Lighting issues..

Okay, so.. everything compiles fine, but some walls are turning up just
pitch black in-game when I test my map. Does this have to do with
lighting?

** Executing...

** Command: Change Directory

** Parameters: "C:\Program Files\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\rtd23@drexel.edu\sourcesdk"

** Executing...

** Command: Copy File

** Parameters: "C:\Program
Files\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\rtd23@drexel.edu\sourcesdk\hl2mp_sample_content\maps\dm_prison.vmf"
"C:\Program Files\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\rtd23@drexel.edu\half-life
2\hl2\maps\dm_prison.vmf"

** Executing...

** Command: "C:\Program Files\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\rtd23@drexel.edu\sourcesdk\bin\vbsp.exe"

** Parameters: -game "C:\Program
Files\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\rtd23@drexel.edu\sourcesdk\sdkcontent"
"C:\Program Files\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\rtd23@drexel.edu\half-life
2\hl2\maps\dm_prison"

Valve Software - vbsp.exe (Nov 22 2004)

2 threads

materialPath: C:\Program Files\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\rtd23@drexel.edu\sourcesdk\sdkcontent\materials

Loading C:\Program Files\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\rtd23@drexel.edu\half-life 2\hl2\maps\dm_prison.vmf

fixing up env_cubemap materials on brush sides...

ProcessBlock_Thread: 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (0)

ProcessBlock_Thread: 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (0)

Processing areas...done (0)

Building Faces...done (0)

Chop Details...done (0)

Find Visible Detail Sides...

Merged 24 detail faces...done (0)

Merging details...done (0)

FixTjuncs...

PruneNodes...

WriteBSP...

done (0)

writing C:\Program Files\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\rtd23@drexel.edu\half-life 2\hl2\maps\dm_prison.prt...done (0)

Creating default cubemaps for env_cubemap using skybox sky_day01_09...

Run buildcubemaps in the engine to get the correct cube maps.

Finding displacement neighbors...

Finding lightmap sample positions...

Displacement Alpha : 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10

Building Physics collision data...

done (0) (53594 bytes)

Placing detail props : 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10

Writing C:\Program Files\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\rtd23@drexel.edu\half-life 2\hl2\maps\dm_prison.bsp

2 seconds elapsed

Memory leak: mempool blocks left in memory: 49

** Executing...

** Command: "C:\Program Files\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\rtd23@drexel.edu\sourcesdk\bin\vvis.exe"

** Parameters: -game "C:\Program
Files\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\rtd23@drexel.edu\sourcesdk\sdkcontent"
"C:\Program Files\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\rtd23@drexel.edu\half-life
2\hl2\maps\dm_prison"

Valve Software - vvis.exe (Nov 22 2004)

2 threads

reading c:\program files\valve\steam\steamapps\rtd23@drexel.edu\half-life 2\hl2\maps\dm_prison.bsp

reading c:\program files\valve\steam\steamapps\rtd23@drexel.edu\half-life 2\hl2\maps\dm_prison.prt

192 portalclusters

668 numportals

BasePortalVis: 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (0)

PortalFlow: 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (3)

Optimized: 39 visible clusters (0.00%)

Total clusters visible: 15223

Average clusters visible: 79

Building PAS...

Average clusters audible: 191

visdatasize:10609 compressed from 9216

writing c:\program files\valve\steam\steamapps\rtd23@drexel.edu\half-life 2\hl2\maps\dm_prison.bsp

3 seconds elapsed

** Executing...

** Command: "C:\Program Files\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\rtd23@drexel.edu\sourcesdk\bin\vrad.exe"

** Parameters: -game "C:\Program
Files\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\rtd23@drexel.edu\sourcesdk\sdkcontent"
"C:\Program Files\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\rtd23@drexel.edu\half-life
2\hl2\maps\dm_prison"

Valve Software - vrad.exe (Dec 1 2004)

----- Radiosity Simulator ----

2 threads

[Reading texlights from 'lights.rad']

[45 texlights parsed from 'lights.rad']

Loading c:\program files\valve\steam\steamapps\rtd23@drexel.edu\half-life 2\hl2\maps\dm_prison.bsp

558 faces

39651 square feet [5709791.00 square inches]

0 displacements

0 square feet [0.00 square inches]

558 patches before subdivision

zero area child patch

2240 patches after subdivision

3 direct lights

BuildFacelights: 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (0)

BuildVisLeafs: 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (1)

transfers 62156, max 158

transfer lists: 0.5 megs

GatherLight: 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (0)

Bounce #1 added RGB(696, 653, 572)

GatherLight: 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (0)

Bounce #2 added RGB(147, 129, 97)

GatherLight: 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (0)

Bounce #3 added RGB(30, 25, 16)

GatherLight: 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (1)

Bounce #4 added RGB(6, 5, 3)

GatherLight: 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (0)

Bounce #5 added RGB(1, 1, 0)

GatherLight: 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (0)

Bounce #6 added RGB(0, 0, 0)

Build Patch/Sample Hash Table(s).....Done<0.0019 sec>

FinalLightFace: 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (0)

FinalLightFace Done

Ready to Finish

0 of 0 (0% of) surface lights went in leaf ambient cubes.

ComputePerLeafAmbientLighting: 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10

Object names Objects/Maxobjs Memory / Maxmem Fullness

------------ --------------- --------------- --------

models
4/1024
192/49152 ( 0.4%)

brushes
150/8192
1800/98304 ( 1.8%)

brushsides
996/65536
7968/524288 ( 1.5%)

planes
408/65536 8160/1310720
( 0.6%)

vertexes
1172/65536 14064/786432
( 1.8%)

nodes
358/65536 11456/2097152 (
0.5%)

texinfos
242/12288 17424/884736
( 2.0%)

texdata
31/2048
992/65536 ( 1.5%)

dispinfos
0/0
0/0 ( 0.0%)

disp_verts
0/0
0/0 ( 0.0%)

disp_tris
0/0
0/0 ( 0.0%)

disp_lmsamples
0/0
0/0 ( 0.0%)

faces
558/65536 31248/3670016 (
0.9%)

origfaces
424/65536 23744/3670016 (
0.6%)

leaves
363/65536 20328/3670016 (
0.6%)

leaffaces
833/65536
1666/131072 ( 1.3%)

leafbrushes
309/65536
618/131072 ( 0.5%)

surfedges
4624/512000 18496/2048000 ( 0.9%)

edges
2897/256000 11588/1024000 ( 1.1%)

worldlights
3/8192
264/720896 ( 0.0%)

waterstrips
74/32768
740/327680 ( 0.2%)

waterverts
0/65536
0/786432 ( 0.0%)

waterindices
1740/65536
3480/131072 ( 2.7%)

cubemapsamples
9/1024
144/16384 ( 0.9%)

overlays
0/512
0/180224 ( 0.0%)

lightdata
[variable]
156520/0 ( 0.0%)

visdata
[variable] 10609/16777216 ( 0.1%)

entdata
[variable]
2147/393216 ( 0.5%)

occluders
0/0
0/0 ( 0.0%)

occluder polygons
0/0
0/0 ( 0.0%)

occluder vert ind
0/0
0/0 ( 0.0%)

detail props
[variable]
1/12 ( 8.3%)

static props
[variable]
1/272 ( 0.4%)

pakfile
[variable]
93893/0 ( 0.0%)

Win32 Specific Data:

physics
[variable] 53594/4194304 (
1.3%)

Total Win32 BSP file data space used: 491137 bytes

Linux Specific Data:

physicssurface
[variable]
0/6291456 ( 0.0%)

Total Linux BSP file data space used: 437543 bytes

Total triangle count: 1824

Is the overall lighting very dim? There is likely a threshold lighting value below which a face will simply be rendered black. If this is the case, you could try either just increasing the intensity of your lighting, or setting a global ambient light value in the "map properties dialog" to some low, but acceptable level.

Maybe you should post a screen of the problem.

May be asking the obvious, but do you have any light entities in your map?

I do indeed have 4 spotlights that are closer to the ceiling than the
wall brushes that aren't being lit, so as soon as I get home I'm going
to try making everything a bit more bright, :smile: Thanks for the replies.

Edit: As you can see below, i've put like 5 lights in the room, but those brushes are still black..what's going on?

Yes. Well. Obveously my suggestion was incorrect. I've no idea what's going on there.

Weird. Maybe post the rmf to see if that gives up any clues?

Try changing the textures on the black brushes.

Did you happen to apply textures to your brushes, and then change your brush dimensions? I believe this causes the blackness you're experiencing, but it's pure speculation on my part.

If this is the case, then I believe reapply the textures to your brushes should fix the problem. I'm actually having the exact same problem with a map I'm currently working on, but I have yet to try my own solution :wink:

Well, my suggested solution doesn't work.

I'm still working on the issue, and I'll post the solution here if I ever find it.

How about running buildcubemaps in the console (seeing as you've apparently placed some env_cubemaps) and letting us know if the problem persists?

Did Leperous suggestion get it? If not, do the textures you are using on those brushes happen to be model or prop textures? I've seen some very strange results from trying to use those textures, and we're not supposed to anyway I don't think. From what I've seen, flying around looking at textures (that are model or prop textures and not normal structure textures) from certain angles makes them go entirely black.

The picture looks like it has the tool/black texture applied, or even the tools/nodraw texture.

Well, I basically re-made some of the brushes and it worked...but only
on some, and not others. These do not have black or nodraw textures on
them, I'd be an idiot if I did that, :\

Runnin buildcubemaps does nothing, and deleting my cubemaps and recompiling does nothing.

This is beyond frustrating. I have a feeling my card is overheating.
I'm going to try running the map again tomorrow when its not so hot.

I also tried running <span style="font-family: courier;">buildcubemaps<span style="font-family: verdana;">
to no avail. I haven't even placed any cubemaps, but the console
complains about a few of them anyway. The textures I'm using aren't prop
nor are they model textures.

It's very strange. I'll be playing around some more and I'll post my findings. If I can't figure it out, I'll post the VMF.

Oh, and here are the console errors I get when trying to start the level:

env_cubemap used on world geometry without rebuilding map. . ignoring: tile/tilefloor011a<br style="font-family: courier; color: red;">
<span style="font-family: courier; color: red;">env_cubemap used on world geometry without rebuilding map. . ignoring: plaster/plasterwall043d

<span style="color: white;">Then after executing buildcubemaps, I get the same errors.

I've rebuilt the map (if rebuilt means recompiled...) just to get the
same errors. The funny thing is, it doesn't complain about the texture
I've used on the ceiling, but it doesn't show that one either. The only
thing that's visible is the prop_static light fixture I've used.

</span>
</span></span></span>

As it turns out, my problem is an (unresolved) lighting issue. The
textures are all there, but it's so damn dark that they can't be seen,
which means I don't understand my lighting setup.

My suggestion to you, rdaly, is to load up your level and enter in <span style="font-family: courier;">mat_fullbright 1 and see what happens. If your textures remain black after that, then it's definately not a lighting issue.</span>

Well, I put in that command and the brushes were NOT black anymore...crazy s**t, lol. ::cries:: what the f**k, mate? lol