Portal 2 beta mod tools released

If you fancy making your own maps, models, skins, or other exciting new things for Portal 2, you can now get cracking as Valve has released a beta version of the first-person puzzler's PC mod tools.

Valve explains that the Portal 2 Authoring Tools include "versions of the same tools we used to make Portal 2." They'll let you create single-player and co-op maps, character skins, 3D models, sound effects, and music. PC Portaleers can find the Authoring Tools to download in, aptly, the 'Tools' section of their Steam library.

Here's what you'll find in the mod tools, if you want to get technical:

• Updated version of Hammer, the Source level editor

• Updated Faceposer

• Example maps and instances to help build new maps

• Updated suite of command-line compiling utilities

Would-be map-makers are advised to sign up for P2Mapper and hlmappers mailing lists for advice, bug reports and the like.