Building cubemaps destroys collision data, what gives???

[Aki]

I'm nearing the completion of my maps and wanting to take screen shots of them, but every time I build the damn cube maps the collision data gets screwed up. Characters start walking on thin air instead of going down stairs, or fail to follow the contour of displacements they walk in. Jumping momentarily resets their vertical position but it isn't long until its screwed up again. What gives?

 

[Numerous]

Sounds to me like it'd be better to just not have cubemaps, until you can fix the problem.

As for the actual problem, the only suggestion I can think of is to send a PM to someone who actually has some idea on what to do, like Youme.

 

[A Boojum Snark]

I honestly don't know what to say about this, as far as I know... what you are suggesting is physically impossible. Some more info could help, though I'm not sure what.

 

[Numerous]

Well, what makes you think it's the cubemaps? Try moving the cubemaps, se if that changes anything. If it doesn't, try deleting them and see if that changes anything.

 

[grazr]

He said his maps fine until he builds his cubemaps.

Perhaps you have loads and it's messing up your RAM? I don't know otherwise. It shouldn't really.

 

[FaTony]

A video should help.

 

[Aki]

What makes me think it's the cubemaps - law of last change. The map works fine right up until I run the commands to build the cubemaps.

Maybe it's the commands I'm using in console. They are

mat_specular 0
buildcubemaps
mat_specular 1
disconnect
sv_cheats 1
mat_reloadallmaterials
sv_cheats 0

Then create a new server. I'm greeted with a message "Node Graph out of date - rebuilding" and then the collision map goes to hell. Hmm...

 

[The Whole Team]

http://tf2maps.net/forums/showthread.php?t=4530

According to this guide, which works for me, the cubemap building should go like this:

1. Compile and load your map.
2. mat_specular 0
This turns off reflections.
3. buildcubemaps
The game will pause for a second, and lots of little pictures will flash up the top of the screen.
4. disconnect
If you are not using HDR, you can step to step 11
5. mat_hdr_level 0
Turn off HDR.
6. map “your_map_name”
Load the map again
7. buildcubemaps
8. disconnect
9. mat_specular 1
10. mat_hdr_level 2
11. map “cp_dustbowl”
We need to load another map, to clear the caches of your map contents, otherwise it will not reload any of the cubemaps.
12. Disconnect again, and load up your map. Enjoy!

Hope that helps.

 

[The Political Gamer]

Or you could bypass all the console commands and use this: http://forums.tf2maps.net/showthread.php?t=9767

 

[Nutomic]

This basically only types the stuff into console for you, and will probably change nothing.

Try letting someone else build your cubemaps.

 

[Aki]

http://tf2maps.net/forums/showthread.php?t=4530

According to this guide, which works for me, the cubemap building should go like this:

1. Compile and load your map.
2. mat_specular 0
This turns off reflections.
3. buildcubemaps
The game will pause for a second, and lots of little pictures will flash up the top of the screen.
4. disconnect
If you are not using HDR, you can step to step 11
5. mat_hdr_level 0
Turn off HDR.
6. map “your_map_name”
Load the map again
7. buildcubemaps
8. disconnect
9. mat_specular 1
10. mat_hdr_level 2
11. map “cp_dustbowl”
We need to load another map, to clear the caches of your map contents, otherwise it will not reload any of the cubemaps.
12. Disconnect again, and load up your map. Enjoy!

Hope that helps.

That list of instructions lacks the reloadallmaterials step and sv_cheats. So when I get home I'll see if this list works. If it does then it means the console commands breaking my map was the sv_cheats and/or reloadallmaterials.

 

[Aki]

Tried this. After building cubemaps then the next level I load into memory (mine or anyone else's, even value's) starts with a "Node Graph out of Date... Rebuilding" error and is its collision data is screwed up.

All of them. The only maps that work are those provided from a server.

So what the hell is going on - the problem doesn't seem to be in my map but its pissing me off because it makes local testing impossible.

 

[Dr. KillPatient]

By 'all the maps' do you mean your custom ones or any map regardless? If it's every map, I suggest verifying GCF integrity. Right click on TF2 in the Games tab in Steam, click Properties, then click Local Files, and then click Verify Integrity of Game Cache. You might want to do that with Source SDK as well.

 

[jakemaheu]

I wasn't aware that you could have the "Node Graph out of date" message in TF2. I used to get that message in HL2, but never since then. I thought it was only for the AI in-game. Were you playing with the bots or with other people?

Can you upload the map somewhere for us to try to and fix it?

 

[Dr. KillPatient]

I wasn't aware that you could have the "Node Graph out of date" message in TF2. I used to get that message in HL2, but never since then. I thought it was only for the AI in-game.

Good point there. TF2 doesn't have nodegraphs, it uses nav. Are you using the HL2 SDK or something? The only other reason I could see that happening is if it's a cracked version of TF2 running on an old build of the engine.

Also, a video showing the problem, starting at map load, would help.

 

[Caliostro]

Sounds to me like it'd be better to just not have cubemaps, until you can fix the problem.

As for the actual problem, the only suggestion I can think of is to send a PM to someone who actually has some idea on what to do, like Youme.

Gee, thanks for the input Captain Obvious...


@topic: It sounds like your ram is getting bumraped by the cubemap procedure. Tried building cubemaps, closing the game entirely, and then reopening the whole thing?

 

[Aki]

The instructions in this thread solved the problem.

http://forums.tf2maps.net/showthread.php?t=430&highlight=node+graph+date