Cubemaps...

[gman035t]

So I have read numerous guides on cube mapping and for some reason it still does not want to work for me.

Is there an actual file that goes along with the .bsp that is the cubemap? Idk this is strange. I will follow the tf2maps.net guide exactly, or even the hammer wiki.... but it still does not want to work. It will work for my client, but once its up on a server it has the purple checkered textures again...

 

[Crash]

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

This is the one I use.

Basically, if you just want to get it working:

Compile the map fully, but no HDR.

Load the map up in TF2

Open the console, type mat_specular 0

Wait

Type buildcubemaps

Wait

Disconnect

Type mat_specular 1

Wait

Load another map

Disconnect

Load you map up again.

Building cubemaps changes the .bsp itself and puts the cubemap files right in. This is the copy in your tf2/maps folder.

Hope I helped.

 

[Boylee]

Like Crash said it saves the cubemaps in the bsp file. That's why I load the map up one last time and reload all materials to make sure it's all saved correctly. It should save the cubemaps when you disconnect after building them.

You can double check that they've been packed correctly with pakrat which will allow you to open, examine, extract and add files to the bsp file. The cubemaps will appear as a bunch of vtf files with the co-ordinates of their corresponding cubemap in their name (at least that's what I think the funny strings of numbers are ).

Just for good measure this is the sequence I use which includes HDR:

Make sure you have at least one env_cubemap entity in your map somewhere. Compile map with rad and hdr ticked. Open TF2 and open up the console and input these commands one after another, each time wait for the previous to finish, some can take a few seconds:

mat_specular 0
mat_hdr_level 0
map cp_yourmapname
buildcubemaps
disconnect
mat_hdr_level 2
map cp_yourmapname
buildcubemaps
disconnect
mat_specular 1
map cp_yourmapname
sv_cheats 1
mat_reloadallmaterials
disconnect