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Post news RSS Source SDK beta with Ep2 game code released

Access Orange Box game code and other beta updates with "-beta srcsdk0122".

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Half-Life 2: Episode TwoValve have released a beta update to the Source SDK, including:

  • Half-Life 2: Episode Two game source code.
  • Removal of the need to use command-line parameters to access the Episode One-era tools or the new studiomdl and vmex.
  • Hammer 3D Lighting Preview (including 3D ray-traced).
  • scenes.image compiler for choreography creators.
  • Various bug fixes.

To access it, add -beta srcsdk0122 to the shortcut you use to launch Steam.

The new code supports Visual Studio 2008, once you work past the beta glitches, including the free Visual C++ Express.

Comments
Idusces
Idusces

awesome, my modding group was waiting on this

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DJ-Ready
DJ-Ready

I wasn't really waiting for this but I bet a bunch of people scream "yay! finally!" now ^_^

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sbnewsom
sbnewsom

Your not looking forward to realtime lighting? HOW!?!? lol just kidding.

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DJ-Ready
DJ-Ready

by not working on any source mods right now ;P

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reFly
reFly

Finally! : D

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Gongong
Gongong

Yay! Maybe I will start modding on something now. Maayybe...
Will check it out tho.

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Wraiyth
Wraiyth

Sheesh Varsity, you're quick :P
Yeah I'm pretty damn happy that this is out. Gonna be a busy few weeks for me I think :D

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Wraiyth
Wraiyth

Very disappointed at no particle editor though :(

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Varsity Author
Varsity

I expect that'll come with the other in-game tools.

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Ben_E
Ben_E

This made my day!!

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ebol4
ebol4

Loading it up with the new SDK now!

Connecting Steam Account.... Good!
Going to Tools....
It's open now!
Opening Hammer....
What exactly is different...?

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Varsity Author
Varsity

The new lighting previews. Click one of the in-frame buttons that say "Camera" and look down the list.

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Varsity Author
Varsity

And a better entity search algorithm: it'll pay attention to the letters behind each underscore. So you get a cubemap, you don't need to type "env_cu" but just "cu".

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Wraiyth
Wraiyth

Yeah, its actually a fairly disappointing SDK update IMO. No shaders, no in-game tools, still a terrible lighting preview. Guess we should expect that from Valve nowadays.

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Gschmidt1
Gschmidt1

have you SEEN the COD4 level designer program?

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MrtwovideoCards
MrtwovideoCards

It sucks!

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Shilano_TG
Shilano_TG

How can you say it sucks... Some of the maps on Cod 4 are the best I have seen, mostly down the the design, but thats because of the freedom they were given with the tools.

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MrtwovideoCards
MrtwovideoCards

Also the New SDK isn't that bad but meh, no Particle editor. Steamreview.org

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Gongong
Gongong

I don't know what thai so, but it looks yummy. :D

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Gongong
Gongong

I was suppost to write "that is," but slippyfingers me made it all unreadable. Where's the edit button? Hate to double post.

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jacksonj04
jacksonj04

Comments don't have one.

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Masterfulplayer
Masterfulplayer

I would like to remind a few people that this is a beta.

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CanMan1
CanMan1

Wooo, real time lighting FTW! :D

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Connway
Connway

"To access it, add -beta srcsdk012 to the shortcut you use to launch Steam."

I tried this too and then I read the wiki from the link. It's supposed to be -beta srcsdk0122

Anyhow, I can't wait to see what modders do with this stuff.

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Wraiyth
Wraiyth

Thanks for pointing that out, updated the article

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DeadlyContagion
DeadlyContagion

(buried)

I hate to say it, but "too little too late" comes to mind, I mean, Epic has already released UED 3, which is, as much as I like VALVe's games, better for modding.

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arkythesharky
arkythesharky

Tell that to the people still modding HL1. ;)

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Varsity Author
Varsity

This isn't meant to be some kind of new beginning. The in-game tools might be, but they aren't available yet.

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VertigoSFX
VertigoSFX

now if we could just get the crysis SDK we'd all be set

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Squeebo
Squeebo

OH EM GEE Lighting!

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amckern
amckern

Hm.

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KILLER89(FIN)
KILLER89(FIN)

Nice, very nice. :)

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badtrip712
badtrip712

Crysis and ut3 sdks are only level design tools at the moment, there is no informations about getting models into game, peoples are starting to figure it out on the epic forums, but i think there's still no informations for cryengine2...Im looking foward to the cinematics physics and the particules editor,but I most admit that i think the ue3 is more simple then source. coding is more easy, char models are parts by parts, anyway im realy exicted about the source sdk updates and the docs on cryengine2 and ue3 :)

love you all :D

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Wraiyth
Wraiyth

Cinematic Physics is a wank anyway

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DeadlyContagion
DeadlyContagion

Who buried my comment? I dont think it was that offensive, I was just saying that(In my opinion), its taken too long for VALVe to release the source code for Ep2.

As for UT3, the special edition has full documentation on getting models, particles, and materials ingame, and theres a tutorial here on the Moddb for setting up code.

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joker_mx
joker_mx

Ray-trace lightning? Holy cow!

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Defur
Defur

Wait, how do you get this to work again?

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clstirens
clstirens

So I suppose this means the inclusion of Dual-Core support?

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Varsity Author
Varsity

Yes, it's all there. It's mostly disabled by default, so you'll have to fix that either by changing the default convar values or through an autoexec.

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SinaCutie
SinaCutie

Interesting...

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ButtheadCDXX
ButtheadCDXX

How do you get into it after you add the -beta srcsdk0122 to your shortcut for steam???

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Varsity Author
Varsity

..launch the SDK?

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sbnewsom
sbnewsom

Why are people messing with adding strings to shortcuts? You can get the beta working by opening up steam, going into preferences and under beta participation, select source sdk update. Is that really hard?

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