Half-Life Level Design

Getting Started

• Install Half-Life SDK (3.4) from Steam (must own Half-Life 1 on Steam)

• Download Hammer 3.4 from GameBanana

• Configuring Hammer for Half-Life

Basic Elements

• Point-Based Entities
• Brush-Based Entities

Half-Life

Half-Life Steam Community Hub

• List of Half-Life entities
• Half-Life Sky List

Half-Life: Opposing Force

Half-Life: Opposing Force Steam Community Hub

• List of Opposing Force entities

Half-Life: Blue Shift

Half-Life: Blue Shift Steam Community Hub

• List of Blue Shift entities

Tutorials

• Health Charger
• Suit Charger
• Alien Teleport Effect
• outdoor levels

Additional Information

Forge Game Data

• Half-Life FGD
• Half-Life: Opposing Force FGD
• Half-Life: Blue Shift FGD

External Resources

• The Whole Half-Life A tutorial site for map development in Half-Life and Half-Life 2.

External Tools

General

• GoldSrc External Tool Resource Site

Compiling Programs

• Zoner's Half-Life Tools
• Vluzacn's Map Compile Tools

Modelling Programs

• MilkShape 3D (purchase required)

Download

• Blender (free)

Download

• 3ds Max (purchase required)

Download

Texture Editors

• GIMP (free)
• Photoshop (purchase required)
• Wally (free)

Alternative Mapping Tools

• J.A.C.K. An alternative to Hammer for GoldSource created by Russian modders. J.A.C.K. offers many additional features for level editing and modding for Half-Life, as well as Quake 2 and 3.
• Sledge An alternative to Hammer for GoldSource. The program is currently in beta stage.