Tool textures (Source)

Tool textures are used, mostly by the tools but sometimes by the engine, to perform special tasks. They can easily be found in Hammer by using "tools\" as a filter in the texture browser.

Tip:WiseClipped - tutorial on using many of the Source Tool textures shown below.

Image	Name	Visible (if worldbrush)	Casts shadows	Cuts VIS leaves	Blocks NPC LOS	Solid to NPCs	Solid to Player(s)	Solid to physics	Solid to bullets	Usage / Notes
	Areaportal	N/A	No	Yes			No			Use with areaportals (func_areaportals and func_areaportalwindows). (This table assumes this use.)
	ToolsBlack	No!	No!	No			No			Deprecated?
	Block LOS	No	No	No	Yes		No			Blocks the line-of-sight of NPCs and bots. Also casts shadows, so may need to be used in conjunction with func_brushes to avoid cosmetic glitches.
	Block bullets	No	No	Yes					Yes	Solid to bullets but not light or other objects. This does not automatically stop bullets, it's a regular wall only solid to bullets. Also creates visleafs like a normal brush.
	Block light	No	No!	No						Deprecated? Also blocks NPC LOS. This texture used to cut visleaves previously.
	Clip									Solid to all objects. Is not rendered. Does not block physically simulated projectiles. In Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2 this clips players as both special infected and survivors. Does not function in Portal. Bug:In Half-Life 2: Deathmatch it only acts as a player clip (solid only to players).  [todo tested in ?]
	Player clip control									Purpose is not entirely confirmed. Seems that it is necessary for func_vehicleclip.(See "player clip" below for the tool texture that restricts player movement.)
	Dotted									The toolsdotted texture has very few applications. As with a normal texture, a brush textured with toolsdotted cuts up world geometry and VIS leaves. However, the toolsdotted texture is rendered over all brush geometry as long as the player is standing in a leaf that can see the toolsdotted face. Furthermore, a brush with toolsdotted on any face will not block visibility nor cull any face that it touches, meaning that any area enclosed in a toolsdotted-textured brush will not be removed from the map in any way.
	Fog									Does not seem to work. (You can use this for func_smokevolume instead of the trigger texture but NOT for func_dustcloud.)
	Hint			Possibly						Suggests optimal ways for the compiler to cut visleafs. (Sometimes ignored by the compiler.)
	Invisible									Solid to all objects, invisible and does not cast shadows
	Ladder									Invisible; Use in Counter-Strike: Source with func_ladder.
	No Draw									Solid; Invisible; seals leaks; blocks visibility if used on all surfaces of the same brush. Casts shadows.
	No Draw Roof									Counter-Strike: Source specific. Identical to No Draw, the only difference being a separate texture name to differentiate them.
	NPC clip									Solid to NPCs but not players or other objects, is not rendered.
	Occluder									Used for func_occluder entities.
	Origin									Use to set the rotation origin of rotating entities; deprecated for use in Source maps (Basic idea of an origin brush was used in Goldsource mapping.)
	Player clip	No	No	No		No	Yes	No		Solid to players but not NPCs or other objects, is not rendered. In L4D and L4D2 this clips players as survivors, but not as special infected.
	Skip	No								Invisible; has no effect on anything. Useful in combination with HINT. SKIP faces are removed during compile, so a brush textured with skip won't prevent leaks. Also useful as a tool in Hammer for grouping, moving, place-holding objects.
	Skybox	No								Use to make 2D skyboxes. Casts light if there is a light_environment entity in the map. Cannot be used in the same PVS as toolsskybox2d.
	2D Skybox									Available only in the Orange Box engine and later. Use to make 2D skyboxes without displaying the 3D Skybox. Casts light if there is a light_environment entity in the map. Cannot be used in the same PVS as toolsskybox.
	SkyFog									[Todo] toolsskyfog.vmt does not contain any properties.
	Trigger									Use on Trigger and func_viscluster entities and Buyzones in Counter-Strike: Source. Also don't forget to move the selected trigger brush(es) ToEntity so you can change the properties.
	Fog Volume									(Left 4 Dead Only). Used in conjunction with multiple env_fog_controllers to change fog colours and densities in a level