Entities Tutorials

  1. Tutorial Index
  2. General Half-Life 2
  3. Entities
Advanced Counter
This is a very detailed guide on making a counter clock that will add up things in game.
Advanced Doors
Put a door on hinges that will swing and be affected by physics.
Advanced prop_physics
A few examples of what you can achieve with prop_physics entities.
Adventure Game Dialogue Trees
Using various Source entities to replicate adventure game dialogue trees.
Ai_Relationship
This entity allows you to setup how NPCs react to each other and the player.
Ai_speechfilter
Sometimes you just want your talkative NPC characters to shut up, well now you can do that with this entity. It will control how often they talk if at all.
Alternate wake-up
More realistic 'waking up' movement.
Automatic Doors
We rarely see automatic doors in Half-Life 2, but that doesn't mean they can't be made.
Breakable Boarded Door
Learn how to create a barricaded door that will open when the wooden boards are broken.
Breakable glass in a rotating door
Rotate a door, and glass at the same time
Calibrating a Satellite Dish with a Valve
Calibrating a satellite dish using a lever or valve.
Camera Cycler
Multiple cameras that can be switched between.
Camera Portals
Displaying an area of a map on a screen for the player to view.
Camera Tracking
Use this technique for moving a camera view around the map, useful for intros.
Combine only doors
This tutorial takes you through the simple process of setting up a door that is usable only by Combine, also setting up Rebel only doors is shown.
Combine Sniper
The snipers from HL2 were tricky to beat, add your own using this tutorial.
Count Down Timer
Another fantastic tutorial, this time covering a count down clock with entities.
Creating Light Flares
Adding flares around lights is simple, and this tutorial follows suit.
Cubemap Placement
A quick trick on how to move all the cubemaps up to eye-level (the optimum place) in one easy way.
Cubemaps
One of the most essential parts of the Source engine, made easy for you here.
Digital countdown timer
Learn how to make a 59 second digital countdown clock.
Elevator
A simple lift.
Env_beam
Beam effects are quite cool, and not to hard to implement.
Env_Hudhint
Remember when you had on-screen prompts in HL2? This tutorial shows you how it's done.
Episode 1 Crank
This tutorial will show you how to use the crank in Episode One that opened a door.
Escalator
Create a moving stairway.
Explosive Mines
Blowing people up is so much fun, so why not blow the player up with this mine tutorial.
Extra Player Ammo
Need your player to hold more ammo then normal? Using a couple of entities you can change the amount.
Flying Craft
Create a flying craft that will fly and shoot laser beams
Food in Half Life 2
Edible food that regenerates player health.
Freight Elevator
A proper lift with working doors, similar to that seen at the start of HL2.
Func_Illusionary
A quick look at what this entity is and how it can be applied.
Gas Canisters
They are full of gas, they go bang. Yes.
Hanging a ragdoll from a rope
Add a body or other ragdoll to a rope.
Head Crab Canister
These plagued the player throughout HL2, learn how to do the same in your maps.
Input/Output System
Entities are controlled via the powerful but simple to use I/O system, find out how to set it up.
Iris Door
Futuristic maybe, but looks very cool.
Item_Crate
The famous HL2 re-supply crates.
Logic Timer
A handy entity that can fire triggers at different times.
Masked Barney
Getting Barney to wear his combine facemask.
Math Counter
A basic but useful entity that will trigger things when a certain value is met.
Math Counter 2
Use it to control a door.
Physbox Trap
Setup a trap using physboxes.
Physics Application - Models
Models can also be used as physics objects.
Point_clientcommand
This entity will allow console commands to be changed without using the actual developer console.
Point_template
An alternative to the npc_maker and in most cases far more powerful and useful.
Prop_door_rotating
One of the easiest ways to make a door, but also the best looking. This model comes with a moveable handle.
Prop_dynamic doors/gates - A quick guide
Quick guide on how to use prop_dynamic (such as a combine door) in your level.
Rappelling Combine (Episode I)
A combine that will rappel down a wall using the new Episode 1 animations.
Rocket Launcher
A gun emplacement that fires rockets.
Rotating Door
More basic looking then a prop_door_rotating but with more uses available.
Rotating Lever
When pressed a lever will move from one position to another.
Rotating Pickups
Much like the olden days of deathmatch, learn how to make weapons and items rotate.
Shadow Control
A handy entity for tweaking the shadows cast in your map.
Teleports
Take a player from A to B instantly.
The Ravanholm Traps
All of the Ravenholm traps explained.
Useable Cranes
The huge cranes from HL2 are much fun, make your own.
Weapon Dispenser
Extremely in-depth tutorial that will take you through creating your own weapon dispenser with working textures.
Zombies rising from toxic water
Make zombies rise up from toxic water