Do NOT use this repository for production maps at this time.
Source code for Source SDK 2013 (Garry’s Mod, 64-bit) - custom experimental build tools for:
- VBSP
- VVIS
- VRAD
The long-term goal is to explore modernization, profiling, and acceleration of Source Engine build tools while preserving:
- Perfect format compatibility
- Deterministic results
- Zero visual regressions
This repository is an experimental research project, not a drop-in replacement for official tools.
This fork is based on Source SDK 2013, originally adapted from
Ficool2’s Source SDK 2013 fork,
and modified specifically for Garry’s Mod (64-bit).
The original ambition of this project was to:
- Explore GPU-assisted visibility computation (VVIS)
- Use OpenCL for broad GPU compatibility
- Reduce compile times on large, complex maps
- Preserve strict correctness guarantees
However, practical experimentation revealed that:
VVIS is extremely sensitive to implementation details
Any optimization is meaningless unless the CPU version is first proven identical to Valve’s.
The OpenCL-based VVIS_GPU work is currently paused, not abandoned.
Reasons:
- CPU correctness has absolute priority
- Ficool2’s VVIS++ already provides excellent CPU-side performance
- GPU acceleration must never compromise correctness
GPU work will resume only when:
- CPU baseline matches Valve exactly
- All differences are fully understood and documented
- GPU is used only for safe, conservative pruning
Future work on VRAD may include:
- Improved verbose logging (separate log files)
- Additional debug and analysis flags
- Exploration of GPU-assisted bounce lighting (research only)
No guarantees or timelines.
Minor profiling and structural analysis only:
-
Compile-time behavior
-
I/O bottlenecks
-
No functional changes planned for now
-
Upgrades limits ?
Development is slow, irregular, and priority-based.
There may be:
- Long periods without commits
- Experimental branches that are later discarded
- Major refactors with no short-term payoff
The goal is to preserve knowledge and experiments, not to rush releases.
- Windows only (for now)
- Linux not supported (may be explored later)
- Visual Studio 2022
- Desktop development with C++
- MSVC v143
- Windows 10 / 11 SDK
- CMake (recommended)
- OpenCL SDK (optional, currently unused)
- Use Release configuration (NOT Debug)
- Debugging can still be done via Local Windows Debugger
- Tools are built as standalone executables
Compiled binaries will appear in:
/bin/
Example:
/bin/vvis_GPU.exe
You must keep the following next to the executable:
filesystem_stdio.dll (in the subfolders : /bin/bin/x64/)
tier0.dll
vstdlib.dll
Directory layout must be preserved.
Usage syntax remains identical to the original Source tools.
Example:
PathToYourClone\bin\vvis_GPU.exe -game "PathToGarrysMod\garrysmod" "PathToMap\map.bsp"
-
Valve Developer Wiki - Source SDK 2013
https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Source_SDK_2013 -
Ficool2 - Source SDK 2013 fork
https://github.com/ficool2/source-sdk-2013 -
Ficool2 - VVIS++, VRAD++, Tools
https://ficool2.github.io/HammerPlusPlus-Website/tools.html -
OpenCL Specification
https://www.khronos.org/opencl/ -
Garry’s Mod Developer Wiki
https://wiki.facepunch.com/gmod/
This project is licensed under the SOURCE 1 SDK LICENSE.
See the LICENSE file for details.
All derived work, experiments, and modifications remain subject to the same non-commercial license.
This repository reflects an honest, technical exploration of Source Engine tooling.
Progress is nonlinear.
Mistakes are part of the process.
Correctness always comes before speed.
“Make it correct.
Then make it fast.
Never the other way around.”