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Source reflections problem

  • Minos
  • March 19, 2011 at 4:44 PM
  • Minos
    • March 19, 2011 at 4:44 PM
    • #1

    Hi. I have been trying to fix this for a couple of hours now and I honestly can't find a solution.

    I'm trying to make a pretty simple wall texture, containing a diffuse, a normal and an env map mask (which is saved in the normal map alpha). However, the reflections show up all checkered in Hammer and don't show up at all ingame:

    [Blocked Image: http://i.imgur.com/qOqOU.jpg]

    I'm using the latest VTF plugin to generate the VTFs. Here's what my material looks like:

    Code
    "LightmappedGeneric"
    
    
    {
    
    
       "$baseTexture" "maps/minotaur0/minoz_wall01"
    
    
       "$bumpmap" "maps/minotaur0/minoz_wall01_normal"
    
    
       "$envmap" "env_cubemap"
    
    
       "$envmaptint" "[ .3 .3 .3 ]"
    
    
       "$normalmapalphaenvmapmask" "1"
    
    
    }
    Display More

    I haven't worked with Source in quite a long time so I hope I'm not doing something dumb.

  • Campaignjunkie
    • March 19, 2011 at 4:54 PM
    • #2

    Normal maps (or their envmapmasks, whatever) are broken in Hammer, and always show up as checkerboard textures. Once you load it in-game, it should work fine.

  • dux
    • March 19, 2011 at 5:01 PM
    • #3

    He said they don't show up in game at all, which I think he meant there's no reflection or anything?

  • e-freak
    • March 19, 2011 at 5:05 PM
    • #4

    Did you place a Cubemap close by?

  • Pampers
    • March 19, 2011 at 5:23 PM
    • #5

    and remember to build cubemaps

  • cincinnati
    • March 19, 2011 at 5:32 PM
    • #6

    "$normalmapalphaenvmapmask" 1

    not

    "$normalmapalphaenvmapmask" "1"

  • Campaignjunkie
    • March 19, 2011 at 5:50 PM
    • #7

    Oh, oops, I didn't read the post properly, just saw the screenshot and went with it. (As usual.)

    The "1" or 1 shouldn't matter with boolean parameters like that. Hmm.

    Well, if Hammer knows to display the specular like that AT ALL, you know it works. Make sure you're rebuilding your cubemaps and you have enough light sources to generate a proper cubemap at all.

    Images

    • 2011-03-19_00001.webp
      • 162.48 kB
      • 1,920 × 1,080
  • Minos
    • March 19, 2011 at 5:58 PM
    • #8

    I added a cubemap and built the cubemaps:

    [Blocked Image: http://i.imgur.com/GsQjd.jpg]

    The material doesn't even have the "specular" slot on in the material editor.

  • Minos
    • March 19, 2011 at 6:38 PM
    • #9

    Ok, it works now. I just had to exit the game and reload the map after building the cubemaps.

    Thanks guys, sorry for the stupd thread!

  • Evert
    • March 19, 2011 at 6:41 PM
    • #10
    Quote from Minotauro

    sorry for the stupd thread!

    no

  • dux
    • March 19, 2011 at 6:45 PM
    • #11
    Quote from Minotauro

    Ok, it works now. I just had to exit the game and reload the map after building the cubemaps.Thanks guys, sorry for the stupd thread!

    Old tech is old.

  • ReNo
    • March 19, 2011 at 6:59 PM
    • #12

    Yeah it's horribly inefficient like that. My usual process after doing a compile in Source was...

    - Load map with HDR on

    - "buildcubemaps"

    - "mat_hdr_level 0"

    - "changelevel "

    - "buildcubemaps"

    - "mat_hdr_level 2"

    - "changelevel "

    - "changelevel "

    I believe you could use "mat_reloadall" or whatever the command is as an alternative to force a refresh of the cubemaps after building them.

  • hessi
    • March 19, 2011 at 7:15 PM
    • #13
    Quote from ReNo

    Yeah it's horribly inefficient like that. My usual process after doing a compile in Source was...- Load map with HDR on

    - "buildcubemaps"

    - "mat_hdr_level 0"

    - "changelevel "

    - "buildcubemaps"

    - "mat_hdr_level 2"

    - "changelevel "

    - "changelevel "

    I believe you could use "mat_reloadall" or whatever the command is as an alternative to force a refresh of the cubemaps after building them.

    Display More

    back in my days reloadallmaterials failed by producing several errors. the changelevel workaround was the way to go.

  • Rick_D
    • March 20, 2011 at 8:33 AM
    • #14

    you're too used to unreal, mino

  • Skjalg
    • March 20, 2011 at 8:39 AM
    • #15
    Quote from hessi

    back in my days reloadallmaterials failed by producing several errors. the changelevel workaround was the way to go.

    Aye, same here^^

    i hate the whole cubemaps thing in source

    Oh and, this is not a stupid thread. Took me ages to figure out the solution to the same problem...

  • Sentura
    • March 20, 2011 at 10:20 AM
    • #16

    yeap, pretty valid thread to me. also for the record, quotation marks don't in any file as long as there are no spaces (i.e., "$envmapmask" "1" == $envmapmask 1)

  • BaRRaKID
    • March 21, 2011 at 12:52 PM
    • #17
    Quote from ReNo

    Yeah it's horribly inefficient like that. My usual process after doing a compile in Source was...- Load map with HDR on

    - "buildcubemaps"

    - "mat_hdr_level 0"

    - "changelevel "

    - "buildcubemaps"

    - "mat_hdr_level 2"

    - "changelevel "

    - "changelevel "

    I believe you could use "mat_reloadall" or whatever the command is as an alternative to force a refresh of the cubemaps after building them.

    Display More

    You can probably put those commands in a config file and then just run the config file from the dev console, or create a bind.

  • hessi
    • March 21, 2011 at 6:15 PM
    • #18

    actually no, because several commands will be executed asynchronous, but here they have to be in order. i remember that from the old days

  • BaRRaKID
    • March 22, 2011 at 12:52 PM
    • #19

    It's doable with the wait command. The wait command delays the execution of the next task for a given number of frames, so you just have to estimate how many seconds each task will take, then multiply it by your average fps. With some of the commands just adding wait 1 will probably work since no new frames are being drawn.

  • hessi
    • March 22, 2011 at 6:48 PM
    • #20

    if you think it would be that easy then make the script and paste it to this thread.

    (the wait command is plain shit.)

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