slayer20Killed a man once.Join Date: 2007-12-13Member: 63157Members, Reinforced - Shadow
edited April 2008
<b>VIRUS!</b>
It seems my computer has gotten a virus...well many viruses actually. I can't connect to the internet on my computer so I have to use my sisters to type stuff on forums. I can still get on msn though. I can't play any steam games what-so-ever. I can still work on my map and that is what I will be doing until this problem is solved. I'm going to constantly save my work to a disk or something because I don't want to risk it getting deleted.
I am going to declare the ready room 98% completed! All I have to do now is add the spawn points inside of it. And maybe add a couple of lights...I also need mess around with a wall.
I am going to be working on the Marine Start next. I already have a basic layout for it. There is so much I need to do with it...it's going to be very hard.
I also have a question...what do you think gameplay would be like if I made the marine start, and 3 hives into a Y formation? With one hive being in the middle and the other 2 branching off from it and the end of the Y being the marine start. I plan on making a few doors closed (but can be welded open) and accessible by skulks and jetpackers and the like near the center hive (it's where I want the forest area to be).
Edit: It seems that my computer works now...thank god!
Well, about that forest thing: i think it would be better if you make a herbarium/florarium or i dunno how to say in english. So it can be a huge room, but cover it with big glass surfaces. If theres snow outside it can be pretty nice i think, and this way, its attranctive, and you dont ahve to care with the sky.(its annoying, if your a lerk and you cant get higher... its just one of my former ideas. And onother thing: you are unable to put enogh generators in your map. There are no two generators which look the same. And they maybe have moving parts too, and pretty lighting. oh, and you can name them lots of way like, (the msot common) Generator, Axuiliary Power or Power core, just use your mind. I hope i could help you with these ideas.
If your PC has viruses, there's no telling how long it will be before it just packs up and refuses to work. You could lose everything. Put all your work into a new folder, virus-check that folder and then put it onto a new disc.
slayer20Killed a man once.Join Date: 2007-12-13Member: 63157Members, Reinforced - Shadow
edited April 2008
ok well now the compile log is coming up with a texture problem. After I moved the ready room that error came up. But once I get rid of the brush thats causing the problem another error comes up but on a different brush...
Any ideas why?
Here's the error BuildFacelights: Error: for Face 2428 (texture {blue) at (-3303.000 -3552.000 3274.000) (-3303.000 -3552.000 3218.000) (-3302.000 -3552.000 3218.000) (-3302.000 -3552.000 3274.000) Error: Bad surface extents (14387 x 4) Check the file ZHLTProblems.html for a detailed explanation of this problem
Check this site, it's very helpful: <a href="http://www.slackiller.com/tommy14/errors.htm#badsurface" target="_blank">http://www.slackiller.com/tommy14/errors.htm#badsurface</a>
Well, the error says "Bad Surface Extents" and according to the guide, that means that you have a texture that is stretched too much. Does ctrl+p show any errors? Else just check the coordinates and you should be able to approximate where the stretched texture is.
I like the floor part of the room. There are some other things you can improve:
Architecture: The floor part of the room looks pretty good, as I said. The walls are a bit too square, and so is the roof. Try adding some detail, and make the room not so square and I think it will look much better.
Lighting: The lighting is pretty monotonic and looks all-yellow. Try adding other coloured lights that are eachothers' opposites. Look at the link I provided in an earlier post to see what those opposites are.
<!--quoteo(post=1676326:date=Apr 20 2008, 05:51 PM:name=slayer20)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(slayer20 @ Apr 20 2008, 05:51 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1676326"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Update on the marine spawn! <a href="http://img352.imageshack.us/img352/221/nseva0014hq4.jpg" target="_blank">http://img352.imageshack.us/img352/221/nseva0014hq4.jpg</a><!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->A few things I'd do: - Push the consoles right up against the sides of the room and widen the ramps up from the lower level. An Onos needs to be able to get down to the CC without jumping and HA Marines need to be able to get to and from the CC with ease. Make sure people can pass eachother on both ramps.
- The ceiling is too high. Fades and Lerks will love this room because of the high ceiling. At the moment it resembles the MS in co_kestral, which is Fade heaven. While you are lowering the ceiling, you could add some height variation and detailing to it to make it a bit less square.
- The CC placement is not that great. The IPs can only be placed within a certain radius of the Command Chair. Good Commanders will place their PG close to their IPs so spawning Marines can reinforce quickly. In your MS, there is very limited space for IPs around the Command chair, it looks like they can only be put at the bottom of the ramps. Since there is no space for the PG on the lower level, Marines are forced to walk a long distance to any PG the Comm puts down. In short: it looks nice, but it will play badly.
I would suggest extending the ground level out a bit towards the window so you have more floorspace on the ground level around -and especially in front of- the CC. This will make the MS even bigger, but you could make the top level (the grey part) into a separate, walled corridor (with non-breakable glass windows) to divide up the space a bit.
Lighting can wait until you have more ideas for the ceiling brushwork.
slayer20Killed a man once.Join Date: 2007-12-13Member: 63157Members, Reinforced - Shadow
Thanks for the replies guys!
I wanted the CC to look like it was the head of the ship and everything...but now that I do look at it, it doesn't look very good. I'll fix that area and try to lower the ceiling. I do have a new idea for it and will probably start to work on it tomorrow.
But I'm having issues deciding on what textures I should use. I mean, I'm not sure how to make them "flow". Like I don't know what textures I should use for stairs.
Would it be bad if I took pictures from other maps areas and try to re-create some of the areas for my own map?
<!--quoteo(post=1676593:date=Apr 23 2008, 03:12 AM:name=slayer20)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(slayer20 @ Apr 23 2008, 03:12 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1676593"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Thanks for the replies guys!
I wanted the CC to look like it was the head of the ship and everything...but now that I do look at it, it doesn't look very good. I'll fix that area and try to lower the ceiling. I do have a new idea for it and will probably start to work on it tomorrow.
But I'm having issues deciding on what textures I should use. I mean, I'm not sure how to make them "flow". Like I don't know what textures I should use for stairs.
Would it be bad if I took pictures from other maps areas and try to re-create some of the areas for my own map?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->There's nothing wrong with mimicking other maps as long as you credit it openly in the credits (e.g. "Inspiration taken from ns_bast", etc.).
slayer20Killed a man once.Join Date: 2007-12-13Member: 63157Members, Reinforced - Shadow
Thanks!
I also seem to be getting this error when compiling my map...MAX_MAP_MIPTEXT or something...it says that I'm using to many textures or something. Would I have to take all the textures I want to use and put them into one file? I don't like that I'm limited to what I can use...
This error only showed up after I made a hallway. I think I only used 3 new textures in that hallway. When I compiled my map with hammer I didn't get the error, but when I compiled it with a batch compiler (for the nshulls.txt) it came up with that error. I even tried removing the hallway then recompiling it with the batch compiler and it gave the same error. I don't know how to fix this problem. It doesn't show up in the ZHLT errors either.
The official map texture memory limit is 4 mb. You can specify a higher limit, as high as the memory is on the videocards people have. So if you expect most people to have atleast 64 mb video cards, you can write 64000 instead of 4096. People won't be able to play the map in software mode (though I doubt many people do this) with a number above 4096.
Generally though, it's better to keep the amount of textures pretty low. More textures makes the map less uniform and more chaotic. Most maps feel more solid if you keep to a specific theme, else it looks like you can't decide on what textures to use. And don't forget that you can use one texture to many different things, by using different parts or angles of it.
I also seem to be getting this error when compiling my map...MAX_MAP_MIPTEXT or something...it says that I'm using to many textures or something. Would I have to take all the textures I want to use and put them into one file? I don't like that I'm limited to what I can use...
This error only showed up after I made a hallway. I think I only used 3 new textures in that hallway. When I compiled my map with hammer I didn't get the error, but when I compiled it with a batch compiler (for the nshulls.txt) it came up with that error. I even tried removing the hallway then recompiling it with the batch compiler and it gave the same error. I don't know how to fix this problem. It doesn't show up in the ZHLT errors either.
Please help!<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
You have a texture limit of 4,00MB. You should use textures of one style, like veil/hera/eclipse ("lab" textures), so only one or maybe two sets of textures to keep this low. OR You can put an info_comnpile_parameters or sth like that, and there you can set the "texture memory" or sth like that, and you can set it to the amount you want. as well as i remember its in kilobytes.
OR Download Batch Compiler (Nem's tools) and you can set the texture memory in the program, but it takes time to set up Batch Compiler, so info_compile_parameters is the best choice i think.
I hope i could help you and you can solve the problem.
slayer20Killed a man once.Join Date: 2007-12-13Member: 63157Members, Reinforced - Shadow
I was able to fix it now. I just have to fix some height things going on with the marine start. I'm going to finish the marine start and then I'm going to go and start taking pictures of other areas and start working on the other 3 hives and main rooms.
slayer20Killed a man once.Join Date: 2007-12-13Member: 63157Members, Reinforced - Shadow
I know I'm bumping an old thread...but my a long time ago my computer crashed and I lost the file. I was wondering if I gave the map to anyone here who still might have it laying around? It can the bsp or vmf or whatever I gave you.
I uploaded it to rapidshare a long time ago, but it's been so long that they say the file has been deleted, and I can't remember if I uploaded it anywhere else.
<!--quoteo(post=1702586:date=Mar 13 2009, 12:54 AM:name=slayer20)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(slayer20 @ Mar 13 2009, 12:54 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1702586"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I know I'm bumping an old thread...but my a long time ago my computer crashed and I lost the file. I was wondering if I gave the map to anyone here who still might have it laying around? It can the bsp or vmf or whatever I gave you.
I uploaded it to rapidshare a long time ago, but it's been so long that they say the file has been deleted, and I can't remember if I uploaded it anywhere else.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I remember you sent it to me for some feedback. And I still have the bsp. I'll pm it to you <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
slayer20Killed a man once.Join Date: 2007-12-13Member: 63157Members, Reinforced - Shadow
edited March 2009
Good news and bad news...
Good news is, I got the map and I have it decompiled and I can open it in hammer
Bad news is I have a lot of brush work that needs to be done <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":(" border="0" alt="sad-fix.gif" /> So many things are messed up! Luckily I only had the ready room finished so I just need to fix that.
Edit: Update!
Ok well not really an update...but screenshots!
Two pictures of the ready room and what the decompiling did to it... I've already fixed some things up before taking the screenshots, so it's not as bad as it looks. It took off a few walls and ceilings and seemed to have broken up some brushes into smaller brushes, not a big problem. I had to take out the entire outside cliff part...
When you are using a decompiled version from an BSP, to use as a lost source replacement, it is mandatory to only use the decompiled brushwork as a template/blueprint for your rebuild. You are going to run into a lot of compiling issues and map bugs, if you use the decompiled brushwork.
The entities used in the map can still be used, there is absolutly no problem with that. Just, <b>for the love of your sanity</b>, use the decompiled brushwork for reference only! That's the bigest problem with goldSRC mapping -> Lose the source and you have to start from scratch (using a blueprint if you still have the bsp, then you have a little luck left)
<!--coloro:#FF8C00--><span style="color:#FF8C00"><!--/coloro-->ns_nancy and ns_bast both were rebuild from scratch using the decompiled bsp only as a blueprint as well.<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--> - There is just no way to predict what decompiled brushwork will do to the compilers or engine
slayer20Killed a man once.Join Date: 2007-12-13Member: 63157Members, Reinforced - Shadow
Yeah...that's what I'm going to have to do. Won't be too hard I guess...
Yeah, I'll still use the entities in the map (I'd be an idiot if I didn't). Well, since it's spring break, I'll try to get as much done as possible, and the first thing I will do is to re-make the ready room!
Comments
It seems my computer has gotten a virus...well many viruses actually. I can't connect to the internet on my computer so I have to use my sisters to type stuff on forums. I can still get on msn though. I can't play any steam games what-so-ever. I can still work on my map and that is what I will be doing until this problem is solved. I'm going to constantly save my work to a disk or something because I don't want to risk it getting deleted.
I am going to declare the ready room 98% completed! All I have to do now is add the spawn points inside of it. And maybe add a couple of lights...I also need mess around with a wall.
I am going to be working on the Marine Start next. I already have a basic layout for it. There is so much I need to do with it...it's going to be very hard.
I also have a question...what do you think gameplay would be like if I made the marine start, and 3 hives into a Y formation? With one hive being in the middle and the other 2 branching off from it and the end of the Y being the marine start. I plan on making a few doors closed (but can be welded open) and accessible by skulks and jetpackers and the like near the center hive (it's where I want the forest area to be).
Edit: It seems that my computer works now...thank god!
If your PC has viruses, there's no telling how long it will be before it just packs up and refuses to work. You could lose everything. Put all your work into a new folder, virus-check that folder and then put it onto a new disc.
Any ideas why?
Here's the error
BuildFacelights:
Error:
for Face 2428 (texture {blue) at
(-3303.000 -3552.000 3274.000) (-3303.000 -3552.000 3218.000) (-3302.000 -3552.000 3218.000) (-3302.000 -3552.000 3274.000)
Error: Bad surface extents (14387 x 4)
Check the file ZHLTProblems.html for a detailed explanation of this problem
----- END hlrad -----
<img src="http://img352.imageshack.us/img352/221/nseva0014hq4.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
Architecture:
The floor part of the room looks pretty good, as I said. The walls are a bit too square, and so is the roof. Try adding some detail, and make the room not so square and I think it will look much better.
Lighting:
The lighting is pretty monotonic and looks all-yellow. Try adding other coloured lights that are eachothers' opposites. Look at the link I provided in an earlier post to see what those opposites are.
<a href="http://img352.imageshack.us/img352/221/nseva0014hq4.jpg" target="_blank">http://img352.imageshack.us/img352/221/nseva0014hq4.jpg</a><!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->A few things I'd do:
- Push the consoles right up against the sides of the room and widen the ramps up from the lower level. An Onos needs to be able to get down to the CC without jumping and HA Marines need to be able to get to and from the CC with ease. Make sure people can pass eachother on both ramps.
- The ceiling is too high. Fades and Lerks will love this room because of the high ceiling. At the moment it resembles the MS in co_kestral, which is Fade heaven. While you are lowering the ceiling, you could add some height variation and detailing to it to make it a bit less square.
- The CC placement is not that great. The IPs can only be placed within a certain radius of the Command Chair. Good Commanders will place their PG close to their IPs so spawning Marines can reinforce quickly. In your MS, there is very limited space for IPs around the Command chair, it looks like they can only be put at the bottom of the ramps. Since there is no space for the PG on the lower level, Marines are forced to walk a long distance to any PG the Comm puts down. In short: it looks nice, but it will play badly.
I would suggest extending the ground level out a bit towards the window so you have more floorspace on the ground level around -and especially in front of- the CC. This will make the MS even bigger, but you could make the top level (the grey part) into a separate, walled corridor (with non-breakable glass windows) to divide up the space a bit.
Lighting can wait until you have more ideas for the ceiling brushwork.
I wanted the CC to look like it was the head of the ship and everything...but now that I do look at it, it doesn't look very good. I'll fix that area and try to lower the ceiling. I do have a new idea for it and will probably start to work on it tomorrow.
But I'm having issues deciding on what textures I should use. I mean, I'm not sure how to make them "flow". Like I don't know what textures I should use for stairs.
Would it be bad if I took pictures from other maps areas and try to re-create some of the areas for my own map?
I wanted the CC to look like it was the head of the ship and everything...but now that I do look at it, it doesn't look very good. I'll fix that area and try to lower the ceiling. I do have a new idea for it and will probably start to work on it tomorrow.
But I'm having issues deciding on what textures I should use. I mean, I'm not sure how to make them "flow". Like I don't know what textures I should use for stairs.
Would it be bad if I took pictures from other maps areas and try to re-create some of the areas for my own map?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->There's nothing wrong with mimicking other maps as long as you credit it openly in the credits (e.g. "Inspiration taken from ns_bast", etc.).
I also seem to be getting this error when compiling my map...MAX_MAP_MIPTEXT or something...it says that I'm using to many textures or something. Would I have to take all the textures I want to use and put them into one file? I don't like that I'm limited to what I can use...
This error only showed up after I made a hallway. I think I only used 3 new textures in that hallway. When I compiled my map with hammer I didn't get the error, but when I compiled it with a batch compiler (for the nshulls.txt) it came up with that error. I even tried removing the hallway then recompiling it with the batch compiler and it gave the same error. I don't know how to fix this problem. It doesn't show up in the ZHLT errors either.
Please help!
Generally though, it's better to keep the amount of textures pretty low. More textures makes the map less uniform and more chaotic. Most maps feel more solid if you keep to a specific theme, else it looks like you can't decide on what textures to use. And don't forget that you can use one texture to many different things, by using different parts or angles of it.
I also seem to be getting this error when compiling my map...MAX_MAP_MIPTEXT or something...it says that I'm using to many textures or something. Would I have to take all the textures I want to use and put them into one file? I don't like that I'm limited to what I can use...
This error only showed up after I made a hallway. I think I only used 3 new textures in that hallway. When I compiled my map with hammer I didn't get the error, but when I compiled it with a batch compiler (for the nshulls.txt) it came up with that error. I even tried removing the hallway then recompiling it with the batch compiler and it gave the same error. I don't know how to fix this problem. It doesn't show up in the ZHLT errors either.
Please help!<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
You have a texture limit of 4,00MB. You should use textures of one style, like veil/hera/eclipse ("lab" textures), so only one or maybe two sets of textures to keep this low.
OR You can put an info_comnpile_parameters or sth like that, and there you can set the "texture memory" or sth like that, and you can set it to the amount you want. as well as i remember its in kilobytes.
OR Download Batch Compiler (Nem's tools) and you can set the texture memory in the program, but it takes time to set up Batch Compiler, so info_compile_parameters is the best choice i think.
I hope i could help you and you can solve the problem.
I uploaded it to rapidshare a long time ago, but it's been so long that they say the file has been deleted, and I can't remember if I uploaded it anywhere else.
I uploaded it to rapidshare a long time ago, but it's been so long that they say the file has been deleted, and I can't remember if I uploaded it anywhere else.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I remember you sent it to me for some feedback. And I still have the bsp. I'll pm it to you <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
Good news is, I got the map and I have it decompiled and I can open it in hammer
Bad news is I have a lot of brush work that needs to be done <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":(" border="0" alt="sad-fix.gif" />
So many things are messed up! Luckily I only had the ready room finished so I just need to fix that.
Edit: Update!
Ok well not really an update...but screenshots!
Two pictures of the ready room and what the decompiling did to it...
I've already fixed some things up before taking the screenshots, so it's not as bad as it looks.
It took off a few walls and ceilings and seemed to have broken up some brushes into smaller brushes, not a big problem.
I had to take out the entire outside cliff part...
<img src="http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/2991/nsevarrbeta20001.png" border="0" class="linked-image" />
<img src="http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/2131/nsevarrbeta20000.png" border="0" class="linked-image" />
When you are using a decompiled version from an BSP, to use as a lost source replacement, it is mandatory to only use the decompiled brushwork as a template/blueprint for your rebuild. You are going to run into a lot of compiling issues and map bugs, if you use the decompiled brushwork.
The entities used in the map can still be used, there is absolutly no problem with that. Just, <b>for the love of your sanity</b>, use the decompiled brushwork for reference only! That's the bigest problem with goldSRC mapping -> Lose the source and you have to start from scratch (using a blueprint if you still have the bsp, then you have a little luck left)
<!--coloro:#FF8C00--><span style="color:#FF8C00"><!--/coloro-->ns_nancy and ns_bast both were rebuild from scratch using the decompiled bsp only as a blueprint as well.<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--> - There is just no way to predict what decompiled brushwork will do to the compilers or engine
<b>BACKUPS OF BACKUPS INFINITY!</b>
Yeah, I'll still use the entities in the map (I'd be an idiot if I didn't). Well, since it's spring break, I'll try to get as much done as possible, and the first thing I will do is to re-make the ready room!