Left 4 Dead 2 Level Creation

This page contains articles relating specifically to Level Design for Left 4 Dead 2.

For Left 4 Dead level creation articles, see Left 4 Dead Level Creation.

Getting Started Downloading and Installing the Left 4 Dead 2 Authoring Tools L4D Level Design Basics Tutorial L4D2 Level Design Basics Tutorial Your First Map (General Hammer Tutorial) General Level Design documentation Design Theory Level Optimization Left 4 Dead Design Theory The Left 4 Dictionary Common Mapping Problems Tutorials and Constructing Elements Ladders | Infected-only Ladders Checkpoints and Safe Rooms Elevators Panic Events Breakable Walls | Visible Cue for Breakable Walls Finales Standard Finale | Gauntlet Finale | Scavenge Finale | Custom Finale Rescue Closets Cinematic Effects Post Processing (Film Grain, Vignette, Local Contrast) | Color Correction Legacy Assets VMF Instances Random Weapon, Item and Melee spawns Director Queries Wandering Witch Instructor Hints Tank & Witch Prohibition Hard Rain Storm Foot Lockers Scripting (vscripts)| Example vscripts Entity Manipulation | Custom Panic Events | Custom Finales | Scavenge Finale | Director Options | Onslaughts | Official vscripts Water Flow Gamemodes Versus Survival Scavenge Mutations Multi-Gamemode Support Custom Assets Custom Materials and Textures | Wall Writings and Graffiti Detail Props Custom Models Editing Particle Effects Warning: Custom particle effects are not officially supported at this time. Custom Melee Weapons Custom Sound and Music Soundscripts Soundscapes Shipping Creating Add-ons (.VPK Files) addoninfo.txt | Example addoninfo.txt (Deadline 1 & 2) Add-on Art Assets addonimage.jpg | Campaign Poster | Map Thumbnail Previews | Outtro Background Mission File Official Map Mission Files Example Map Mission Files (Deadline 1 & 2) Packing (into a VPK) Compressing Uploading / Distributing Add-on Notes (L4D2)

Reference Information Authoring Tool Changes List of L4D2 Campaign Music List of L4D2 Entities List of L4D2 Particles List of L4D2 Skyboxes List of L4D2 Soundscapes List of L4D2 Missions Files List of L4D2 Cvars List of Nav Mesh Attributes Dissection of Official L4D2 Campaigns Dimensions in L4D2 Expert Compile Mode VBSP | VVIS | VRAD Navigation Meshes General Navigation Meshes Navigation Mesh Commands Left 4 Dead Series Basic Nav Editing Generating Selecting Key Binds / Shortcut Keys | nav_mode.cfg Splitting Adding Attributes Deleting Analyzing Ladders | Infected-only Ladders Connecting Drawing Your Own Nav Areas Grid Snapping Nav Blockers Panic Events Rescue Closets Breakable Walls Nav Flow Finale and Escape Vehicle Advanced Nav Editing OBSCURED Attribute | L4D Nav Mesh Attributes Displacements Splicing Merging Raising and Lowering Areas Raising and Lowering Corners Nav GUI Fog Trouble Report Left 4 Dead Infected Populations Sorting out navigation flow Other SketchUp Source Tools GCFscape (updated to extract vpk. files.) User projects L4D mapping mailing list L4D2 Custom Campaigns/Maps Forums Creating Server Plugins Deadline Example Campaign - A two map example campaign created by Valve, for L4D1 Deadline 2 Example Campaign - The exciting sequel to the epic two map example campaign created by Valve, for L4D2 AI Systems of L4D Heat Maps