Black & silver checkerboard in-game using custom prop

[FPSMoto]

Hi,

I recently downloaded a custom model to use in my map and it shows up fine in Hammer, but when I compile the map and run it, the texture looks weird. It's a model of a torch and I can see the wood grain but on top of that texture is another translucent one that shows a black/silver checkerboard. I'm thinking this is the bump/cube map issue.

I triple checked to make sure every file was installed correctly, I even ran a buildcubemaps and restarted the game with no luck.

If I set it as a prop_static, the prop shows up as invisible in-game. If I set it to a prop_dynamic however, it shows up but has the translucent checkerboard texture on the outer part of the prop. I can remove the cubemap/bumpmap parts of the VMT file to get rid of this problem, but light doesn't reflect properly off the models at that point.

I've also tried to use a different type of light such as light_spot, but then the checkerboard texture just becomes opaque and I cannot see the wood texture underneath.

Here's a couple screenshots of my issue:
prop_dynamic with a lightspot above the prop:
prop_dynamic with a regular light entity:

I didn't grab a screen of the prop_static because it's just invisible. I also tried propdynamicoverride and propphysicsoverride with no luck as well as testing with the prop not touching the wall.

The game I'm mapping for is Fortress Forever and uses Source SDK Base 2006.

My compile log:

Code: Select all

** Executing...
** Command: "c:\program files (x86)\steam\steamapps\whaaaaat\sourcesdk\bin\ep1\bin\vbsp.exe"
** Parameters: -game "c:\program files (x86)\steam\steamapps\sourcemods\FortressForever" "c:\program files (x86)\steam\steamapps\sourcemods\fortressforever\maps\deadzone_a10"

Valve Software - vbsp.exe (Dec 11 2006)
2 threads
materialPath: c:\program files (x86)\steam\steamapps\sourcemods\FortressForever\materials
Loading c:\program files (x86)\steam\steamapps\sourcemods\fortressforever\maps\deadzone_a10.vmf
Can't find surfaceprop Stone for material VBD/PACK 1 FLOORS/VBD_TILE_W_STONE001, using default
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 198 detail faces...done (0)
Merging details...done (0)
FixTjuncs...
PruneNodes...
WriteBSP...
NODRAW on terrain surface!
NODRAW on terrain surface!
done (0)
writing c:\program files (x86)\steam\steamapps\sourcemods\fortressforever\maps\deadzone_a10.prt...done (0)
Creating default cubemaps for env_cubemap using skybox materials:
skybox/sky_day01_01*.vmt
Run buildcubemaps in the engine to get the correct cube maps.

No such variable "$hdrbasetexture" for material "skybox/sky_day01_01rt"
Can't load skybox file skybox/sky_day01_01 to build the default cubemap!
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) (308771 bytes)
Placing detail props : 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10
Compacting texture/material tables...
Reduced 805 texinfos to 415
Reduced 43 texdatas to 35 (1277 bytes to 929)
Writing c:\program files (x86)\steam\steamapps\sourcemods\fortressforever\maps\deadzone_a10.bsp
1 second elapsed

** Executing...
** Command: "c:\program files (x86)\steam\steamapps\whaaaaat\sourcesdk\bin\ep1\bin\vvis.exe"
** Parameters: -game "c:\program files (x86)\steam\steamapps\sourcemods\FortressForever" "c:\program files (x86)\steam\steamapps\sourcemods\fortressforever\maps\deadzone_a10"

Valve Software - vvis.exe (Nov  8 2007)
2 threads
reading c:\program files (x86)\steam\steamapps\sourcemods\fortressforever\maps\deadzone_a10.bsp
reading c:\program files (x86)\steam\steamapps\sourcemods\fortressforever\maps\deadzone_a10.prt
 350 portalclusters
1015 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 (27)
WARNING: Cluster portals saw into cluster
WARNING: Cluster portals saw into cluster
WARNING: Cluster portals saw into cluster
WARNING: Cluster portals saw into cluster
Optimized: 161 visible clusters (0.00%)
Total clusters visible: 44545
Average clusters visible: 127
Building PAS...
Average clusters audible: 339
visdatasize:31215  compressed from 33600
writing c:\program files (x86)\steam\steamapps\sourcemods\fortressforever\maps\deadzone_a10.bsp
27 seconds elapsed

** Executing...
** Command: "c:\program files (x86)\steam\steamapps\whaaaaat\sourcesdk\bin\ep1\bin\vrad.exe"
** Parameters: -game "c:\program files (x86)\steam\steamapps\sourcemods\FortressForever" "c:\program files (x86)\steam\steamapps\sourcemods\fortressforever\maps\deadzone_a10"

Valve Software - vrad.exe SSE (Nov  8 2007)
----- Radiosity Simulator ----
2 threads
Could not find lights.rad in lights.rad.
Trying VRAD BIN directory instead...
Warning: Couldn't open texlight file c:\program files (x86)\steam\steamapps\whaaaaat\sourcesdk\bin\ep1\bin\lights.rad.
Loading c:\program files (x86)\steam\steamapps\sourcemods\fortressforever\maps\deadzone_a10.bsp
2665 faces
3 degenerate faces
265015 square feet [38162216.00 square inches]
8 displacements
1993 square feet [287009.13 square inches]
2662 patches before subdivision
27719 patches after subdivision
42 direct lights
BuildFacelights:     0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (49)
BuildVisLeafs:       0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (12)
transfers 2920084, max 559
transfer lists:  22.3 megs
GatherLight:         0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (0)
   Bounce #1 added RGB(93702, 86412, 74215)
GatherLight:         0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (0)
   Bounce #2 added RGB(10510, 8449, 5621)
GatherLight:         0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (0)
   Bounce #3 added RGB(2041, 1577, 961)
GatherLight:         0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (0)
   Bounce #4 added RGB(342, 238, 114)
GatherLight:         0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (0)
   Bounce #5 added RGB(72, 49, 22)
GatherLight:         0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (0)
   Bounce #6 added RGB(14, 9, 3)
GatherLight:         0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (0)
   Bounce #7 added RGB(3, 2, 1)
GatherLight:         0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (1)
   Bounce #8 added RGB(1, 0, 0)
Build Patch/Sample Hash Table(s).....Done<0.0173 sec>
FinalLightFace:      0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (0)
FinalLightFace Done
0 of 0 (0% of) surface lights went in leaf ambient cubes.
ComputePerLeafAmbientLighting: 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10
Ready to Finish

Object names       Objects/Maxobjs  Memory / Maxmem  Fullness
------------       ---------------  ---------------  --------
models                  34/1024         1632/49152    ( 3.3%)
brushes                725/8192         8700/98304    ( 8.9%)
brushsides            6612/65536       52896/524288   (10.1%)
planes                4728/65536       94560/1310720  ( 7.2%)
vertexes              4967/65536       59604/786432   ( 7.6%)
nodes                  997/65536       31904/2097152  ( 1.5%)
texinfos               415/12288       29880/884736   ( 3.4%)
texdata                 35/2048         1120/65536    ( 1.7%)
dispinfos                8/0            1408/0        ( 0.0%)
disp_verts            2312/0           46240/0        ( 0.0%)
disp_tris             4096/0            8192/0        ( 0.0%)
disp_lmsamples        4951/0            4951/0        ( 0.0%)
faces                 2665/65536      149240/3670016  ( 4.1%)
hdr faces                0/65536           0/3670016  ( 0.0%)
origfaces             2045/65536      114520/3670016  ( 3.1%)
leaves                1032/65536       33024/2097152  ( 1.6%)
leaffaces             3196/65536        6392/131072   ( 4.9%)
leafbrushes           1546/65536        3092/131072   ( 2.4%)
areas                    2/256            16/2048     ( 0.8%)
surfedges            20796/512000      83184/2048000  ( 4.1%)
edges                13077/256000      52308/1024000  ( 5.1%)
LDR worldlights         42/8192         3696/720896   ( 0.5%)
HDR worldlights          0/8192            0/720896   ( 0.0%)
waterstrips            236/32768        2360/327680   ( 0.7%)
waterverts               0/65536           0/786432   ( 0.0%)
waterindices          3918/65536        7836/131072   ( 6.0%)
cubemapsamples           0/1024            0/16384    ( 0.0%)
overlays                 1/512           352/180224   ( 0.2%)
LDR lightdata         [variable]      827068/0        ( 0.0%)
HDR lightdata         [variable]           0/0        ( 0.0%)
visdata               [variable]       31215/16777216 ( 0.2%)
entdata               [variable]       24651/393216   ( 6.3%)
LDR leaf ambient      1032/65536       24768/1572864  ( 1.6%)
HDR leaf ambient         0/65536           0/1572864  ( 0.0%)
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]           1/1452     ( 0.1%)
pakfile               [variable]       21706/0        ( 0.0%)

Level flags = 0

Win32 Specific Data:
physics               [variable]      308771/4194304  ( 7.4%)
==== Total Win32 BSP file data space used: 2035288 bytes ====

Total triangle count: 6982
Writing c:\program files (x86)\steam\steamapps\sourcemods\fortressforever\maps\deadzone_a10.bsp
1 minute, 2 seconds elapsed

** Executing...
** Command: Copy File
** Parameters: "c:\program files (x86)\steam\steamapps\sourcemods\fortressforever\maps\deadzone_a10.bsp" "c:\program files (x86)\steam\steamapps\sourcemods\FortressForever\maps\deadzone_a10.bsp"


** Executing...
** Command: "c:\program files (x86)\steam\steamapps\whaaaaat\sourcesdk\hl2.exe"
** Parameters: -dev -console -allowdebug -game "c:\program files (x86)\steam\steamapps\sourcemods\FortressForever" +map "deadzone_a10"

[Armageddon]

Post the texture .vmt please. Also build your cubemaps properly.

[FPSMoto]

VMT code:

Code: Select all

VertexlitGeneric
{
$basetexture "models/Fibbs/Torch"
$bumpmap "models/Fibbs/Torch_n"
$normalmapalphaenvmapmask 1
$envmap "env_cubemap"
$envmaptint "[.4 .4 .4]"
$model 1
}

[FPSMoto]

I get these messages in console when I load the map:

Error reading in file "materials/models/Fibbs/Torch_n.vtf"
Error reading in file "materials/models/Fibbs/TorchMount_n.vtf"

I ran buildcubemaps in console but it didn't seem to do anything even after 10-15 minutes.

[Dives]

Your bumpmap "torch_n" is missing. So either place the bumpmap in the folder its specifying or remove the $bumpmap parameter from the .vmt.

[FPSMoto]

Ok this is weird. The error shows they should be in the materials/models/Fibbs folder, but the VMT says models/Fibbs/Torch_n. So where is the error coming from when it says Error reading in file? I would assume it is the VMT file, no? Even if I change the path to materials/models/Fibbs, save the file, remove & readd the model to my map and compile again, it still shows the same texture issue but without the error this time.

[FPSMoto]

Oh and I built my cubemaps and the only thing it did differently was change the color of the checkerboard. It went from silver/black to just black checkerboard.

[FPSMoto]

I was finally able to fix the issue by remaking the bump map for this model using CrazyBump and the VTF Plugin for Photoshop.