May 2013 For SteamPipe DoD:S and CS:S HUDS... click the images above!

I am still progressing on this site with revamping the many articles that now need upgrading to Steampipe format. The dods Hud tutorials were very old anyway and needed a clean up, over halfway through that. 

Mappers for dod:s, CSS and TF2 have a beta SDK underway, it works OK for now. DoD:s users my experience with this was ...

1. Opt in via Right click on your Day Of Defeat Source link in Library, Properties, BETAS tab, sdktools_beta...
2. It downloads after a little pause.
3. I needed to grab my dod.fgd and base.fgd from my old files ... C:\program files (x86)\steam\steamapps\My account name\sourcesdk\bin\orangebox\bin ...and put them in ... C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\Day of Defeat Source\bin
4. Start up hammer, it had a few errors, start again... works.

Note: you start hammer via the hammer.exe in .... C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\Day of Defeat Source\bin

Report any errors to this thread on GitHub.

April 2013 

Aghhhh, Damn you SteamPipe! The articles on this site have been hit with errors because of the new SteamPipe formats. Just look for this logo for pages that have been updated ... if it does not have a logo... it could have incorrect info or files in it. I have done some downloads and a page or two already. Going to take a while... contact me if confused about something.

DoD:S...SteamPipe.   So dod:s is now on SteamPipe, it seems to be going OK, there were lots bugs at first, lots of confusion but I think it went quite well seeing they ripped the guts out of the file system and completely replaced it!

There were a few items I was worried about like all my downloads and places like gamebanana ...will it still work? Mostly it does. There seems to be some custom models missing bits here and there, that may be down to some .VMF and .VTF file paths now incorrect in the files. Basically all you have to do with older custom stuff is where it used to go in the "dod" folder it now goes in "dod\custom" then make a new folder and call it any name you like. That folder is now the "dod" folder for custom files.

So when downloading older content if the readme says to install the folders in "dod" make sure you visit the new "dod\custom" folder, make a new folder of what that custom item is say... "terminator player skin" and all the folders like 'models' and 'materials' now go in "dod\custom\terminator player skin". It really is as simple as that.

The other things the community rely on like like Sourcemod plug-ins and DBlocker are up and working... so quick! I thought those two would take a little longer.

Linux... small steps now, a revolution for gamers?

The big 'win' I think is, Steam not only has Windows OS users but now Linux OS users, Mac have also been with Steam for a while. VALVe are really moving into Linux in a big way, in fact it is going to be the platform for SteamBox.

I don't know what they will end up with as far as what the hardware will look like but listening to some of what Gabe Newell says recently it seems VALVe will make a more open PC like box that connects the large screen TV not only to games you alredy own but also something running a Linux OS that can also have features to bring the web to your fingertips. Media center, game console, interactive web TV.

Something the TV manufacturers just plain fail at is access to your local media files and getting the web on a large screen TV. Gabe Newell is a clever guy, this platform could do a lot more than just add a few games on it, it could be the killer app for the lounge room.... that is also on your PC should another household member want to watch days of our lives and you don't.

This move to support Linux has some possible great side effects, Linux for me has always been an optional OS, it is a place I can find free software where I can use awesome programs to edit fonts, images and a fall back and a rescue platform when windows has one of it's issues... virus, BOD's, and a couple of others that are just plain strange. So why not install it for a spare OS? Have a read in my forums, if you have a motherboard that has a Boot feature, (on my asus MB you press F8 before windows can load and you get a bios boot menu) and a spare hard disk you can have a back up OS and install steam with some of your favorite games.... free.

But, it is early days yet for Steam and Linux, one of the more annoying things is the absolute shit, (yes... shit is the right word) support for Video Card drivers. Both ATI and Nvidia. You may see that change dramatically now VALVe has a Linux team (do look at the video and note the DirectX vs OpenGL items) and have plans for a standalone device running Linux for the lounge room.

In any case it was easy, opening my PC inserting a spare drive, disconnecting the SATA plug on my drive Windows is installed on, inserting a Ubuntu 32 bit install via a pre burned ISO. If I want Linux, I restart, press F8 at the Asus bios screen, select the 250 gig drive and it's done. No fooling with complicated dual installs on the same drive and Linux screwing with windows fragile master boot record.

So much is being investigated, problems solved and new products being released. Now add that to the Steam user numbers, billions of people world wide. If hardware, software are supported and billions of people are using Steam products on older and newer hardware... including the lounge room big TV crowd, using the top 3 operating systems.... well that is huge. It has the capability of bringing a lot of people together in one place.

It has the same feel as the "web" ... lots of different ways to get it and you don't need special hardware to access it.... like my pet hate buying a hardware console when I have a $2,000 PC that eats any console ever made, just to play a game? Hell no!

It will affect what hardware manufactures do with hardware and software like DirectX vs OpenGL preference, it will effect what console you buy next or if you don't want a console at all just use your PC with a wireless GamePad, or build your own and plonk in your steam account with Steam running in "Big Picture Mode", that is if VALVe do make this a success.

If you look at the past record of the failures and successes of that company once they say they are going to do something...it happens.

March 2013  Note new HUD for the DoD:s "SteamPipe" Beta...see here.

UPDATED!

UPDATE: 31 March. A lot has happened since dods updated, the servers are coming back and it does not look that bad now. If you are still struggling with where to place custom files I have a guide here.

 UPDATE: 16 March. My current "pre SteamPipe" version GUI and HUD for DoD:S and CS:S are now complete, no more versions will be developed for them.

All new improvements will be for the new SteamPipe versions. The new version of the custom GUI and HUD for DoD:S is done and CS:S is here.

UPDATE: 14 March. Day of Defeat:Source ...beta! (SteamPipe file system)

As you may know all orangebox titles are eventually moving to a new file system, SteamPipe.

I actually made some stuff!

OK it has been a while since I did anything, there is a reason...I am bone lazy.

Maps

I have placed the St Lo map on the shelf... having a rethink. I did however get enough time to finish off another one from the dark depths of my hard drives, office. CSS office was always a favorite but for dod it is a disaster because the axis spawn in the play area and dods does not have hostage mode. I think I have a good enough version to playtest, please see here and here for a look and download.

VALVe and SteamPipe... a change that will disrupt all custom files and how that affects you

What are they doing? VALVe explain here.

The old GCF system will be removed and files will now go in VPK packages.

The addons folder is removed, so SourceMod needs to deal with that, also some plugins may not find the sounds and material folders as they too have changes in addresses.

The way files are downloaded from servers change, the custom files for HUD's, skins, sounds and maps will change address.

This seems to be just a revamp of the file system, scrapping the GCF file system. Probably to make it more efficient, (less work/cost) to update orangebox games for VALVe.

Pros:

• It may be slightly faster delivering files to the client, especially the "loading resources" part of starting a game.
• A small positive may also be that some game folder files are sometimes overwritten in an update, custom files may be not affected so much being in a non standard location, if that is the case when you do have all your custom files selected you could back that up instead of the entire game folder.

Cons:

• It will kill off a lot of content if the authors or someone else do not update to the new folder locations.
• Server mods and plugins will need fixing as addresses of files used in plugins may change, the addons folder that MetaMod and SourceMod use ... is no longer there. Materials and sounds could also now have to be in the new "custom" or for downloadable content from the server... "downloads"

Opinion: I think it will cause about the same damage as the orangebox update but deliver very little in actual improvements for players. For dods it looks like we will be left with a smaller pool of custom files and server plug-ins, popular ones will get updated for sure, some will go too.

I would not count on any other fixes, just disruption. I cannot say this is a good move but there is little anyone can do about it, the disruption to sites like mine and Gamebanana are that all of the downloads will be...broken.

Who is going to fix them? Be assured I will fix my stuff... what about large download sites!!!

dod:s HUD

The version 11 of my HUD will drag on a bit more yet, it is ready, at Beta 12 and here for a download, (See first post). Small changes happen a lot, I am waiting for the file system in orangebox games to change and break instalers and manual downloads. The Version 11 beta 12 does also have a huge set of manual files, it is in the first post but here it is anyway... download (warning, installing a HUD this complex is for advanced users ONLY, better use the installer if you are not sure)

CSS HUD's

I have not done anything with them, same reason, VALVe will change the file system soon and it will kill all installers and zip file locations.

February 2013

Adobe older versions are free now?

Some visitors to this site make content for Source games, when doing that you need graphics software, the best is Adobe Photoshop. While the alternatives like Paint.Net and the Gimp are very good Adobe Photoshop is easier to use than the Gimp and has many more features than Paint.Net.

But... Adobe Photoshop is very expensive to buy for a non-professional person just to edit a few files every now and again so most people use end up using the Gimp and Paint.Net, the cheap Adobe alternative "Photoshop elements" is not worth it as it does not handle Alpha layers, (the Gimp can but not Paint.Net) well now you can have a full Adobe Photoshop CS2 from Adobe.

It seems they have issues with activation and have realesed a lot of the versions on this page with serials, a lot more than just Adobe Photoshop CS2. I am not sure how this stands up for a person who has not bought this in the past, is it abandonware now or what? It is very old and may give bad results on some PC's like the later windows 8 and some Mac PC's but for the gamer that just wants to edit a couple of images this may be worth having a look at. Myself... I still prefer the Gimp and especially Paint.Net for simple stuff, probably because I am comfortable using them and PhotoShop does take quite some time to load for simple edits.

January 2013

Due to other things in my life the webbie has taken a back seat for a while.

I have almost stopped, (again) on HUDs for Steam games. However I still get a kick from mapping and very now and again the Hammer editor gets a run.

Saint Lo  holds an interest for me, it was heavily bombed during the Normandy campaign, the town had 95% of it's buildings destroyed initially by the 8th air force and then by the retreating German artillery. The pay off from all that tragedy of the civilian deaths, loss of individuals from both sides, incredible destruction of "carpet bombing" was Patton's 3rd army raced through Normandy... "the breakout" after Operation Cobra.

So the way Saint Lo looked just before and during July 1944 started to interest me. Also the other ww2 games don't really depict it as it was so I thought a bit of realism was in order. It is harder to do this and the amount of times I have ripped it up and started over? Around 20 or so times.

I think I am around 50% done, the map area is the intersection where the major roads from the coast meet at the town.

Images

There are a few images kicking around the net for a reference, the images below were helpful, first on on the left looks like one of the first air raids, 10 minutes before Saint Lo was changed forever, for the occupants the town would never be the same after this point. In the 2nd from left image the intersection of the roads is around the image center, just to the right. Other images show the a couple of the reference files used and what that looks like in the map at the moment.

Before the Bombs See full image here	dod_saint_lo_b1	Edge of graveyard and intersection	Map view of the graveyard and intersection	One of the houses still standing	Map view of that house

I will keep plugging away on this, one of the more annoying things is some areas don't have good photos so I try and guess... then I find a photo of that area and start all over again!

 September 2012

Not much to say this month, tidy up of the web pages here and there, learning a bit of php, boring.

I have done a lot of poking around CS:GO as everyone else seems to be doing too, I am in two minds about CS:GO, I like it... but it failed to capture me as a show stopper, I guess deep down I am still a day of defeat fan foremost and I have a sort of a problem finding a server that has "mature players" that behave and respect each other. Easy to find in DoD... bit hard in CSS or CS:GO.

CS:GO bugs? The best place to look at all the bugs should be the steam forums. Well you would be wrong, try this site... http://64bitvps.com/csgo/.

DoD:s HUDs.

Ver 11 beta 11. A small update to the dods HUD and GUI, now at Ver 11 (beta 11) just a tweak of the Team Menu, added a icon on the spec button and a tidy up of a crosshair image. Download and view the pics here. By the way, I have uploaded the latest Ver 11 beta 11 HUD manual files here. The manual files are all the elements of the latest hud packed in folders, it is very confusing to install and only meant for other modders, please stick with the installer if you can.

Metal HUD! I have also updated the old Metal HUD from 2008, a small update adding a few items Guyver was worried about. It just adjusts a few small images on the team menu and adds the latest files, it will now be able to take a few of the options in the latest ver 11 HUD like the new scoreboards . Download here. Warning, this hud changes a fair bit on sv_pure 2, the images are replaced with standard ones when that change happens, play on a lot of sv_pure 1 or 2 servers? Stick with my standard HUD.

Must see video, that is if you have not seen it already...

August 2012

Update 23 August  CS:GO is cool: So I have had a poke and a fiddle now and played a bit of CS:GO, its quite a good game for one that is just released out of beta! I could not resist looking at the CVAR's and have already made a list here. Also a player cvar "interesting cvars" page too, not much there, still exploring.

I like the game as it is but I could not resist having a go at the new flash based GUI, the files are awsome... bit messy too, you can tell its a beta :) never the less, I made a small mod for adding items to the GUI panels, have a sneak peek here....

Accurate CVAR (Commands) lists... Its harder than you think!

I had some old lists of CS:S, DoD:s and TF2 on the site, all have been updated in those links. I also found a better, quicker way of putting these up. It's quite boring and time consuming doing these and the traps are many, it is probably why you don't see them on various websites and why a lot are incomplete, have incorrect defaults or are just plain too old. They are just a pain to get right, display on a web page and by the time you have VALVe have updated it!

Only webmasters, server operators or keen forum posters will find a new dodbits page interesting, it is how to get a good list of cvars, you will need a game server, also a spreadsheet program. However, it is quick and accurate after a small learning curve. It used to take me at least 1 hour after I checked and reworked some commands that the local PC game would get wrong.... now it's about 5 minutes!

Server.cfg file makers!

I have added some pages server operators may find useful, a page that makes a custom server.cfg file ready to download. One of the most annoying things when setting up a Source based server is the server config, what to put in it and what range the commands have. I have pages for DoD:s,  TF2 and CSS .

Just fill out the input lines for the server name and the passwords, (web page will not remember them) drop down arrow choices that have defaults and recommended values and press a button at the bottom... a server.cfg is ready to download. The page also has information beside it so you can read about each command if you want to know more.

I made these because the few of them that are on other sites are in non English, full of commands that are not for a game or have long since been replaced or the default changed. I have tested each command to ensure it is a real command ... after looking at some other config makers and downloadable server.cfg files, I can assure you there are LOTS of authors who do not test to the level I have with my web pages. Every similar page I tried had at least 10% of useless or non working commands.

The links are under the game tab menus in the main menu by the way, just look for "<game> server config maker". I only intend doing one for each of the Orangebox games, if you would like a .cfg file of a certain type, (like map.cfg files or config files for sourcemod stuff) to work the same way just contact me and I will see what I can do.

Survey on rate commands...

I made a quick survey of what bandwidth rates server operators use, the results are the best I could do, (VALVe should run stats on this) but it did surprise me what ranges people are using now. See that page here, based on CSS, would be interesting to see what TF2 operators use, but that would take too much time!

No work on huds in the past weeks, the dods ver 11 one is still in "beta" :) Read July news to find the latest one.

July 2012

The version 11 HUD/GUI for dods is quite advanced now and sitting on "beta 10". Just keep and eye on the first post in my forum for the latest. It now has a complete guide on the team menu both in the download and in the dods hud section.

Changed the teammenu yet again, I needed to alter the layout for a less confusing way to display the netcode buttons, also stopped adding cl_interp to the main ISP speed choice, it still ends up the same in the end it just that some people did not understand and criticised using the default cl_interp 0.1 in each speed... what they did not understand or even take the time to look at is there are buttons just below them that went from 0 - 0.1 (0-100ms). They were just CSS players but it was a good point... it was not clear enough to understand and by nature netcode is not easy to understand, so I changed it, maybe this set will be better. Explained in full here.

The CSS team menu has been altered as well, you better take a look here if you downloaded my version 8. It is now version 8.2 and has changes to the teammenu and radar options.

May 2012

The forums are now in place, the downloads now have access, dodbits has membership again. I have a new CSS GUI and HUD, download here and discuss here.

April 2012

Update: there has been a change to the separate site forums. The website now has a new integrated forum that shares the membership with dodbits.com. I will be shutting down the old forums soon, sorry if this has upset anyone, please feel free to join dodbits now, access to the downloads section, (for downloading and uploading your files) is now available, you can also post comments in the downloads and the articles along with forum posts, all under the same membership log in. Register here.

Also, thank you to everyone that stops by here over the years, I am overwhelmed that you think my stuff is good enough to come by and visit. Now it's your turn, post away.

A letter to VALVe, (Gabe Newell) ?

OK we have seen it before, a rant here and there sent to VALVe. This one I just had to put here, it simply asks to fix some stock maps, not a huge task but they have been broken for way too long. Here is the text from the dods forums post...

Dear Mr. Newell:
My name is Daniel "Guyver" Moses. I'm writing you this letter to ask that Valve release the fixed stock maps for Day of Defeat Source. It's my understanding that Valve does have these fixed maps, as they were fixed by Wes "FuzzDad" Shull and sent to Valve. I have played and loved the Day of Defeat franchise since 2002. I have played with FuzzDad and the developers of the game many, many, times over the years. I'm also a member of the CAMP mapping team, which helped create and beta test custom maps for the game, which Valve endorsed and supported.

I know that the game doesn't get much attention, and I also understand why. The WWII FPS genre has indeed fallen out of favor in recent years. However, there are still many of us who enjoy the game immensely. I have bought several copies of Day of Defeat Source, and given them away in contests within our community to help garner more interest in the game. I'm not asking for a huge update and massive fixes across the board, and I also understand that bandwidth cost money. I'm just asking that Valve release what they already have. If I'm incorrect, and Valve does have these fixed maps, then feel free to correct me. I just would like to see some attention given to this great franchise. I look forward to your reply, and I thank you for your time.

Daniel "Guyver" Moses

I agree with Guyver, please fix the stock maps, or more to the point contact the moderators in the dods forum for the files.

If you want to send an email too .... you can, send here... http://www.valvesoftware.com/email.php

dodbits stuff: The webbie got an upgrade, it had many problems after that but ironed them out now. The Forum link up there now has two choices to view inside dodbits or outside (new window) so large images display properly. 

dodbits "Members"

You can now join dodbits, I may join the forums and dodbits but at the moment they are separate sites.

Forums: Join and you can participate in threads, post images and files.

dodbits main site: If you want to upload to the downloads section you can now fill out a simple form. You can edit and even delete your download after it is posted. Also members can add comments to the bottom of any article or download.

I am on the look out for people to write for dodbits, members can be upgraded to a publisher if you have what it takes.

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