The Source Engine is a 3D game engine developed by Valve Corporation. Its unique features include a large degree of modularity and flexibility, an artist-driven, shader-based renderer, accurate lip sync and facial expression technology, and a powerful, efficient and completely network-enabled physics system. 

The Source engine was first shown to the world by being the power-horse behind the hugely anticipated Half-Life 2 which was released in late 2004. Since then the Source Engine has been upgraded with the release of such titles as Half-Life 2: Lost Coast, Team Fortress 2 and the Left 4 Dead series to name a few.

Whilst it has been years since the release of the Source Engine they haven't yet unveiled a 'next-generation engine' as the Source engine is always updating and is just as relevant in the gaming world today if not more than when it debuted in 2004. It has been aided by the release of the free Source Development Kit (SDK) which include such features as HDR for developers to use in their projects. Hence the reasons stated we have yet to see 'Source Engine 2'.

On July 10th 2012, Valve released the 'Source Filmmaker' - a freeware client to allowed anyone to make movies inside the Source Engine. More information on the Source Filmmaker can be found here.

Below you can find a list of amazing features that the Source Engine boasts:

Renderer

  • Version 2.0 (and below) shaders, bump mapping, LOD on models and world
  • Author shaders with HLSL
  • Cube and environment mapping
  • Dynamic lights, vertex lighting and light maps, many light types including flickering, pulsing etc.
  • High-Dynamic Range lighting
  • Water with refraction and fresnel effects
  • Advanced particle system that can emit sprites or models
  • Projected shadows allow for a large number of characters per scene
  • Occluder entities for visibility blocking
  • Indoor/Outdoor environments
  • Deformable terrain
  • 3D skyboxes extend the horizon and add parallax on distant objects
  • Dynamically rendered organics (grass, trees etc)
  • Subdivision surfaces, diffuse & specular bump maps
  • Real-time radiosity lighting
  • Effects include but are not limited to: particles, beams, volumetric smoke, sparks, blood, environmental effects like fog and rain
  • Scalability
  • Dx6-Dx9 hardware supported

Materials System

  • Instead of traditional textures, Source defines sets of materials that specify what the object is made from and the texture used for that object. A material specifies how an object will fracture when broken, what it will sound like when broken or dragged across another surface, and what that object’s mass and buoyancy are. This system is much more flexible than other texture only based systems.
  • Materials can interact with objects or NPCs such as mud or ice for vehicles to slide/lose traction on.

Multiplayer Network Code

  • Time and gamer tested by millions of gamers around the world
  • Support for both LAN based multiplayer and Internet based multiplayer games
  • Prediction analysis for interpolating collision/hit detection
  • Optimizations for high-latency, high-packet loss 56k connections

Advanced Characters

  • Detailed and believable characters
  • Realistic eyes
  • Focus on player/object, not simply parallel views
  • Proper eye “bulge” for realistic eye reflections
  • Simulated musculature provides outstanding emotions, speech and body language
  • Language independent speech, characters can naturally speak in many languages
  • Skeletal/bone system for animation
  • Layered animation system can synthesize complex animations out of several pieces
Image RSS Feed Latest Screens
Hammer Editor Source Model Viewer Faceposer
Blog RSS Feed Report abuse Latest News: Media Roundup

About The Contract with 5 comments by Bravo81 on May 16th, 2013

Our current aim is to get the basic movements and actions working in-game, the required animations and models required.

As you can see on our profile and website we currently have our main character Sebastian:

Sebastian - Low Poly & Textured

 Plus our primary weapon a Ruger Mark 3, 22/45:

Ruger Mk 3 22/45

On top of this, programming has started on our game using the 2009 release of the Source Engine, plus level creation was started last week on our two missions.

In the way of audio, we have recruited a member of staff to Voice Act our handler, Specter. Another sound engineer has been recording the Ruger Mk3 in action from reloading to firing and even loading magazines bullet per bullet.

We are very happy with our progress as a team so far, including the development of our website which can also be found on our profile. We now have a community forum up and running which is just waiting for you lovely people to register and fill it with all kinds of goodness.


Also, you will find a Dev Blog on the website, allowing you to keep up to date and follow us via Facebook and Twitter:

 

As the excitement keeps building and our followers increase, we thank you for your interest in our project and hope that our unfolding concepts and ideas keep you on the edge of your seat as every update passes by.

All the best,
~The Contract Dev Team.

Media RSS Feed Latest Video
Games
Alien Swarm

Alien Swarm Alien Swarm

Updated 5 months ago Released Jul 18, 2010 Single & Multiplayer Arcade

An epic bug hunt featuring a unique blend of co-op play and squad-level tactics. With your friends, form a squad of four distinct IAF Marine classes...

Blade Symphony

Blade Symphony Blade Symphony Indie

Updated 2 months ago TBD Multiplayer Fighting

Blade Symphony is a game built on the Source Engine featuring fierce duels in an alternate universe. Play as the cyber-ninja Hokuten Assassins, the fabled...

Codename Prime

Codename Prime Codename Prime Indie

Updated 2 years ago TBD Single & Multiplayer First Person Shooter

Codename Prime is a Spiritual successor of The Commonwealth Saga, following Nithøk Godskinsson a 21st century mercenary fighting the Drago invasion of...

Conscript

Conscript Conscript Indie

Updated 5 hours ago TBD Single Player First Person Shooter

Conscript is a psp/pc game using the source engine and a heavily modified quake engine that takes place in an alternate half life 2 universe, through...

Contagion

Contagion Contagion Indie

Updated 3 days ago TBD Single & Multiplayer First Person Shooter

Eugene and Marcus return in the spiritual successor of the very popular HL2 Modification Zombie Panic: Source!

Post comment Comments  (70 - 80 of 296)
shadowdude1
shadowdude1 Jun 30 2011, 9:06am says:

actually,Source is ****** version of Quake 1 (!) engine

+2 votes     reply to comment
thunderising
thunderising Jun 30 2011, 8:03am says: Online

What is the meaning of this?

Source SDK is free? That means mods can now be made standalone? But they have to be downgraded from Source 2007 to Source 2006?

Haha Good Luck with that Valve, your games are good, but Source Engine, truly is a dinosaur, and hence, it sucks.

+2 votes     reply to comment
LizardGamer
LizardGamer Jun 30 2011, 5:03am says:

this engine sucks
cool games built on source,but its totally suck

-2 votes     reply to comment
shadowdude1
shadowdude1 Jun 25 2011, 4:54pm buried:

(buried)

this engine sucks
cool games built on source,but its totally suck

-5 votes     reply to comment
shadowdude1
shadowdude1 Jun 26 2011, 2:42pm replied:

why the hell you letting down this comment ? do you really think Source engine is powerful ? do you that one dynamic light letting down FPS to 10 on modern machines in Source engine ?

+2 votes     reply to comment
GuNsHiP_MK_II
GuNsHiP_MK_II Jun 27 2011, 1:33pm replied:

Fail troll is fail.

+3 votes     reply to comment
shadowdude1
shadowdude1 Jun 28 2011, 2:54pm replied:

still quiet ?
so STFU n00b ^^

+1 vote     reply to comment
shadowdude1
shadowdude1 Jun 27 2011, 1:46pm replied:

???
u mad ? are u really think source engine is good ? why ?
half life 2 was gorgeous game,but engine IS totally suck.
tell me the argument,not judgement in trolling

+2 votes     reply to comment
LizardGamer
LizardGamer Jun 29 2011, 7:44pm replied:

You are actually right about the Source engine. But basically Source is just a **** version of the Quake 3 engine that has nice effects and facial animation.

Mapper is teribbly annoying(Even the best uni in the world says this), maps have slow loading times, it's buggy in windows (sometimes), has really old version of Havok physics, etc., etc.

0 votes     reply to comment
LizardGamer
LizardGamer Jun 29 2011, 7:46pm replied:

AtOM1c you an idiot! Source SDK = Mods, UDK = FULL STANDALONE GAMES

*******!

Plus how is the mapping software good with Source, UDK is much better!

0 votes     reply to comment
Post a Comment
click to sign in

You are not logged in, your comment will be anonymous unless you join the community today (totally free - or sign in with your social account on the right) which we encourage all contributors to do.

2000 characters limit; HTML formatting and smileys are not supported - text only

Platforms
Windows, PS3, X360, XBOX
Company
Valve
Contact
Send Message
Official Page
Valvesoftware.com
Licence
Commercial
Release Date
Released Oct 31, 2004
Engine Watch
Track this engine
Share
Community Rating

Average

9.6

985 votes submitted.

You Say

-

Ratings closed.

Highest Rated (12 agree) 10/10

Even tho it is aging and it is beginning to show its weakness comparred to other more modern engines, it is still my most preferred engine and the only one I was able to get into succesfully. And with all of the updates Valve is giving it, I think the source engine will be with us for a long time. I wouldn't really recommend this for a commerical product, just because there are so many more modern engines out there that will be a lot easier in the long run (like UDK), but all of the commercial games…

Nov 16 2010, 3:48pm by Half_Kill

Statistics
Rank
5 of 514
Last Update
1 week ago
Watchers
1,042 members
Games
42
Files
24
News
179
Features
22
Tutorials
97
Reviews
73