I'm always afraid I making my maps too dark. I'll load up the id levels from time to time to do an eyeball comparison. But is there some more "formal" way of ensuring maps aren't too dark?

Maybe a way to measure levels on a screenshot in Photoshop or a similar method? 

If your monitor is properly calibrated and your Quake set to default brightness/gamma, then if it's not too dark on your screen it should be good for most people.

Of course, there's also a matter of taste at play here: someone like NewHouse tends to make rather dark maps. I like it but I remember some people complaining about it when he released his first map. You can't please everyone. 

http://imgur.com/a/K40Wh

my question is:
if i have those two brushes, with non-integer vertices but with integer planes,, i can expect problems in-game, or weird qbsp problems?
how well qbsp handle rational numbers? 

I like to have a bit of overlap in my brushes in that situation, so if things get rounded off or otherwise mangled they usually turn out okay anyway. 

Intersecting brushes are generally okay. You can sometimes get odd lighting at the junction/seam where they meet. You could also create basically the same thing with separate brushes that have all vertices on grid. 

how do i get to actually test the level at its current state, what i mean is, when i try testing the level it says that the .bsp file doesn't exist on the maps folder, and if it was there before, it can be run but any change made won't appear. or is that not possible at all. 

You should always be able to test your maps.

Without more information, there can only be three possibilities.

1)Your map has an error that stopped the compiler from creating the .bsp

2)You are compiling to a directory outside of "id1/maps", OR "your MOD/maps" and then not moving the file into the corresponding maps directory.

3)You are creating for a MOD and not launching with the -game "your MOD" parameter while having your .bsp saved in the "your MOD/maps" directory.

I think I covered it! HTH's 

I don't think you understood me, or is me that is not understanding you well, i wan't to be able to test the map from the buil-in tool for launching the map, the "Run/Launch" tool

1)i managed to compile the map and runs fine in Quake 2

2)i'm compiling the map just fine. the .bsp file is in the base2q/maps folder and it is runing.

3)i'm not creating the map for any mods, just normal, clean Q2.

:/ 

What editor you use foe Q2 mapping? And what compiling tools you use for compile your map? Show log of the your compiling process. 

He mentioned it before previously, but not 100% certain though. 

Yeah, it seems I didn't understand.

Is it that the "Run/Launch" tool doesn't have all the right path's setup?

I don't use TB so I'll stop here, hope you get it fixed. 

yes, i'm using trenchbroom to map for q2, i think i've set the right path in the launch tool, but i'm not sure anymore... 

If you're using Trenchbroom's built-in compiling interface, it should look like this: http://celephais.net/board/view_thread.php?id=60908&start=2480 

Did you try to manually put the bsp into the right folder and run a map using console command in game? 

Pay attention to point 4 in the pic from the link. 

You should post a screenshot of your compilation profile, i.e., the window from which you compile the map so that we can see if something is wrong with the paths. 

i don't think i expressed myself very well, i can compile my map, any map, the thing is, i can't use the launch tool in trenchbroom to 'launch' the map from trenchbroom. Again, the map can be compiled, without any issue, is just the built-in launch tool that's not working...i don't even know if this is the right place to ask this. 

is just the built-in launch tool that's not working
And this can be caused by a bad path in your compiling interface settings. As Sleep said, posting your profile could help pinpoint the issue, so do that. Have you checked the post I've linked in #18052? 

I think this: ( http://i.imgur.com/omHjQeN.png ) is what you want 

No, your compiling profile: click Run then Compile... A window pops up, this is it. 

Don't forget to actually select your profile in that window, so the desired informations are visible, before taking your screenshot. 

no mugwump. hes showing the right screen.

he has no trouble compiling or running his map in game. hes having trouble using trenchbrooms game launcher.

this would be better off in the trenchbroom thread, that being said.

but, to help with the problem, what version of trenchbroom are you using?

i believe previous versions had that feature broken.

Im using RC1 and it will load the map set up exactly as you have it written.

https://github.com/kduske/TrenchBroom/releases/tag/v2.0.0-RC1

1. Is your map a part of a mod?
2. Can you load the map in game?
3. What happens when you try to launch with those given parameters you have typed in? 

mind you im using quake and not quake 2 to test this, but it should be exactly the same. 

I see a previous post of yours that answers my questions, Rahncase. Aside from number 3. let me know what happens when you try to launch the game with your current parameters.

Hopefully the version of TB I linked solves the issue. 

Are you telling me the author doesn't know how to troubleshoot his own program?