General Half-Life 2/Entities
description
Displaying an area of a map on a screen for the player to view.
keywords
camera, portal, point_camera.
When I started to experiment to make cameras I was surprised at how easy it is to set up a basic camera. This tutorial will explain how to make a camera in its most basic form.
Okay first thing we need to do is create a camera entity. Click on the “Entity tool” icon or hit Shift+e. Using the pop down objects window on the left select “point_camera” then create the entity.
Now right click, scroll down to properties and left click. The “Object properties” windows should pop up. Now the only “Keyvalue” which affects you in this tutorial is “Name.” Left click on this “Keyvalue” and name it whatever you like; I used “Camera.” Hit apply then close the “Object properties” window.
Make a brush; this brush will be your monitor its function will be to show what the camera is filming so it’s basically a TV screen, so size it how you want.
Next we want to make the brush we just created act like a monitor, do this by selecting the brush, right click scroll down to “Tie to Entity” and an “Object properties” windows should pop up, Alternatively you can just hit Ctrl + T.
Okay now we are in the object properties window we want to turn the brush we just created into a brush entity called “func_monitor” to do this simply expand the “Class” pop down menu and scroll down until you find “func_monitor” when you find it left click then click “apply” located in the bottom right corner of the “Object properties” window.
Okay so now we have a monitor set up, we need to define its “Keyvalues”. The only “Keyvalues” we will be using for the basic camera tutorial will be “Name” and “Camera Name.” For the “Name” values put in what ever you want I used “Monitor” for the “Camera name” put in the name you used for you “Point_Camera” entity, or you can use the pop down menu to locate you “Point_Camera” name, either works. Hit apply then close the “Object properties” window.
Alright we are nearly finished all that’s left to do is define which face of the brush will draw what the “Point_Camera” sees. To do this selected the texture application tool. Hit browse and the “Textures” window should pop up. In the “Filter” type in “dev/dev” This should filter out all the textures except dev textures. Now you will notice a lot of texture with white backgrounds and red writing which says “dev_monitor” Double click on any of these and it will take you back to the “Face Edit sheet” window. (I have not tried all of “dev_monitor” textures but I think any of these will work.)
Now left click on the face you want the camera to play its image on, hit “apply” then hit “fit”. This defines which face will play what the “point_camera” entity sees.
And that’s it you have created a working camera. Unfortunately you will not see you’re self in the camera because HL2 doesn’t have a Gordon model and you don’t have the hazard suit so the third person hands won’t show up. But if you want to make sure it works, put a brush or model in the camera line of site. I put a rag doll in so I could watch it collapse. Hope this has helped.
Related:
Example Map
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