Custom Gold Source Engine build from a scratch
Developers:
Unkle Mike (aka G-Cont, aka Дядя Миша) - main developer
HLFX.ru forum members - help, support, beta-testing
CortexReaver, nemyax - English translation
Xash3D Engine has been tested for compatibility with many of Gold Source games and MODs. At this moment it should provide you an ability to successfully complete almost any existing singleplayer Half-Life mod without compatibility problems. Some mods can be not totally compatible, if they are too hardly modified or using some very specific or unstable features of Gold Source engine. Also multiplayer part of Xash3D engine is not fully completed yet because of lack of some important information and hidden source codes of Gold Source engine. So in most cases multiplayer mods should work good in a local or a LAN game, but some features can not work or work not exactly as under Gold Source engine. Check a detailed list of tested mods and a list of tested maps in "Features" section. A full list of Xash3D Engine features is also there, plus a guide on how to get work Half-Life and its' mods under Xash3D (in English and in Russian).
Basic limits.
Xash3D limits are not just higher than Half-Life ones, they also can be tuned in gameinfo.txt file.
- MAX_EDICTS is 600 - 4096 (versus 900 in Half-Life).
- MAX_TEMPENTS is 300 - 2048 (vs. 500).
- MAX_PARTICLES is 1024 - 8192 (vs. 4096).
- MAX_BEAMS is 64 - 512 (vs. 64)
Careful limits reduction can save RAM in mods which don't need many edicts. Also MAX_EDICTS parameter is broadcasted from server during a multiplayer session, it adjusts clients to new conditions automatically.
These limits are engine-hardcoded and can not be tuned by user.
- MAX_VISIBLE_PACKET is 512 entities (256 in Half-Life).
- MAX_MODELS is 2048 unique models (including sprites and bmodels)
- MAX_SOUNDS is 2048
- MAX_SENTENCES is 2048 (1534 in Half-Life)
- MAX_USER_MESSAGES is 191 (128 in WON Half-Life)
- MAX_TEXTURES is 4096 (2048 of them can be used for VGUI)
- MAX_MESSAGES is 2048 (1024 in Half-Life) (quantity of messages in titles.txt)
- Maximum size for indexed textures is 4096х4096 (vs. 512х512 in Half-Life)
- Maximum size for true-color textures is 4096x4096.
- MAX_MAP_MODELS 1024 (256 in half-life)
- MAX_MAP_LEAFS 32767 (8192 in half-life)
Note: other BSP-model limits are specified by compiler tools and don't depend on the engine.
Xash3D allows to get more accurate value of current lighting level, because it considers lightstyles and their current values. The player's lighting is taken directly from renderer and considers all lighting types, including entity light and dynamic light.
Half-Life supports decal save only on world surfaces and very rare on doors, elevators and other moving models. Xash3D saves decals on every brush model. Decal transition between levels is also maintained (implemented in Half-Life, but doesn't really work).
This technology allows to load entities from external .ent script file. This script can be produced by the external ripent.exe application or by engine's facilities by typing the entpatch command. If the command is entered when a map is loaded, a new entity patch will be created.
Xash3D supports following BSP-map formats: Quake 1, Half-Life, Half-Life Blue Shift. Besides, Quake 1 external bmodels are supported (medikit and ammo models). Note: it is recommended to play Quake 1 maps in Deathmatch Classic mod to prevent stuckness of player because of the difference between hull's sizes of Half-Life and Quake.
Xash3D allows to precache models "on the fly" that helps to avoid nasty PF_PRECACHE_ERROR. Also Xash3D doesn't crash if a model or sound wasn't found.
Before switching to a next map Xash3D will analyze its state (without unloading the current map) and decides whether correct changelevel procedure is possible. In case of any error in a next map the engine will signal about it in the developer's console, and the changelevel will be aborted. The error message also contains troubleshoot tips that can make level designer's life easier, because such errors are most difficult to diagnose and fix.
To display credits and exit the game after, run the pfnEndSection command with oem_end_credits argument. The credits code is placed in menu.dll and can be changed by user at his discretion.
Xash3D entities behave more stable on moving platforms and don't shift away on sharp turns.
It allows to tie one entity to another, taking into account movement and rotation of the former entity. You can see an example in SDK - a crossbow bolt that correctly attaches itself to func_pushable, func_rotating, func_tracktrain and other brush models.
Xash3D has a powerful console autocomplete system that allows not just print command lists, but also describe all of them during the search. For more comfort you can type "makehelp" in the console, and the engine will generate help.txt that contains the list of all commands and variables with short descriptions. Map, movie, background track, cfg script, save, weapon (give command), sound (play command), game directory names input is also assisted by the autocomplete feature.
Most Quake engines are restricted to the parent directory with specific name, which doesn't matter when you make mod, but very uncomfortable when you make total game conversion and therefore replace the parent directory. Xash3D doesn't restricted to specific folder, and the parent directory is defined by the launcher. This way you can make your own game that doesn't depend on Half-Life.
Dedicated server has the autocomplete feature now, your command history can be saved.
Background map is a map to be displayed as a menu background. You could see them in Half-Life 2. Xash has a simplier background map system - it doesn't depend on unlocked chapters (because original Half-Life has no chapters system) and it chooses the background map from the list. This list file must be named as chapterbackgrounds.txt and placed in scripts directory (if you don't have such directory, then just make it). Every list's entry is separated by new line. You can use any playable map as the background, but better don't use maps where player starts in a moving train, because it won't look good.
Turned off by default. Doesn't work with short sequences like switching on and off the light. It smooths light animation very well on long slow sequences like SlowStrobe or SlowPulse. Note: FPS rate may suffer from this option.
You can see such textures in original quake maps as glowing fields on a texture. Because this feature is caused by the Quake pallet's special features, the engine enables it for textures that have Quake or Quake2 pallet. This pallet is saved well after the simple conversion of wad2 files to wad3.
Improved model lighting includes per-bone lighting from static and dynamic light sources, and it also includes correct model lighting on every stage of long sequence execution, when model goes far enough from its real location. The best example is forklift.mdl Sprite lighting is a correct lighting of all sprites that is rendered in additive mode and had "alphtest" during the compilation. For example, blood decals uses the world lighting and doesn't glow in darkness. Both sprites and models don't just use the world lighting, but also consider lighting of the closest brush model if there is one.
Instead of a usual player image you can see his 3D model in the menu and track all changes right on-the-spot.
About Xash3D Engine with 0 comments by Qwertyus on Mar 12th, 2013
Hello again, it's another double update of Xash3D Engine and XashXT toolkit. New versions of the engine and toolkit are including a lot of fixes for different problems plus some new features.
Xash3D Engine changelog (for build 2223, since build 2153):
Engine: added support for maps (only maps!) created for alpha version of Half-Life (with BSP version 29).
Engine: added support for "nomodels" option in liblist.gam (for disabling of using any model for player except models\player.mdl).
Engine: fixed problem with activating of a mod if it has a "." (dot) symbol in a name of its' main folder.
Render: renamed missed cvar "r_anisotropy" to real name "gl_anisotropy".
Render: now "r_speeds 4" displays an actual count of "real" static entities which were created by call of MAKE_STATIC function.
Render: fixed bug with blinking of Quake sky while autosave in progress.
Render: keep actual hardware gamma for multiple instances of application.
Render: fixed an invisibility of map objects created by using of transparent textures with RenderFX=15 setting (rarely used in some mods).
Client: a new callback for render interface that is calling R_DrawCubemapView (for fixing of cmd "envshot" in XashXT).
Client: changed path and names for screenshots which are saving by "screenshot" command from "modfolder\scrshots\mapname\shotXXXX.bsp" to "modfolder\scrshots\mapname_shotXXXX.bsp" (for easy browsing and operations with files).
Client: engine is using callback CL_CameraOffset now.
Client: fixed angles for cmd "envshot".
Client: fixed disabling of custom gravity settings on a map for player after using a ladder.
Server: fix for client's rejection mechanism (in multiplayer game).
Server: using pfnClientDisconnect callback (in multiplayer game).
Server: some changes in physics code (for MOVETYPE_PUSH). This is fixing a variety of possible problems with pushable objects (and sometimes - with a monster's or NPC's physics) in some Half-Life mods.
A compatibility of Xash3D Engine with GoldSrc Engine was additionally tested since build 2153 in about of 150 different mods and for now a list of successfully completed mods includes over 350 singleplayer mods. So don't forget to check the updated list. In addition to the list of tested Half-Life mods was also created a list of tested singleplayer maps, which already includes over 100 different maps.
XashXT changelog (for version 0.62, since version 0.61):
- Implemented a new system of save/restore (an analog of save/restore system that avaliable in Half-Life 2).
- You can view now a classes' statistics with using of in-game console (a set of commands beginning from dump_*).
- Custom system of string_t for better sorting and checking for duplicates (improving of render's performance).
- Env_sky can be enabled and disabled now, so you can use some different skies for one map.
- Minimizing of glitches with entities which sometimes can be visible through a skybox.
- Added player_keycatcher entity for checking keys that pressing by a player. It can be useful for creating of mini-games or for executing of different events for the player (depending on pressed keys).
- Some fixes in XashXT parent system (for func_tank, tripmines and crossbow bolts).
- Added a support for using of a chrome effect for brush entities and world (used texture should have a name that beginning from "chrome", as example, gfx/chrome.tga is using now). Chrome effect can be combined with any rendermode and with mirrors also.
- XashXT demo maps are updated.
Don't forget that you must have a properly working combination of Xash3D Engine and Half-Life prior to installing of XashXT, because it's a mod and toolkit, not a stand-alone game. Check this instruction if you are new with Xash3D or XashXT. It's also recommended do not copy new version of XashXT over old version. Install it anew instead and backup the old version in another folder (if you need something there) or just delete it.
P. S. Probably it's the last official Xash's update until the autumn, because Unkle Mike will be very busy for this time. But your feedback is still welcome and you still can get a help if you need it.
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thank you for the folder :]
i used studiomodel that is able of making files that hl steam can not handle . well done , i was searching something exactly like that these days .
i found two bugs playing the mod i made Moddb.com .
the laser loader is not having the right angle position and the egon weapon is not shooting well .
during les than a second it spots the target but then goes left
Imgur.com
may be you do it on purpose or not , your hl.exe saves bmp in its folder while the hl.exe of valve saves them in the mod folder .
for the rest , i want to make a new singleplayer mod using sweet-hl engine and a lot of maps from other mods , may be i will ask you and say more about a new changelevel entity that would help me to get from and in maps that are not having made with the same landmarks
how do we test physx ?
does hybrid physx is supported , without any patching or not [ i think of genl patcher ] ?
your engine looks very good , found that i can not edit keys . i use q instead of a and e to crouch but i can not set it like with hl menu . same thing with console , do i need to use -console after hl.exe ? to see it
continue the good work , i wonder if opposing force linux will help to play the mod . i made one using that mod dlls .
last thing is that may be valve will start hl linux next month with l4d2 linux begining...
I already wrote that console can be enabled by -console key in shortcut, same as for HL.
To test PhysX install XashXT v0.6 and run these maps: demo_1, demo_2, laser_physics, tramtutor2, trans_conveyor, trimesh (especially trimesh).
Keys are editable, you should select any action (Configuration -> Controls) and press Enter, then press preferred key. After setting all the keys press Done.
Project of porting Xash3D to Linux is here:
Github.com
-console works well with xash.exe too ;']
the physx side of the game ;'] : is not that clear , despite , i liked a lot the mirrors ...
may be you could try to build a map like fluidmark , i post a link to an album i made this morning Imgur.com
physx rendering is a great thing in game , having it in hl and soon in hl2 [ at least it should be good in fakefactory ] is a great plus
once again well done
the more i think of it , the more question i have ..[*8
can you tell me if i can add some physx effect in map only by editing the ent ?
can you post an fgd about the possible ents engine understand , a sort of half-life.fgd?
i found the fgd at the forum .
XashXT FGD is included in mod's archive (XashXT_06.rar). You can find it inside the "devkit" folder.
I have a problem trying to get this to work. I copied the valve folder into a new folder named Xash. Then extracted the xash (hl.exe and #hl.exe) contents and extras into the xash folder. I can start hl.exe into the main menu, but when I choose a new game, select difficulty, nothing happens. Then I tried to run the Xash.exe and demo which works. But when I use Xash.exe to choose a custom game, such as HalfLife via the valve folder, nothing works.
Do I need to also copy all the other dlls from the Half-Life folder into the Xash folder? The readme just seems to only need the "valve" subdir contents with the xash files.
Did you read this:
Moddb.com
I think that you missed something (especially if you have Steam version of HL, not a WON one). Please read it carefully and leave your comment there, if you still can't get it work.
Thanks! Those instructions were much more clear. I extracted the valve folder from my steam half-life.cfg folder and all is working now.