Blender and maps?

[hiigaran]

Got a little curious about something earlier on. I've seen a lot of people using Blender or similar software to export models for use in SFM. However, has anyone tried creating a map in Blender and exporting it for SFM use? I've come across a few threads on various sites discussing the ability to import maps into Blender, but nothing about doing the opposite. Surely there has to be a way, no?

[Marco Skoll]

I'd say it's between "impossible" and "pointless".

Maps have to be built in a very specific way, so you'd have to work to very exacting parameters in Blender for it to even be possible*, and you would gain no benefit from doing so (other perhaps, than not having to learn Hammer).

* While Blender supports all the possible contours and shapes Source's maps do, Source's mapping format does not support all the possible shapes Blender could export.

[Capt Fuzzy]

Very well said sir..,

If you want to make a map for SFM with little to no real "fuss" then Hammer is the only way to go...

[hiigaran]

I'll be honest here, that was actually my way of thinking there. Hammer being outdated and...well...crap, and so many modern CAD programs that are ridiculously easy to use and learn.

Either way, I'll take your word on it. Had a couple of ideas that I thought might have been easier to partially do via SFM, but whatever.

EDIT: I'm actually surprised that Hammer is still the standard. Isn't it some really old, outdated and no longer developed software?

[Capt Fuzzy]

Originally posted by hiigaran:

EDIT: I'm actually surprised that Hammer is still the standard. Isn't it some really old, outdated and no longer developed software?

Kinda, but still up-to-date with the SFM Source Engine...
That's not saying much, but it is THE level design tool for Source Engine-based games...

[Jessica Wethole]

Originally posted by hiigaran:

I'll be honest here, that was actually my way of thinking there. Hammer being outdated and...well...crap, and so many modern CAD programs that are ridiculously easy to use and learn.

Either way, I'll take your word on it. Had a couple of ideas that I thought might have been easier to partially do via SFM, but whatever.

EDIT: I'm actually surprised that Hammer is still the standard. Isn't it some really old, outdated and no longer developed software?

It is pretty old, but it gets the job done. If you want to use a deeper editor (it has a few more tools and it also offers support for goldsource mapping, if you wanted to do that for some reason) you could use Sledge but I prefer to use Hammer.

[Pte Jack]

The maps you see ppl do in Blender are most likely scene builds that they will actually create models for and port those for use in SFM. Blender doesn't have a plug in for creating the VMF files that have to be compiled into Vlave BSP map files.

Building a map in Blender can have its bendfit and its set backs. Models are HUGE and have to be broken into multiple "sets" and pieced back in to SFM after they are ported. SFM Maps that will be used may not be big enough to handle the set... You have to set up your own lighting and with a 8 light shadow restriction in SFM, real lighting isn't really possible.

Hammer on the other hand is a beast onto itself and the learning curve is HUGE.

[Zappy]

Blender can't be used for making Source maps... but 3DS Max can, if using the Wall Worm plug-in, meaning you might be able to make something in Blender, export it, import it into 3DS Max, and export it as a(n uncompiled) VMF map file. But of course, this requires that you either own 3DS Max fully, are using one of the trial versions, or have pirated it, and doing the latter is not something I'd do. (Mostly because I have Blender, which is good enough for my needs.)

[hiigaran]

Originally posted by Zappy:

Blender can't be used for making Source maps... but 3DS Max can, if using the Wall Worm plug-in, meaning you might be able to make something in Blender, export it, import it into 3DS Max, and export it as a(n uncompiled) VMF map file. But of course, this requires that you either own 3DS Max fully, are using one of the trial versions, or have pirated it, and doing the latter is not something I'd do. (Mostly because I have Blender, which is good enough for my needs.)

I decided to give the trial a go and attempt an uncompiled vmf, but that just brings me back to one of the original problems, which is that loading a map in SFM requires a BSP file, not a VMF file. Though attempting to compile the VMF file results in a crash of the compiler used by the plug in, so I'm not sure what to do there.

[Capt Fuzzy]

You may have to recompile the vmf in SFM's Hammer Editor to get it to work in SFM...

[Pte Jack]

If you're launching SFM Hammer from the SDK, you might want to actually go to the Hammer.exe file location (In your SourceFilmmaker\game\bin folder) and try launching it directly from the folder. There are issues with the SFM Hammer if you launch via the SDK.

[Suspicious Kitty]

I encountered problems with SFM's hammer, like the maps crashing when i import them to SFM, i fixed this by using Team Fortress 2's version of hammer.