Pl/Source

Renderer

Wersja 2.0 (i starsze) szadery, mapowanie wypukłości, LOD na modelach i otoczeniu
Tworzenie szaderów przy pomocy języka HLSL
Mapowanie kubiczne i środowiskowe
Światła dynamiczne, cieniowanie powierzchni i mapy oświetlenia, wiele typów świateł w tym pulsujące, migoczące itp.
Oświetlenie HDR
Załamania światła i efekty fresnel'a w wodzie
Zaawansowany system cząstek, który może emitować sprite'y lub modele
Rzutowanie cieni pozwala na dużą liczbę obiektów na scenie
"Tożsamości wykluczające" do blokowania widoczności
Środowiska wewnątrz budynków/na zewnątrz
- Deformowalny teren
- Trójwymiarowe skybox'y poszerzają horyzont i dodają głębi dlakim obiektom
- Dynamicznie renderowana roślinność (trawa, drzewa itp.)
Powierzchnie typu subdivision, tekstury specular oraz diffuse dla wypukłości
Oświetlenie metodą energetyczną (radiosity) w czasie rzeczywistym
Efekty mogą zawierać: cząsteczki, promienie, dym, iskry, krew, efekty środowiskowe jak mgła lub deszcz
Skalowalność
- Wsparcie dla sprzętu zgodnego z DX6-DX9

Instead of traditional textures, Source defines sets of materials that specify what the object is made from and the texture used for that object. A material specifies how an object will fracture when broken, what it will sound like when broken or dragged across another surface, and what that object's mass and buoyancy are. This system is much more flexible than other texture only based systems.
Materials can interact with objects or NPCs such as mud or ice for vehicles to slide/lose traction on.

Detailed and believable characters
Realistic eyes
- Focus on player/object, not simply parallel views
- Proper eye bulge for realistic eye reflections
Simulated musculature provides outstanding emotions, speech and body language
Language independent speech, characters can naturally speak in many languages
Skeletal/bone system for animation
Layered animation system can synthesize complex animations out of several pieces

I/O system allowing level designers to control AI
Sophisticated navigation: characters that run, fly, jump, crouch, climb stairs and ladders, and burrow underground
AI senses things using sight, sound, smell
AI relationships determine friend/foe status of other entities
Battle AI allows squads of AI characters to operate together, know when to advance, retreat, lay cover fire, etc.

Server browser - Displays all active game servers and allows a player to choose which one to participate on. Players can filter and sort server lists in order to speed up the display and selection of a server.
VGUI - Valve's custom GUI interface mimics most of the Windows controls but is rendered using the Source engine for both in game and out of game uniform UI display. VGUI is platform independent and is Unicode compliant for ease of localization.

All code written in C/C++ using Visual Studio 6.0. Easily and quickly derive new entities from existing base classes.
Internal context sensitive performance monitoring system.
Graphics performance measurement tools built into the engine.
Modular code design (via DLLs) allows swapping out of core components for easy upgrading or code replacement.
DX9 shaders all written in HLSL.

Face Poser
- Facial expression tool used to craft speech and emotions
Valve Hammer Editor
- WYSIWYG World editor
- Create world brushes
- Terrain editor
- Place detailed world models and AI NPCs
- Set navigation points/paths for NPCs
- Place triggers, clip brushes, logic etc.
- Allows level designer to hook up I/O between entities to control AI within the game
Half-Life Model Viewer
- Full model previewer
- Rotate models in any direction
- Setup hit boxes
- View physics hull
- View normals
- Wireframe, shaded or textured view modes
Studiomdl
- Model compiler
Vbsp, Vrad, Vvis, VMPI
- Map compilation tools (bsp, lighting and visibility)
- VMPI - distributed compilation tool allowing level compiles to be spread across many PCs greatly reducing compile times
Exporters
- XSI, Max and Maya .smd exporters for exporting 3D models