1) make sure you run a full compile (use full compile HDR only) or full compile -both -final (!slow) from the expert compile window.
The important thing here is -staticproppolys in the settings from $light_exe; this will calculate the lighting from models properly.

2) there isn't for ambient generics. If you're using voicelines, look to use a logic_choreographed_scene instead. as long as there's talk then the lift won't stop, as TeamSpen already explained

3) This is a bit tricky; it requires re-compiling the model to allow for multiple skins, when releasing the map you will need to have to pack the model and materials in with the bsp. I took the liberty to do it real quick

4) I just checked the instance; and it should always work. I use the same I/O in my map and it always works. It might not always work; but as long as you get the portalgun it shouldn't be too much of a problem hopefully

The obs room looks cool too Maybe stick a poster on the wall to make it even more fancy!

EDIT: woops attached file now :3

Lpfreaky90 wrote:
1) make sure you run a full compile (use full compile HDR only) or full compile -both -final (!slow) from the expert compile window.
The important thing here is -staticproppolys in the settings from $light_exe; this will calculate the lighting from models properly.

2) there isn't for ambient generics. If you're using voicelines, look to use a logic_choreographed_scene instead. as long as there's talk then the lift won't stop, as TeamSpen already explained

3) This is a bit tricky; it requires re-compiling the model to allow for multiple skins, when releasing the map you will need to have to pack the model and materials in with the bsp. I took the liberty to do it real quick

4) I just checked the instance; and it should always work. I use the same I/O in my map and it always works. It might not always work; but as long as you get the portalgun it shouldn't be too much of a problem hopefully

The obs room looks cool too Maybe stick a poster on the wall to make it even more fancy!

EDIT: woops attached file now :3

Ah, thank you very much for the radio! For now, as I said earlier in the thread, I'm not planning on releasing any maps. I don't want to disappoint anyone with amatuer things quite yet, so I'm practicing Hammer by recreating maps from Portal 1 (and a couple early ones from 2) in Portal 2's Clean theme.
As such, that's why I can't use choreographed scenes. GLaDOS's lines from Portal 1 aren't in Portal 2's scenes file, and I have absolutely no idea how (if I even can) add them, so I need to use ambient_generics.
And I guess it might be because I've had to alter the instance for a few things. I must have messed something up somehow.
Anyway, thanks a bundle!

And for the sake of more opinions I guess, here's a couple screenshots of the chamber I'm working on from Portal, Test Chamber 2, where you get the blue Portalgun.

The oberservation room above the orange portal emitter is the one I made, for the record.
It's not 100% faithful to Portal, but that's probably a good thing, considering.
I'm also working on a functioning version of Portal 1's elevator, which is my first time using trains. It might come in use as mid-level transportation, I think.

EDIT: The radio's physics seem to be really buggy. It clips partially through the floor and it's really bouncy. Am I doing something wrong?

Okay, I have a few more issues... Jeez, these build up fast.

1: I've made a mostly-functioning Portal 2 version of Portal's elevators, with the elevator_beam particle system ported over, sounds ported over and everything. It seems to work fine when I use it as-is in a map, but when I use it as a func_instance, the elevator body and doors go backwards. The elevator caps and everything else seems to be where it should be, but the doors and body are backwards for some reason. Why?
Also, I don't think the particle system is working like it should. The "core" of the beam looks fine, but the trail is sideways for some reason.

2: More with the pedestal instance... I made it so when the Portalgun is picked up, it sends an output to the proxy so I can make it send outputs to my map as an instance. Looking at the wiki page, I realized this made the other outputs from the Portalgun not work, which relate to making the pedestal lower, stop spinning and stop making sounds. To get around this, I made an external output in my map, making it so when the Portalgun is picked up, it triggers the logic_relay in the instance that makes it lower and stop. This worked, but for some reason, the pedestal only went down halfway, and kept rotating... Are instances usually as buggy as I'm experiencing?

3: As I mentioned in my last post, for some reason the physics on my radio are extremely buggy. I can't pick it up or set it down in-game without it breakdancing away into the corner.

Sorry about all the questions, I'm just not really great at resolving things like this on my own. I hope I'm not being obnoxious.

1: Did you rotate the instance? Some entities don't work right, and act like they are still facing the original direction. Do you also have trains set to not rotate? For the particle system you might need to rotate the system and/or any of the control points.
2: Usually what you should do instead is the other way round - leave all the outputs in the portal gun, then add a logic relay which fires the ProxyRelay outputs when it's triggered by the portal gun. Perhaps you are missing the output to disable the logic_timer.
3: Is the collision mesh correct for the radio? You could always make a nodraw func_physbox, and parent the radio model to it as a prop_dynamic or prop_dynamic_override (if the model doesn't "support" being just dynamic).

TeamSpen210 wrote:
1: Did you rotate the instance? Some entities don't work right, and act like they are still facing the original direction. Do you also have trains set to not rotate? For the particle system you might need to rotate the system and/or any of the control points.
2: Usually what you should do instead is the other way round - leave all the outputs in the portal gun, then add a logic relay which fires the ProxyRelay outputs when it's triggered by the portal gun. Perhaps you are missing the output to disable the logic_timer.
3: Is the collision mesh correct for the radio? You could always make a nodraw func_physbox, and parent the radio model to it as a prop_dynamic or prop_dynamic_override (if the model doesn't "support" being just dynamic).

I did rotate the instance in the map. Is there no way to make it rotate with the rest of the instance?

Also, thank you very much for the other two! The relay in the instance fixed everything and although I had way too much fun clipping it, the physbox on the radio seems to work fine too. That physbox is probably the most complex object in the map right now.

EDIT: I fixed the elevator by checking the Fixed Orientation flag in the func_tracktrain. Which, now coming here to announce, I see Teamspen already told me. I must not have realized what you meant as like I said, this was my first time using trains (though in the last two days I've gotten quite used to them).
Thanks Teamspen, but I'm upset that I had to discover this myself instead of reading what you said fully. At least I have a 100% functioning Portal 1 elevator now.