CS_Militia-like Flowing Water

[Kizza]

CS_Militia-like Flowing Water

1. Use GCFScape to extract "root\cstrike\materials\models\props\CS_militia\river01.vtf" from "counter-strike source shared.gcf"
2. Open Notepad and paste this, then save it as "flow.vmt" (without the .txt extension):

UnLitGeneric
{
"$basetexture" "river01"
"$translucent" "1"
"$nocull" "1"
//"$surfaceprop" "water"
"$decal" 1






"Proxies"

{

"TextureScroll"
{
"texturescrollvar" "$baseTextureTransform"

"texturescrollrate" .15

"texturescrollangle" 270.00
}

}

}

3. Place both these files in your "<game>/materials" directory and then restart Hammer and/or the SourceSDK.
4. Create the shape of your water geometry (slanted, waterfall, flat?) and texture it as normal water.
5. Copy the entire water geometry and place it 1 unit above and away from the original.
6. Texture the surface of this in "flow" and adjust scale and offset to suit.
7. Compile, if the water is running upstream, rotate 180 degrees.
7a. Enjoy.

-Kizza

Note: If you wish to distribute maps with these textures you will need to use BSPZip to include the files.

 

[Humidor]

The militia water is great, but it's illegal to distribute cs:source content in other games/mods. Someone should make another vtf and release it for everyone to use.

 

[63]

The militia water is great, but it's illegal to distribute cs:source content in other games/mods. Someone should make another vtf and release it for everyone to use.

Dystopia has some CS content.

 

[Sly Assassin]

The militia water is great, but it's illegal to distribute cs:source content in other games/mods. Someone should make another vtf and release it for everyone to use.

Actually you can use any cs source content for any source based game without worrying about copyright infringements, the EULA valve has in the sdk docs says so. Same applys for hl2 and hl2dm content, though I'm not sure about dod source stuff yet.

 

[crackhead]

im pretty sure you cant decompile things from css? wasnt this discussed before?

 

[Raeven0]

Actually you can use any cs source content for any source based game without worrying about copyright infringements, the EULA valve has in the sdk docs says so. Same applys for hl2 and hl2dm content, though I'm not sure about dod source stuff yet.

Prove that, bearing in mind that Steam users agree that all Steam content belongs to Valve (2.D), and that you are not allowed to reproduce this content in any way, shape, or form (2.E).

 

[Kizza]

It's not reproduction, it's redistribution within a mod.
I believe the Source SDK comes under a separate EULA which allows redistribution of materials as long as they aren't sold, or exported to a different Program.

But I guess the only way you can actually get in trouble is if VALVe says "Hey, look, guy. You've used our materials, cease and desist."

Which is very unlikely, but if they do just stop, otherwise I wouldn't see a problem with it.

Also, there's a page on the VALVe Dev Wiki that explores what content you can redistribute in a mod. It basically says you can redistribute everything except maps.

I wouldn't worry about it, too much. I put the tutorial on the Wiki and VALVe didn't seem to care.

Aside from these legal "issues", what do you all think about it? I'm having lots of fun .

 

[Bill]

It basically says you can redistribute everything except maps.

This is correct, accessing a GCF file to look at things like a VMT is perfectly acceptable.

im pretty sure you cant decompile things from css? wasnt this discussed before?

This isn't decompiling, this is a freely accessible VMT file, there's nothing "illegal" about it.

 

[Kizza]

Actually, you need to grab the VTF, also.

 

[Bill]

So you do Still, same goes for any file in there, besides actually decompiling a map, which Valve wouldn't like too much.

 

[Sly Assassin]

Prove that, bearing in mind that Steam users agree that all Steam content belongs to Valve (2.D), and that you are not allowed to reproduce this content in any way, shape, or form (2.E).

If you use the content strictly on a valve engine, ie the source engine and aren't selling the game or mod then you're fine for using anything from hl2, cs source and most likely dod source. If you sell it then thats another thing all together and thats where legal issues will come in.

As to decompiling things, you can and are allowed to do it for learning purposes mostly, but you can also get away with decompiling and changing things so long as due credit is given to valve noting that it's there's and you've only modified it.

 

[Humidor]

I can't possibly imagine valve would allow you do redistribute any of their content. This would mean you could make a mod where you use cs source models and textures as well as the cs source dll files, then distribute it to someone who doesn't own cs source.
You won't be smitten for using the militia water vtf file, but I think the line needs to be drawn somewhere

 

[Raeven0]

If you use the content strictly on a valve engine, ie the source engine and aren't selling the game or mod then you're fine for using anything from hl2, cs source and most likely dod source. If you sell it then thats another thing all together and thats where legal issues will come in.

Content from CS:S and DOD:S must be embedded into the BSP to work. BSPs are usually released publicly. This makes CS:S and DOD:S content available to people who did not pay for it.

Remember also that we're talking about American IP law as it is "interpreted" by big companies--so there may be extreme defiance of all good sense involved.

 

[Sly Assassin]

Is anyone actually reading the part where I said for MODS only? As in for HL2 mods? I've seen content from one or more valve owned games in alot of different mods over the years, and yes I didn't own the actual game the content game from either, but because its a mod that had to run on the halflife engine it didn't come under any problems from valve because to play the mod you had to own halflife or counterstrike.

@Ben Esposito, you're talking about basically converting counterstrike so that people can download it and play it as a 'mod' which isn't the same as using the content from one of their games and making your own mod.
Basically that would just be giving CS a different name and releasing it as your own mod which would then in turn infringe alot of copyright laws and get you nicely sued. As its the same game with little or no differences.

@Raven0, the content from cs source and dod source doesn't need to be embedded into the bsp for it to work at all, you can make your map and compile it as a bsp without embedded the content at all, so long as you include the right stuff in a winrar or winzip file with the bsp and make sure that it all goes to the right folders in the game directory then you're fine to play using that content.

Also sorry if I come off sounding abit arrogant, but people quite often get mixed up on what you can and cannot do with valve content for Mods using the Halflife 1 Engine or the Halflife 2 (Source) Engine. Basically so long as you're using the content for a game on either engine for the Free use of people who own a copy of Halflife 1 or 2 then its fine, but if you sell it then you're in the shit.

 

[Raeven0]

include the right stuff in a winrar or winzip file

Which still entails making the content available to people who did not pay for it.

 

[Kizza]

If I recall correctly, there was something in the SourceSDK Acceptable Use Policy, or was it an EULA? Well, anyway, from what I remember it said that modifications of any of the the Source Engine-based games could not be sold and must be available and distributed freely. In other words, completely non-profit.

So there's no use getting into any of that.

My argument was pretty much that, though there is a possibility
that it is illegal, or even a gray area. One thing we can be sure of. There is little likelyhood that VALVe will even care that there texture has been exported and used in your own game. They may behave differently in the case of exporting it to a different engine, etc..

More importantly, can someone get a hold of the AUP, or the EULA of the Source SDK. Just so we can stop making useless assumptions and base our argument on fact.

PS. Raeven0, the texture is not Steam content. When you download Steam, or install it. You don't install Half-Life 2, or Counter-Strike: Source. You install the basic Steam Content Delivery system. That EULA dies not cover content delivered by Steam. Using the content does not mean that you're claiming ownership. Using it does not entail reporduction. That VMT is completely original content and actually belongs to me, unless otherwise indicated by myself or the Source SDK EULA/AUP, or this forum's legal stuff.