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.)
	Black	Yes	Yes	Yes			Yes			Note:This is the tools/toolsblack texture, not the halflife/black texture.
	Block LOS	No	No	Yes, partially	Yes		No			Blocks the line of sight of NPCs and bots. mat_wireframe 1/2 will reveal that while this texture doesn't block visleaves, it draws crossing polygons.
	Block bullets	No	No	Yes			Yes			Solid to bullets but not other objects. This does not automatically stop bullets, it's a regular wall only solid to bullets.
	Block light	No	Yes	Yes			Yes			Its transparency coupled with its VIS blocking, will create a leak effect. Blocks NPC line of sight.
	Clip	No	No	No			Yes			Solid to all objects but 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 ?]
	ControlClip	Yes	Yes	Yes			Yes			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	Yes	No	Yes			Yes			The toolsdotted texture has very few applications. While otherwise behaving like a typical 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	Yes	No	Yes			Yes			Does not seem to work. (You can use this for func_smokevolume instead of the trigger texture but NOT for func_dustcloud.)
	Hint	No	No	Possibly			No			Suggests optimal ways for the compiler to cut visleaves. (Sometimes ignored by the compiler.)
	Invisible	No	No	Yes			Yes			Solid to all objects.
	(Invisible) Ladder	No	No	Yes			Yes			Use in Counter-Strike: Source with func_ladder.
	No Draw	No	Yes	Yes			Yes			Its tranparency coupled with its VIS blocking, will create a leak visual effect. Seals leaks. Blocks visibility if used on all surfaces of the same brush.
	No Draw Roof									Only available in Counter-Strike: Source. Identical to No Draw, the only difference being a separate texture name to differentiate them.
	NPC clip	No	No	No			No			Solid to NPCs but not players or other objects.
	Occluder	N/A	No	No			No			Used for func_occluder entities. (This table assumes that this texture is used on a func_occluder entity.)
	Origin	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	Deprecated for use in Source maps. (After giving the error "origin brushes not allowed in world" the compiler will fail.) Basic idea of an origin brush was used in GoldSource mapping, where it was used to set the rotation origin of rotating entities.
	Player clip	No	No	No			Yes			Solid to players but not NPCs or other objects. In L4D and L4D2 this clips players as survivors, but not as special infected.
	Skip	No	No	No			No			Has no effect on anything. Useful in combination with Hint tool textures. 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 and 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 the toolsskybox2d tool texture.
	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 the toolsskybox tool texture.
	SkyFog									[Todo] toolsskyfog.vmt does not contain any properties.
	Trigger	N/A	No	No			No			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. (This table assumes that this texture is used on a trigger type entity.)
	Fog Volume									(Left 4 Dead Only). Used in conjunction with multiple env_fog_controllers to change fog colours and densities in a level