SiN Episodes - SDK Installation
The SiN Episodes SDK, also known as an SDK, is a set of software utilities that allow you to create your own missions, weapons, enemies and other gameplay elements. It includes a standalone version of the Source SDK tools that have been updated to work with the SiN Episodes version of the Source Engine and is freely available on Steam.
Download
To install the SiN Episodes SDK, either click here or:
- Restart Steam if it's currently running.
- Open the Steam window.
- Click on the LIBRARY tab and then the TOOLS tab.
- Double-click on the SiN Episodes SDK entry.
- The SiN Episodes SDK will download to your computer via Steam.
- Once it has been fully installed, you will be able to launch it in the same way you installed it (from the Tools tab).
You can also create a desktop shortcut by right-clicking on the SiN Episodes SDK entry and clicking Create desktop shortcut from the context menu.
Linux support
To get the SDK to run on a linux-based system, right click on the SDK entry in your steam library and go into properties. From there, add in the Launch Options field the string PROTON_USE_WINED3D=1 %command% and enable Proton Experimental under the Compatibility tab afterwards. You should now be able to run hammer without any problems from your steam library.
SDK SteamPipe Fix
By default when opening the Hammer Editor or any other tool for that matter from the SDK for the first time, they will crash upon launch with the error message "Can't find steam app user info", which is due to the SteamPipe Update in 2013 which changed the namescheme of the user-specific folder in SteamApps to common and made the SDK unable to locate the programs. This issues was fixed in the deprecated "Source SDK" application (used for Source 2006 to Source 2009 games), but SiN Episodes SDK did not receive this fix. To fix this create a new file called "SteamAppData.vdf" in 
...\common\SinEpisodesSDK\config and place this text inside of it:
"SteamAppData"
{
"AutoLoginUser" "common"
}
Alternatively, you can also copy the "SteamAppData.vdf" file from ...\common\SourceSDK\config folder if you also have the legacy Source SDK (AppID 211) installed, then paste it in ...\common\SinEpisodesSDK\config folder, or create symbolic links/hardlinking it.
Loose Beta Build
The game provides a loose beta build everyone can opt into, which upon doing so redownloads all of the content for the game (~1.1 GB), with the difference from the standard build being it essentially unpacks all of the depot vpk files to SiN Episodes Emergence\SE1 - meaning it is not needed to extract any of it with GCFScape. To install it simply:
- Go into your Steam library.
- Right-click on SiN Episodes: Emergence.
- Click on properties.
- A new window will open, here click on the Betas tab.
- Then select 'loose -' under the beta to opt into.
You can now close the window and Steam will automatically download the content for you.
Package includes
The package includes:
- The Hammer Editor, the Source level editor.
- Faceposer.
- Half-Life Model Viewer (HLMV).
- Suite of command line compiling utilities, such as studiomdl and map compiling tools.
- Example maps (arena_office, se1_docks04, se1_highrise01).
Extract the Example Maps
There are three example maps included with the SDK, one being from the arena gamemode and two from the singleplayer campaign, but they are located inside of a VPK file and need to be extracted to open them up in the hammer editor. To do this you will need to download GCFScape and open SinEpisodesSDK\vpks\depot_1318.vpk, go to sesdk_content\mapsrc and right click -> extract on the vmf files to a folder that can be deemed useful to store them, like SiN Episodes Emergence\SE1\maps. Once extracted go into hammer, file->open in the top menubar and find one of the maps on your drive.
Where do I go from here?
- The SiN Episodes Level Creation is a good place to go if you are familiar with Source mapping already. If not, you will need to master the basics of Source level design first ( Level Design).
- If you want to learn about how to create content for the Source Engine in general, the main page of the Source SDK documentation is a good place to start.
Bugs and issues
- Post all issues and bugs in the Sin Episodes Steam Discussions Board.
- If you have a bug specific to the Sin Episodes SDK or game and perhaps know a fix, please add it as an entry to Sin Episodes Bugs.
- See the Source SDK FAQ for answers to general SDK questions.
- For level design and Hammer editor issues, see the Level Design FAQ.
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