Level Design Video Tutorials

Certain mapping techniques may be more easily understood through video demonstration than reading text.

3kliksphilip

YouTube

Setting up the Source SDK 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 Glass Window Tutorial 3D Skyboxes Soundscapes Adding Teleports Custom sounds

Moving Water ELEVATORS, TRAINS AND TRACKS ROCK FALLS OF DEATH Rope Tutorial Cubemaps Player Equip Tutorial Areas that hurt people Walls you can walk through Spinning objects Source Water types Skybox texturing in 45 seconds Rotating objects Point_template Optimization (Hints/Area Portals)

Forums

• UberMicro

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

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

Big Lou

YouTube

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

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

design3

Subscription-based

• Source Level Design
• Left 4 Dead Mapping
• Portal 2 Mapping Basics
• Source Choreography & In-game Cinematics
• Custom Props and Animation with Softimage
• Custom Props and Animation with 3ds Max

Duck

Google Video

(THESE LINKS ARE NOT WORKING ANY MORE)

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

YouTube

(REUPLOADED LINKS)

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

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

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

RenStrike

YouTube

From RenStrike's HD Mapping Tutorials

• Valve Hammer Editor - Beginner Tutorial Part 1
• Valve Hammer Editor - Beginner Tutorial Part 2
• 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 7
• Valve Hammer Editor - Beginner - World Geometry Leaks
• Valve Hammer Editor - Beginner - 2D Skyboxes and Light_Environment
• Valve Hammer Editor - Beginner - Sewer Tunnels
• Valve Hammer Editor - Advanced - 3D Skyboxes
• 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

Douglas TopHATTwaffle Hoogland

V2 Tutorial Series

• V2 Tutorial Series

Tutorials will be updated at that link, and on TopHATTwaffle's Website The first tutorial series was my launching point for getting better as a mapper. Not only did I learn a lot from making it, but I like to think that many others learned something from the series as well. That first series was flawed in that it was unstructured, and lacked quality control. But you may notice that the further you get in the series, the better the quality. An example is the 100th tutorial; it heavily reflects how the V2 series was created. You can view the entire series below. Some of the information in these videos may not be correct, or even work any longer. I attempt to support all of these tutorials, but cannot due to the passage of time. Please watch the V2 series of tutorials up above.

V1 Tutorial Series

• Hammer Tutorial #1 “Simple Things”
• Hammer Tutorial #2 “Prop Basics”
• Hammer Tutorial #3 “Lighting”
• Hammer Tutorial #4 “De_Cs_ Buyzone and Doors!”
• Hammer Tutorial #5 “Water, Displacements, and glass Oh My!”
• Hammer Tutorial #6 “Elevator!”
• Hammer Tutorial #7 “Deathrun and I/O Making”
• Hammer tutorial #8 “Laser Trails and Parented Items”
• Hammer tutorial #9 “Custom textures, and Normal Maps”
• Hammer Tutorial #10 “Pakrat and VMEX”
• Hammer tutorial #11 “Waffle Turret, and Cutting to a Angle”
• Hammer tutorial #12 “Spawing Props and other things”
• Hammer tutorial #13 “200 subscribers Special: Keypads”
• Hammer tutorial #14 “Advanced Textures, Transparent Textures”
• Hammer Tutorial #15 “Custom Content”
• Hammer Tutorial #16 “Teleport, Hurt, Heal, and Stripping! (Weapons)”
• Hammer Tutorial #17 Making a AFK killer and Firing Commands to a Server
• Hammer Tutorial #18 Making Cell Shading Brush Work
• Hammer Tutorial #19 Math_counter, Func_breakable, and logic_case. all good things to know!
• Hammer Tutorial #20 Demo Smoothing
• Hammer Tutorial #21 Optimization
• Hammer Tutorial #22 “Waterfalls”
• Hammer Tutorial #23 “Stairs, Arches, and more!”
• Hammer Tutorial #24 “Propper”
• Hammer Tutorial #25 “_RT_CAMERA”
• Hammer Tutorial #26 “Refracting Images (Advanced Textures)”
• Hammer Tutorial #27 “Importing Custom Sounds
• Hammer Tutorial #28 Compiling
• Hammer Tutorial #29 500th subscriber special “Random falling ragdolls”
• Hammer Tutorial #30 “3D Skybox”
• Hammer Tutorial #31 “Custom Game Menu"
• Hammer Tutorial #32 “Basic Filters”
• Hammer Tutorial #33 “Inputs and Outputs”
• Hammer Tutorial #34 “Holes in the Walls!!!”
• Hammer Tutorial #35 “Adding Counter-strike source to hammer”
• Hammer Tutorial #36 “Timer”
• Hammer Tutorial #37 “Orange Box Hammer (Whats New)”
• Hammer Tutorial #38 “Changing the Graphics in Hammer!”
• Hammer Tutorial #39 “VisGrouping”
• Hammer Tutorial #40 “Displacements”
• Hammer Tutorial #41 “Custom Radar”
• Hammer Tutorial #42 “Glowing Textures, Lights.rad”
• Hammer Tutorial #43 “Dynamic Water”
• Hammer Tutorial #44 “Making Your Own Custom Map Background”
• Hammer Tutorial #45 “Adding water, The correct way”
• Hammer Tutorial #46 “Weather Effects”
• Hammer Tutorial #47 “Sprites on world spawn, Detail.VBSP”
• Hammer Tutorial #48 “Modifying speed, and gravity”
• Hammer Tutorial #49 “Portal Stairs”
• Hammer Tutorial #50 :D “Perfectly lining up 3D skyboxes!”
• Hammer Tutorial #51 “Cable, and ropes”
• Hammer Tutorial #52 “Street Light, 1000th Sub”
• Hammer Tutorial #53 “CubeMaps”
• Hammer Tutorial #54 “Advanced Props”
• Hammer Tutorial #55 “HDR lighting”
• Hammer Tutorial #56 “Soundscapes”
• Hammer Tutorial #57 “Multi-Toggle button”
• Hammer Tutorial #58 “Game_UI”
• Hammer Tutorial #59 “Path_track, and func_tanktrain”
• Hammer Tutorial #60 “Console chat, Console Commands”
• Hammer Tutorial #61 “Demo Smoothing in CSS 2009 (Fixing the Smooth bug)”
• Hammer Tutorial #62 “JailBreak bare-min”
• Hammer Tutorial #63 “Ending a Level, Adding score”
• Hammer Tutorial #64 “Trigger_look”
• Hammer Tutorial #65 “Magnets, Glock Totin’ WCC!!!”
• Hammer Tutorial #66 “Color Correction”
• Hammer Tutorial #67 “Making Roads, the correct way!”
• Hammer Tutorial #68 “Func_Viscluster”
• Hammer Tutorial #69 “Keycard system!”
• Hammer Tutorial #70 “Change in next round (CSS)”
• Hammer Tutorial #71 “Metal Stair Case”
• Hammer Tutorial #72 “Displacement Cave”
• Hammer Tutorial #73 “Info_Particle_Systems”
• Hammer Tutorial #74 “Advanced lighting”
• Hammer Tutorial #75 “CSS opening view and text”
• Hammer Tutorial #76 “Invisible Players, and Weapons”
• Hammer Tutorial #77 “Swinging Objects, Phys_Ballsocket”
• Hammer Tutorial #78 “Multi Floor Elevator”
• Hammer Tutorial #79 “Real time Mirrors”
• Hammer Tutorial #80 “Blowing up a wall with gibs”
• Hammer Tutorial #81 “Mouse Controlled Turret”
• Hammer Tutorial #82 “Random Teleport”
• Hammer Tutorial #83 “Random Code Key Pad”
• Hammer Tutorial #84 “Team Based Buttons”
• Hammer Tutorial #85 “Parent Attachment Points, Panels from Portal 2?
• Hammer Tutorial #86 “Instances” (Portal 2, L4D2, Alien Swarm)
• Hammer Tutorial #87 “Portal 2: Buttons, and indicator lights”
• Hammer Tutorial #88 “Portal 2: Info Signs”
• Hammer Tutorial #89 “Portal 2: World Portals”
• Hammer Tutorial #90 “Portal 2: Arrival/Departure elevators, Elevator movies, and Linking maps”
• Hammer Tutorial #91 “Creating a Soundscape, and looping a WAV”
• Hammer Tutorial #92 “Placing Portals in Hammer”
• Hammer Tutorial #93 “Fog”
• Hammer Tutorial #94 “Info_Lighting/Lighting Origin”
• Hammer Tutorial #95 “Dynamic Lighting, env_projectedtexture”
• Hammer Tutorial #96 “Rivers”
• Hammer Tutorial #97 “In-Game messaging"
• Hammer Tutorial #98 “Breaking a Light”
• Hammer Tutorial #99 “Texture Manipulation"
• Hammer Tutorial #100 “Creating and Editing Particle Systems”

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

Toscano Mapper [PT-BR]

YouTube

Canal Youtube [1]

• Tutorial: Criando Porta
• Tutorial: Criando Vidro
• Tutorial: Criando Botão
• Tutorial: Criando Fogo
• Tutorial: Criando Escadas Modo 1
• Tutorial: Criando Escadas Modo 2
• Tutorial: Adicionando Reféns no Mapa
• Tutorial: Inserindo Models no Mapa
• Tutorial: Criando Bueiros e Dutos
• Tutorial: Adicionando Peixes no Mapa
• Tutorial: Resetando Configuraçoes Source SDK

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

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
• Using 3ds Max to design levels for Source

The RaZZeR App

YouTube

• Channel

Website

• therazzerapp.de

German tutorials about Mapping and other things around Source engine development. More tutorials on my website. More YouTube videos are coming. On my website you can find tools/tutorials/maps and many more. Here is a list of all the tutorials on the Source engine:

German Hammer Editor tutorials

• Hammer Tutorial #1 “Den richtigen Editor finden”

PROJECT-S

• Russian tutorials about Mapping and other things around Source engine development.

YouTube

• Channel

Website

• VK Group

See Also

• Category:Level Design