Mapping Question Megathread v3 - Developers

How do I make a conveyor activate with a button, work for a certain amount of time, then deactivate. Looking at the entity properties I'm not seeing anything that would indicate activation. It's for the airlock part of my map.

[QUOTE=Sam Za Nemesis;36447252]Does anyone have an old version of the Multiblend shader from Dota 2? I believe that earlier iterations of this shader might work correctly on Alien Swarm, specifically from builds before the broad closed beta should work, and I really want to experiment with it[/QUOTE] Good luck getting it working, I'm sure the combos have changed since then (and between games, pretty sure Dota 2 added other texture masks which swarm doesn't have, so using a dota shader in swarm won't work.) Why not just make your own using the Vertex Color 1 channel's RGBA to control each texture blend in the shader editor?

[QUOTE=Sam Za Nemesis;36447586]That could work, but it would be extremely hacky and could kill perf, I'm taking a blind guess that an old version of the multiblend shader would work as some others did, as far as I've analyzed both Dota2 and ASW have the same texture maps in the shader, but the ASW one is incomplete (Fullbright, etc)[/QUOTE] I don't see how it's hacky or would affect performance any more than using the regular shader, it's not like one made in the shader editor would be more expensive unless you made it that way.

Any helpful tutorials on making trains operate like the one in cp_well? But in Gmod ttt.

Is this the place where I can ask about the Source Particle Editor?

[QUOTE=nomad1;36452411]Is this the place where I can ask about the Source Particle Editor?[/QUOTE] May as well. I know a decent amount about it.

[QUOTE=Slacker101;36449241]Any helpful tutorials on making trains operate like the one in cp_well? But in Gmod ttt.[/QUOTE] Use a logic_timer to trigger a func_tracktrain with a trigger_hurt parented to it to appear at some interval?

[QUOTE=Miigga;36455129]Use a logic_timer to trigger a func_tracktrain with a trigger_hurt parented to it to appear at some interval?[/QUOTE] Not sure, but i think tracktrain has a block damage variable.

[QUOTE=DerTontaiLama;36413428]Ah, I see now. I've tried using the arch tool before, but I seriously couldn't figure out how to use it. Thanks! [img]http://i.imgur.com/MHXUq.png[/img] I've got another question now, though. Even if I compile my map, and I try to play it in in GMod, it plays the earlier version of the map I just compiled? :v:[/QUOTE] Speaking of arches, is it bad that I just make my own using the vertex manipulator?

Okay so I'm pretty sure I've asked this before but forgot the answer. Anyways, is it okay to have intersecting brushes? func_detailed or not?

Can anyone help me with this ?? The problem is the how is looking the texture in curve. [img]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/16648713/anysolution.jpg[/img]

[QUOTE=R@Rdeathmatch;36458635]Can anyone help me with this ?? The problem is the how is looking the texture in curve. [img]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/16648713/anysolution.jpg[/img][/QUOTE] You should check this out: [url]http://www.worldofleveldesign.com/categories/sourcesdk-authoringtools/creating-roads-in-hammer-source-part1-basics-realism-intersections.php[/url]

[QUOTE=Miigga;36455129]Use a logic_timer to trigger a func_tracktrain with a trigger_hurt parented to it to appear at some interval?[/QUOTE] I followed this [url]https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Trains[/url] to the letter and used the logic_timmer to trigger it but it still isn't working? Is it because I'm testing in CSS? [editline]23rd June 2012[/editline] Why does my train fire off during map start? I have the logic_timer to go off randomaly every 10-20 seconds but the train goes during map start.

I'm reading this:[url]https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Multiblend[/url] on MultiBlend from the new engine, but does anyone know what the "$spectexture" parameter is used for and how to use it?

[QUOTE=st ef you;36509826]I'm reading this:[url]https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Multiblend[/url] on MultiBlend from the new engine, but does anyone know what the "$spectexture" parameter is used for and how to use it?[/QUOTE] It's a specular mask, wastefully put into a separate textures when it could just be packed in the albedo alpha... Valve aren't one for saving performance.

[QUOTE=st ef you;36509826]I'm reading this:[url]https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Multiblend[/url] on MultiBlend from the new engine, but does anyone know what the "$spectexture" parameter is used for and how to use it?[/QUOTE] Spectexture is what it blends by, kinda like a $blendmodulatetexture

[QUOTE=Firegod522;36513841]Spectexture is what it blends by, kinda like a $blendmodulatetexture[/QUOTE] THought it used that for specular and had a separate blendmodulate texture? I've seen some in the Dota 2 files.

[QUOTE=Legend286;36514105]THought it used that for specular and had a separate blendmodulate texture? I've seen some in the Dota 2 files.[/QUOTE] [t]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/3779442/Screenshots/Multi_blending_rotating.PNG[/t] no specmap [t]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/3779442/Screenshots/Multi_blending_spectexture.PNG[/t] specmap

[QUOTE=Firegod522;36514346][t]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/3779442/Screenshots/Multi_blending_rotating.PNG[/t] no specmap [t]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/3779442/Screenshots/Multi_blending_spectexture.PNG[/t] specmap[/QUOTE] Hhhnnng Valve... Why couldn't they just name it right seriously.

Trying to get Portal 2 props and materials into L4D2, can't for the life of me find the right directories in GCFScape. If I open Portal 2 there are only a handful of dev materials, and the other Portal 2 files are no help either.

[QUOTE=NotExactly;36518520]Trying to get Portal 2 props and materials into L4D2, can't for the life of me find the right directories in GCFScape. If I open Portal 2 there are only a handful of dev materials, and the other Portal 2 files are no help either.[/QUOTE] Look in pak_dir.vpk

[QUOTE=Firegod522;36519456]Look in pak_dir.vpk[/QUOTE] pak01_dir.vpk.

[QUOTE=Firegod522;36519456]Look in pak_dir.vpk[/QUOTE] What do I do with it? If I run it nothing seems to happen and GCFScape's having nothing to do with it.

[QUOTE=NotExactly;36520642]What do I do with it? If I run it nothing seems to happen and GCFScape's having nothing to do with it.[/QUOTE] GCFScape should be able to open it, I can. Make sure its the .vpk, not .ncf that is in your steamapps\ folder.

What was the basketball goal prop in hl2 called? Can't find it anywhere.

Never mind, found it

[QUOTE=Firegod522;36514346][t]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/3779442/Screenshots/Multi_blending_spectexture.PNG[/t] specmap[/QUOTE] Makes for some nice visuals.

Alright here is another problem, when I add info_nodes to my map for npc's and I tried to compile and run my map, hammer crashed. (I saved right before doing this) So I go back to load my save and it says there were 2 errors (Something along the lines of that). It asked if I wanted to get rid of them, so I selected yes, since it was only two things. When I then look at my map, I notice all of the entities are gone. Every single entity is not on my map where it used to be. I have no idea whats wrong and it'd be great if you guys could give me some insight on this. Also, I checked the visgroups, and everything is checked.

[QUOTE=timmah1112;36526850]Alright here is another problem, when I add info_nodes to my map for npc's and I tried to compile and run my map, hammer crashed. (I saved right before doing this) So I go back to load my save and it says there were 2 errors (Something along the lines of that). It asked if I wanted to get rid of them, so I selected yes, since it was only two things. When I then look at my map, I notice all of the entities are gone. Every single entity is not on my map where it used to be. I have no idea whats wrong and it'd be great if you guys could give me some insight on this. Also, I checked the visgroups, and everything is checked.[/QUOTE] Sounds like the problem was in the entities? Did it say specifically what the problems were?

[QUOTE=masterwolf;36527656]Sounds like the problem was in the entities? Did it say specifically what the problems were?[/QUOTE] Well, yes the problem was in the entities. Did it say specifically? I believe it was node with unbounded volume. My best guess was when I merged the vertices with the vertex tool, or when I placed the npc nodes, because right after that I tried to compile my map. I compiled it before I added nodes and used the vertex tool, and the map compiled fine. Now all of my entities are gone, and I'm in a far enough stage of the map where it would take incredibly long to add all the entities back.