Almost everytime I install a new Portal map, all custom files are separated into at least 2-3 folders. It's not that complicated to install, but to remove maps is!

So I have a suggestion, which makes it easier for mappers to pack and distribute maps and for players to install and uninstall maps. Use Pakrat! It's a small but very handy program which can embed files into the bsp file. When you load a map with the program, click the "Scan" button and it will locate all the custom files that belong to the map. Then click "Add" and "Done" and save the map.

Pakrat may not be useful in all situations, like large map packs with many maps that share the same files. But I don't see an excuse not to use it for single maps.

Here's a link to the Pakrat website.

I agree. I only use Pakrat, and it makes things a lot easier when it comes to installing. One point though - don't rely on Pakrat adding embedding everything that is in your map. I've found that if you have custom materials for the skybox or for models, you sometimes have to add them yourself. When embedding, check through the list of items that are to be embedded yourself, to see if there is anything missing.

/me has been making maps for tf2 and now knows how to use pakrat in detail

not that ts13 will require pakratted bsps, it will need a full blown installer

youme wrote:
/me has been making maps for tf2 and now knows how to use pakrat in detail

not that ts13 will require pakratted bsps, it will need a full blown installer

speaking of which... How do you actually make an installer?

A good general suggestion, to be sure. PakRat pops up in conversation, and I thought it had been in the useful links thread. Now it is.

One thing I will say is that there is no way that I know of to PakRat in bonus map scripts, or the logos that show up in the bonus map screen. You still have to have the folderinfo.bns, a .bns with the actual info, and then a .vmt&vtf or .tga with the logo.

Hober wrote:
A good general suggestion, to be sure. PakRat pops up in conversation, and I thought it had been in the useful links thread. Now it is.

One thing I will say is that there is no way that I know of to PakRat in bonus map scripts, or the logos that show up in the bonus map screen. You still have to have the folderinfo.bns, a .bns with the actual info, and then a .vmt&vtf or .tga with the logo.

In the bns file, write "./" before every file name and you can place all those files in any folder in the maps folder. Example:

"My Portal Map"
{
          "map"          "./mapname"
          "image"        "./imagename.tga"
          "comment"      "This is my awesome Portal map!"
          "lock"         "0"
}

Anyone who wants to install this map will be able to create a folder in the maps folder and place the map, the bns and the image files there. Easy to install, easy to remove. Or if the mapper makes a bmz file, the game will do all this automatically.

Megadude wrote:
I agree. I only use Pakrat, and it makes things a lot easier when it comes to installing. One point though - don't rely on Pakrat adding embedding everything that is in your map. I've found that if you have custom materials for the skybox or for models, you sometimes have to add them yourself. When embedding, check through the list of items that are to be embedded yourself, to see if there is anything missing.

Pakrat has never failed me, but I've heard of other people having problems too.

Using BMZ auto-generates .bns files? I'd be very interested in the uses of this.

Also, I wasn't saying that the bonus map files had to be in the root, just that they couldn't be a part of the bmz. If you check my work in the map packs, you'll see that the directory structure is maps/TWPApril08 and materials/vgui/TWP so that the files are as compact as I can make them.

So.... I would use Pakrat to add my custom content and .ain files to my .bsp file, and then add that .bsp to a .bnz along with my .bns and screenshots?

Hober wrote:
Using BMZ auto-generates .bns files? I'd be very interested in the uses of this.

You missunderstood. I meant that when you import bmz files in the game, it will automatically create a folder in the maps folder and place the files there.

Hober wrote:
Also, I wasn't saying that the bonus map files had to be in the root, just that they couldn't be a part of the bmz. If you check my work in the map packs, you'll see that the directory structure is maps/TWPApril08 and materials/vgui/TWP so that the files are as compact as I can make them.

If you're talking about the folder icons, they can be a part of the bmz, if you do the bns script right (see my previous post). I did it in this map for example.

Tigger wrote:
So.... I would use Pakrat to add my custom content and .ain files to my .bsp file, and then add that .bsp to a .bnz along with my .bns and screenshots?

Yes

Ald?z wrote:
Yes

Hmm... Anyone mind if I add a page on the Wiki that walks people through the process of publishing a map?

Tigger wrote:
Hmm... Anyone mind if I add a page on the Wiki that walks people through the process of publishing a map?

I had thought of doing it myself; a complete guide on how to publish maps.

Ald?z wrote:
I had thought of doing it myself; a complete guide on how to publish maps.

Well.... here's the personal list I've been making for myself, since I always have to look this stuff all up:

Edit: I went ahead and threw it up on the wiki:

http://wiki.thinkingwithportals.com/wik ... hing_A_Map

Please feel free to add and edit to it!

Well done Tigger. Two questions I have about the bmz:

Let's say I change something in my bmz ( like the bsp or maybe change the values for challenges in the bns) and I repackage it.

Will I have to re-import the bmz for the new changes to be applied?
I think I would because the files will need to be re-extracted to the portal/portal/maps folder.

Which leads to my next question:
Does Portal automatically overwrite files if you re-import or must you delete the portal/portal/maps/Package_Name folder first?

I've been playing it safe and deleting the folder than re-importing it in Portal.

What I recall from trying to create a .bmz for the map packs: If you have Hober.bmz, and you import it once, it'll be in a folder called Hober. If you import it again, it'll be in Hober1 (or maybe Hober2). And the next time, it'll create another one with a number one higher.

This was about 6 months ago, so this may be out of date, but that's what I remember.

no. this is correct (hober) cuz i have two "aldez" folders lol its creates sequential folder names

Tigger wrote:
Well.... here's the personal list I've been making for myself, since I always have to look this stuff all up:

Edit: I went ahead and threw it up on the wiki:

http://wiki.thinkingwithportals.com/wik ... hing_A_Map

Please feel free to add and edit to it!

Well done. Two things I saw when I skimed through the text:
- the file name is bmz, not bnz
- I don't see a point in including ain files. Since the map is changed when it's resaved, they will be rebuilt anyway.

BTW, how can I make or edit a wiki file?

You have to make an account first. Then, editing a page is as simple as clicking "Edit" at the top of the page while logged in.

Creating a new page is a bit trickier. You have to go to the page that doesn't exist yet, like so, and then click the link to say "Edit this page", which will create it when you make the first "edit". Just make sure something links to it. Here is a good place.

Hober wrote:
You have to make an account first. Then, editing a page is as simple as clicking "Edit" at the top of the page while logged in.

Creating a new page is a bit trickier. You have to go to the page that doesn't exist yet, like so, and then click the link to say "Edit this page", which will create it when you make the first "edit". Just make sure something links to it. Here is a good place.

Thanks!

I tried to change all "bnz" to "bmz", and it worked! So, what's considered good etiquette on a wiki page? If I see something I don't like/something incomplete, can I rewrite it? Should I ask first in the discussion page?

Ald?z wrote:
If I see something I don't like/something incomplete, can I rewrite it? Should I ask first in the discussion page?

If you see something factually incorrect or incomplete, sure, go ahead and fix it, no permission needed. If your only problem with it is that "you don't like it", then too bad.

Basically, every change should have something in the "reason for editing" box. If all that you can come up to put in the box is "this sucked" or "I didn't like this", then don't make the change.

On the other hand, if someone is working on a page as a personal project, they can put a WIP tag like this one. If you would rather people not edit your page, feel free to do that. But if you tell everyone not to work on the page and then you don't edit the page for a few days, I'll start asking why you're not working on it. If you can't give a good reason, I'll open it up to everyone.

And if you see one of those "don't touch this" tags, try to respect it.

Thanks for clarifying this for me, but of course I wouldn't edit a text that says it's a WIP or "Don't touch me!"