TF2 is choking on its own cubemaps

Pocket

Half a Lambert is better than one.
aa
Nov 14, 2009
4,694
2,579
So, I finally decided today was the day to start adding cubemaps to the artpass map. I popped a bunch in where I thought they'd be the most useful, recompiled, turned specular off and tried to run cubemaps. It displayed the usual animations of the cubemaps' faces in HDR, but then I got about a dozen or so "Tried to load a non-VTF file as a VTF file!" errors. And, lo and behold, when I turned specular back on and reloaded the materials, I got pink squares. So apparently the game took the screenshots but then tried to save the cubemaps as non-VTF files or something? I'm clueless.

And apparently this has never happened to anyone else before, because entering the phrase + "Tried to load a non-VTF file as a VTF file!" + cubemaps in the Google got me nothing related to my problem.
 

Draco18s

L9: Fashionable Member
Sep 19, 2009
622
136
I'm getting pink squares right now too.

*Rage*

I haven't seen the error you're getting though, but I haven't dissected the console window too closely.
 

Pocket

Half a Lambert is better than one.
aa
Nov 14, 2009
4,694
2,579
mat_specular 0
buildcubemaps
mat_specular 1
sv_cheats 1
mat_reloadallmaterials
 

Draco18s

L9: Fashionable Member
Sep 19, 2009
622
136
You need to compile cubemaps twice. Once for LDR and once for HDR.

Except that prior to yesterday compiling once (with above commands) did net valid cubmaps and reflections.

Edit:
Here's the console output I get when I build cubemaps. Note, I have all of the commands bound to a single key, so you won't see them.


Silver Draco18s connected
Attempting to create unknown particle system 'zapper_glow'
Redownloading all lightmaps
Achievements disabled: cheats turned on in this app session.
Attempting to create unknown particle system 'zapper_glow'
Current mod isn't in a subdirectory of "game"!
bounce: 1/1 sample: 1/12
bounce: 1/1 sample: 2/12
bounce: 1/1 sample: 3/12
bounce: 1/1 sample: 4/12
bounce: 1/1 sample: 5/12
bounce: 1/1 sample: 6/12
bounce: 1/1 sample: 7/12
bounce: 1/1 sample: 8/12
bounce: 1/1 sample: 9/12
bounce: 1/1 sample: 10/12
bounce: 1/1 sample: 11/12
bounce: 1/1 sample: 12/12
*** Error: Skybox vtf files for sky_night_03 weren't compiled with the same size texture and/or same flags!
Can't load skybox file sky_night_03 to build the default cubemap!
Dropped Silver Draco18s from server (Disconnect by user.)


The zapper glow I'm not sure about, all I did was import the prefab from the swamp pack. No idea why it's not working. The skybox error is one that "should go away when you build cubemaps." The sky is another swamp pack item.

Edit #2:
Ok, seriously, WTH. I loaded up the map again to take some screenshots and "just deal with" the lack of cubemaps and voila. I have them. Out of the g*d d*mn blue.
 
Last edited:

Pocket

Half a Lambert is better than one.
aa
Nov 14, 2009
4,694
2,579
You need to compile cubemaps twice. Once for LDR and once for HDR.

Pretty sure that's only necessary once you're ready to distribute the map and you need to make it usable by people who have HDR turned off.