SteamVR/Environments/Entity Guide

Entities are objects that provide all the functions in a map. The Source 2 engine used in SteamVR Home handles entities in mostly the same way as the original Source engine, but with a few key differences. Most of the articles this this wiki document the original Source versions of the entities.

Point entities work the same way as in Source but with new features. The entities now contain full transforms and can be moved, rotated and scaled both with the tools in Hammer and at runtime. Note that it is up to to the individual entity classes on if they make use of the transforms.

Mesh entities replace the Source brush entities. Since Source 2 no longer use BSP brushes, entities that need to be associated with geometry are now tied to Hammer meshes instead.

Path entities are a type of entity recently added to the tools. They can be created with the currently hidden Path Tool (Shift + P).

Todo:  Path entities may not be fully functional in SteamVR Home. Document which path types work.

List of Entities

The SteamVR Tools still contain a large amount of legacy Source engine entities. While many of the entities still work, some of them have been deprecated or have reduced functionality.

Most logic and math entities still work. AI related entities do not work. Many special effects entities are non-functional, but their functionality can be replicated with particle systems.

Note: This list is incomplete.

SteamVR Home specific

Entities with functions specific to SteamVR Home.

Class	Notes
prop_destinations_physics	A prop_physics that can be resized and recolored with VR hands in-game.
prop_destinations_tool	Physics prop with VScript bindings. Requires a script attached to work properly.
point_clientui_world_panel	Places a user-made Panorama panel in the world.
point_clientui_steamvr_world_panel	Places one of the three pre-made SteamVR Quick Panels.
vr_teleport_marker	Destination marker for teleport locomotion.
vr_teleport_area	Mesh entity for marking valid areas for teleport locomotion.

Lighting

Functional

Class	Notes
light_spot	Now supports both real-time and baked lighting. (Source 1 version)
light_omni	Equivalent of the Source light entity, supporting both real-time and baked lighting.
light_environment	The direct sunlight portion can now be real-time with Cascaded Shadow Maps or baked. (Source 1 version)
light_ortho	Orthogonal light similar to the sunlight potion of light_environment.
env_cubemap	No longer an internal entity, can now be toggled and moved. Cubemaps are now baked in Hammer along with lighting. (Source 1 version)
env_cubemap_box	Parallax corrected cubemap reflection probe.
env_light_probe_volume	Diffuse lighting probe. Unlike in Source these can not be generated automatically by the compiler.
env_combined_light_probe_volume	Combines env_cubemap_box and env_light_probe_volume in one entity.
light_importance_volume	Sets the high quality lighting area for the photon mapping lighting baker.

Non-functional

Class	Notes
light_irradvolume	Not available in the SteamVR Home renderer.

Props

Functional

Class	Notes
prop_static	Static world geometry prop. Can now optionally be further baked into world geometry for batched rendering.
prop_dynamic	Prop that can be animated and controlled with entity I/O. Also supports cloth physics.
prop_dynamic_override	Limited use as models are no longer marked as static or physics only. Health can still be set, but breakable props are not fully functional.
prop_physics	Unlike prop_destinations_physics, this cannot be resized by the player.
prop_physics_multiplayer	Todo:  Unknown if physics modes have any effect. All entities now have a toggle for client-side only.
prop_physics_override	Limited use as models are no longer marked as static or physics only. Health can still be set, but breakable props are not fully functional.

Sound

Functional

Class	Notes
snd_event_point	Equivalent to ambient_generic, point sound source that plays sound events.
snd_soundscape	New name for env_soundscape. Entity for soundscapes.
snd_soundscape_proxy	New name for env_soundscape_proxy.
snd_soundscape_triggerable	New name for env_soundscape_triggerable.
point_soundevent	Deprecated name for snd_event_point.
env_soundscape	Still works but the name is deprecated in favor for the more consistently named snd_soundscape.
snd_event_param	[Todo]
snd_event_alignedbox	[Todo]
snd_opvar_set	[Todo]
snd_opvar_set_aabb	[Todo]
snd_opvar_set_obb	[Todo]
trigger_snd_sos_opvar	Mesh entity [Todo]
snd_opvar_set_point	[Todo]

Non-functional

Class	Notes
ambient_generic	Replaced with snd_event_point

Mesh Functions

These are all mesh entities.

Functional

Class	Notes
func_button	Usable button that can work either as a visible object or as in invisble volume tied to a prop.
func_movelinear	Mesh that moves between two points. Can be used for elevators and doors.
func_platrot	Simple elevator that can move and rotate.
func_rotating	Rotating mesh.
func_tracktrain	Mesh that moves along a path.

Partial

Class	Notes
func_physical_button	Physics enabled mesh button that can be pushed in by the player. Only works when pushed with an equipped tool, since the players hands do not have collision.
func_breakable	Mesh entity that can take damage and break. No gib models available. Has many non-functional legacy functions.
func_brush	Mesh entity that can be moved and parented, and the solidity toggled. Has several non-functional legacy functions.
func_door	Linear door with binary open/closed states. Can be operated by I/O or player use. Has several non-functional legacy functions.
func_door_rotating	Rotating door with binary open/closed states. Can be operated by I/O or player use. Has several non-functional legacy functions.
func_illusionary	Legacy non-solid mesh. Use the mesh properties to disable collision rather than this.
func_physbox	Physics enabled rigidbody that can be picked up by the player. Many features are broken. Meshes can be converted to props from Hammer, making this obsolete.
func_rot_button	Rotating button with binary open/closed states. Missing many features the other buttons have.
func_shatterglass	Breakable glass/concrete surface. Missing hardcoded materials.
func_tanktrain	Mesh that moves along a path. Todo: Shooting likely not available, use func_tracktrain instead.
func_wall	Legacy entity. Use func_brush rather than this.
func_wall_toggle	Legacy entity. Use func_brush rather than this.

Non-functional

Class	Notes
func_areaportal	Not applicable for the Source 2 renderer.
func_areaportalwindow	Not applicable for the Source 2 renderer.
func_lod	Non-functional, use the mesh properties instead.
func_nav_markup	Nav meshes are not enabled in SteamVR Home.
func_occluder	Non-functional, use the mesh properties instead.
func_reflective_glass	Legacy entity relying on Source 1 shaders.
func_traincontrols	Broken.
func_viscluster	Not used by the visibility solver.

Environmental effects

Functional

Class	Notes
env_cubemap_fog	MIP fog using a cubemap texture. The cubemap texture is sampled for the fog color, blending between the different MIP Maps depending on distance. This can be used to generate intricate fog effects.
env_gradient_fog	Texture controlled fog effect documented in Fog Tutorial.
env_sky	2D skyboxes are controlled by this entity instead of being defined in the map properties. Can be toggled and rotated in-game.
info_particle_system	Particle systems still work.
info_particle_target	Target entity for particle control points.
skybox_reference	Allows another map to be used as a 3D skybox. Requires that the used map has the Map Type in Map Properties set to Skybox, and a sky_camera entity to mark the location of the main map origin.

Partial

Class	Notes
sky_camera	Culling and shadows do not work properly when used in the main map. Works properly when used in map referenced by skybox_reference. Static level geometry can be extended beyond the grid now, making this entity less of a necessity.
env_fog_controller	Only affects the 2D skybox.

Non-functional

Class	Notes
fog_volume	No observed effect.
env_volumetric_fog_volume	Non-functional in SteamVR Home.
env_volumetric_fog_controller	Non-functional in SteamVR Home.

Misc

Functional

Class	Notes
point_workplane	Stores the current workplane in Hammer. The workplane can be recalled by using the workplane picker tool on the entity.
info_player_start	Aligns with the center of the playspace instead of the players actual position.
visibility_hint	Used to set the grid size for the visibility solver.

Partial

Class	Notes
info_world_layer	Can be used to toggle sets of level geometry and entities at runtime. Not fully functional in SteamVR Home.
npc_crow	Only flies with the FlyPath input with a path_track parameter.
npc_seagull	Only flies with the FlyPath input with a path_track parameter.
npc_pigeon	Only flies with the FlyPath input with a path_track parameter.

Non-functional

Class	Notes
infodecal	No equivalent available.
info_overlay	Overlays are set directly in Hammer instead of using entities: Overlay Tutorial
info_projecteddecal	No equivalent available.
post_processing_volume	Post processing is not available in SteamVR Home.