SourceForts - How to properly build cubemaps for HDR Maps

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How to properly build cubemaps for HDR Maps

Hey there,

This is a quick guide on how to build cubemaps for maps with HDR support. I haven't tested this with widescreen monitors, but it should work fine.

- Configure the game to go full screen. Using the best possible graphic configurations produces better results.

- Load the map which you're willing to build the cubemaps.

- Type in the console the following commands. Don't type "<<" or anything on the right side of it. I'll be using those as "comments" on the specific line.

Quote:

sv_cheats 1
togglephase
mat_specular 0
mat_hdr_enabled 1
buildcubemaps << After this one, press esc and move your character a bit... just enough to don't stand in the same place
mat_hdr_enabled 0
buildcubemaps
mat_hdr_enabled 1 << you will see a lot of purple stuff in this step
mat_specular 1
mat_reloadallmaterials

- If you see some errors like the ones below, ignore them. It's perfectly normal. (That's why you will see some purple textures on the screen)

Quote:

Error reading material "materials/maps/zoc_test/c336_569_48.vtf"
*** Tried to load a non-VTF file as a VTF file!

- Type "quit" in the console. Your game will (obviously) close. On my tests, it crashed twice. Don't worry about that crash, it's because the game couldn't find that purple textures previously mentioned.

- Open the game and load the map. Enjoy your new map with working cubemaps and HDR.

Note: When compiling the map, MAKE SURE you have enabled "-both" flag for vrad, or this method will fail.

Update (2008-06-29): Some fixes, added arenaceous advice.

according to the valve developers community you have to turn off mat_spectacular first (it doesnt draw the reflections while you compile the cubemaps.
and do it like such

mat_specular 0
buildcubemaps
mat_hdr_level 0
map mapname
buildcubemaps
mat_hdr_level 2
map mapname
mat_specular 1

Thanks, updated main post :)

Does this mean the cubemap issues have been figured out? w00t for progress.

Does anyone have a good HDR tutorial? (that isn't from the valve wiki)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zoc (Post 206530)

I haven't tested this with widescreen monitors, but it should work fine.

Works well with any widescreen res. Tested it on my laptop with [1440x900] (16:10), desing PC [1920x1200] (16:10) and on TV screeen with HD aspect (16:9). Works just fine anywhere.

Quote:

Originally Posted by FlashEF (Post 207512)

Works well with any widescreen res. Tested it on my laptop with [1440x900] (16:10), desing PC [1920x1200] (16:10) and on TV screeen with HD aspect (16:9). Works just fine anywhere.

Assuming that you've not edited any of the cubemap settings, cubemaps should compile fine on anything 800x600 or over. If you've made cubemaps more detailed, you will need to up the resolution.

Notably, if you render the highest quality cubemap possible, you will need a resolution greater than 1152x1152 - which on LCDs is pretty rare.

Yeah, default cubemaps require a 512x512 space, so anything above 640x480 works *nodnod*.

In addition, the instances where a reflected surface encompasses more than a 512x512 area on the screen are so distant that the sacrifice in filesize is simply not allowable.