How does one use VIDE's Packrat function?

Vel0city

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Dec 6, 2014
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Packing a BSP does absolutely zip for me (using VIDE, Pakrat, BSPZIP (GUI)).

It's giving me a LOT of headaches.

For the 2014 Detailing contest I've resized a standard model to 1/16th size for the skybox, so it needs to be included into the BSP or everybody will see a ginormous error sign. I do as told by the internet for both VIDE, Pakrat, BSPZip (with a GUI), and the BSP actually grows in size, indicating the model and everything related to it is included in the BSP. I then remove the actual model from the tf/models folder to simulate a stock TF2 install without the custom model to see if the packing actually worked. I compiled 2 BSP files: one with and one without the model packed. Of course, the unpacked BSP shows a big error sign because the model isn't there. However, the bigger, packed version also shows a big error sign, which doesn't make any sense since the BSP is packed and the model is in the BSP (if I open it with Notepad ++ I can see the associated files in the BSP). There is nothing wrong with the model since it shows up fine if I have it installed in my tf/models folder. It also shows up when I open the BSP with GCFScape.


Any help would be greately appreciated.
 
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Vel0city

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I'm kinda in need of an answer now.
 

henke37

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Sep 23, 2011
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Is the packing path correct? It isn't enough to include the contents, the game also needs to find it.
 

Vel0city

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Is the packing path correct? It isn't enough to include the contents, the game also needs to find it.

How does one find that/set that up correctly? I have no clue and Google isn't useful either.
 
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Vel0city

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is your shit in the proper directories inside bsp

it has to be just as if it was unpacked

materials in /materials models in /models etc

It hasn't moved a bit. Only thing custom is a skybox version of a tree that did not have a skybox version, which is located in Team Fortress 2/tf/models. I then pack the map with the model in tf/models, it shows up in the .bsp under root/models, I then remove the original file form tf/models to simulate a clean install, but that shouldn't matter because the model and its associating files are in the .bsp in the correct location.

Problem here is is that it's not just VIDE, Pakrat and even BSPZip does exactly the same thing. Yet TF2 fails to read the .bsp correctly (the model loads just fine when it's in tf/models so it's not a model error. All I did was give it a new name and added the $scale 0.0625 command to the QC file which I then recompiled with the Crowbar .mdl compiler which I also used to decompile the model in the first place). There is nothing wrong with TF2 itself, I've checked the cache and even reinstalled it. The same problem appears on my OS X partition, even with the packed .bsp.
 

Crash

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Mar 1, 2010
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In your bsp it needs to be under the right path. It should be something like models/treewhatever. No team fortress/tf/ or anything before that.

If you're packing manually with VIDE then after you select the files to add, it'll let you edit the path.

I'd take screenshots to show you, but I'm at work at the moment.
 

Fruity Snacks

Creator of blackholes & memes. Destroyer of forums
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Have you gotten the bsp you're packing from the right place?

BSP's are compiled to 2 places: The location of the .vmf and tf/maps. The one that all the packers reference by default (unless told otherwise) is the one in s tf/maps. So if you're packing or loading up the wrong one, it will appear to be not packed, even though it might be.
 

Vel0city

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Have you gotten the bsp you're packing from the right place?

BSP's are compiled to 2 places: The location of the .vmf and tf/maps. The one that all the packers reference by default (unless told otherwise) is the one in s tf/maps. So if you're packing or loading up the wrong one, it will appear to be not packed, even though it might be.

I have my .vmf in Dropbox, and when I compile with the VBCT (I don't use Hammer cuz it's sloooooow) it saves the .bsp in the Dropbox folder. However, there is an option to also save a copy of the map in the game directory (which is tf/maps). Would the packing work if I enable that option and pack the .bsp that is saved to the tf/maps instead of the one that's in my Dropbox?
 

Fruity Snacks

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I have my .vmf in Dropbox, and when I compile with the VBCT (I don't use Hammer cuz it's sloooooow) it saves the .bsp in the Dropbox folder. However, there is an option to also save a copy of the map in the game directory (which is tf/maps). Would the packing work if I enable that option and pack the .bsp that is saved to the tf/maps instead of the one that's in my Dropbox?

I don't think it matters as long as you're distributing the one that you packed. So if you opened the dropbox one in PakRat, and packed that, then that should be the packed one.
 

Vel0city

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I don't think it matters as long as you're distributing the one that you packed. So if you opened the dropbox one in PakRat, and packed that, then that should be the packed one.

It should. However it doesn't work, which is why I asked this in the first place.

Fuck yeah it works. I NEED to compile the map to the tf/maps folder and pack it from there. Thanks!
 
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Vel0city

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Finish off all your issues and use Pakrat GUI (download link|Valve wiki).

I always used this application to embed any custom files, and did never give me a problem.

I use VIDE because it allows me to have EVERYTHING in one program.

Pakrat, GCFScape, mass VMT editor. It only lacks a compiler, for which I have the VBCT.

Anyways, it works now. Now let me go create a skybox with a billon trees.
 

MOCOLONI

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Dec 16, 2014
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I use VIDE because it allows me to have EVERYTHING in one program.

Pakrat, GCFScape, mass VMT editor. It only lacks a compiler, for which I have the VBCT.

Anyways, it works now. Now let me go create a skybox with a billon trees.

Not sure about what you are talking about. Firstly I compile a map, then I build its cubemaps (if there are), and endless I embed the files. It should never cause issues on your map if you do it correctly and/or your files aren't wrong.
 

Vel0city

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Dec 6, 2014
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Not sure about what you are talking about. Firstly I compile a map, then I build its cubemaps (if there are), and endless I embed the files. It should never cause issues on your map if you do it correctly and/or your files aren't wrong.

VIDE (or Valve Integrated Development Environment) combines a lot of features from other programs and combines them in one program. With it you can pack .BSPs, edit particles, open up .BSPs to check their content, etc. It's super easy, you just have to do everything right.

Only thing it lacks is a map compiler. If it had that it would be awesome. I use VBCT (or Valve Batch Compile Tool) for compiling since it allows me to still use my computer while a map is compiling. Hammer just freezes up completely when compiling, also rendering your pc useless while it's compiling.
 

A Boojum Snark

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Nov 2, 2007
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I use VBCT (or Valve Batch Compile Tool) for compiling since it allows me to still use my computer while a map is compiling. Hammer just freezes up completely when compiling, also rendering your pc useless while it's compiling.
It technically has nothing to do with VBCT or Hammer.
That is because VBCT defaults to forcing the compilers into low priority mode so your OS allows other processes to steal CPU time from them. The same can be accomplished in Hammer using the -low flag. (or conversely, -high to make absolute sure you can't do anything else and it gets done a little faster)