Edude

Collected all my reference screenshots together for a timelapse

I have returned with some updated San Juan

Been working on a deathmatch/arms race map for CSGO for the last 4 days, will hopefully have a release by Christmas.



Since its a nightclub, I thought of chucking in some music, so for now it plays Vortal Combat.
 

Did a small level for HL2 over the past 5 days. Just a quick exercise where I played with some stealth mechanics. Not inspired by Dishonored at all.

Some new screenshots!
Due to personal problems, I had to pause the development of this map a few times. I hope to complete it in mid 2022!

Released another update w/ many fixes, improvements, yadayada, this will be the last greybox version until the full release on Christmas Day. In the meantime here are some more progress screenshots.

 
19/12 Even more screenshots.

'Nightclub' is an Arms Race/Deathmatch map I've been working on for the last week.
AVAILABLE NOW (v1.02) 28/03/2022





Hoping to fully release by Christmas Eve.
Currently 'Nightclub' features music, using 'Vortal Combat' from HL2 EP2 as a temp track. However it might be changed or removed later on.
(In case you're actually wondering 'what happened to the "Inmate" map?', the files fucked up so I gave up instantly lol)

Some new screenshots!
Due to personal problems, I had to pause the development of this map a few times. I hope to complete it in mid 2022!

Some new screenshots!
Due to personal problems, I had to pause the development of this map a few times. I hope to complete it in mid 2022!

Some new screenshots!
Due to personal problems, I had to pause the development of this map a few times. I hope to complete it in mid 2022!

So, yesterday I had my first playday for this map and this was the feedback I got:
Tight!!!
I heard this word several times during the playtest. It seems that a lot of players found several corridors to narrow. As the map was supposed to feel tight and claustrophobic, I guess I could have expected this. Though there is a difference in “feeling” tight and actually being tight, where it is not comfortable to play. In the feedback round afterwards, I got some more feedback around this topic, as the sharp corners and the possibility to maneuver enforces the tight feeling. So in the end, I suppose the map has indeed too much narrow corridors. One point to work on, widen the corridors, but keep the feeling of it being tight. Give a player the possibility to dodge incoming bullets. Play around smokes/Molotov’s. CT mid equals death
Whenever CT’s rush mid in the beginning of the round, they ended up dead. The positions where they end up is too easy to be blocked by sniping terrorists from the opposing side of mid. Suggestions were, adding cover, changing the entrance and removing the extra path (right side on overview). Additionally, the position on T side in pit seems very overpowered as it only shows the enemy’s head. T-junction alert
Terrorists attacking B were suffering from indecision as if they had to turn left or right. When they push a CT could be on either side and in worse case on both. This makes it hard to successfully push through this chokepoint. In order to make this more balanced the T junction has to be changed. Opening up opportunities for nades, maybe change the cover when checking left/right etc. Next to these points there were a lot of other things/flaws/ideas pointed out, that I’ll briefly write down here:
Path from Mid to A site (upstream) could be removed There are awkward head angles from upstream into Short A There is a ledge in Upstream that providers very strange angles when someone gets up there The plank between pillars on A site should not show feet beneath it Diversify the bomb sites. Maybe open up A site Add more height variation on the bomb sites/entrances itself (not only over the complete map) On CT spawn, when walking to B, CT’s have to turn around first Try to add different encounter distances (not only far and close) Less 90-degree corners (river and alleys) Open up for utility Simplify I'll add the overview here again for reference.
 
 Thanks everyone for being in the playtest and providing feedback.

Time to get to the drawing board.

de_samba
This is a map I'm working on from time to time. I lost it once, retrieved it and builded version upon version until now.
It is supposed to be a bomb defusal map set in a favela-like environment. At least that is the plan.
For know it is still a grey boxed version where I'm trying to perfect the layout.
Layout:
As you can see, I went for a traditional layout. But I tried to mix CQC and long range fights in several locations.
I started with the idea of verticality, as the complete left side of the map is on higher ground than the right side.
Screenshots: 
Some visuals of the current state of the map:
Workshop link:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=659931332
Feedback:
I'm currently looking for feedback on the layout, as I would like to find a final version, before try detailing.
Showing the map and getting feedback would also be a way to give me the necessary motivation to at least finish what I started
Post your thoughts here or hit me up on the Mapcore discord.

You could also trigger an alarm sound when you are triggering the lava.

If you're worried about players being unable to tell when the trap is or isn't active with a more lava-like blended texture - it is actually possible to toggle between different textures on a displacement, so you could switch it between this ground texture and a different one depending on if the lava's there
I don't think it's explained on the wiki ( material proxies in general aren't expanded upon as much as they should be ) but I'd be glad to help out if you need it

Thanks for the support, blackdog! 
I completely agree with you... I thought that using vulcanic stone models would be better too. But I was worried with general optimization and decided to use the current blend texture because it helps the player identify the "lava trap"*.


 
*Every 2 minutes a bunch of lava fill the areas represented by the darker ground texture. 

Very cool idea, congrats.
My nitpick would be if you could find a blend texture that would allow you to blend the ground to rocks where you have the lava, as it is feels non-organic.

This is my entry for the 2020 Source Engine Discord Wingman Contest. This started out as an Arms Race map, about half done with the art about 1.5 months before the contest was over, and for the past two weeks I have overhauled the entire map as a wingman experience. I have done a few playtests on the Source Discord, and they've been mostly positive. I'm at a polishing stage right now, so any and all feedback would be appreciated. I'm doing a playtest on the MapCore Discord on Thursday, September 17th at 3PM CDT, if anyone wants to take a gander. There's definitely more things to polish, and maybe a few visuals bugs/exploits that still have to be fixed (like filling gaps between props with `toolsblack` brushes, etc). Otherwise, this map is primarily complete. My goals for this was to make something as pretty as I could, while keeping performance good enough and to improve my art skills. I worked hard to create budget UVs, textures, and models for the map to keep overhead to a minimum. Unfortunately, since a lot of the map is not brush based, the use of occluders were necessary. I would say I could have done a better job with planning, but overall I think the main goals for this project have been accomplished fully. Even if it does not do well as a wingman map, I can always turn it back into an Arms Race map. 
 
Workshop link:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2230085582
 
This project has around 20 custom models (not a whole lot, admittedly), a custom made skybox, custom soundscapes, and a few custom materials. Special thanks to 9yz, Slimek, Darnias, Yanzl, and Morozov/Untor for help and assets.
 
Workshop description:
 
The locals of the island grow upset over the glutenous part-time resident, the CEO of Proxy Research, the company responsible for the disaster at the South Heber Research Base. Seal Team 6 is sent in to protect him- as he's an asset to the U.S. Government.
For more information on the South Heber Research Base disaster, please see Operation Coverup:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2014706191 <---- this is the link to my last wingman map, which I've posted here before... these maps are interconnected through story
 
 
I have uploaded the most updated images in a reply to this post, hopefully it should give you a better idea of what the final version.
 
 
 

^^ Updated Image ^^
(Old image below... spoilered)

In this picture, my custom skybox and tiki torch models are featured. I've used this shot for the workshop thumbnail and as the first photo in the workshop album. 
 

^^ Updated Image ^^
(Old image below... spoilered)
In this second picture, you can tell I've struggled with the water edge at the skybox, which unfortunately I've had trouble masking further. Luckily, during the playtest nobody mentioned it, so hopefully it's alright for now until I find a better solution. The trims on the side of the villa, as well as the tarp over the crates (on the left side of the image), the overhang on the front deck, and the thatch roofing (not pictured well here) are all custom assets made for this project. This photo is not a great showcase of those, but hopefully you'll be able to appreciate them further in-game.
 

^^ Updated Image ^^
(Old image below... spoilered)
Here, the tarp is featured again, but more prominently. I ran cloth sims on a pre-unwrapped subdivided cube. The poly count is a bit high, but I've been told by veteran modelers in the Source Engine Discord that this is fine. I know in the future I will try to streamline my cloth sim assets for Source Engine. Further down below, I made a bed and pillows, which both heavily rely on subdivisions near the edges of the mesh, so that more detail can be put into the folded areas. More on that later. Additionally, here's a closer look at the tiki torches-- maybe not as impressive as some veteran mapper's work, but it was something I could easily accomplish to bring more depth into this envrionment.
 

^^ Updated Image ^^
(Old image below... spoilered)
This is the inside of the villa, adjacent to the bombsite. The bed, pillows, plushies, hanging ceiling lights, warped copper wall art, and wood wall trims were all modeled by me (the floor texture and the thatch roof in the window are also custom). I tried to make great use of hipoly bakes and masked phong/cubemaps for many of these props. For all these props I used a PBR workflow, converting them into specgloss materials using Yanzl's tools with many manual tweaks. The bed features a phong mask to enhance a sheen on the blue trim there. The bed and pillows are fully tintable, both with alpha masks on the diffuse channel. As stated above, I subdivided the edges of the cloth on the bed and pillows to allow for more definition in the cloth sim. On the warped copper wall art, I took advantage of a hipoly bake, using that to deform the surface with normal maps, which the lowpoly is fully flat. Using the baked mesh maps I was able to texture the asset procedurally, giving it a more natural look using PBR materials and masks. The chicken and potato plushie are assets from my last map, Coverup.
 

(Note: This is a deprecated screenshot, as I have not taken a replacement. Not much has changed in this area, so it is mostly representative of the work there now.)
This photo is just a showcase of some of the instances I used to detail much of the map. I created premade instances to use for the jungle section, which I could mix and match. I made some with lower detail to use in less visible areas- as this could help improve performance. I also made heavy use of Morozov's Swamp grass, which I adore! I also am using tinted flowers from the Inferno remake.
 

^^ Updated Image ^^
(Old image below... spoilered)
I tried to make use of some of the Shoots assets, which although lower res, are able to add depth to an area that would otherwise be flat. It was a good excuse to keep some Arms Race history in here. The exterior and interior brush textures on the building though are from Danger Zone and Morozov's Swamp. 
 

^^ Updated Image ^^
(Old image below... spoilered)
Although not the best angle, this is the bombsite for the map. I recompiled the safe from Danger Zone to remove the pre-existing explosive models on it. Featured again here, are the wood trims, but also a custom door model- which makes great use of a hipoly bake.

^^ Updated Image ^^
(Old image below... spoilered)
Here's the TAR image generated from my map. I'm still working on it, so please suggest any changes that should be made, including color choice.
 
 
Hopefully you've enjoyed this post! I might update it more as time goes on, but cheers for now!
- Will "celery" Granda
(formerly "TheOnionChef")
 
Paradise logo made by my dear friend, Jonmcbane. Thanks, buddy.
One more shoutout to Proxy, the DJ- who let me use his music in my trailer for my last map, Coverup.
 
 
EDIT 9/16/20: Updated images from the newest compile with better angles. Made some layout changes to help the flow of the article when viewing the updated images.

Hello guys. New update.
For the last month I was working on map terrain, bunch of smaller generic structures and underground areas.
Terrain is almost done. Only one terrain patch that is still work in progress because Jakuza had some cool ideas for it  Should be done next week.
Right now I'm working on mine shafts that leads to bigger and more open underground chambers. 




 
Also some generic buildings to scatter across the map.






 
Cheers!
 

One month remains in the competition and there is much work still left to do, for now all I have to show his the latest overview and some screenshots. Im hoping to get 1 more playtest in before this is all over.

 

Hello everybody!
I'm creating a map (based on the Maginot Line) for the Wingman's Contest - provided by Source Engine's Discord.

I started the map 3 weeks ago and I'm on the detailing phase, slowly progreeding area by area, worried with the time left. I decided to follow this strategy: detail 75% of every area and after that (and gaining some time) I'd put some final touches + polishment + optimization.  
I wonder, should I keep doing it in a hurry or is it better to make it with no rush and patience (losing the deadline)? There's still a lot to do and I'd like to hear your opinions...

This is a mostly complete 1:1 recreation of the London Natural History Museum, sans the more recently built extensions and not including any of the real exhibitions.
This has been my ''lockdown activity'', of sorts. All mesh created inside the hammer editor, and using near-exclusively custom textures ( 125+ ! ) all edited by hand.
Currently only compiled for cs:go, but I intend to port it to at least gmod as well, maybe it could work as scavange/survival in l4d2? Would love to see it in HL:A too, but I don't yet own VR so if anyone's interested to port it for me - or in contributing in any other way, please do contact me. If you've got a good idea for props to fill the exhibition spaces with, that'd be cool too - I was gonna do a half life theme but pretty quickly ran short of actual suitable models, at least that I could find.
Files;
24/08/2020 (first public release): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ojDYBtpS4X-zJDpcqMHTeegJjI7Up8_1/view 02/09/2020 (improved east hallway, 24 spawnpoints): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PKLII33cFCqnOnBOmLTD8dFUealSDCbY/view 18/09/2020 (all around improvements/additions, fixed cubemaps): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YkZuPrQqfLiIxi3H_QLo2N1lZ7pFuFRc/view 15/11/2020 (added exterior, increased model quality, general polish) https://drive.google.com/file/d/1veuRpy29IGv8cxBl3OuQWsuoTmAy5TBe/view 21/09/2021 ( changes listed below ) ( edit; now includes working nav mesh! ) https://gamebanana.com/dl/662744 11/11/2021 https://gamebanana.com/dl/691124 ( look through posts below for more detail on the changes )

 

Some progress - turns out learning env art stuff from scratch is pretty hard and time consuming. I now turned to using more premade assets (thanks Yanzl) than before, but I still doubt I'm gonna make the deadline at this pace, or at least not with the level of detail and polish I'd want.
 

I got really inspired when looking at the architecture of Ricardo Bofills home "La Fábrica".
This map is in a very early state and not really playable yet. Feedback and suggestions are appreciated nonetheless. I am especially bad at placing cover so if you can give me any hint on where that would be great. One of the passages should be close ranged combat I guess.

Here are the first screenshots with reference:
 
 
Also here is the workshop link even if it is a veery early state.
 

The post has only the best pics, find the rest on imgur: https://imgur.com/gallery/CQKlVkK
Ok people, I haven't finished A side, outsides or middle yet, but I'll be unable to work on this for the next two weeks and wanted to deliver some on my promise before then. So here is a look at the map's new and (hopefully) improved B side. As always, everything is fast compile and temp textures, because full compiles LITERALLY KILL MY LAPTOP in this heat. 
- B Site -

- B Caves -


(this hallway is not part of the playable area).
- Skywalk -

Credit for the glass textures to Skybex and Yanzl from cs_cruise and Puddy and Yanzl from de_breach! Thank you for being able to use these now, long-term plan is 100% custom content.
These shots are only meant to summarize the general style of the B area, you can find more detail and some descriptions I whipped up for the rest of the pics on imgur! https://imgur.com/gallery/CQKlVkK
Cheers, see you all soon