itself soon. 😄

Backup post for me in case I mess it up...
 

Question: Are there any example map files (from Valve) to learn from?
Answer: Not much atm (early 2024), no complete maps. But there are a couple of interesting *.vmaps here:
...\Steam\steamapps\common\Counter-Strike Global Offensive\content\csgo\maps\editor
For example this small part of dust2: "toolscene_lighting_de_dust_day.vmap"

 
Smart Props Zoo:
...\Steam\steamapps\common\Counter-Strike Global Offensive\content\csgo\maps\editor\zoo
 
Some basic entities that you might want to use in your map:
...\Steam\steamapps\common\Counter-Strike Global Offensive\content\csgo\maps\templates
 
Some information about lighting:
...\Steam\steamapps\common\Counter-Strike Global Offensive\content\csgo_addons\*your_addon_name*\maps\content_examples
 

Hello fellow level designers! I like the new forum-look. 😁👍

I made a video on how I helped design a level for the UE4 game Deliver Us the Moon, what the process was like and what I would do differently now a couple years later. I also fall into other tangents about level design that might hopefully be interesting. If that sounds like something fun, I always appreciate people watching, discussing or giving feedback:

Hope you enjoy! 😊

Hello !
(I don't see a topic presentation if you have one, I'm sorry in advance)
It's my first post here. It's been 1 year and a half I study Level Design in a school in France (Objectif 3D Montpellier). What I really like it's the environmental storytelling.
This video is a showcase for an exercise in school.
Goal for School : make a level Puzzle Game
Personal Goal : Make a Wow moment and try to work with the Scripting
Game Goal : Solve the abbey and take the relic
I really want to have feedback for my future projects (what can I improve etc…).
For the translation :
First panel: There are two of them. Ready at the right time, gilded by the lights to awaken the sacred relic. Second panel: Put a part of yourself in the gargoyle to send it to the sky.  

Question: Where are Workshop maps and their files stored?
Answer: ...\Steam\steamapps\workshop\content\730\

You have to make bad levels and not mind that they're bad and play the bad levels until you start to tell apart the good from the bad and the interesting from the boring. So don't expect to make a good level from the get-go. Reframe the problem from *making good levels for my game* to *finding the fun*. And don't do any decoration, that will only make it harder to do this soul-searching (it's like how having a girlfriend makes it harder to make drastic changes to your life and take risks because you have a life together). And if you're struggling to come up with ideas, and don't know where to begin, which is how I feel when I try to solve some problem in some domain where I have little to no experience in, maybe just copy levels from an existing game that you like and play it and see what works and what doesn't.

It sort of bothers me that Godfrey, despite being a Tarnished, is portrayed as kind of a giant, so here's a mod I created that makes him (almost) player-size:
I used a C++ runtime library called ERSkeletonman to create this mod.

I've been messing around with it to create high poly models of the base weapons for baking/skinmaking purposes. It's an incredibly intuitive program, and It's getting better with every update. They just added 3D mouse support! I can't suggest this program enough, I'm having a lot of fun using it.

Question: When I start CS2, the launch option "Counter-Strike 2 Workshop Tools" is gone. How to fix this?

 
Answer 1:
Go to your Steam Library and right click on CS2, then:

Unfortunately you have to do this every time you want to launch the Workshop Tools.
Any ideas for a permanent fix?
 
Answer2:
Alternative solution:
Right click on "Counter-Strike 2" in your Steam Library, then go to: "General" -> "Launch Options"
Then add +install_dlc_workshoptools_cvar 1
This seems to work permanently.

I'm not familiar with Source2 yet, but since 99% of Mapcore members try their best to ignore the forum, some basic ideas I have:
- Do you have a seperate *.vmap for your 3d skybox? (Some information about 3d skyboxes in S2 here)
- Did you check the compile log for errors?
- Maybe just a S2 bug (?)

Sharing is Caring!  🙂

More brand new music for everyone...

On my Epic / Battle page:

"THE VOYAGE BEGINS"
https://soundimage.org/epic-battle/

On My Fantasy 12 page:

"DREAMY HOLLOW"
https://soundimage.org/fantasy-12/

And on my Funny 8 page:

"POP’S STRANGE TOY SHOP"
https://soundimage.org/funny-8/

I do custom music as well if need be.  🙂 In the meantime, enjoy my thousands of free tracks! 

The CS2 Workshop Tools are out for a while now, but there are still many questions (at least I have a lot).
Unfortunately there is no proper documentation yet as it used to be for Source1.
Yes, there are some Youtube tutorials, but mostly about very basic things, not so much about specific questions.
Also this forum is dead atm, so I'm having trouble to get the answers I need.
Yeah, Mapcore is on Discord now, but imo it sucks. It's nice for those who want some daily conversation about mapping. But interesting questions and answers get lost quickly between trash talk, people posting their show off screenshots and whatever in one infinite topic.
So I decided to collect some Q&A here and add links to the answers.
Feel free to ask questions or give answers if you want to... (I will add all of your questions and links to answers to the following post!)
green: proper answer
orange: partial answer or idea
red: not answered yet
(Q): Original question

Hey man, I played nine rounds on CT and T side each and gathered some first impressions for you. Here they are: 

https://imgur.com/a/uNBC5rU

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3080200608
write feedback, please

I found a great simple software called Plasticity which kinda neatly simplifies NURB editing with a very CAD like UI. Really powerful stuff when you start messing around with it. You can create really awesome hard surface models with ease when you don't need to mess around with polygons what so ever.
https://www.plasticity.xyz/
Anyone else tried this one?