I received my new RAM which duly failed memtest, prime95 and Super Pi stability tests. Grrr. For anyone thinking of buying some G.Skill PC3200 ZX RAM, don't bother. In the meantime, I have under clocked my CPU and old RAM, so my PC has been stable enough to map, though tonight was a wasted evening :)

I've completed a load of developer maps for the coders, so they can properly emulate TFC's basic movement and weapon properties more accurately. Nigh on everything is implemented for the weapons / grens, but obviously we need these maps to get the conc length & strength correct, and so forth. On the actual real map front, ff_bases is coming along great; I'm really pleased with the direction and style of the map as its visuals have taken a quantum leap over the last few nights of work. Spirit has also received some lighting updates and is looking far better.

I'd like to thank 3D Mike for his most excellent source lighting tutorial, which has helped me wean myself off the saturated scheme I used extensively for HL1 mapping (it worked for HL1, it most definitely does not work nicely for Source-based maps). Check out this link if you need any suggestions or ideas regarding your environmental lighting. It also helps better explain the facets of the light_environment entity and how to best match your lighting to the skybox. Pay particular attention to the blue spectrum comment, as it's very useful. I am extremely happy now, as Source's lighting had been proving something of an obstacle for me. I just could not find adequate settings that produced the kind of ambience, shadows and effects that I desired. Those days are now over, and I can obviously accelerate the development because I no longer have to compile a zillion times wondering why my lighting sucks and how I can fix it.

Since sev is now sleeping with the fishes, I've started making my own props with max and the first few have started to take shape quite nicely, though I have much to learn. I'm currently in the process of learning to uvmap a pipe support I need for the bases yard, and once that's complete I will have media for you chaps. Expect pictures soon, providing I can get this stuff learned & integrated in time (and my PC holds up).

Also, here's a very handy tutorial that enables you, the mapper, to change the scale of props without requiring 3D package knowledge. You need Cannonfodda's tools to use this tutorial. This enables level designers to rescale props for use in the 3D skybox. Why this isn't possible in Source by default, I have no idea. As far as I know, UT2kx, Doom3 and various other games support the scaling of props & imported meshes. We can only hope that valve gives developers the means to do the same thing in source one day. A lighting preview would also be eminently useful, but I can't see that happening.

It's also worth checking Cannonfodda's tools page regardless, as it has some wonderful tools for source, usually for 3DS Max.

P.S. I'm not a Liverpool fan, but I almost became one tonight. Superb stuff.