part one - toolbox
posing isn't the hard part; it's getting the source engine to do what you want that's the real challenge. as far as game engines go, source is quite the dumpster fire, but that doesn't mean there aren't tools to help you along the path toward good artwork.
the following tools are very useful.
Material Editor Tool
courtesy of our very own @Zombine. allows you to use any texture from any game or addon you have and apply it to any model. also allows you to stretch the dimensions of the material and add noise textures whose dimensions can also be stretched.
this one's useful because it gives you access to a wider variety of textures that you wouldn't be able to use with the vanilla material tool. this means you won't always need special props for terrain or buildings and will allow you much more freedom over the look of your pose. godsend for scenebuilding.
courtesy of our very own @Zombine. allows you to use any texture from any game or addon you have and apply it to any model. also allows you to stretch the dimensions of the material and add noise textures whose dimensions can also be stretched.
this one's useful because it gives you access to a wider variety of textures that you wouldn't be able to use with the vanilla material tool. this means you won't always need special props for terrain or buildings and will allow you much more freedom over the look of your pose. godsend for scenebuilding.
Sub Material Tool
another material tool. this one allows you to change/copy specific parts of a model's texture. i don't always use this one, but it's still a great thing to have in a pinch.
another material tool. this one allows you to change/copy specific parts of a model's texture. i don't always use this one, but it's still a great thing to have in a pinch.
Advanced Camera
with this tool, you can place stationary cameras that have parameters for roll, FOV, etc and can be switched to with a hotkey. i didn't start using it until recently but it has helped me better arrange the focal points in my scenes and keep the design a bit more consistent with what i picture in my head beforehand.
with this tool, you can place stationary cameras that have parameters for roll, FOV, etc and can be switched to with a hotkey. i didn't start using it until recently but it has helped me better arrange the focal points in my scenes and keep the design a bit more consistent with what i picture in my head beforehand.
Ragdoll Mover
gives you the ability to rotate a ragdoll's bones on different axes. this is good because the bone you move isn't restricted by the ragdoll's physics, so you could twist limbs and whatnot in any direction without any issues.
right clicking switches from rotation to movement. selecting the pelvis allows you to rotate/move the entire ragdoll without changing its pose. there's also ik chains, but i've never really had any use for em.
i prefer to use the physgun for actual posing so i only really use this for moving ragdolls and making slight adjustments.
gives you the ability to rotate a ragdoll's bones on different axes. this is good because the bone you move isn't restricted by the ragdoll's physics, so you could twist limbs and whatnot in any direction without any issues.
right clicking switches from rotation to movement. selecting the pelvis allows you to rotate/move the entire ragdoll without changing its pose. there's also ik chains, but i've never really had any use for em.
i prefer to use the physgun for actual posing so i only really use this for moving ragdolls and making slight adjustments.
Advanced Light Entities
adds a new set of lighting entities accessible from the entity menu. these are better than the normal gmod lamps in that they're a bit more customizable and less cumbersome to move around. pack also includes an expensive light that casts shadows in all directions. good for indoor lighting.
adds a new set of lighting entities accessible from the entity menu. these are better than the normal gmod lamps in that they're a bit more customizable and less cumbersome to move around. pack also includes an expensive light that casts shadows in all directions. good for indoor lighting.
Precision Tool
provides a litany of useful tools, chief among them the ability to precisely orient and move props.
provides a litany of useful tools, chief among them the ability to precisely orient and move props.
Collision Resizer
Ragdoll Resizer
Effect Resizer
self-explanatory. the collision resizer is good because it resizes the prop's collisions as well as their physical dimensions. very useful in scenebuilding when you need smaller or larger versions of certain props.
Ragdoll Resizer
Effect Resizer
self-explanatory. the collision resizer is good because it resizes the prop's collisions as well as their physical dimensions. very useful in scenebuilding when you need smaller or larger versions of certain props.
Effect Highlighter
highlights the entire effect when you aim at its little green ring. this isn't really a necessity but it helps when you have a lot of effects clustered together and need to figure out which is which.
highlights the entire effect when you aim at its little green ring. this isn't really a necessity but it helps when you have a lot of effects clustered together and need to figure out which is which.
Soft Lamps
blends multiple light sources together to create the illusion of soft shadows. can be daunting at first; don't worry if you don't get the hang of em right away. hard shadows work fine in most cases.
these are way too complex to explain fully in this thread so here's a guide written by posing god vioxtar.
blends multiple light sources together to create the illusion of soft shadows. can be daunting at first; don't worry if you don't get the hang of em right away. hard shadows work fine in most cases.
these are way too complex to explain fully in this thread so here's a guide written by posing god vioxtar.
part two - cool little commands
in this part, i'll tell you about some neat console commands.
- physgun_timetoarrive x - controls the degree to which props lag when dragged. set it to 0 for fewer headaches.
- physgun_timetoarriveragdoll x - ditto, but for ragdolls
- poster x - captures what's on your screen and saves it to the screenshot folder as a png. x is the resolution: poster 1 captures an image at your monitor's resolution, poster 2 captures an image at twice your monitor's resolution, etc. use this instead of the camera tool.
WARNING: things seem to break after 2, so don't go higher than that unless you want your game to crash
- r_flashlightdepthres x - controls the resolution of your shadows. 32768 is the value i keep it at. higher values = higher res shadows.
- r_projectedtexture_filter x - controls the "fuzziness" of your shadows. having this at 0 makes your shadows completely sharp. i keep mine at 1 for a reasonable level of sharpness.
NOTE: be sure to turn any active lights off and on again whenever you change the value. the shadows won't refresh otherwise.
- mat_fullbright x - set to 0 by default. fully lights the map when it's set to 1. replaces all textures with a blank white material when set to 2; this is really good for getting shadow profiles of your scene.
i usually turn fullbright on when i scenebuild, then turn it off when i'm ready to start assembling the lighting.
NOTE: certain props might remain bright even after you turn fullbright off. don't panic. all you need to do is walk into them or grab them with your physgun, then they'll be lit normally.
- mat_specular x - responsible for those ugly orange reflections you sometimes get on props with shiny surfaces. i keep it at 0.
WARNING: your game might freeze for a few minutes when you set it to 0. i've also noticed it tends to screw up the orientation of textures applied with the material editor tool when turned off, so i recommend setting this to 0 before you start
scenebuilding and actual posing tips will come soon
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