Can't find leak in func_areaportal

Xam100

L1: Registered
Dec 1, 2020
14
0
Hello!
I know this problem got brought up alot: Brush #: areaportal brush doesn't touch two areas. I know it means my area isn't sealed by func_areaportal completely. What I wanted to know is, is there a way to actually know where the leak is?

I've narrowed down the leak to one room, but no matter what I do, no matter how sure I am to have sealed the room with areaportals, it's never good enough. I've hit a wall and don't know anymore how to fix this problem. I've tried loading a pointfile to no avail, and the brush numbers don't tell me anything new.
 

Bull

L4: Comfortable Member
Aug 30, 2011
193
144
Can you tell / show us what happens when you try opening the pointfile?

Aside from that, do you see any errors in your Map > Check For Problems area?

Finally you could post your compile log to something like https://pastebin.com/ for us to check out - this helps us diagnose what's going on.
 

Da Spud Lord

Occasionally I make maps
aa
Mar 23, 2017
1,339
994
Areaportal leaks usually generate pointfiles, but the pointfiles are often buggy and unhelpful, drawing a line in random directions rather than actually pointing to the leak. There is one solution I've found for locating areaportal leaks, by turning the areaportal leak into a normal leak:
1. Make a copy of your map file, you probably don't want to do this in your original file.
2. Hide or delete all entities in your map, except for areaportals.
3. Convert all your areaportals into map-sealing world geometry.
4. Locate the leaking areaportal and the two areas it is intended to separate. Purposely create a leak to the void in one of these areas, and place an entity such as info_player_teamspawn on the other side of the areaportal. This entity should be the only entity in your map currently.
5. Compile. You should encounter a normal leak, and the generated pointfile should draw a line from the one entity you placed, through the areaportal leak, and into the void leak that you purposely created, showing you where the areaportal leak is.
 

Xam100

L1: Registered
Dec 1, 2020
14
0
Can you tell / show us what happens when you try opening the pointfile?
Nothing, the pointfile/red line simply does not appear.

Aside from that, do you see any errors in your Map > Check For Problems area?
Nothing, apart from the usual "there's no player start".

Finally you could post your compile log to something like https://pastebin.com/ for us to check out - this helps us diagnose what's going on.

Here it is: https://pastebin.com/QrwU6zxg

Areaportal leaks usually generate pointfiles, but the pointfiles are often buggy and unhelpful, drawing a line in random directions rather than actually pointing to the leak. There is one solution I've found for locating areaportal leaks, by turning the areaportal leak into a normal leak:
1. Make a copy of your map file, you probably don't want to do this in your original file.
2. Hide or delete all entities in your map, except for areaportals.
3. Convert all your areaportals into map-sealing world geometry.
4. Locate the leaking areaportal and the two areas it is intended to separate. Purposely create a leak to the void in one of these areas, and place an entity such as info_player_teamspawn on the other side of the areaportal. This entity should be the only entity in your map currently.
5. Compile. You should encounter a normal leak, and the generated pointfile should draw a line from the one entity you placed, through the areaportal leak, and into the void leak that you purposely created, showing you where the areaportal leak is.

Thanks, I'll give it a try!
 
Oct 6, 2008
1,947
445
1. Always go with first brush indicated in the list as it triggers all the other leaks
2. convert the indicated brush into a world brush put a different on it a recompile, sometimes this will trigger a new path for the red line and will show you where the actual leak is.
3. Fix leak, remake the area portal in step 2

edit - only run the compiles with world geometry (+ sky and /or black textures that seal your map from the void) and area portals on, ie. turn of func_details, all entities (except area portals), props etc. etc
 

Xam100

L1: Registered
Dec 1, 2020
14
0
Thanks to all, that helped solve the problem!

Now there's something else though, I hope it's okay if I use this thread instead of making another...

Some shadowy lines have appeared through the map on the ground, forming some sort of grid. I don't know what could it be.
Another problem I have is with spawn doors, they seem to be open even when they are closed (as in, you can look through them) and the red circle that should signal "no access" appears even when it's on the spawn doors of my own team.

I don't know exactly what I did wrong, I followed the tutorials to the letter and yet... I thought fixing the areaportals might've been the solution, but apparently wasn't.
 

Da Spud Lord

Occasionally I make maps
aa
Mar 23, 2017
1,339
994
Screenshots of the problems would be very helpful.
 

Xam100

L1: Registered
Dec 1, 2020
14
0
Sure! Here they are.

The shadowy lines that appear on the ground:
immagine-2021-01-12-200108.png

The spawn door, it's supposed to be closed here:
Screen1.png

Finally, the red circle that appears on my own team's door, I can go in just fine though:
Screen2.png
 

Da Spud Lord

Occasionally I make maps
aa
Mar 23, 2017
1,339
994
The shadowy lines that appear on the ground:
Those lines appear on displacement seams whenever a map is compiled with fast VRAD. Switching to normal should fix that issue.

The spawn door, it's supposed to be closed here:
What does the door look like in Hammer?

Finally, the red circle that appears on my own team's door, I can go in just fine though:
Make sure the func_respawnroomvisualizer has its associated respawn room set correctly, and that the respawn room is set to the correct team.
 

Da Spud Lord

Occasionally I make maps
aa
Mar 23, 2017
1,339
994
Like this:
That areaportal. Is it closed or linked to the door?

It does, the spawn room actually works perfectly, the only problem appears to be with the doors (they do keep out the enemy team however).
Are there any other entities which share the name of the respawnroom entity? (If the name is bold in Hammer, the answer is yes.) If the respawnroom shares its name with any other entity, then the visualizer might link up with the wrong entity.
 

Xam100

L1: Registered
Dec 1, 2020
14
0
That areaportal. Is it closed or linked to the door?
It's linked to the door.


Are there any other entities which share the name of the respawnroom entity? (If the name is bold in Hammer, the answer is yes.) If the respawnroom shares its name with any other entity, then the visualizer might link up with the wrong entity.

Thanks again, that was it! It was a name shared with another entity, now it works just fine!
 

Da Spud Lord

Occasionally I make maps
aa
Mar 23, 2017
1,339
994
It's linked to the door.
Unlink it. Closed areaportals will block stuff within their volume from rendering in addition to stuff behind them, which is likely what is causing the door to appear open.
 

henke37

aa
Sep 23, 2011
2,075
515
In short, don't allow people to look at closed area portals. Ensure that there is always geometry blocking people's view. Such as a door prop. And check both sides.