Mapping Questions Megathread V6 - Developers

I have a very strange problem. When i compile my map the log says that some of my props are outside the map which is not the case when i check the coordinates. I already renewed my skybox per hand (not with the hollow tool) and checked for leaks. My compile log is giving me no "leaked" statement therefore i have no pointfile. I centered the origins of all my models but that didnt helped either. Im slowly going crazy.

Been trying to surround this park in hedges which I believe I got from l4d2 but my problem is they either are full bright or full dark. I've tried setting them up with an info_lighting but they still are broken. Does anyone know how to fix this? Also there is two versions on this prop but they both do the same thing. models/props_foliage/urban_hedge_256_128_seethrough.mdl models/props_foliage/urban_hedge_256_128_high.mdl https://files.facepunch.com/forum/upload/177543/59732620-f4dc-4540-8a30-b72ec59a2069/20180419214548_1.jpg

While this isn't a solution to the problem you're having (I honestly would've thought setting a lighting origin would work too?), if those are static props you could always see how they look on a slightly heavier -staticproppolys -staticproplighting compile. I consider those flags basically essential anyway.

@opti2000 If the map has a leak, then technically everything is "outside" the map. Even on a "normal compile" you should see portal flow and lighting info in the log and you do not. @Bigalbroski Its important to actually look at the VMT files for a different game's models as newer engines sometimes use newer shaders. In this case the problem could be that it is trying to load a normalmap or bumpmap which it cannot find. When it cant load a texture it defaults to purp/black and that would result in the lighting being total wrong no matter the lighting origin/situation

Thanks for the help but i found the problem. There was a trigger brush in my map that wasnt assigned the func_viscluster which caused the models to appear "outside" of the map.

https://files.facepunch.com/forum/upload/113201/f3d12cf4-6def-4694-bc15-56ca20b65e4a/20180420142401_1.jpg Why won't my water show up? ** Executing... ** Command: "c:\program files (x86)\steam\steamapps\common\Source SDK Base 2013 Multiplayer\bin\vbsp.exe" ** Parameters: -game "c:\program files (x86)\steam\steamapps\common\Source SDK Base 2013 Multiplayer\customConfig" "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\GarrysMod\garrysmod\maps\wenatchee.vmf" Valve Software - vbsp.exe (Jun 14 2017) 8 threads materialPath: c:\program files (x86)\steam\steamapps\common\Source SDK Base 2013 Multiplayer\customConfig\materials Loading C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\GarrysMod\garrysmod\maps\wenatchee.vmf ***need to set $abovewater for material de_stadium/dev_water_stadium_cheap ***need to set $abovewater for material de_stadium/dev_water_stadium_cheap Could not locate 'GameData' key in c:\program files (x86)\steam\steamapps\common\source sdk base 2013 multiplayer\customconfig\gameinfo.txt Patching WVT material: maps/wenatchee/de_train/blendgrassdirt001a_wvt_patch fixing up env_cubemap materials on brush sides... ProcessBlock_Thread: 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (0) ProcessBlock_Thread: 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (0) Processing areas...done (0) Building Faces...done (0) Chop Details...done (0) Find Visible Detail Sides...done (0) Merging details...done (0) FixTjuncs... PruneNodes... WriteBSP... done (0) writing C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\GarrysMod\garrysmod\maps\wenatchee.prt...Building visibility clusters... done (0) Creating default LDR cubemaps for env_cubemap using skybox materials: skybox/militia_hdr*.vmt ! Run buildcubemaps in the engine to get the correct cube maps. Creating default HDR cubemaps for env_cubemap using skybox materials: skybox/militia_hdr*.vmt ! Run buildcubemaps in the engine to get the correct cube maps. Finding displacement neighbors... Finding lightmap sample positions... Displacement Alpha : 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 Building Physics collision data... done (0) (189510 bytes) Placing detail props : 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 Water found with no water_lod_control entity, creating a default one. Compacting texture/material tables... Reduced 319 texinfos to 176 Reduced 52 texdatas to 48 (1448 bytes to 1322) Writing C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\GarrysMod\garrysmod\maps\wenatchee.bsp Wrote ZIP buffer, estimated size 87852, actual size 87370 0 seconds elapsed ** Executing... ** Command: "c:\program files (x86)\steam\steamapps\common\Source SDK Base 2013 Multiplayer\bin\vrad.exe" ** Parameters: -game "c:\program files (x86)\steam\steamapps\common\Source SDK Base 2013 Multiplayer\customConfig" "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\GarrysMod\garrysmod\maps\wenatchee" Valve Software - vrad.exe SSE (Jun 14 2017) Valve Radiosity Simulator 8 threads [Reading texlights from 'lights.rad'] [2 texlights parsed from 'lights.rad'] Loading c:\program files (x86)\steam\steamapps\common\garrysmod\garrysmod\maps\wenatchee.bsp Error! Unable to load file "models/props_campus/chair_plastic01.dx80.vtx" Error! Unable to load file "models/props_furniture/desk1.dx80.vtx" Error! Unable to load file "models/props_broadcast/interiors/sofa_b.dx80.vtx" Error! Unable to load file "models/props_campus/lounge_chair01.dx80.vtx" Error! Invalid VTX file checksum: -1844757403, expected -697911975 "models/props/cs_office/offcorkboarda.dx80.vtx" Error! Unable to load file "models/props_campus/books08.dx80.vtx" Error! Unable to load file "models/props_interiors/books02.dx80.vtx" No vis information, direct lighting only. Setting up ray-trace acceleration structure... Done (0.24 seconds) 2140 faces 184090 square feet [26509050.00 square inches] 0 Displacements 0 Square Feet [0.00 Square Inches] sun extent from map=0.000000 10 direct lights BuildFacelights: 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (3) Build Patch/Sample Hash Table(s).....Done<0.0024 sec> FinalLightFace: 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (2) FinalLightFace Done 0 of 0 (0% of) surface lights went in leaf ambient cubes. ThreadComputeLeafAmbient: 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (3) Writing leaf ambient...done Ready to Finish Level flags = 0 Total triangle count: 5890 Writing c:\program files (x86)\steam\steamapps\common\garrysmod\garrysmod\maps\wenatchee.bsp 8 seconds elapsed ** Executing... ** Command: Copy File ** Parameters: "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\GarrysMod\garrysmod\maps\wenatchee.bsp" "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\GarrysMod\garrysmod\maps\wenatchee.bsp" ** Executing... ** Command: " " ** Parameters: -game "c:\program files (x86)\steam\steamapps\common\Source SDK Base 2013 Multiplayer\customConfig" +map "wenatchee" -steam

It looks like VVIS hasn't run. This is required for several things, including reflective water.

I think the term mapping may be a misnomer for your needs. This thread is primarily for Half-Life 2/Gmod/CSS level design problem/question.

I tried doing this but it would crash my game on map load so I just ended up using so other models. This is what I figured, was just curious if there was a fix or someone had remade models of them.

So I have a relatively small map. I'm still in the process of creating it and thus far have not turned any brush geometry into func_details. I know this increases VVIS compile time, however, from my understanding the map will perform better nonetheless (a marginal increase in performance.) Is my understanding correct?

func_detail just compiles brush geometry so that it doesn't cut visleafs during vvis compile

Making them detail Is really just for VVIS. They were way more necessary back when computers could barely handle rendering source engine but now its just a holdover. Consider that now many engines use LOD models to optimize most things rather than just occluding it. The most popular build map in garrysmod is flatgrass and you render everything on the level at all times, contraptions which contain far more triangles and physics than levels usually do. The reason detail is necessary is because detail is meant to be a stand-in for static-props. We want lightmaps and shadows on our level geometry but since making every little thing a prop is too time consuming we use brushes to do it. VVIS gets split up based on volume but can only be crafted from cubes or triangle prisms also. Regardless lets say you have a pillar. Its 1024 units wide and has 16 faces. its worth having it be world geometry because large areas behind it will not be visible. In many cases the thing to do here would be to have the outer edges be detail, and have a cube or octagon inside it be world geometry so VVIS blocks out shit that isnt visible behind it. Now lets say the same pillar is 64 units wide. For anything to really be blocked by this geometry you would need to be really close to it. This is a case where the whole thing should be detail. That aside using func_detail is more to save yourself time during compile rather than performance. Before the whole thing is completed you might even consider just using func_visclusters to save time rather than deciding which things should be detail as you go, as lighting and smoothing groups also get affected by detail as well.

I was wondering if it's become any more possible to port maps from Halo PC?

The triangle limit for a model is around 32,000. If you baked the lighting of a halo map to its textures, had the whole level geometry be a static model (or several), and then used nodraw brushes to build the collision you would have a fairly faithful recreation. Getting lighting to work however will be a challenge. Even so in situations like this I would tell people to get the level geometry into source first and see if it will even fit into a standard hammer level. I would guess you could do small areas of halo like the Pillar of Autumn but anything past that would far exceed the bounds.

I have another question yet again. Grenade Man mentioned that i could using game+mod to mount other source engine content. I tried googling it to find out more but i'm still confused about the whole thing in general so if you guys could help explain it to me that would be great.

It's all about serch pathes in your gameconfig.txt. Example: asw with sfm resources mounted. SearchPaths { Game |gameinfo_path|. Game swarm Game swarm_base Game platform Game .\..\SourceFilmmaker\game\map_desert_carcass Game .\..\SourceFilmmaker\game\tf_movies Game .\..\SourceFilmmaker\game\tf Game .\..\SourceFilmmaker\game\usermod Game .\..\SourceFilmmaker\game\hl2 }

I don't mind losing the lighting, I could live with just the geometry and textures

my compile log says that my vrad is included more than once , how do i fix this? also , vvis doesnt seem to appear in my compile log file.

Lighting will render twice on a full compile because it needs to render both LDR and HDR versions of the lightmaps

Do I really need to redo the fucking AI Nodes (using the Nodegraph Editor from the Workshop) every time I update a map? It's a massive pain in the ass.

Not sure about this tool, but with map_edit, which seems to do the same thing you can use wc_update_entity or hammer_update_entity

Asking for a friend who's having an issue. Whenever he opens the hammer in Garry's Mod's bin folder, it gives him 3 game configurations to choose from (csgo, tf2 and portal). How does he make it work for Garry's Mod, if possible? (I don't know because I've been using the HL2 EP2 hammer which works fine but he doesn't have that)

There's a config dialog in hammer's options. you just gotta add it and setup all the pathes. Make sure your gameconfig.txt in the bin folder is not wriet protected. To bypass the selection dialog you gotta boot hammer with commanline and a -game parameter.

I strongly recommend using compilepalx, makes compiling an ease.

https://i.imgur.com/jJ5yn3Y.jpg?1 Does anybody know what textures this uses?

Hi ! Just to know how to extract textures from hammer to my folders (for publish my map) do you have an idea ? I want to do that manualy ?

Hammer uses the textures it loads from the game you're using Hammer from. That's where you'll find the textures you need. If you want to know how to get only the textures that you used in your map, then I suggest using a software like VIDE that will do that for you.

Hello , a quick question to fellow mappers . Do lights from skybox go trough glass textures?

Transparent textures are ignored in the lighting phase of the compile.

Define ignored. Maybe they should not be ignored for glass, rather alpha blended. We know fences, but we could some grunged glass lihgting, not just with with props. https://files.facepunch.com/forum/upload/132403/823798ef-feed-4e35-b87e-f790376bb18f/stained.jpg The next iteration should be using the colors to modulate colored glass. The only map i remember, where this shoulda been used, is lost coast.