Forum posts

OK, the map is up muzzleflash

The only texture wad that deviated from the original HL wads was barney.wad
Its not really custom, and it made the file too big to upload so i didn't include it.

Read the text before the logs on the .txts, they explain the order i compiled things in.

http://www.twhl.co.za/vault.php?map=5138

Ok, do you mean send the rmf? ill start packing one to send, but meanwhile, take a look at found i found below...

I just tried compiling it in hammer with just the bsp and csg programs (i didnt want to wait for the half hour vis/qrad). i got 3 warnings

[quote] WARNING: makenodeportal: new portal was clipped away from node (158, 835, 118)(461, 1273, -95)
writing c:\sierra\half-life\valve\maps\airtower_final.prt
WARNING canonicalvector: degenerate
WARNING canonicalvector: degenerate

2 seconds elapsed [/quote]

Ok! i saw that it wrote a .prt but i got an additional warning i didnt get before, the one with makenode portal.

The canonicalvector warnings i got shortly after starting the map. I know they shouldnt be there, but they havent been causing problems, at least not yet

No, it had the same result. And the log was identical so i wont bother pasting it. Thanks for trying though muzz.

and don, that -dev error thing was something i was changing in options, it made no difference on or off.

Ok. In hammer, i save my map, export to .map, and then go to the compilator. Perhaps I'm doing something wrong in the order of things?

Heres the log.
[quote]
hlcsg v3.4 Final (Feb 25 2006)
Zoner's Half-Life Compilation Tools -- Custom Build
Based on code modifications by Sean 'Zoner' Cavanaugh
Based on Valve's version, modified with permission.
Submit detailed bug reports to (amckern@yahoo.com)
--- BEGIN hlcsg ---
Command line: hlcsg.exe -wadinclude barney.wad -wadinclude xeno.wad -wadinclude liquids.wad -chart -estimate -texdata 8192 -dev Error C:\SIERRA\Half-Life\valve\maps\airtower_final.map
Entering C:\SIERRA\Half-Life\valve\maps\airtower_final.map

Current hlcsg Settings
Name | Setting | Default
--------------------|-----------|------------------------
threads [ 1 ] [ Varies ]
verbose [ off ] [ off ]
log [ on ] [ on ]
developer [ 0 ] [ 0 ]
chart [ on ] [ off ]
estimate [ on ] [ off ]
max texture memory [ 8388608 ] [ 4194304 ]
max lighting memory [ 6291456 ] [ 6291456 ]
priority [ Normal ] [ Normal ]

noclip [ off ] [ off ]
null texture stripping[ on ] [ on ]
clipnode economy mode [ on ] [ on ]
clip hull type [ legacy ] [ legacy ]
onlyents [ off ] [ off ]
wadtextures [ on ] [ on ]
skyclip [ on ] [ on ]
hullfile [ None ] [ None ]
nullfile [ None ] [ None ]
min surface area [ 0.500 ] [ 0.500 ]
brush union threshold [ 0.000 ] [ 0.000 ]

Using mapfile wad configuration
Wadinclude list :
[zhlt.wad]
[barney.wad]
[xeno.wad]
[liquids.wad]

0 brushes (totalling 0 sides) discarded from clipping hulls
CreateBrush:
(0.32 seconds)
SetModelCenters:
(0.01 seconds)
CSGBrush:
(0.87 seconds)

Object names Objects/Maxobjs Memory / Maxmem Fullness
---------- ------------- ------------- ------
models 0/400 0/25600 ( 0.0%)
planes 3810/32768 76200/655360 (11.6%)
vertexes 0/65535 0/786420 ( 0.0%)
nodes 0/32767 0/786408 ( 0.0%)
texinfos 219/32767 8760/1310680 ( 0.7%)
faces 0/65535 0/1310700 ( 0.0%)
clipnodes 0/32767 0/262136 ( 0.0%)
leaves 0/8192 0/229376 ( 0.0%)
marksurfaces 0/65535 0/131070 ( 0.0%)
surfedges 0/512000 0/2048000 ( 0.0%)
edges 0/256000 0/1024000 ( 0.0%)
texdata [variable] 0/8388608 ( 0.0%)
lightdata [variable] 0/6291456 ( 0.0%)
visdata [variable] 0/2097152 ( 0.0%)
entdata [variable] 0/524288 ( 0.0%)
0 textures referenced

Total BSP file data space used: 84960 bytes

Using Wadfile: \sierra\half-life\valve\halflife.wad

• Contains 20 used textures, 83.33 percent of map (3116 textures in wad)

Including Wadfile: \sierra\half-life\valve\zhlt.wad

• Contains 1 used texture, 4.17 percent of map (8 textures in wad)

Including Wadfile: \sierra\blue-shift\bshift\barney.wad

• Contains 1 used texture, 4.17 percent of map (408 textures in wad)

Including Wadfile: \sierra\blue-shift\bshift\xeno.wad

• Contains 2 used textures, 8.33 percent of map (264 textures in wad)

added 3 additional animating textures.
Texture usage is at 0.31 mb (of 8.00 mb MAX)
1.45 seconds elapsed

--- END hlcsg ---

hlbsp v3.4 Final (Feb 25 2006)
Zoner's Half-Life Compilation Tools -- Custom Build
Based on code modifications by Sean 'Zoner' Cavanaugh
Based on Valve's version, modified with permission.
Submit detailed bug reports to (amckern@yahoo.com)
--- BEGIN hlbsp ---
Command line: hlbsp.exe -chart -estimate -texdata 8192 -dev Error C:\SIERRA\Half-Life\valve\maps\airtower_final.map

Current hlbsp Settings
Name | Setting | Default
------------------|-----------|------------------------
threads [ 1 ] [ Varies ]
verbose [ off ] [ off ]
log [ on ] [ on ]
developer [ 0 ] [ 0 ]
chart [ on ] [ off ]
estimate [ on ] [ off ]
max texture memory [ 8388608 ] [ 4194304 ]
priority [ Normal ] [ Normal ]

noclip [ off ] [ off ]
nofill [ off ] [ off ]
noopt [ off ] [ off ]
null tex. stripping [ on ] [ on ]
notjunc [ off ] [ off ]
subdivide size [ 240 ] [ 240 ] (Min 64) (Max 512)
max node size [ 1024 ] [ 1024 ] (Min 64) (Max 8192)

SolidBSP [hull 0]
--- END hlbsp ---

hlvis v3.4 Final (Feb 25 2006)
Zoner's Half-Life Compilation Tools -- Custom Build
Based on code modifications by Sean 'Zoner' Cavanaugh
Based on Valve's version, modified with permission.
Submit detailed bug reports to (amckern@yahoo.com)
--- BEGIN hlvis ---
Command line: hlvis.exe -full -chart -estimate -texdata 8192 -dev Error C:\SIERRA\Half-Life\valve\maps\airtower_final.map
Error: Portal file 'C:\SIERRA\Half-Life\valve\maps\airtower_final.prt' does not exist, cannot vis the map

--- END hlvis ---

hlrad v3.4 Final (Feb 25 2006)
Zoner's Half-Life Compilation Tools -- Custom Build
Based on code modifications by Sean 'Zoner' Cavanaugh
Based on Valve's version, modified with permission.
Submit detailed bug reports to (amckern@yahoo.com)
--- BEGIN hlrad ---
Command line: hlrad.exe -extra -lights "C:\Valve Hammer Editor\tools\lights.rad"-chart -estimate -texdata 8192 -dev Error C:\SIERRA\Half-Life\valve\maps\airtower_final.map

There was a problem compiling the map.
Check the file C:\SIERRA\Half-Life\valve\maps\airtower_final.log for the cause.

--- END hlrad ---

[/quote]

Perhaps I'm just being an idiot in setting up the compile. It wouldn't be the first time =P

Yeah thats the line i get in the compilator's log. I thought of the spaces, but i changed the map name to one word, same result. I checked the map itself, nothings outside the grid, i compiled it in hammer, no warnings or errors.

I don't want to use the hammer compile tool though, I want to use the compilator. When i use hammer, it doesn't have this problem, but I have to use the compilator to solve the problem in my first post.

Thanks for trying to help out though.

edit again: What are .prt files and how do i make sure they are created so the compilator can compile my .map?

they left out falling and drowning damage

The barney I'm talking about is the barney.wad with blue shift.

I tried adding the .wad to the end. Same result.

That also wouldn't explain why -nowadtextures wont work. Because you don't put .wad on the end of that

Thanks for trying to help me out though

Ok, heres the problem

Im trying to use wadinclude to put my custom textures into my .bsp

in the parameters box for csg.exe i have

$path$file -wadinclude barney

In the compile log, i get the following

*************error************
usage: qcsg [-nowadtextures] [-wadinclude <name>] [-draw] [glview] [-noclip] [-onlyents] [-proj <name>] [-threads #] [-v] [-hullfile <name>] mapfile

From what i understand, its telling me i got the usage wrong, like i typed it in wrong. But i checked it over, and even went to the custom texture tutorial, I'm typing it exactly the way i should, it just wont accept it. And it happens with every command it lists in the usage above. Even when i copy it directly from the usage list

It would appear that the compile process isn't accepting its own commands, that it itself is listing, but that makes no sense, right? I need some help on this problem, because it has me stumped.

That would be much cooler than just a train sittin there to move.

random selection? i would like to know how you did that.

right now all i can do is make them cycle through the 5 doors in a preset order.

SDK, you mean for source? thats 4.0 i believe, and the hammer links in the links page no longer work because they pointed to VERC.

We should have the hammer links in there point to muzz's site.

Yeah, hammer 3.4 was "interesting" to find after VERC shut down

I didn't know Muzzleflash had all those downloads. I guess thats what i get for not checking his site more closely.

As for 3.5 being that easy to install, i learned something today. Time to go update i guess

Most likely been mentioned, but noticed it as i cleaned up my journal today.

When you delete your journal, a page appears and says, error journal missing, or something along those lines, and it provides a link: click here dont click back on your browser. Upon clicking that link it goes to all journals page. It wasted about 45 seconds of my life it didnt need to.

Minor, minor bug, but a bug nonetheless.

Lolwut?

Im not sure i completely understand the second question, but ill take a guess anyway.

It seems you want these deleted faces to be revealed, ok, now you want to know wheter to do it with sky, or NULL textures, and whether either one will have a performance effect.

The compile difference would be minimal i think, unless the faces that would be deleted are part of complicated geometry. It could possibly double your compile time in that respect. The ingame performance you could easily test yourself, use the r_speeds console command, record loading times, whatever.

While im baffled at why you want these normally deleted faces to be revealed, there is the question as to whether NULL would even work this way, since everything thats nulled isnt rendered. It will have to be something to test.

Hopefully i understood what you said above, otherwise my longwinded post doesnt mean anything.

I dont think valve would give the heavy limited medical abilities, since they made it clear they want each class to have its own unique role.

I think if they did, it would have to be personal use, and a one use item, after which you have to get ammo or something.

I think thats source, not sure, im a little rusty in source at the moment. I know its not in goldsrc.

Ok, 413x, i have an example map for you. The train in this map "falls" along a sloping path, so that it doesnt drop straight down. I included the black mesa train prefab, which enclosed enough that the player doesnt fall out. Try it in the .bsp and let me know what you think, if you like the effect, you can copy the train, or make your own enclosed train.

That method limits you to enclosed trains however. If you want an open-air train, i can whip up a map to show you how to have that type of train fall, but stay steady. That method will make the train drop like a stone, straight down. Not too pretty, but the player doesnt fall. Good for a small fall perhaps. Thing is, i have no knowledge of a way to make a train follow a sloping, falling, path, while staying completely horizontal Unless someone can enlighten me.

Let me know how this helps 413x

I understand the problem. Its that when this train goes over this edge, it points directly down and the player falls off the train.

the train will always point directly toward its next path, so doing this falling off edge with one train is impossible,

It is entirely possible if we do some trickery. Ill get to work on an example map showing you how to do this with 2 trains.

Thanks guys, this clears up the situation a lot.

I just got a 2.8 gig PC (i know, not the best) that i get to use when im letting my bro use the gaming PC, Now ill install all those source games and get playing!

Thanks Luke

Hey guys, simple question. I got a new computer, and i want to put half-life 2 on it, can i install it using the original half-life 2 copy i got when it came out? Or do i have to buy another copy of the game?

If im remaking a level, then am i allowed to use textures that show up in that level? (and not in any standard halflife .wads) Sure theyre custom, and i didnt make them, but the map will look nothing like the original without them.

So is the game judged on playability? I have a map in mind, but its huge, and not only that, its got a reflective floor R_speeds would be through the roof, and it would not be fun to fight enemies, but fun to look at, so im just going to try recreating the acrcitecture as best i can. Would that hurt my map in terms of judging?

Very right aaron, let me add one thing:

goldwave 5.20 free download

Another frequently, and recently, asked question.

why does my trigger_changelevel not work?

First, read the tutorial, understand it, obey it. http://www.twhl.co.za/tutorial.php?id=62 Also check out the info_landmark, and the trigger_changelevel pages in the entity guide.

Sometimes, you get an error message saying the map cant be found, sometimes it just crashes half-life, and sometimes your player is transferred to the center of the map, dead.

All these problems occur from a botched changelevel. Discovering the problem is very difficult. If you encounter one of these problems, its best, in my opinion, to just delete the changelevels, landmarks, and any other enities that have to do with the level change. Start from scratch, and keep in mind that:

1. the center of the landmark must be the same distance from the center of the changelevel brush.

For example, i have my info landmark, 10 units away from the trigger changelevel, in the next map, the info landmark, whatever direction it may be, must be 10 units away from the trigger changelevel in that map. Pretty simple, right? Easiest way i do it, is setting the grid size to 8, and the center of the info landmark is easy to see, and the center of the changelevel brush is easily found by looking for the "x" in the center.
A great idea to easy changelevel making was said by unbreakable.

unbreakable: theres an easy method of doing this... put your info_landmark in the world where you need the transition to take place.. save the map.. now delete everything outside the hallway or room that cannot be seen, and build on your new level, and this time hit Save As, and save it as a new map name... easy as pie.

2. when you make the levels with the changelevel between them, make sure they are both fully compiled with the changelevel before running it. For example, i made a changelevel in one map, didnt make the changelevel in the map it pointed too, ran it, and bam, a botched up changelevel that i had to completely delete.

3. Never ever have capitals or spaces in a map name, or the map specified in the "new map" area, underscores ( _ ) are fine. For example, my maps in my current mod are made like this: space_1 ---> space_2 ----> space_3 and so on.

4. make sure you carefully revise your entity settings, even seasoned mappers can miss one crucial setting. Check your spelling, make sure everything points to the right thing.

Noob question, sorry.

But where can i get 3D studio max?

Im not too familiar with half life 2's entities but if there is anything like a trigger_hurt (used in half life 1), that could be used to create the illusion that you are taking damage from the barbed wire. Just place it so that the player must contact, or be awfully close to the barbed wire to take damage.

Is the problem that it wont play? Or that it wont loop?

I took a look at the entity properties, you said you named it? It may need to be triggered then for it to work. Also, check yor flags and make sure you dont have a start silent flag on

yes, that happened to me, i didnt say anything cause i assumed i did something stupid

Ive looked through tons of forum posts, and theres some questions that come up dozens of times. While it is encouraged that you use the search option, most of the time it just doesnt happen. With this thread, im hoping to compile a list of frequently asked questions, so that mappers with questions can browse and find answers to tons of questions. It also provides a one spot of info for those who search the forums. Feel free to add in answers to questions that you notice are asked over and over.

Ill start:

Ive seen this question asked many times.

how do i loop an aiscripted, or scripted sequence?

A simple answer, looping multimanagers

*Name: MM1
Key: script1 Value: 1
Key: MM1 Value: 1

*multithreaded flag set

That multimanager displayed above will activate a scripted sequence (script1), then trigger the multimanager again, creating an infinite loop.

Set the correct action animation you want to loop in the scripted sequence. Experiment with the settings for different results. Compile a map, and test it. You should have an entity (preferably a scientist) performing the animation you specified, and then looping over and over.

Some animations, known as idle animations, can be looped by setting them in the idle animation box in the scripted_sequence entity settings. Beware, some animations will not work, because they are not "idle" animations. Experiment, and learn. Hope this helps

Nice idea. Im downloading and i think i will find it very usefull

I have a bad feeling. I hear the truck of fail approaching

Really

Im Finally starting a discussion thread about my Half-life one mod. If you dont know about my mod, you can read about it in my journal, also be sure to check out the first two maps i have in the vault.

intro map

first level

The storyline of the mod is as follows,
You play the role of a scientist from black mesa, who is sent to an orbiting Lamba lab space station. On the way to the station, the resonance cascade disaster happens. On board your small space craft, you and your crew lose contact with the station and black mesa. As the ship approaches to dock, everything appears normal. But when the tractor beam pulls your ship into the hangar, you realize something is very wrong...

The mod will have you fighting for your life aboard a crippled space station, fighting fierce alien troops, and ultimatly, finding a way home.

Im hoping to create interesting gameplay through the stations architecture, and just the fact that its in space. From the Cramped single-file sub access hallways, to the large central access hallways, offices, labs, and the power systems of the station, i plan to make interesting combat encounters.

In the mod i also want to portray the aliens in a different way, including cut-scenes that show them carefully planning theyre strategies. Custom alien sounds will help greatly for alien conversations

Please give me feedback on the maps, my gameplay concept, or feel free to ask questions.

Well, its good that you have at least some idea of what your doing. Do what i said before and learn some more about coding.

As for the dll, wait for another reply from someone other than me

I do not know how to compile the dll.

ok, now please answer this honestly, and im not trying to be offensive, but have you ever coded, seen coding, or know anything about coding?

Coding is not an easy thing to just learn. Ive been trying for months and ive made only small progress. Try googleing C++ tutorials, and youll get some good resources. But it will take you a long time, and you have to be dedicated, otherwise, dont even bother trying to learn coding

yes

i just got together a quick map.

Theres a red "transparency" of the bomb on the wall, and when you use it, the env renders change it back to a normal looking bomb, and the time begins to run out before it explodes. Now, i just need to incorporate the timer onto the bomb.

Thanks, i think i get the idea now, ill start working on the bomb ill use in my mod keeping that in mind

well thats what i want to do. In game, there will be a red glowing transparency of the bomb, then when you go up to it and Use it, the solid bomb appears, and i want a timer to appear on that bomb, to show you how much time you have before it blows up.

Like i mentioned, the laser method would be hard on that scale, since the bomb has to be small enough to "carry around".

WOW, great job Tetsu0!

I came up with ideas to incorporate timers into my mod, and the answer was clear. The time bombs you use to blow up debris, and alien ships.

Im not sure the laser method would work (practicly) on such a small scale, but that is awesome use of enities there.

aha, thats what im missing. Ive never used angular velocity, nor do i know anything about it

hmm, i wonder how that would look.

I still think im missing some kind of entity, or feature, because it seems like a critical option to have your rotating entity stop on a certain degree.

I like the idea that penguinboy came up with, but when i tried to do it, i realized its a bit out of my knowledge.

How would you get the entity to start, then stop, and precisly the right moment you want it to? Especially if its a digital clock?

Note that the only method I can think of is making a func_rotating trigger and then trigger off when its lined up for the timer.

To tell you the truth, nothing in a game actually "scares" me, but startle, sure. Try quick, random attacks from monsters, or anything quick and loud moving across the room, like a falling pipe.

Interresting, try re-installing hammer. If that doesnt work, try re-extracting your pak file.

Yeah, anyways. Whats wrong with half-life 2?

Wow, i actually never knew that, i always used Gib shooters

Hmm, really not that many to choose from.
Illl have to say...

awp_ferreiro by MaMus

Edit: just realized MaMus has already won the map of the month, oh well, this one still has my vote

When you get that message, does it update the .bsp? If i wanted to upload an SP map, would i want to play the mission first to get the "node graph out of date" message, and then put it in the zip?

Sounds really weird, considering nothing changed, and you havent even recompiled. I never trust cameras, ill download the map and examine it when i get back home from school. My guess is that theres something with the entity settings, or maybe even the triggering settings, that is causing the weird, semi random bugs.

edit: This is why i dont trust cameras. I looked at the map, and nothing seems to be wrong, all the entity settings are okay, as far as i can tell. Yet, when i compile and run it, the camera stops at the first point. Very strange, considering all the settings look right. I would wait for a reply from a more experienced member, because this really has me confused

http://spirit.valve-erc.com/

its linked to from this site, look around next time