Old map refuses to update, runs ghostly old version

[Maturin]

I built a rudimentary map in the Orange Box Engine for HL2- basically a start point, some lights, props, and a skybox- ran the map, shrugged, and let it sit for a month.

Today I opened it up again, decided that it sucked and deleted everything onscreen. Then I spent several hours building an entirely different map in the same .vmf file, saving periodically. Essentially I simply updated the file by replacing all the objects. But now when I run it, my character shows up in the original version of the map! I am playing a map that no longer exists, playing the ghost of something deleted. Hammer says that my map is a flooded train track, but the game renders a pond with a few trees and no lighting that is a month old.

How is this possible, and how can I fix it?

This is a recurring problem, btw.

 

[Viperidae]

Sounds like your compiled maps aren't going into the right folder. You're probably playing the old compiled .bsp, and the new .bsp is being sent somewhere else (likely sourcesdk_content/hl2/mapsrc).

Check your Hammer Configuration.

What does the compile log say? It could also be that it's simply not compiling.

 

[Maturin]

I've always played everything from sourcesdk_content, to my knowledge. I load Hammer files from there.

How are things supposed to be set up?

 

[Viperidae]

I usually have everything default, except the .bsp being directed right into the game's map directory. Saves the time of copying it over.

 

[Maturin]

So what directory path might the other versions of the map be in?

I thought all I had to do was click save and run.


Edit: All files (including the .bsp) go in sdk_content and apparently when I compile the map through Hammer, it places a copy of the .bsp in the Episode 2 maps directory.

 

[Maturin]

Hmmn, it appears that new maps I create do not run anymore. The .bsp and .vmx files do not appear in the sdk_content folder and I get a "file not found" notice. Perhaps that is why the .bsp used by the game is an older version. Source SDK reads it correctly, but not Episode Two.

I really need a bright idea, should I go to the Steam forums?

 

[Viperidae]

Post your compile log.

 

[Maturin]

Ok, here it is. (Full version with all compiles is attached)

I ran the map so I could get at the log and it crashed instead of starting the game. I tried again, and it took two seconds... and ran the correct version of the map! Except there was no lighting and a third of my brushes didn't show up. Now I'm even more confused.

Edit: My latest compile log, which loads much faster than the previous ones, looks like this:

** Executing...
** Command: "c:\program files\steam\steamapps\ppitm\sourcesdk\bin\orangebox\bin\vbsp.exe"
** Parameters: -game "c:\program files\steam\steamapps\ppitm\half-life 2 episode two\ep2" "C:\Program Files\Steam\SteamApps\ppitm\sourcesdk_content\hl2\mapsrc\track"

Valve Software - vbsp.exe (Mar 11 2008)
3 threads
materialPath: c:\program files\steam\steamapps\ppitm\half-life 2 episode two\ep2\materials
Loading C:\Program Files\Steam\SteamApps\ppitm\sourcesdk_content\hl2\mapsrc\track.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)
FixTjuncs...
PruneNodes...
WriteBSP...
done (0)
writing C:\Program Files\Steam\SteamApps\ppitm\sourcesdk_content\hl2\mapsrc\track.prt...Building visibility clusters...
done (0)
Creating default LDR cubemaps for env_cubemap using skybox materials:
skybox/sky_day01_01*.vmt
! Run buildcubemaps in the engine to get the correct cube maps.
Creating default HDR cubemaps for env_cubemap using skybox materials:
skybox/sky_day01_01*.vmt
! 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...
Displacement 39 has bad geometry near 690.00 -474.75 -525.11
Can't compile displacement physics, exiting. Texture is CONCRETE/CONCRETEFLOOR020B


** Executing...
** Command: "c:\program files\steam\steamapps\ppitm\sourcesdk\bin\orangebox\bin\vvis.exe"
** Parameters: -game "c:\program files\steam\steamapps\ppitm\half-life 2 episode two\ep2" "C:\Program Files\Steam\SteamApps\ppitm\sourcesdk_content\hl2\mapsrc\track"

Valve Software - vvis.exe (Mar 11 2008)
3 threads
reading c:\program files\steam\steamapps\ppitm\sourcesdk_content\hl2\mapsrc\track.bsp
reading c:\program files\steam\steamapps\ppitm\sourcesdk_content\hl2\mapsrc\track.prt
116 portalclusters
306 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 (1)
Optimized: 0 visible clusters (0.00%)
Total clusters visible: 10042
Average clusters visible: 86
Building PAS...
Average clusters audible: 116
visdatasize:4412 compressed from 3712
writing c:\program files\steam\steamapps\ppitm\sourcesdk_content\hl2\mapsrc\track.bsp
1 second elapsed

** Executing...
** Command: "c:\program files\steam\steamapps\ppitm\sourcesdk\bin\orangebox\bin\vrad.exe"
** Parameters: -game "c:\program files\steam\steamapps\ppitm\half-life 2 episode two\ep2" "C:\Program Files\Steam\SteamApps\ppitm\sourcesdk_content\hl2\mapsrc\track"

Valve Software - vrad.exe SSE (Mar 11 2008)

Valve Radiosity Simulator
3 threads
[Reading texlights from 'lights.rad']
[48 texlights parsed from 'lights.rad']

Loading c:\program files\steam\steamapps\ppitm\sourcesdk_content\hl2\mapsrc\track.bsp
Cannot load the static props... encountered a stale map version. Re-vbsp the map.

** Executing...
** Command: Copy File
** Parameters: "C:\Program Files\Steam\SteamApps\ppitm\sourcesdk_content\hl2\mapsrc\track.bsp" "c:\program files\steam\steamapps\ppitm\half-life 2 episode two\ep2\maps\track.bsp"


** Executing...
** Command: "c:\program files\steam\steamapps\ppitm\half-life 2 episode two\hl2.exe"
** Parameters: -game "c:\program files\steam\steamapps\ppitm\half-life 2 episode two\ep2" -dev -console +sv_lan 1 +map "track"

It's not loading an old version of the map so far as I can tell, it is simply ignoring several brushes, the skybox texture, and light_env.

 

[Maturin]

This is a compile log from a copy of the same map which still loads the old, incorrect version of itself.

** Executing...
** Command: "c:\program files\steam\steamapps\ppitm\sourcesdk\bin\orangebox\bin\vbsp.exe"
** Parameters: -game "c:\program files\steam\steamapps\ppitm\half-life 2 episode two\ep2" "C:\Program Files\Steam\SteamApps\ppitm\sourcesdk_content\hl2\mapsrc\train"

Valve Software - vbsp.exe (Mar 11 2008)
3 threads
materialPath: c:\program files\steam\steamapps\ppitm\half-life 2 episode two\ep2\materials
Loading C:\Program Files\Steam\SteamApps\ppitm\sourcesdk_content\hl2\mapsrc\train.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)
FixTjuncs...
PruneNodes...
WriteBSP...
done (0)
writing C:\Program Files\Steam\SteamApps\ppitm\sourcesdk_content\hl2\mapsrc\train.prt...Building visibility clusters...
done (0)
Creating default LDR cubemaps for env_cubemap using skybox materials:
skybox/sky_day01_01*.vmt
! Run buildcubemaps in the engine to get the correct cube maps.
Creating default HDR cubemaps for env_cubemap using skybox materials:
skybox/sky_day01_01*.vmt
! 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...
Displacement 39 has bad geometry near 690.00 -474.75 -525.11
Can't compile displacement physics, exiting. Texture is CONCRETE/CONCRETEFLOOR020B


** Executing...
** Command: "c:\program files\steam\steamapps\ppitm\sourcesdk\bin\orangebox\bin\vvis.exe"
** Parameters: -game "c:\program files\steam\steamapps\ppitm\half-life 2 episode two\ep2" "C:\Program Files\Steam\SteamApps\ppitm\sourcesdk_content\hl2\mapsrc\train"

Valve Software - vvis.exe (Mar 11 2008)
3 threads
reading c:\program files\steam\steamapps\ppitm\sourcesdk_content\hl2\mapsrc\train.bsp
reading c:\program files\steam\steamapps\ppitm\sourcesdk_content\hl2\mapsrc\train.prt
116 portalclusters
306 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 (1)
Optimized: 0 visible clusters (0.00%)
Total clusters visible: 10042
Average clusters visible: 86
Building PAS...
Average clusters audible: 116
visdatasize:4412 compressed from 3712
writing c:\program files\steam\steamapps\ppitm\sourcesdk_content\hl2\mapsrc\train.bsp
1 second elapsed

** Executing...
** Command: "c:\program files\steam\steamapps\ppitm\sourcesdk\bin\orangebox\bin\vrad.exe"
** Parameters: -game "c:\program files\steam\steamapps\ppitm\half-life 2 episode two\ep2" "C:\Program Files\Steam\SteamApps\ppitm\sourcesdk_content\hl2\mapsrc\train"

Valve Software - vrad.exe SSE (Mar 11 2008)

Valve Radiosity Simulator
3 threads
[Reading texlights from 'lights.rad']
[48 texlights parsed from 'lights.rad']

Loading c:\program files\steam\steamapps\ppitm\sourcesdk_content\hl2\mapsrc\train.bsp
Setting up ray-trace acceleration structure... Done (3.56 seconds)
373 faces
1061774 square feet [152895456.00 square inches]
30 Displacements
611698 Square Feet [88084584.00 Square Inches]
373 patches before subdivision
21257 patches after subdivision
sun extent from map=0.000000
2 direct lights
BuildFacelights: 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (9)
BuildVisLeafs: 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (6)
transfers 635510, max 396
transfer lists: 4.8 megs
GatherLight: 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (0)
Bounce #1 added RGB(3131, 3174, 1795)
GatherLight: 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (0)
Bounce #2 added RGB(187, 160, 42)
GatherLight: 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (1)
Bounce #3 added RGB(7, 6, 1)
GatherLight: 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (0)
Bounce #4 added RGB(0, 0, 0)
Build Patch/Sample Hash Table(s).....Done<0.0648 sec>
FinalLightFace: 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (5)
FinalLightFace Done
0 of 0 (0% of) surface lights went in leaf ambient cubes.
ThreadComputeLeafAmbient: 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (17)
Writing leaf ambient...done
Ready to Finish

Object names Objects/Maxobjs Memory / Maxmem Fullness
------------ --------------- --------------- --------
models 1/1024 48/49152 ( 0.1%)
brushes 8/8192 96/98304 ( 0.1%)
brushsides 48/65536 384/524288 ( 0.1%)
planes 100/65536 2000/1310720 ( 0.2%)
vertexes 465/65536 5580/786432 ( 0.7%)
nodes 190/65536 6080/2097152 ( 0.3%)
texinfos 21/12288 1512/884736 ( 0.2%)
texdata 8/2048 256/65536 ( 0.4%)
dispinfos 30/0 5280/0 ( 0.0%)
disp_verts 4926/0 98520/0 ( 0.0%)
disp_tris 8448/0 16896/0 ( 0.0%)
disp_lmsamples 222648/0 222648/0 ( 0.0%)
faces 373/65536 20888/3670016 ( 0.6%)
hdr faces 0/65536 0/3670016 ( 0.0%)
origfaces 50/65536 2800/3670016 ( 0.1%)
leaves 192/65536 6144/2097152 ( 0.3%)
leaffaces 380/65536 760/131072 ( 0.6%)
leafbrushes 84/65536 168/131072 ( 0.1%)
areas 3/256 24/2048 ( 1.2%)
surfedges 1780/512000 7120/2048000 ( 0.3%)
edges 945/256000 3780/1024000 ( 0.4%)
LDR worldlights 2/8192 176/720896 ( 0.0%)
HDR worldlights 0/8192 0/720896 ( 0.0%)
leafwaterdata 1/32768 12/393216 ( 0.0%)
waterstrips 5/32768 50/327680 ( 0.0%)
waterverts 0/65536 0/786432 ( 0.0%)
waterindices 96/65536 192/131072 ( 0.1%)
cubemapsamples 0/1024 0/16384 ( 0.0%)
overlays 0/512 0/180224 ( 0.0%)
LDR lightdata [variable] 943988/0 ( 0.0%)
HDR lightdata [variable] 0/0 ( 0.0%)
visdata [variable] 4412/16777216 ( 0.0%)
entdata [variable] 833/393216 ( 0.2%)
LDR ambient table 192/65536 768/262144 ( 0.3%)
HDR ambient table 192/65536 768/262144 ( 0.3%)
LDR leaf ambient 1115/65536 31220/1835008 ( 1.7%)
HDR leaf ambient 192/65536 5376/1835008 ( 0.3%)
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] 1/3186 ( 0.0%)
pakfile [variable] 106479/0 ( 0.0%)
physics [variable] 3331/4194304 ( 0.1%)
physics terrain [variable] 6216/1048576 ( 0.6%)

Level flags = 0

Total triangle count: 834
Writing c:\program files\steam\steamapps\ppitm\sourcesdk_content\hl2\mapsrc\train.bsp
43 seconds elapsed

** Executing...
** Command: Copy File
** Parameters: "C:\Program Files\Steam\SteamApps\ppitm\sourcesdk_content\hl2\mapsrc\train.bsp" "c:\program files\steam\steamapps\ppitm\half-life 2 episode two\ep2\maps\train.bsp"


** Executing...
** Command: "c:\program files\steam\steamapps\ppitm\half-life 2 episode two\hl2.exe"
** Parameters: -game "c:\program files\steam\steamapps\ppitm\half-life 2 episode two\ep2" -dev -console +sv_lan 1 +map "train"

 

[Maturin]

This is the compile log of a new map which failed to form a .bsp when I ran it and thus did not appear in-game.

** Executing...
** Command: "c:\program files\steam\steamapps\ppitm\sourcesdk\bin\orangebox\bin\vbsp.exe"
** Parameters: -game "c:\program files\steam\steamapps\ppitm\half-life 2 episode two\ep2" "C:\Program Files\Steam\SteamApps\ppitm\sourcesdk_content\hl2\mapsrc\flooded"

Valve Software - vbsp.exe (Mar 11 2008)
3 threads
materialPath: c:\program files\steam\steamapps\ppitm\half-life 2 episode two\ep2\materials
Loading C:\Program Files\Steam\SteamApps\ppitm\sourcesdk_content\hl2\mapsrc\flooded.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)
FixTjuncs...
PruneNodes...
WriteBSP...
done (0)
writing C:\Program Files\Steam\SteamApps\ppitm\sourcesdk_content\hl2\mapsrc\flooded.prt...Building visibility clusters...
done (0)
Creating default LDR cubemaps for env_cubemap using skybox materials:
skybox/sky_day01_01*.vmt
! Run buildcubemaps in the engine to get the correct cube maps.
Creating default HDR cubemaps for env_cubemap using skybox materials:
skybox/sky_day01_01*.vmt
! 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...
Displacement 38 has bad geometry near -185.00 -740.51 -763.16
Can't compile displacement physics, exiting. Texture is CONCRETE/CONCRETEFLOOR020B


** Executing...
** Command: "c:\program files\steam\steamapps\ppitm\sourcesdk\bin\orangebox\bin\vvis.exe"
** Parameters: -game "c:\program files\steam\steamapps\ppitm\half-life 2 episode two\ep2" "C:\Program Files\Steam\SteamApps\ppitm\sourcesdk_content\hl2\mapsrc\flooded"

Valve Software - vvis.exe (Mar 11 2008)
3 threads
reading c:\program files\steam\steamapps\ppitm\sourcesdk_content\hl2\mapsrc\flooded.bsp
Error opening c:\program files\steam\steamapps\ppitm\sourcesdk_content\hl2\mapsrc\flooded.bsp

** Executing...
** Command: "c:\program files\steam\steamapps\ppitm\sourcesdk\bin\orangebox\bin\vrad.exe"
** Parameters: -game "c:\program files\steam\steamapps\ppitm\half-life 2 episode two\ep2" "C:\Program Files\Steam\SteamApps\ppitm\sourcesdk_content\hl2\mapsrc\flooded"

Valve Software - vrad.exe SSE (Mar 11 2008)

Valve Radiosity Simulator
3 threads
[Reading texlights from 'lights.rad']
[48 texlights parsed from 'lights.rad']

Loading c:\program files\steam\steamapps\ppitm\sourcesdk_content\hl2\mapsrc\flooded.bsp
Error opening c:\program files\steam\steamapps\ppitm\sourcesdk_content\hl2\mapsrc\flooded.bsp

** Executing...
** Command: Copy File
** Parameters: "C:\Program Files\Steam\SteamApps\ppitm\sourcesdk_content\hl2\mapsrc\flooded.bsp" "c:\program files\steam\steamapps\ppitm\half-life 2 episode two\ep2\maps\flooded.bsp"

The command failed. Windows reported the error:
"The system cannot find the file specified."

 

[Viperidae]

Building Physics collision data...
Displacement 39 has bad geometry near 690.00 -474.75 -525.11
Can't compile displacement physics, exiting. Texture is CONCRETE/CONCRETEFLOOR020B

Sounds suspicious. Try disabling the displacements?

Also, interestingly, I had this exact issue earlier today. The map refused to copy the new version, despite having compiled. I think it has something to do with the SDK memory, as the next time I loaded the map most of my visgroups were messed up, indicating the .vmf had been corrupted. I managed to salvage it by restarting steam and trying again.

 

[Maturin]

You were right about that error. A guy on steampowered figured it out. A pile of rubble had some mysterious error that stopped the compile process (without notifying me or stopping the report from reaching its conclusion) and caused the last compiled version to run in-game.

Bizarrely, that error also caused a host of seemingly unrelated problems as well.

So that's fixed, but now I have the good 'ol "statics don't appear" problem.

Error! To use model "models/map1_rubble/debrisb.mdl"
with prop_static, it must be compiled with $staticprop!
Error loading studio model "models/map1_rubble/debrisb.mdl"!
Error! To use model "models/props_trainstation/wrecked_train.mdl"
with prop_static, it must be compiled with $staticprop!
Error loading studio model "models/props_trainstation/wrecked_train.mdl"!
Error! prop_static using model "models/props_vehicles/apc001.mdl", which must be used on a dynamic entity (i.e. prop_physics). Deleted.
Error loading studio model "models/props_vehicles/apc001.mdl"!

Any idea what these notices mean? They're affecting an Episode 2 train and a HL2 static wrecked vehicle, among other things.

 

[Viperidae]

You're using dynamic/physics models for static props when they weren't compiled to be. Make them either prop_physics with motion disabled or prop_dynamics (depending on the model). You can tell what type a model is in the model browser by looking in the 'info' tab (Although this doesn't seem to always work. Some models claim they're static when they're not).

 

[Maturin]

That makes sense. I used a train that falls off the collapsing bridge, and an APC that must get jolted when a rebel blows open a wall with an explosive charge.