my current project is split into two different .vmf files, two custom instances and one custom texture. How can I compile them, so that I can release them as one file, because I'd like to publish it in the Steam workshop without forcing the player to take further install actions.

I'm also interested in knowing, if it's possible to get better lighting quality than the standard compiling options set to "normal" + "HDR". Some objects I use are casting much nicer shadows when I compile them withing PTE.

Best regards,
iSpectra

If you want more fancy lighting: Go to expert compile and compile with the both final (slow!) thingy

iSpectra wrote:
max. allowed objects of 4092.

4096.

Yes, more than this isn't possible. Garry's Mod is so far the only Source based game that can handle up to 8192 entities in one map.

Lpfreaky90 wrote:
Go to expert compile and compile with the both final (slow!) thingy

That is wrong.
"-final" only casts better light for light_environemt. It makes compile take about 4 times longer and only adds visible better lighting at places where sunlight fades to (absolute) darkness (like sun light shining into an dark tunnel).

https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Vrad#Effects

You should use the following additional parameters for VRAD in expert mode:

-both -StaticPropLighting -StaticPropPolys -TextureShadows

"-both" means LDR and HDR.

For sharper shadows you have to decrease lightmap scale on surfaces. https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Lightmap

Skotty wrote:
Lpfreaky90 wrote:

Go to expert compile and compile with the both final (slow!) thingy

That is wrong.
"-final" only casts better light for light_environemt. It makes compile take about 4 times longer and only adds visible better lighting at places where sunlight fades to (absolute) darkness (like sun light shining into an dark tunnel).
https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Vrad#Effects

You should use the following additional parameters for VRAD in expert mode:
-both -StaticPropLighting -StaticPropPolys -TextureShadows
"-both" means LDR and HDR.

For sharper shadows you have to decrease lightmap scale on surfaces. https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Lightmap

Yea; sorry I ment the preset with final (slow!) in it; it also has -staticproplighting; polys and textureshadows

iSpectra wrote:
So there's really now way to get custom instances and textures into one file? So any mod around that uses custom stuff needs them to be manually installed?

I thought you would be talking about entity limit? Textures and instances themselves don't have anything to do with that.

I'd love to see your vmfs if they're so big that they're hitting hammer limits.

iSpectra wrote:
So any mod around that uses custom stuff needs them to be manually installed?

Why? Not of course. I guess by "mod" you mean "map". To have your custom texture in your map file (.bsp) you should use some programm like Pakrat to pack your custom stuff into your map file (.bsp) And don't worry about your "custom" instances because they all are made of stock entities (unless you have some custom models in them) and on compiling they are collapsed into map. So instances exist only in .vmf.