Issue with custom particles

Soilbleed

L2: Junior Member
May 7, 2015
62
246
Hey, so i'm attempting to add a few custom particles to my map. Created the map particle_manifest file in the map folder and added the pcf to the particles folder as directed. The issue was I couldn't find a particles folder in the Team Fortress folder so created my own at: common/Team Fortress 2/tf/particles.

However when i compile and run the map the console displays;

Code:
Attempted to precache unknown particle system "particle"

CParticleMgr::LevelInit: Manifest 'maps/72hour_2_particles.txt' contains a particle file
'thw_river/.pcf' that's not under the particles directory. Custom Particles must be placed 
in the particles directory.

From reading it, it's clear the particles folder I made is in the wrong place, but does anyone know where it should go?

Thanks!
 

Exactol

Certified Hammer Hacker
aa
Jul 11, 2013
421
537
tf/particles is the correct place for the folder. It looks like your name has a / in it which could be screwing things up and making the game read you particle name as a folder.

If that's not the problem, what is the name of your pcf?
 

EmNudge

L4: Comfortable Member
Sep 23, 2015
184
60
first off, remove that forward slash, as @Exactol said. That can only cause problems.

Now, when working with custom content, it's important to make things clean and easy to sort. If you ever get a chance, use this tutorial to sort out your folders: http://www.tophattwaffle.com/custom-content-without-contamination/

When I made my own little ash particle a while back for a lava arena, I had the particles_manifest.txt file looking something like this:
particles_manifest
{
"file" "!particles/error.pcf"
"file" "!particles/rockettrail.pcf"
"file" "particles/smoke_blackbillow.pcf"
"file" "!particles/teleport_status.pcf"
"file" "!particles/explosion.pcf"
"file" "!particles/player_recent_teleport.pcf"
"file" "!particles/rocketjumptrail.pcf"
"file" "!particles/rocketbackblast.pcf"
"file" "!particles/flamethrower.pcf"
"file" "!particles/flamethrower_mvm.pcf"
"file" "!particles/burningplayer.pcf"
"file" "!particles/blood_impact.pcf"
"file" "!particles/blood_trail.pcf"
"file" "!particles/muzzle_flash.pcf"
"file" "!particles/teleported_fx.pcf"
"file" "!particles/cig_smoke.pcf"
"file" "!particles/crit.pcf"
"file" "!particles/medicgun_beam.pcf"
"file" "!particles/bigboom.pcf"
"file" "!particles/water.pcf"
"file" "!particles/stickybomb.pcf"
"file" "!particles/buildingdamage.pcf"
"file" "!particles/nailtrails.pcf"
"file" "!particles/speechbubbles.pcf"
"file" "!particles/bullet_tracers.pcf"
"file" "!particles/nemesis.pcf"
"file" "!particles/disguise.pcf"
"file" "!particles/sparks.pcf"
"file" "!particles/flag_particles.pcf"
"file" "!particles/buildingdamage.pcf"
"file" "!particles/shellejection.pcf"
"file" "!particles/medicgun_attrib.pcf"
"file" "!particles/item_fx.pcf"
"file" "!particles/cinefx.pcf"
"file" "!particles/impact_fx.pcf"
"file" "!particles/conc_stars.pcf"
"file" "!particles/class_fx.pcf"
"file" "!particles/dirty_explode.pcf"
"file" "!particles/smoke_blackbillow_hoodoo.pcf"
"file" "!particles/scary_ghost.pcf"
"file" "!particles/soldierbuff.pcf"
"file" "particles/level_fx.pcf"
"file" "!particles/training.pcf"
"file" "!particles/stormfront.pcf"
"file" "!particles/coin_spin.pcf"
"file" "!particles/stamp_spin.pcf"
"file" "!particles/rain_custom.pcf"
"file" "!particles/npc_fx.pcf"
"file" "!particles/drg_cowmangler.pcf"
"file" "!particles/drg_bison.pcf"
"file" "!particles/dxhr_fx.pcf"
"file" "!particles/eyeboss.pcf"
"file" "!particles/bombinomicon.pcf"
"file" "!particles/harbor_fx.pcf"
"file" "!particles/drg_engineer.pcf"
"file" "!particles/drg_pyro.pcf"
"file" "!particles/xms.pcf"
"file" "!particles/mvm.pcf"
"file" "!particles/doomsday_fx.pcf"
"file" "!particles/halloween.pcf"
"file" "!particles/items_demo.pcf"
"file" "!particles/items_engineer.pcf"
"file" "!particles/bl_killtaunt.pcf"
"file" "!particles/urban_fx.pcf"
"file" "!particles/killstreak.pcf"
"file" "!particles/taunt_fx.pcf"
"file" "!particles/rps.pcf"
"file" "!particles/firstperson_weapon_fx.pcf"
"file" "!particles/powerups.pcf"
"file" "!particles/weapon_unusual_isotope.pcf"
"file" "!particles/weapon_unusual_hot.pcf"
"file" "!particles/weapon_unusual_cool.pcf"
"file" "!particles/weapon_unusual_energyorb.pcf"
"file" "!particles/passtime.pcf"
"file" "!particles/vgui_menu_particles.pcf"
"file" "!particles/lava_ash.pcf"
}
The last one there being the custom one I made. Both that file and particle_ash.pcf were in the particles folder.

You were right for creating it. Some folders don't exist since a lot of the files are all packed into .vpk files. The particles are there too.
My guess is this:
Created the map particle_manifest file in the map folder
you put it in the map folder instead of the particles folder. Change it and see if it works.
 

Soilbleed

L2: Junior Member
May 7, 2015
62
246
Thanks for the replies;

first off, remove that forward slash, as @Exactol said. That can only cause problems.

I'll need to double check, but pretty certain that was an error on my part when copying the console's log into the post. Pretty certain there's no backslash in the actual file name.

Now, when working with custom content, it's important to make things clean and easy to sort. If you ever get a chance, use this tutorial to sort out your folders: http://www.tophattwaffle.com/custom-content-without-contamination/

When I made my own little ash particle a while back for a lava arena, I had the particles_manifest.txt file looking something like this:
particles_manifest
{
"file" "!particles/error.pcf"
"file" "!particles/rockettrail.pcf"
"file" "particles/smoke_blackbillow.pcf"
"file" "!particles/teleport_status.pcf"
"file" "!particles/explosion.pcf"
"file" "!particles/player_recent_teleport.pcf"
"file" "!particles/rocketjumptrail.pcf"
"file" "!particles/rocketbackblast.pcf"
"file" "!particles/flamethrower.pcf"
"file" "!particles/flamethrower_mvm.pcf"
"file" "!particles/burningplayer.pcf"
"file" "!particles/blood_impact.pcf"
"file" "!particles/blood_trail.pcf"
"file" "!particles/muzzle_flash.pcf"
"file" "!particles/teleported_fx.pcf"
"file" "!particles/cig_smoke.pcf"
"file" "!particles/crit.pcf"
"file" "!particles/medicgun_beam.pcf"
"file" "!particles/bigboom.pcf"
"file" "!particles/water.pcf"
"file" "!particles/stickybomb.pcf"
"file" "!particles/buildingdamage.pcf"
"file" "!particles/nailtrails.pcf"
"file" "!particles/speechbubbles.pcf"
"file" "!particles/bullet_tracers.pcf"
"file" "!particles/nemesis.pcf"
"file" "!particles/disguise.pcf"
"file" "!particles/sparks.pcf"
"file" "!particles/flag_particles.pcf"
"file" "!particles/buildingdamage.pcf"
"file" "!particles/shellejection.pcf"
"file" "!particles/medicgun_attrib.pcf"
"file" "!particles/item_fx.pcf"
"file" "!particles/cinefx.pcf"
"file" "!particles/impact_fx.pcf"
"file" "!particles/conc_stars.pcf"
"file" "!particles/class_fx.pcf"
"file" "!particles/dirty_explode.pcf"
"file" "!particles/smoke_blackbillow_hoodoo.pcf"
"file" "!particles/scary_ghost.pcf"
"file" "!particles/soldierbuff.pcf"
"file" "particles/level_fx.pcf"
"file" "!particles/training.pcf"
"file" "!particles/stormfront.pcf"
"file" "!particles/coin_spin.pcf"
"file" "!particles/stamp_spin.pcf"
"file" "!particles/rain_custom.pcf"
"file" "!particles/npc_fx.pcf"
"file" "!particles/drg_cowmangler.pcf"
"file" "!particles/drg_bison.pcf"
"file" "!particles/dxhr_fx.pcf"
"file" "!particles/eyeboss.pcf"
"file" "!particles/bombinomicon.pcf"
"file" "!particles/harbor_fx.pcf"
"file" "!particles/drg_engineer.pcf"
"file" "!particles/drg_pyro.pcf"
"file" "!particles/xms.pcf"
"file" "!particles/mvm.pcf"
"file" "!particles/doomsday_fx.pcf"
"file" "!particles/halloween.pcf"
"file" "!particles/items_demo.pcf"
"file" "!particles/items_engineer.pcf"
"file" "!particles/bl_killtaunt.pcf"
"file" "!particles/urban_fx.pcf"
"file" "!particles/killstreak.pcf"
"file" "!particles/taunt_fx.pcf"
"file" "!particles/rps.pcf"
"file" "!particles/firstperson_weapon_fx.pcf"
"file" "!particles/powerups.pcf"
"file" "!particles/weapon_unusual_isotope.pcf"
"file" "!particles/weapon_unusual_hot.pcf"
"file" "!particles/weapon_unusual_cool.pcf"
"file" "!particles/weapon_unusual_energyorb.pcf"
"file" "!particles/passtime.pcf"
"file" "!particles/vgui_menu_particles.pcf"
"file" "!particles/lava_ash.pcf"
}
The last one there being the custom one I made. Both that file and particle_ash.pcf were in the particles folder.

You were right for creating it. Some folders don't exist since a lot of the files are all packed into .vpk files. The particles are there too.
My guess is this:

you put it in the map folder instead of the particles folder. Change it and see if it works.

Ah thanks, i've give those suggestions a try! Quick (and possible stupid) question though; i've noticed this with other examples, but why do you put an "!" before the file path?

Thanks again for your help!