Few questiones about mapping [advanced] Created 14 years ago2009-07-13 11:42:50 UTC by citizenx

Hi people !
Am finishing my map de_plato (which can be found in "Unfinished Stuff", name "de_plato_beta1")
I read a lot of tutorials, so this aren't common questiones, like "how I make window, etc..."
So let's begin:

1.When I plant bomb, bomb can be seen through cars. Cars are models, and func_wall is it's shell...Is this possible to solve? Would func_train solve the problem?

2.Do I have to cut func_wall with clip tool, or use func_wall?
Problem is when player wants to take cover behind the car, which is only possibile behind wheel, but if he stands behind car's door, his legs can be seen...What is optimal to do in this situation?

3.I sow in a lot of maps effect when player join map, and when he is stil in spectators, he can be see map from bird's angle. Example: on de_nuke, there is 3 spots (A site, B site, and view on open field) that is standind somewhere in air....How I can do this?

Don't use func walls. Make regular world brushes in the general shape of the car. Use the black texture and scale it to about 4 so you dont up the poly count. Then you can just use a clip brush (world brush textured with clip) around that to keep the player from walking into it.

So bulletts will hit the regular brush, they'll pass through the clip brush, but you won't be able to walk through it

Idk if that'll solve the blinking problem...

As for the map intro thing, that's done with cameras. Let me go find that turotial. It's around here somewhere.

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edit

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after a quick search, i found it!

http://twhl.co.za/forums.php?thread=14306

That's the thread.

Basically you just make trigger_cameras and place them around the map. you name them cam1... cam2... cam3... they'll be triggered in that order.

Make sure to set the angles!

10x tetsuo...when I want to transform entity to normal texture brush, do I have to use "move to world command"

example: right click on func_wall and chose "move to world"

yes. That's exactly what you do!
Just remember to keep the general shape of the block smaller than the car itself.
Might take some experimenting.
Good luck

I was experimenting already with that. Problem is because model can't be seen in VHE, so I must cut textures aproximately watching it parallel in VHE and ingame. I found 1 tutorial where people say: choose cycler_sprite instead of cycler, so models could be seen, but I didn't made it...

Anyway thank You very much Tetsuo. You already help me once, and now again

If you want, you can get hammer 3.5 beta. You'll be able to see the models in HAMMER itself.
MUCH easier!
Just do a search for hammer 3.5, or check the links page.

I have 3.5...I was install 3.4 and than overwrite hammer.exe (3.5 beta) and I couldn't see models...but that isn't problem, I've already made it

Well since you have 3.5 there's an option in there where it finds your directory. If you set it right the models should show up.
I think it's the game config.

You also need a modified FGD file, and you need to extract all the models to the models directory (cstrike\models for Counterstrike for example).

Where do you get that FGD? I have hammer 3.5 as well and i can't see models either.
I don't use them often, but it'd be handy to have, as my compo map uses them.

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Nevermind.
It's on your site

We should see about fixing that link from the links page.

If I could get filefront working, I'd upload my modified 3.5 FGD file with item_sodacan and monster_barney_dead model support...
:/

Everything is on Atom's site. I just have to fiddle with it so i can get my new custom models to work. I have about 8 or so for my compo map.

Can anyone give me the best explanation how to make transparent textures partionally

I have few graffiti pictures, and want to import that in map

I use photoshop, import photos of graffiti, with magic wand tool remove all unuseful stuff, and get only graffiti that I want. In next step I made background 0 0 255, select whole picture, CRTL+A, CTRL+C, open wally and paste as a new image, name it "{graffiti1" and I can stil see blue ingame...

I read few tutorials and there's different explanations
1.using alpha chanels
2.in wally replace blue color with last blue color in pallete scheme...

I tried 2. and it doesn't work

can someone exlane me please step by step how to make transparent textures, or give me link which is 100% true?

you need to make it a func_wall or func_illusionary and set the render mode to "additive" with amount "255"
If you were creating a mod of your own, you could make a custom decals.wad and apply it as a decal.

If you were creating a mod of your own, you could make a custom decals.wad and apply it as a decal.

Decals doesn't have to be put in decals.wad.

I use func_illusionary and set the render mode to "additive" with amount "255", and here it is a result...Problem is probbablu with blue color...

Decals doesn't have to be put in decals.wad.

They don't? I didn't know that.

I use func_illusionary and set the render mode to "additive" with amount "255", and here it is a result...Problem is probbablu with blue color...

You need to use render mode solid, not additive. Amount should stay 255.

again same problem

my textures aren't correct I suppose

"monster_barney_dead model support..."
my opposing force FGD file has monster_barney_dead and monster_otis_dead entities, I thought that was just normal, or are you talking about something else?

???

You need to use render mode solid, not additive. Amount should stay 255

Oops. I can find it in hammer, but I guess the names aren't quite memorized...

my opposing force FGD file has monster_barney_dead and monster_otis_dead entities, I thought that was just normal, or are you talking about something else?

In the default HL 3.5 FGD, there is no model support for monster_barney_dead. You can't see the model in hammer. I made a new FGD with that added. To use this, open your hammer 3.5 FGD of choice with notepad. go into edit->find-> search for monster_barney_dead. Once you find the code for Monster_barney dead,
Replace

@PointClass base(RenderFields,Appearflags, Angles, Sequence) size(-16 -16 0, 16 16 72) = monster_barney_dead : "Dead Barney"
[

with

@PointClass base(RenderFields,Appearflags, Angles, Sequence) size(-16 -16 0, 16 16 72) studio("models/barney.mdl") = monster_barney_dead : "Dead Barney"
[

Then find [quote][

pose(choices) : "Pose" : 0 =

[
	0 : "On back"
	1 : "On side"
	2 : "On stomach"
] [/quote]

and underneath that, paste the following: [quote]sequence(Choices) : "Animation Sequence (editor)" : 35 =

[
	35 : "On back"
	36 : "On side"
	37 : "On stomach"
]

] [/quote]
save and you're done!

don't use additive for the transparant textures. That makes the rest of it glow. It's a nasty effect and i'm sure you don't want it.
Just rendermode: solid with fx at 255 will work fine
Make sure "{" is at the beginning of the name else it wont be transparent.

if it's still not working, go into wally, open up the pallette editor
make the last color a bright pink or something.
take that color and paintbucket the blue to pink. save and try that.

It doesn't actually have to be blue, just the last colour in the palette.

Indeed, just make sure that the colour you're using as transparent is the last one from the palette. I think you can move it with wally.

Decals are monochrome, I don't think it'll be useful in this case. You could also make a copy of the wall texture and include the graff in it (making it two wall textures: one with graff and one without it)

I find out that is difficult to hang up with transparent textures and after while (and reading your comments) I decide to make in photoshop
1 layer (background)
and 5 other layers with graffiti (background is transparent)

so all I have to do is to turn on and off layers and import that in wally

it's quite ok, but ingame I cant see textures...
I don't understand where is mistake, because I have already made my own textures and they are ok...

Is there maybe mistake because of mode in photoshop that I use (RGB, Indexed Color...)?

here it is a pictureon the left is my own texture, and on right side (black purple) is supposed to be another custom graffiti texture...This is a test map, because of quick compiling

For one, the black and purple checker-box means the engine can't find the texture in the wads you're using.

Are there 2 copies of thAt wad? Copy the other one to the valve folder. Half life is reading the wad, just cant find that texture.. It happens to me all the time. You won't even need a recompile, just quit hl, copy, restart

don't you need to add a { infront of the name of the texture you want to use as a decal?
actually nvm you've already done that

@Tetsu0 once agaain You saved me...I was constantly adding more custom textures in my wad and I forgot to replace that texture in valve/cstrike folder...now when I overwrite it works...again thank You very much man...I owe You a beer

Last night I do everything and my last question is this:
I can compile map in normal mode, and I can compile in expert mode, using command wadinclude...

Now my .bsp is very big (9mb) that could be problem for public servers (players will download my map longer then usual)
When I use command nowadinclude, error shows up...I can't remember now what exzactly say beacause am on work, but something about "can't find file..."
I use SHLT SS1 compile tools...Does someone have same problem?
This is my last question that am going to bother You (I hope so)

The CompilatorSolves all* compiling isses.
And i guess the only way to compress your filesize down would be to scale down the textures, and retexture everything.
-nowadTEXTURES just combines all custom textures into the bsp.
And if you're running the map off a server the server should provide some sort of package that goes along with the map.
Should include the models you use as well. So see if the bsp+textures are larger than the bsp and textures seperatley. And then send the map to a server.

I don't know which would be larger, the wadincluded, or the non wad included. but i do know since you have to download models seperatley, it might make sense to keep your textures seperate.

---

What size are your textures btw? 128*? 256*? 512*?

And there's other stuff you can do to shrink the size of the bsp. Say, run a compile on Full Vis. Sometimes you just have to live with large files.

And if you're map is good enough, people won't mind sitting thru the long download times. Expecially if they're server regs. They tend to stick around no matter what. Just like TWHL, It's not only the content that keeps people coming, but the community.

Same goes for servers.
*The compilator has solved 99.9% of my compiling problems. As this might not fix your problems, don't hold me to the "fixes all" portion. I do however, find the compilator a neccessary part of any half life development folder.

I'll try to deal up with compilator, but does this error familiar to You?This is error message I get when try to compile with -nowadinclude command. With -wadinclude is ok, but .bsp is large (9mb)

I use SHLT compile tools

That's not the Compilator.

If you're on Vista, you may need to disable the UAC (User Account Control). If you don't the application will crash when it tries to create a file.

This is WITHOUT compilator

try atom's suggestion: disable the UAC

Is there no other error further up, returned by the compiler tools?

DS, you can see one in hlrad in that picture.

Yeah. If you could, toss up the compile log.
That'd once again help pinpoint the error.

Darkie: All tools say that if a previous tool failed.

Here it is a log

I only want to mention that, after I press GO in expert mode to compile error shows up in FEW seconds


** Executing...
** Command: Change Directory
** Parameters: "C:\Program Files\Valve"

** Executing...
** Command: adtextures chateau -nowadtextures essenti
** Parameters: "c:\program files\valve hammer editor\maps\de_plato3" -nowadtextures halflife -nowadtextures czcs_office -nowadtextures mad_spain -nowadtextures xcs_penal -nowadtextures ertyu -nowadtextures de_piranesi
-nowadtextures chateau -nowadtextures essential7
-nowadtextures chateau -nowadtextures essenti

• Could not execute the command:

adtextures chateau -nowadtextures essenti "c:\program files\valve hammer editor\maps\de_plato3" -nowadtextures halflife -nowadtextures czcs_office -nowadtextures mad_spain -nowadtextures xcs_penal -nowadtextures ertyu -nowadtextures de_piranesi
-nowadtextures chateau -nowadtextures essential7
-nowadtextures chateau -nowadtextures essenti

• Windows gave the error message:

"Access is denied."

** Executing...
** Command: C:\PROGRA~1\SHLT32~1\HLBSP_~1.EXE
** Parameters: "c:\program files\valve hammer editor\maps\de_plato3"

hlbsp 3.6 x86 (32b) SSE1 ON (May  2 2009)

Super Half-Life Compilation Tools -- Custom Build.
Based on code modifications by Sean 'Zoner' Cavanaugh.
Based on Valve's version, modified with permission.
Raising of limits and improved format done by Silencer.
PHLT_Copy_Brush entity implemented by Protector.
Submit detailed bug reports to amckern@yahoo.com.

-----  BEGIN  hlbsp -----

Command line: C:\PROGRA~1\SHLT32~1\HLBSP_~1.EXE "c:\program files\valve hammer editor\maps\de_plato3"

There was a problem compiling the map.
Check the file c:\program files\valve hammer editor\maps\de_plato3.log for the cause.

--- END hlbsp ---

** Executing...
** Command: C:\PROGRA~1\SHLT32~1\HLVIS_~1.EXE
** Parameters: "c:\program files\valve hammer editor\maps\de_plato3"

hlvis 3.6 x86 (32b) SSE1 ON (May  2 2009)

Super Half-Life Compilation Tools -- Custom Build.
Based on code modifications by Sean 'Zoner' Cavanaugh.
Based on Valve's version, modified with permission.
Raising of limits and improved format done by Silencer.
PHLT_Copy_Brush entity implemented by Protector.
Submit detailed bug reports to amckern@yahoo.com.

-----  BEGIN  hlvis -----

Command line: C:\PROGRA~1\SHLT32~1\HLVIS_~1.EXE "c:\program files\valve hammer editor\maps\de_plato3"

There was a problem compiling the map.
Check the file c:\program files\valve hammer editor\maps\de_plato3.log for the cause.

--- END hlvis ---

** Executing...
** Command: C:\PROGRA~1\SHLT32~1\HLRAD_~1.EXE
** Parameters: "c:\program files\valve hammer editor\maps\de_plato3"

hlrad 3.6 x86 (32b) SSE1 ON (May  2 2009)

Super Half-Life Compilation Tools -- Custom Build.
Based on code modifications by Sean 'Zoner' Cavanaugh.
Based on Valve's version, modified with permission.
Raising of limits and improved format done by Silencer.
PHLT_Copy_Brush entity implemented by Protector.
Submit detailed bug reports to amckern@yahoo.com.

-----  BEGIN  hlrad -----

Command line: C:\PROGRA~1\SHLT32~1\HLRAD_~1.EXE "c:\program files\valve hammer editor\maps\de_plato3"

There was a problem compiling the map.
Check the file c:\program files\valve hammer editor\maps\de_plato3.log for the cause.

--- END hlrad ---

** Executing...
** Command: Copy File
** Parameters: "c:\program files\valve hammer editor\maps\de_plato3.bsp" "C:\Program Files\Valve Hammer Editor\TERMINATE\de_plato3.bsp"

** Executing...
** Command: Copy File
** Parameters: "c:\program files\valve hammer editor\maps\de_plato3.pts" "C:\Program Files\Valve Hammer Editor\TERMINATE\de_plato3.pts"

The command failed. Windows reported the error:
"The system cannot find the file specified."

** Executing...
** Command: C:\PROGRA~1\Valve\hl.exe
** Parameters: +map "de_plato3" -game cstrike -dev -console +deathmatch 1

The problem is here:
[quote]* Could not execute the command:
adtextures chateau -nowadtextures essenti "c:\program files\valve hammer editor\maps\de_plato3" -nowadtextures halflife -nowadtextures czcs_office -nowadtextures mad_spain -nowadtextures xcs_penal -nowadtextures ertyu -nowadtextures de_piranesi
-nowadtextures chateau -nowadtextures essential7
-nowadtextures chateau -nowadtextures essenti

• Windows gave the error message:

"Access is denied."[/quote]
Are you using Windows Vista, or maybe have a user account without enough file access privileges?

What happens if you don't use the super tools?

Is there no other error further up

Going by your response to my response to that question, I think you phrased that question wrong.

But who cares.

am using OS LastXP, it's interface is similar to vista, but funcionality is something like between XP and Vista...I love this OS because it has HUGE list of drivers (audio, graphic, mboard...) and programs too, so it saves me much time...I never have problems with this OS !
I MUST use SHLT, because of texture usage (if I use ZHLT, get error that usage is more then 4.xx mb), SHLT allows 32mb

If someone here is interested I can send him zipped my rmf, textures, and models to compile map with -nowadtextures to reduce .bsp size...

I'll be thankfull

What if you try to do a vanilla compile?
AKA
Don't use any expert commands, just run a fast VIS compile, and turn off the -nowadtextures mumbo jumbo.
The nowadtextures is usually only for final compiles anyway so if this is for testing purposes, I'd leave that for the last step.

If this IS the final compile.... Try chaning your BSP directory to mydocuments, or a simple folder on the C: drive.

Example: "Place Compiled maps in this directory: C:\maps"

After that, transfer the bsp from there into your steam valve folder.

Your computer might be confusing the tools with long filenames. That used to happen with the old hammer tools and the newer steam accounts. Such as mine.
I have an @ symbol because of my old steam username. It's my email address.

Try that, see what happens. If nothing else works, i can take a look at it later today when i'm out of work.

Don't use func walls. Make regular world brushes in the general shape of the car.

Yes, but use the NULL texture and you'll have no increase in world polygons. The NULL brush will not be drawn, so if a tiny part of it sticks out of your model, the inner brushes will not appear either way. However, it will provide a solid hull for your model and cast shadows. It will also prevent the red sprite on the bomb from showing through.

You need to use render mode solid, not additive. Amount should stay 255.

...wtf? I have always used Solid with a value of 1 for my transparent textures and it works!

And i never knew null acted like an invisible shadow caster..

Really? I always thought it needed to be Mode: Solid and Amount: 255
That's the way i learned, and it's the way i've always done it.

MAYBE it just has to be non-zero...
and MAYBE someone should do a benchmark to see if the values matter at all
o.0