great map Juim
My only suggestion at this stage would be to add more light sources. Also, I don't know what skybox you used, but you might want to try sky_day03_06
This will add some warmth to the main open area without breaking the dusk/twilight setting.
Good work! I can't wait for the next update, but don't try and rush a map of this size though - take your time - all the hard work will be worth it. 
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Great map indeed. I had a look and really liked the changes. The new, warmer lighting not only helps to set the mood, it also structures the place in more distinctive areas. The layout is much cleaner and easier to learn now.
Thanks Reaper for your timely response.
1. I keep forgetting to switch out the doors texture. I assumed it was HL2 standard. Will switch it.
2.) I did the cubemaps as prescribed, sv_cheats 1, buildcubemaps, map dm_stonepark_alpha2. I did see the actual map reflected in the scope of the crossbow and on the floor reflections in the terminal, but I cant explain the outside error. Does cubemap height have anything to do with error rendering like that?
3.) I would so dearly like to not cut the map in half, but in the end I will do whats best. I was thinking of adding some teleporters to the extreme north and south of the map to help with connectivity. I was also thinking of having trains randomly crossing on the inner tracks so as to add to the ambience/danger of crossing repeatedly.
4.) I'll see what I can do about that gap.
5.) I'm afraid I'm goingto need a tut on making those art pieces into throwable models, as I can't see a way to do it in hammer. Any help there would be greatly appreciated.
6.) Also, future plans are that I hope to include a 3d skybox, and on the road outside, I'm thinking of adding a tunnel (blocked to exit) so as to make the outer area a bit more believable.
I just figured it out. I work on the map in the editor under the name nextmap.
I did run the commands and buildcubemaps, but then I renamed the bsp. Apparently, hl2 keeps the cubemap info somewhere else outside the bsp under the name of the map. I will fix it and repost under alpha3 next week sometime.
That's probably it about the cubemaps, but just be sure your getting the most accurate reflections: place cubemaps for static geometry and static props at least 16 units away from any surface in order to best represent the world around them for reflections.
However, for NPCs and the player it should be placed at least 64 units off the ground to better represent the surroundings.
Now, I admit my ignorance about the inner workings of HL2 but that doesn't sound probable for the simple fact that when you distribute the map, you don't send this "outside" file with it.
In all probability, it stores it in the bsp just as if you wadincluded a custom texture in HL1. Renaming a bsp doesn't alter its contents.
Map looks great though.
Yeah, so? I mean if its saved in the bsp then its saved. If you work on it again and have to re-run cubemaps then I see an issue, but no one releases anything but the bsp and cubemaps runs perfectly fine on their machines after they place the bsp in their maps folder.
Unless I am missing part of the puzzle and no one is saying what, then how can the cubemaps be saved inside a bsp, and suddenly go missing just by renaming? (assuming, no further works was done.)
Lets say I download a kasperg HL2 map and its 100% OK. I decide I don't like the name for some reason and rename it. Will the map now be 95% OK because somehow the cubemaps has gone out the window?
I'd like a clarification on how cubemaps works, and then doesn't.
Yah some clarification would be nice. Crono? we need one of your patented 3 paragraph techsplanations on this
.
Also, I could'nt stand it. Heres a link to Alpha3 with cubemaps built,the door textures replaced(although from within my texture browser Reaper, those look suspiciously like hl2 textures. They are metal/metaldoorc17 or some such) and the statues can be thrown now, but you have to physycally touch them or throw a grenade at them to get them to move. I'll refine those parameters soon.
http://gamersdiner.com/downloads/dm_stonepark_alpha3.zip
I'm not trying to be difficult but that still doesn't make sense assuming the machine that is playing the renamed map never built it in the first place.
I mean, I might not have steam in program files, so the path would be different even without renaming it.
What am I still missing?
*bong..Bong..bong*
You hear that? Thats our collective heads banging a wall.
I understood you the first time. However, I failed to communicate that if the map is loaded on another machine, how will cubemaps work?
You're not going to convince me that somehow the new machine knows what and where another machine did something YET, cannot deal with a simple rename.. Are you?
Perhaps the missing piece is this. Cubemaps is a strictly editing specific command and has nothing to do with the map once its loaded on another PC.
Is that the missing part?
You see this is the part my mind refuses to grasp. Everyone in the world has the option of where on their hard drives to install steam/HL2. There could be a plethora of path possibilities.
How will renaming ruin cubemaps, and a path distinction not?
Please don't tell me again how cubemap knows Juim's settings. Pretend I loaded his map on my computer, and work from there.
[EDIT]
OK, I am thinking another possibility. Perhaps I am thinking of the path, in the wrong sequence. Instead of C:/blah/blah/blah/maps/bsp. I should be thinking in reverse order starting from the bsp and working up. That way, everyone has a folder called maps, and materials in the exact same place.
Is that it?
So, I guess one thing is sure. Before you release a map, you better chose a name others can live with. If they alter the name, your hard work goes to s**t.
I still cannot grasp it, but I am not the one who needs to. Juim does.
I do appriceate the effort. Its really not your fault, if I am the stupid one.
Not at all, since the only thing they need to do is:
-Make sure the BSP is not read-only
-Rename it
-Run buildcubemaps again
If that were true, then Reaper could have done it and told Juim for sure if the cubemaps were set right or not.
Its either uncommon knowledge, or no one thinks it worth the effort to do while testing/critiquing.
If it is that easy, it might pay to make it more known. I dunno.
Thats sad when you think about it. Not only do level editors have to deal with their own inadequacies, they also have to deal with imposed ones.
Anywho, I'd hope that since a map is WIP, that your idea for people to build the cubemaps be part of the testing process. It wouldn't matter until after the final release anyway.
As for the idea that people releasing maps with properly built cubemaps.. Thats still debatable.
Hopefully, something posted today, will sort out Juims problem.
