Level Design Video Tutorials

Certain mapping techniques may be more easily understand through video demonstration then reading text. Below is a list of video tutorials sorted by author and video format.

Alex G: World of Level Design

L4D1/2 Level Design Theory and Practice Video Tutorials

• L4D1/2: 13 Level Design Tips from The Sacrifice

Left 4 Dead 2 Video Tutorials

L4D2 Installation:

• How to Get and Install Source SDK and L4D1/2 Tools

L4D2 Functionality/Advanced:

• L4D2: How to Create Scavenge Gamemode Part 1
• L4D2: How to Create Scavenge Gamemode Part 2
• L4D2: How to Create Survival Gamemode Part 1
• L4D2: How to Create Survival Gamemode Part 2
• L4D2: How to Attach Breakable Glass to a Door

Left 4 Dead Video Tutorials

L4D Installation:

• How to Get and Install Source SDK and L4D1/2 Tools
• L4D: Installing Authoring Tools and SketchUp

L4D Hammer Basics:

• L4D: Hammer Interface Overview
• L4D: World Scale and Dimensions
• L4D: Creating Geometry
• L4D: Texturing Basics
• L4D: Adding Props Tutorial
• L4D: Adding Lights Tutorial

L4D Environment Workflow:

• L4D: Environment Creation Part 1 - Interior
• L4D: Environment Creation Part 2 - Interior
• L4D: Environment Creation Part 3 - Exterior
• L4D: Environment Creation Part 4 - SkyBox
• L4D: Environment Creation Part 5 - Texturing

L4D Hammer Advanced:

• L4D: How to Create Simple Terrain/Displacement
• L4D: Terrain Texture Blending Alpha
• L4D: Creating Terrain Part 1 - Ground Floor
• L4D: Creating Terrain Part 2 - Surrounding Mountains
• L4D: Creating Breakable Glass
• L4D: Creating Rotating Doors
• L4D: Creating a Ladder
• L4D: Creating a Skybox and Light Environment
• L4D: Forcing Info Survivor Position Spawn
• L4D: Creating Breakable Walls
• L4D: Create a Panic Event
• L4D: How to Create Survival Gametype Part 1
• L4D: How to Create Survival Gametype Part 2
• L4D: Creating a Level/Map Change Part 1
• L4D: Creating a Level/Map Change Part 2
• L4D: How to Create a Highlight Glow on Props

L4D Gameplay Elements:

• L4D: Standard Elements: Weapons, Fog and Player Start
• L4D: Creating a Rescue Closet
• L4D: Navigational Meshes and Spawning Infected
• L4D: Navigational Meshes Advanced

L4D Releasing Your Map:

• L4D: Create a Custom Movie Poster & VPK Part 1/3
• L4D: Create a Custom Movie Poster & VPK Part 2/3
• L4D: Create a Custom Movie Poster & VPK Part 3/3

RenStrike

YouTube

From RenStrike's HD Mapping Tutorials

• Valve Hammer Editor - Beginner Tutorial Part 1
• Valve Hammer Editor - Beginner Tutorial Part 2a
• Valve Hammer Editor - Beginner Tutorial Part 2b
• Valve Hammer Editor - Beginner Tutorial Part 3
• Valve Hammer Editor - Beginner Tutorial Part 4
• Valve Hammer Editor - Beginner Tutorial Part 5
• Valve Hammer Editor - Beginner Tutorial Part 6
• Valve Hammer Editor - Beginner Tutorial Part 7a
• Valve Hammer Editor - Beginner Tutorial Part 7b
• Valve Hammer Editor - Advanced - 3D Skyboxes Part 1
• Valve Hammer Editor - Advanced - 3D Skyboxes Part 2
• Valve Hammer Editor - Advanced - Ropes/Power Lines
• TF2 Mapping - Making a Respawn Room
• TF2 Mapping - Making a Team Specific Door
• TF2 Mapping - Setting Up CTF Gametypes
• TF2 Mapping - Setting Up Capture Points
• L4D Mapping - Your First L4D Map - Part 1
• L4D Mapping - Your First L4D Map - Part 2

vimeo

• HL2 HD Tutorial - Beginner Tutorial 1
• HL2 HD Tutorial - Beginner Tutorial 2
• HL2 HD Tutorial - Beginner Tutorial 3
• HL2 HD Tutorial - Beginner Tutorial 4

USTREAM

• Ren TV - 4.23.2008 Displacements with subdivide, Cubemaps, and path_tracks and func_tracktrains
• Ren TV - 4.24.2008 Creating a small room with basic detailing
• Ren TV - 4.26.2008 A TF2 Map from spawn to first cap point

Big Lou

YouTube

• Hammer Interface and Tools - Part 1
• Hammer Interface and Tools - Part 2

Vaatrad

YouTube

Tutorial 1 - Your First Map Tutorial 2 - A Few Tips Tutorial 3 - Basic Sky Tutorial 4 - Objectives and Tips on Spawns Tutorial 5 - Brushes Tutorial 6 - Textures and Decals Tutorial 7 - Stairs and Ladders Tutorial 8 - GUNS!

Tutorial 9 - Water, Glass and Teleporters Tutorial 10 - Doors Tutorial 11 - Props Tutorial 12 - Environmental Effects Tutorial 13 - Buttons, Triggers + Explosions Tutorial 14 - Displacement Geometry Tutorial 15 - 3D Skyboxes

Valvehammertutorials / Lord Ned

YouTube

From Mapping Tutorials

• Hammer Tutorials - Introduction to Source and Examples
• Hammer Tutorials - Downloading the Source SDK and Hammer
• Hammer Tutorials - Hammer Camera Navigation
• Hammer Tutorials - Toolbars and the Material Browser

Firegod522

YouTube

From Mapping Tutorials

• Hammer Tutorial 1 - Making a basic level
• Hammer Tutorial 2 - Brush types
• Hammer Tutorial 3 - Displacements
• Hammer Tutorial 4 - Sky and Lighting
• Hammer Tutorial 5 - Vertex Manipulation
• Hammer Tutorial 6 - Button Controls
• Hammer Tutorial 7 - Water
• Hammer Tutorial 8 - Rotating Doors
• Hammer Tutorial 9 - Ladders
• Hammer Tutorial 11 - Trains and Elevators
• Hammer Tutorial 12 - Precipitation and Dust
• Hammer Tutorial 13 - HDR
• Hammer Tutorial 14 - Clipping tool
• Hammer Tutorial 15 - Teleport
• Hammer Tutorial 16 - Change Level
• Hammer Tutorial 17 - Reflective Glass
• Hammer Tutorial 18 - Rotating Props

3kliksphilip

YouTube

Setting up the Source SDK First Map Tutorial Tutorial for Map Making Tutorial for Map Making 2 Adding objects into your level Water in 30 seconds Block tools, Shapes, Clipping and Vertexes Making objects move in 45 seconds (func_physbox) Different Lighting Styles Doors Tutorial Custom Textures Part 1 Custom Textures Part 2 Glass Window Tutorial 3D Skyboxes Soundscapes Adding Teleports Custom sounds How to do fake DMM Glass ( Digital Molecular Matter) Displacements

Moving Water ELEVATORS, TRAINS AND TRACKS How to add dangly objects with physics ROCK FALLS OF DEATH Rope Tutorial Cubemaps Weapon Spawners Special Effects Player Equip Tutorial Areas that hurt people Walls you can walk through Weather Rain Snow Precipitation Spinning objects Source Water types Skybox texturing in 45 seconds Rotating objects Point_template Optimization (Hints/Area Portals)

Forums

• UberMicro

Duck

Google Video

Hammer basics Basic map creation Connecting two rooms Making an elevator Elevator creation (Intermediate) Creating a camera in CS:S maps Ladders and resizing Placing Doors in maps

Placing props in maps func_buttons and movelinears Making lasers and fire Creating a surf map "wedge" Teleport tutorial Displacements geometry Resizing only one brush face Displacement blending

rocketrascal34 (TopHATTwaffle)

YouTube

Tutorial 1: Simple things Tutorial 2: Prop basics Tutorial 3: Part 1: Lighting Tutorial 3: Part 2: Lighting Effects Tutorial 4: De_Cs_ buyzone and doors! Tutorial 5: Water, Displacements, and glass Oh My! Tutorial 6: Elevator! Tutorial 7: Deathrun and I/O making Tutorial 8: Laser Trails and parented items Tutorial 9: Custom Textures, and normal maps Tutorial 10: PakRat and VMEX Tutorial 11: Part 1: Waffle Turret, and cutting to an angle Tutorial 11: Part 2: Waffle Turret cont.. Tutorial 11: Part 3: Waffle Turret cont.. Tutorial 12: Spawing Props and other thing Tutorial 13: 200th sub speical: Keypads Tutorial 14: Advanced Textures, Transparent Textures" Tutorial 15: Custom Content Tutorial 16: Teleport, Hurt, Heal, and Stripping! (Weapons) Tutorial 17: Making a AFK killer and firing commands to a server Tutorial 18: Part 1: Making Cell shading brush work Tutorial 18: Part 2: Making Cell shading brush work Tutorial 19: Math_counter, Func_breakable, and logic_case Tutorial 20: Demo Smoothing Tutorial 21: Optimization Part 1: Func_Detail & Skybox Tutorial 21: Optimization Part 2: Solving Leaks Tutorial 21: Optimization Part 3: Hint & Skip Tutorial 21: Optimization Part 4: Area Portals Tutorial 21: Optimization Part 5: Occluders Tutorial 22: Realistic Waterfall

Tutorial 23: Stairs, Arches and more Tutorial 24: Propper Tutorial 25: _RT_Camera Tutorial 26: Refracting Images Tutorial 27: Importing Custom Sound Tutorial 28: Part 1: What Happens during Compile Tutorial 28: Part 2: What Happens during Compile cont.. Tutorial 28: Part 3: Setup and Compiling with VMPI Tutorial 28: Part 4: Setup and Compiling with VMPI cont.. Tutorial 29: 500th Sub special: Falling ragdolls (point_template) Tutorial 30: Part 1: 3D Skybox Tutorial 30: Part 2: 3D Skybox cont.. Tutorial 31: Custom Game Menu Tutorial 32: Basic Filters Tutorial 33: What is I/O? Tutorial 34: Holes in the Walls Tutorial 35: Adding Counter-Strike souce to Source SDK Tutorial 36: Timers Tutorial 37: Orange Box Hammer Tutorial 38: Changing graphics in Hammer Tutorial 39: VisGrouping Tutorial 40: Displacements Tutorial 41: Custom Radar Tutorial 42: Glowing Textures, Lights.rad Tutorial 43: Dynamic Water Tutorial 44: Custom Map Background

(this list last Updated August 2010, as of April 2011, there are over 80 tutorials on his site)

• TopHATTwaffle's Website

M4pster

YouTube

• Tutorial Vid 1: Your first Map: Part 1
• Tutorial Vid 1: Your first Map: Part 2
• Tutorial Vid 2: Doors: Part 1
• Tutorial Vid 2: Doors: Part 2
• Tutorial Vid 3: Buttons: Part 1
• Tutorial Vid 3: Buttons: Part 2
• Tutorial Vid 3: Buttons: Part 3
• Tutorial Vid 4: Ladders
• Tutorial Vid 5: Sky: Part 1
• Tutorial Vid 5: Sky: Part 2
• Tutorial Vid 6: Water

Sythen

Main Link:

• Hl2Mapping Tutorial Series by Scott "Sythen" Baker

YouTube

• HD Half-Life 2: Episode Two Tutorial 1 - Introduction
• HD Half-Life 2: Episode Two Tutorial 2 - Installing Source SDK
• HD Half-Life 2: Episode Two Tutorial 3.1 - Linear vs Non Linear
• HD Half-Life 2: Episode Two Tutorial 3.2 - Our BSP Shell
• HD Half-Life 2: Episode Two Tutorial 3.3 Planning our Level Design

AnacondaTutorial

YouTube

• AnacondaTutorial -- Youtube Channel

Basic Mapping Tutorials (L4D/CSS/ETC...)

• Source Sdk / L4D Tutorial - How To Set Up Hammer
• Source Sdk / L4D Tutorial - How To Add Snow,Rain or Ash
• Source Sdk / L4D Tutorial - How To Make A Double Sided Wall
• Source Sdk / L4D Tutorial - Create A Light With A Switch
• Source Sdk / L4D Tutorial - Decals / Overlays
• Source Sdk / L4D Tutorial - Creating Doors With Handles
• Source Sdk / L4D Tutorial - How To Create Fire
• Source Sdk / L4D Tutorial - Texture Shifting
• Source Sdk / L4D Tutorial - Creating Smoke (env_smokestack)
• Source Sdk / L4D Tutorial - Cutting Doors
• Source Sdk / L4D Tutorial - Rotating Textures (Roads)
• Source Sdk / L4D Tutorial - Props (static, physics & dynamic)
• Source Sdk / L4D Mapping Tutorial - Trap Doors

 

Left 4 Dead Mapping Tutorials:

• Left 4 Dead Mapping Tutorial 1 - Basic Wall's, Players & Weapons
• Left 4 Dead Mapping Tutorial 2 - Sky Box's, Doors & Props
• Left 4 Dead Mapping Tutorial 3 - Safe Rooms
• Left 4 Dead Mapping Tutorial 4 - Zombie Creating & Nav Editing
• Left 4 Dead Mapping Tutorial 5 - Creating A Button
• Left 4 Dead Mapping Tutorial 6 - Create A Door (Button & Event)
• Left 4 Dead Mapping Tutorial 7 - How To Spawn Randoms Weapons
• Left 4 Dead Mapping Tutorial 8 - How To Make Breakable Glass
• Left 4 Dead Mapping Tutorial 9 - How To Create Tank Witches & Special Infected
• Left 4 Dead Mapping Tutorial 10 - Ladders With Nav
• Left 4 Dead Mapping Tutorial 11 - Finale (Part 1)
• Left 4 Dead Mapping Tutorial 11 - Finale (Part 2)
• Left 4 Dead Mapping Tutorial 11 - Finale (Part 3)
• Left 4 Dead Mapping Tutorial 12 - Breakable Walls
• Left 4 Dead Mapping Tutorial 13 - Soundscapes
• Left 4 Dead Mapping Tutorial 14 - Car Alarms (Part 1)
• Left 4 Dead Mapping Tutorial 14 - Car Alarms (Part 2)
• Left 4 Dead Mapping Tutorial 15 - Creating Movable Objects
• Left 4 Dead Mapping Tutorial 16 - How To Create Zombie's On A Timer
• Left 4 Dead Mapping Tutorial 17 - How To Create A Survival Map
• Left 4 Dead Mapping Tutorial 18 - Creating Fog
• Left 4 Dead Mapping Tutorial 19 - Creating Navigational Meshes (Advanced)
• Left 4 Dead Mapping Tutorial 20 - Water
• Left 4 Dead Mapping Tutorial 21 - Rescue Closets
• Left 4 Dead Mapping Tutorial 22 - 10 Simple Steps For Basic Map
• Left 4 Dead Mapping Tutorial 23 - 3D Skybox's
• Left 4 Dead Mapping Tutorial 24 - Crescendo Events
• Left 4 Dead Mapping Tutorial 25 - Infected Ladders
• Left 4 Dead Mapping Tutorial 26 - Intro Camera
• Left 4 Dead Mapping Tutorial 24 - Glow Entities

bruge10

YouTube

• bruge10's channel

• Hammer Tutorial - Flowing water
• Hammer Tutorial - headcrab hanging from ceiling
• Hammer Tutorial - Mirrors
• Hammer Tutorial - Respawning zombie
• Hammer Tutorial - Ladder in HL2
• Hammer Tutorial - Bucket-Hat / ParentAttachment
• Hammer Tutorial - Fake killable npc in CS:S
• Hammer Tutorial - Phys_slideconstraint

Various

• Nacimota - Using Valve's SketchUp Plugins (YouTube)
• Interlopers.net Video Tutorials
• Brandished's Making a 5 Control Point Map for TF2
• FileFront's Half-Life 2 Tutorials and Guides
• ModDB - Source Engine Tutorials

See Also

• Category:Level Design