Forum posts

J.C

Posted 19 years ago2004-11-15 19:53:07 UTC
in remove the compilators limits Post #73311

wow you are talking like a professional Oo|

I cannot run a compil full VIS as long as I don't have an other comp : I tried once to compile the map with the preset "final compilation", but after 13 hours, the compilers evaluated the time needed to complete to 17 hours again, that's why I am looking for a month for a comp to rent to test full compilations ...

I tried to turn into func_walls some pipes that are touching walls or other parts of the rooms : I will quickly see if that's useful to build all the map that way or not ...

thanks all for your advices by the way.

J.C

Posted 19 years ago2004-11-15 17:48:47 UTC
in remove the compilators limits Post #73276

And how about your knowledge of the engine/compilers?

this is my second map for HL, and probably the last one ...
I don't know that much the compilers, but I stand by the community to support me ...

Half-Life uses a bsp method wich isn't really optimized for outdoor scenes...

I know, don't worry : most part of the game happens in the destroyer, and inside rooms are, I think, well layed and scattered. the only thing that bother me, is that HL/Hammer are considering the portholes as potentials exits, and uselessly draw most of the time the half of the ship, even if I close the windows with skyboxes : ...

Are you using entities to ease the VIS process for example?

yes and no : I added some hints brushes in the map, but I think there aren't considered by the engine because I only run fast compilations ...
why only fast ones ? because :
fast compilation = about 10 minutes
full compilation = more than 13 hours.

You need to rememebr that any face that is inside the map area will be rendered

but I didn't know the skybox was rendered, I mean I don't see any patches of sky, there aren't lighting rendering on, neither shadows or anything, are youy really sure the skybox is rendered too ? : ...

Set things like paper on tables to func_wall or func_illusionary.

I know that trick is useful for some objects on a standard map, but I am not sure that could help if I apply it in this project, because on a way a lot of thing is touching a lot of things, then what do you think that will happen if about 20-25% of the map is turned into func_walls ?
I never tried : I will make a test ... is there any func_walls number limit ? ^^

cylinders should be a func_wall, or they should not be allowed to touch any other world brush.

there aren't cylinders in this map, from a Hammer point of view, I only gather boxes and use a lot the vertex tool, but that's ok I get what you mean.

HL can't handle too many complex shapes, I think your engine room might be a problem, looks very complex in terms of shapes cutting into each other. Try getting some models or make more of the stuff into func_walls.

I think you underestimate HL/ZHLT/Hammer : I thought like you first, but when I build and compile the map, I am amazed (using the wireframe display) to see how the compilers are making wonders with so much faces : a very smart laying in my opinion.
and on an other hand, 500 more or less faces aren't that critical in this kind of map, I mean with our current computers : personnaly I don't notice any real slowness when there are 2000 wpolys on the screen instead of 800, and my comp cannot run Doom3 ...

I will upload soon on the webpage an alpha version of the map : that way you will be able to directly see how the map is build and what could be improved ...

J.C

Posted 19 years ago2004-11-15 08:19:15 UTC
in remove the compilators limits Post #73227

k I set the texture scale to 0.2, I slightly reduced the skybox, and our team programmer made me a modified version of the compilators, which now are correctly processing, but stop all the same the compilation because ... I don't have enough RAM !

the error ZHLT reported :
visibility matrix : 290.9 megs
Failed to allocate s_vismatrixError: Memory allocation failure
Description: The program failled to allocate a block of memory.
Howto Fix: Likely causes are (in order of likeliness) : the partition holding the swapfile is full; swapfile size is smaller than required; memory fragmentation; heap corruption

I got 512 DDR wtf

those damn comps, every three months you need to upgrade something ...

J.C

Posted 19 years ago2004-11-13 21:19:16 UTC
in remove the compilators limits Post #72974

it may look something stupid, or ridiculous I don't know, but I think I just hit the compilators faces limit, and after tried to modify, remove, reduce and so on the last blocks I just added, I realized there are no way to complete my map by adding more blocks, because there are no more way to complete a compilation.

then I wondered, because I do think there's no problem with Hammer and HL, and only with the compilators, if there could be a way to remove or increase or make anything with those damn limits that I could complete my map.

this map I am working is 60% done, mean a huge ammount of work time, and I wouldn't like to that wasted

I compile with ZHLT,
the faces total in Hammer are 14831,
there may be 18674 faces in ZHLT while compiling, just before it stops, but I am not sure ...
the error is "hlrad : error : Exceeded MAX_PATCHES"

what do you think about that ?

J.C

Posted 19 years ago2004-11-09 19:36:55 UTC
in cs_headquarters Post #72434

... where ?

J.C

Posted 19 years ago2004-11-09 19:29:12 UTC
in da sound designer map Post #72433

I meant I noticed more people are using american, especially for trading, writing and reading things as manuals and websites, than traditional english, but maybe I am wrong ...

J.C

Posted 19 years ago2004-11-09 11:35:06 UTC
in da sound designer map Post #72364

forgot to log first

...

J.C

Posted 19 years ago2004-11-08 20:34:06 UTC
in da sound designer map Post #72293

hi,
as I was bored to try env_sound entities in my map, compile, then check that finally sounds weird, I decided to build a kind of map that gather all possible env_sound with HL/Hammer, to faster and simplier get what I need,

if you are like me, here is the awesome sound designer set :

http://www.ideaseed.net/maps/CS16/SD/

american isn't my first language, you are free to comment my writing skills and improve the map description.

sorry if the idea had already been posted, I just never heard about that, so ...

J.C

Posted 19 years ago2004-11-08 20:28:56 UTC
in de_cementry Post #72292

yeah, give some details, as how would you picture the completed map, do you agree or not the new map builder to modify some stuff you did etc ...

J.C

Posted 19 years ago2004-05-24 06:21:53 UTC
in coplanar textures ? Post #28472

the search function is able to find topics that aren't on the first page.

am I on a F.A.Q. forum ? if not you should store topics like this one somewhere noobs can easily get infos without spam with always the same basic questions ...

J.C

Posted 19 years ago2004-05-23 10:51:48 UTC
in testing my own maps Post #28366

ok I finally managed to create my own game server on my own computer. for some unknown reason Steam doesn't allow me to select my own map (maybe because of an hardcoded "de_/cs_" filter), then actually I am just hosting classic maps like aztec or inferno.

the problem is the players who join my server got an INCREDIBLE ping : it moves between 150 and 2500

: how the hell is it possible to reduce that lag and enable my players to have a nice game ? I need it to test my maps, I shutted down everything that may cause any extra bandwitdh use but no way, 3 players = average ping about 165, more = +2000 superlagandquitfest ...

J.C

Posted 19 years ago2004-05-23 06:32:12 UTC
in coplanar textures ? Post #28339

I agree with jobabob, let's kill that damn post : please stop bump it up.

thanks to ZombieLoffe by the way ...

J.C

Posted 19 years ago2004-05-21 14:14:09 UTC
in testing my own maps Post #28077

lol

k I just fixed it, thanks to the help of a member of an other forum, but what you just said is the same way (he told me to use the clipping tool to split the brush into 2 parts).

thanks,
see you for my next problem.

J.C

Posted 19 years ago2004-05-21 13:13:26 UTC
in testing my own maps Post #28067

these faces aren't plane !!

http://www.warcraft-trm.com/hammer/weird_vertex.jpg

if I am a noob with Hammer I already used 3DSmax for years, I know what is 3D. when modeling with Hammer it reported "error structure" or something like that, you perfectly got what I meant, I just splitted the face into 2 different plane with selecting the 2 vertex and did Ctrl+F.

here is the file : I don't see what is wrong.

http://www.warcraft-trm.com/hammer/weird_fix5.rmf

> the catwalk seen from under is fine, only the above part (the most visible) looks weird and cause some move troubles.

J.C

Posted 19 years ago2004-05-21 10:18:25 UTC
in testing my own maps Post #28041

here is what I mean :

in the editor everything is fine :

http://www.warcraft-trm.com/hammer/weird_editor.jpg

but suddenly ingame, without any real reasons, maximal s#cking :

http://www.warcraft-trm.com/hammer/weird_ingame.jpg

is it about me or about the editor ? I mean the editor error window nor the processing log report anything wrong, then wtf ?

J.C

Posted 19 years ago2004-05-21 10:05:06 UTC
in testing my own maps Post #28039

how the hell does the soft and the processor f#ck my geometry without reporting any error ?

if there aren't enough faces it mentions "bad structure"
if there are too much of them it mentions "coplanar faces"
and if everything is fine it throw the vertex away ...

wtf ?

J.C

Posted 19 years ago2004-05-21 09:32:47 UTC
in testing my own maps Post #28026

by the way it is possible to merge primitive objects together ? I have some boxes that some vertex move during the processing time and that look weird ingame in addition of stucking the player sometimes (I have to jump to be able to keep going forward) :

I edited some boxes with moving vertex, they look fine in Hammer, but in game some vertex moved and bah ... do I have to redo my whole geometry ? I tried the group tool but that doesn't change anything ...

J.C

Posted 19 years ago2004-05-21 09:22:21 UTC
in testing my own maps Post #28025

oh.

do you mean steam checks if the users have the right files before to display the games ? wtf does that mean ? how am I able to automatically download some custom maps then ?

is this !!sv_lan 0!! command enabled online ?

I plan to release a real cs destruction map, with a lot of work on the graphics as on the gameplay, with balance, timing, strategic points etc, I am very excited to work on such project, but if I am not able to have online tests with unknown and random players I don't get the point to continue, except of course with logging on CS gamers and modders forums to ask for their feedbacks.

thanks by the way.

J.C

Posted 19 years ago2004-05-21 06:12:16 UTC
in testing my own maps Post #27994

well, you can check my map here :

http://www.warcraft-trm.com/hammer/dm_weird_beta.zip

oh by the way here is the website and warcraft III project I am working on :

http://www.warcraft-trm.com

[warning!] : this map is a noob job, this is just my first completed map, a small deathmatch arena, nothing impressive here ...

@ Anonymous : thanks that's especially what I wanted to know, then this might be about my firewall thingy ... just a confirmation : do you see your own game server in the list while hosting it ? I mean is your game displayed on the list while you check "game servers" while hosting this game ?

J.C

Posted 19 years ago2004-05-21 05:36:03 UTC
in testing my own maps Post #27982

uh ? why ?

never heard about test ?

what about unbalance, polys and textures bugs and other things you didn't notice while testing it by yourself ? without talking about the good ideas testers may suggest during the test ...

ok seemingly online tests aren't that popular on CS that they are on warcraft III (I did it often and that works great : even the worst days at least 2 players join my games and are ok to meet on a private channel after the game to report feedbacks, comments and post suggestions). I am used to test my works online because I don't have so much friends that are available this time, motivated and experienced enough to bring me a good report of what I did.

by the way is it possible to post an url of my map here ? to have your feedbacks ?

J.C

Posted 19 years ago2004-05-20 19:59:25 UTC
in testing my own maps Post #27947

oh it is for CS sorry.

why wouldn't I have no chance of getting my map downloaded ? I already did many times with some custom maps like those pooldays, aim_thingies or some others not often better. sometimes I am bored with classic maps, that are getting old, and I think a part of the online gamers is like me, interested in taking a look on new stuff ...

J.C

Posted 19 years ago2004-05-20 19:00:47 UTC
in testing my own maps Post #27938

an other noob question :

ok I added a light, fixed vertex problems, fixed coplanar problems, fixed vertex that go away during the processing time, fixed color FX etc, the processing is ok, now I want to test my map online.

I mean start a server with a beta version of the map, let players join and give me a general report about the map, comments, suggestions etc ...

but nobody join.
my game isn't even displayed in the game list, even with no filters at all, I am just alone in the middle of my map ...

what is wrong ? is it about a firewall thingy or something like that ? can you test your own beta map online ? is there an other way ?

J.C

Posted 19 years ago2004-05-20 10:04:54 UTC
in coplanar textures ? Post #27834

sorry this is a newb question, I just started with Hammer and still have some problems with basic stuff :

I use ZHLT Complie GUI to compile my CS maps, and it reported some bugs, it notices me "use Alt+P" to find errors.
ok I use Alt+P, fix dozens of vertex manipulations errors, the Alt+P error board is empty, I process my map again with ZHLT thingy, that reports after 1 second about 9879465456 coplanar textures problems ...

eh ? ...

J.C

Posted 20 years ago2004-05-16 08:35:43 UTC
in total noob here Post #27242

I hate the limits.

I searched for that plugin half an hour and didn't find anything ...

as I am way more used with 3DSmax 5.0 than Hammer 3.4 I'd like better to design the most part of my level on 3DS instead of hammer, if it is possible of course, else as I plan to add some things like a skeleton or a sword for example I think 3DS is way more efficient than hammer for modeling such things ...

J.C

Posted 20 years ago2004-05-16 04:49:31 UTC
in total noob here Post #27221

k, a classmate showed me a way to check my map on counter-strike, using a soft called "ZHLT Compile GUI"

now I would like to know if my 3DSmax skills can be used in Hammer, I mean if it is possible to export max files into something (rmf files ?) that hammer can import.

thanks for your help by the way.

J.C

Posted 20 years ago2004-05-15 10:19:44 UTC
in total noob here Post #27101

I taken a look on two tutorials, in addition of the guide (hammer.chm) provided with the soft to try to set the configuration as good as possible, and carefully used only standard textures, but the 1 minute job map won't work ...

what I don't got is why map editor softs NEVER add some default properties to noobs maps to make them work right since the guy start modding, or pop up a window that report what settings, triggers, properties or anything else that need to be edited, instead of considering that everybody has to guess what it needs to be done : to process and run the first map is always the hardest job with modding softs.

eh I got an idea : could anyone post here the url of a tutorial map ? (or send it to me) I mean something very simple with the minimum things to run a map, or just list them here, I think I may miss something ... I mean a map that half-life can run and that is playable, even if there is nothing to do in the map, I mean that the engine can correctly load and run it ...

J.C

Posted 20 years ago2004-05-15 08:38:05 UTC
in total noob here Post #27089

I create a big box, hollow it, create inside an info_player_start and a light entity, I press "run the map",

the soft process it 2 MINUTES to finally say "no file found"

lol I wonder now how modders can have fun with such lame soft ...

J.C

Posted 20 years ago2004-05-15 08:30:01 UTC
in total noob here Post #27088

oh I don't plan to work on half-life or CS, I am just checking the editor :

some years ago I was modding on AvP2 (using the lithtech editor : ever heard about the Guerilla Radio project ?) and as I am quite good with 3DSmax for terrains modeling I just wondered what worth that hammer.

but right now no way to test the simpliest map ( 4 walls room), that is confusing ...

J.C

Posted 20 years ago2004-05-15 04:56:43 UTC
in total noob here Post #27060

well, it's a bit long sorry :

"
** Executing...
** Command: Change Directory
** Parameters: "D:CounterStrike"
** Executing...
** Command: E:HAMMERTOOLSHLCSG.EXE
** Parameters: "e:hammermapsessai_05"
hlcsg v2.5.3 rel Custom Build 1.7 (Dec 9 2002)
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 (merlinis@bigpond.net.au)
--- BEGIN hlcsg ---
Command line: E:HAMMERTOOLSHLCSG.EXE e:hammermapsessai_05
Entering e:hammermapsessai_05.map
Error: Entity 0, Brush 9: mixed face contents

Texture !TOXICGRN and !TOXICGRN

Error: mixed face contents
Description: The map has a problem which must be fixed
Howto Fix: Check the file ZHLTProblems.html for a detailed explanation of this problem
Error: Entity 0, Brush 10: mixed face contents

Texture !TOXICGRN and !TOXICGRN