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Report RSS Source SDK beta with Ep2 game code released

Access Orange Box game code and other beta updates with "-beta srcsdk0122".

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Half-Life 2: Episode TwoValve have released a beta update to the Source SDK, including:

  • Half-Life 2: Episode Two game source code.
  • Removal of the need to use command-line parameters to access the Episode One-era tools or the new studiomdl and vmex.
  • Hammer 3D Lighting Preview (including 3D ray-traced).
  • scenes.image compiler for choreography creators.
  • Various bug fixes.

To access it, add -beta srcsdk0122 to the shortcut you use to launch Steam.

The new code supports Visual Studio 2008, once you work past the beta glitches, including the free Visual C++ Express.

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Idusces
Idusces - - 2 comments

awesome, my modding group was waiting on this

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DJ-Ready
DJ-Ready - - 456 comments

I wasn't really waiting for this but I bet a bunch of people scream "yay! finally!" now ^_^

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sbnewsom
sbnewsom - - 656 comments

Your not looking forward to realtime lighting? HOW!?!? lol just kidding.

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DJ-Ready
DJ-Ready - - 456 comments

by not working on any source mods right now ;P

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reFly
reFly - - 9 comments

Finally! : D

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Gongong
Gongong - - 87 comments

Yay! Maybe I will start modding on something now. Maayybe...
Will check it out tho.

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Wraiyth Creator
Wraiyth - - 483 comments

Sheesh Varsity, you're quick :P
Yeah I'm pretty damn happy that this is out. Gonna be a busy few weeks for me I think :D

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Wraiyth Creator
Wraiyth - - 483 comments

Very disappointed at no particle editor though :(

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Varsity Author
Varsity - - 1,044 comments

I expect that'll come with the other in-game tools.

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Ben_E
Ben_E - - 108 comments

This made my day!!

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ebol4
ebol4 - - 161 comments

Loading it up with the new SDK now!

Connecting Steam Account.... Good!
Going to Tools....
It's open now!
Opening Hammer....
What exactly is different...?

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Varsity Author
Varsity - - 1,044 comments

The new lighting previews. Click one of the in-frame buttons that say "Camera" and look down the list.

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Varsity Author
Varsity - - 1,044 comments

And a better entity search algorithm: it'll pay attention to the letters behind each underscore. So you get a cubemap, you don't need to type "env_cu" but just "cu".

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Wraiyth Creator
Wraiyth - - 483 comments

Yeah, its actually a fairly disappointing SDK update IMO. No shaders, no in-game tools, still a terrible lighting preview. Guess we should expect that from Valve nowadays.

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Gschmidt1
Gschmidt1 - - 7 comments

have you SEEN the COD4 level designer program?

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MrtwovideoCards
MrtwovideoCards - - 660 comments

It sucks!

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Shilano_TG
Shilano_TG - - 18 comments

How can you say it sucks... Some of the maps on Cod 4 are the best I have seen, mostly down the the design, but thats because of the freedom they were given with the tools.

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MrtwovideoCards
MrtwovideoCards - - 660 comments

Also the New SDK isn't that bad but meh, no Particle editor. Steamreview.org

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Gongong
Gongong - - 87 comments

I don't know what thai so, but it looks yummy. :D

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Gongong
Gongong - - 87 comments

I was suppost to write "that is," but slippyfingers me made it all unreadable. Where's the edit button? Hate to double post.

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jacksonj04
jacksonj04 - - 631 comments

Comments don't have one.

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Masterfulplayer
Masterfulplayer - - 65 comments

I would like to remind a few people that this is a beta.

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CanMan1
CanMan1 - - 9 comments

Wooo, real time lighting FTW! :D

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Connway
Connway - - 94 comments

"To access it, add -beta srcsdk012 to the shortcut you use to launch Steam."

I tried this too and then I read the wiki from the link. It's supposed to be -beta srcsdk0122

Anyhow, I can't wait to see what modders do with this stuff.

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Wraiyth Creator
Wraiyth - - 483 comments

Thanks for pointing that out, updated the article

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DeadlyContagion
DeadlyContagion - - 194 comments

(buried)

I hate to say it, but "too little too late" comes to mind, I mean, Epic has already released UED 3, which is, as much as I like VALVe's games, better for modding.

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arkythesharky
arkythesharky - - 98 comments

Tell that to the people still modding HL1. ;)

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Varsity Author
Varsity - - 1,044 comments

This isn't meant to be some kind of new beginning. The in-game tools might be, but they aren't available yet.

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VertigoSFX
VertigoSFX - - 39 comments

now if we could just get the crysis SDK we'd all be set

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Squeebo
Squeebo - - 388 comments

OH EM GEE Lighting!

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amckern
amckern - - 359 comments

Hm.

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KILLER89(FIN)
KILLER89(FIN) - - 2,311 comments

Nice, very nice. :)

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badtrip712
badtrip712 - - 12 comments

Crysis and ut3 sdks are only level design tools at the moment, there is no informations about getting models into game, peoples are starting to figure it out on the epic forums, but i think there's still no informations for cryengine2...Im looking foward to the cinematics physics and the particules editor,but I most admit that i think the ue3 is more simple then source. coding is more easy, char models are parts by parts, anyway im realy exicted about the source sdk updates and the docs on cryengine2 and ue3 :)

love you all :D

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Wraiyth Creator
Wraiyth - - 483 comments

Cinematic Physics is a wank anyway

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DeadlyContagion
DeadlyContagion - - 194 comments

Who buried my comment? I dont think it was that offensive, I was just saying that(In my opinion), its taken too long for VALVe to release the source code for Ep2.

As for UT3, the special edition has full documentation on getting models, particles, and materials ingame, and theres a tutorial here on the Moddb for setting up code.

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joker_mx
joker_mx - - 54 comments

Ray-trace lightning? Holy cow!

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Defur
Defur - - 125 comments

Wait, how do you get this to work again?

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clstirens
clstirens - - 49 comments

So I suppose this means the inclusion of Dual-Core support?

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Varsity Author
Varsity - - 1,044 comments

Yes, it's all there. It's mostly disabled by default, so you'll have to fix that either by changing the default convar values or through an autoexec.

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SinaCutie
SinaCutie - - 70 comments

Interesting...

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ButtheadCDXX
ButtheadCDXX - - 45 comments

How do you get into it after you add the -beta srcsdk0122 to your shortcut for steam???

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Varsity Author
Varsity - - 1,044 comments

..launch the SDK?

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sbnewsom
sbnewsom - - 656 comments

Why are people messing with adding strings to shortcuts? You can get the beta working by opening up steam, going into preferences and under beta participation, select source sdk update. Is that really hard?

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