Alright, first of all , hi ppl.

now onto my problem, I downloaded and installed bsp so I can make quake maps. but after doing the tutorial (in fact any tutorial), they all tell me to go export then click on Qbsp.bat.

Now the problem is, I don't have a Qbsp.bat, When I found it in bats folder, there was a thing that said Qbsp, but it was an application and not a bat.

How can I use this if its not a batch file?

My details are:

OS: Windows xp home (sp3)
bsp dir: C;-> bsp
quake dir: C;-> quake

theyre all in their default locations, but I can't see how to test my maps if I cant compile. 

You need compile tool I guess.

Check there for TxQBSP, VIS, and LIGHT tools: http://user.tninet.se/~xir870k/ 

- are you using the latest version 0.96d ?

- under 'export' there should be several options:
fast.bat
full.bat
leaktest.bat and so on.

Just use full.bat to compile your map and you should be ok. (a bat file is just a txt file with commands in it, you can edit it with notepad, rightclick on it to see what I mean)

- the tools JPL linked above are great, but not necessary at first, BSP comes with everything needed to make a map. But you should check them out once you've gained more experience 

I tried the other bats, but how do I test my map? I tried launching quake and typing +map tutorial map (also tried tutorial_map).

It's still weird though how it wasn't a bat when I installed it. 

Once you have compiled the map, there should be a bsp file along with the map file in bsp\Quake\Maps.
Copy the bsp file and put it in Quake\ID1\maps, start the game and type: map tutorial

(without a + or underscore _ ) 

note that there are two meanings of the word "map":

- the .map file used to compile a .bsp file (tutorial.map is just a text file, open it with notepad)

- the actual compiled .bsp (tutorial.bsp) is also called a map or level.

Hope that makes it clear enough. 

I tried to copy the map into the maps folder, but it wasn't there, partly becasue i have pak files instead of a map folder (i know whats in them by the way), what do I do now?

I also read the fast.bat, and it tld me that it couldnt copy the file into the directore, im gonna try and modify some configs.

any more help is much appreciated. 

I tried to copy the map into the maps folder, but it wasn't there

just create a new folder called maps in ID1, and put your tutorial.bsp into it, run the game and type: map tutorial

Btw does the compiling work for you/do you end up with a .bsp file after exporting ?

I also read the fast.bat, and it tld me that it couldnt copy the file into the directore

I would say it's better to get a basic understanding about the whole process of compiling and how to run maps, before changing anything in the bat files (or atleast backup them first, or you'll have to reinstall the editor if something goes wrong).

(yes it's possible to modify the paths in the bat files so when you compile, it copies the bsp into ID1\maps and lets Quake launch it, but see above) 

let's assume i have a bsp that's been vised.
let's assume i go and change the .map file and change the texture on one face (but don't modify any brushwork).

is it possible to take the updated texture data and put it into the old .bsp file without ruining vis data?

let's assume i finished vising a map that took a week and a half and found an unbelievably stupid texturing error and want to shoot myself. 

I don't think qbsp can just swap out the texture... but theoretically, some tool could be created that did it.

I know quark can open and edit bsp files, don't know if it can edit a texture on a specific face, though. 

It is possible to export textures from a bsp with QuArK: I did it for Babel some years ago.
I alos tested to modify texture in a bsp, then save it, but it does not work..
AFAIK, aguirRe made some texture alignement correction in bsp for Travail mission pack, maybe it would be a good idea to ask him how he performed that, and also if it is possible using the same stuff to replace texture by another one ;) 

I tried to copy the map into the maps folder, but it wasn't there

just create a new folder called maps in ID1
------------------------------

I tried that, theres a .file in there called maps and it blocks me from putting a maps folder in there.

this is all too hard, so i'm gonna give up and try a different editor instead. any in mind that are good? 

It won't matter what editor you use, all compiled BSP files need to be in id1/maps in order for Quake to load them, no matter what editor you use.

Its very strange that windows will not let you create a new folder called 'maps' in your id1 folder, I have never heard of such an issue before. No way should a single file stop you from creating a new folder.

Not really sure what to suggest it sounds a bit odd, maybe post a screenshot of your id1 folder open in windows so we can see whats actually in there :) 

You can't create a folder called 'maps' if there is already one there called 'maps'.

"theres a .file in there called maps": is this file actually a folder/directory? 

yes, thats what i'm talking about.

don't know what to do with this one, maybe if I did two options

*moved that .fileto the desktop and then made the folder, then trying ti tat way

*or fiddling with the configs where I can use both the maps.file and a folder by renaming it.

anyone every done this before? 

Put the mapname.bsp file in the maps directory, start quake and type "map mapname" in the console, replacing mapname with whatever the map is called.

If you don't already have a maps directory then you need to make one, if there already is one then put the bsp in there. 

how come my cylinder wont show up when i compile and run?
here is a screenshot: [url]http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/866/cylindernn8.jpg[/url]
and here is my .map file: [url]http://www.st3ady.com/quake/fnp01.map[/url]
I'm a n00b workin on my first single player map in gtkradiant 1.5.0
someone suggested i switch to worldcraft but i dont feel like learning another program :( 

since i can't edit on this message board:
http://www.st3ady.com/quake/fnp01.map
http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/866/cylindernn8.jpg 

You could try just compiling the bsp and vis stages (skipping light); that will let you see things clearly. It could be a lighting issue.

Also, look at the output of the map compile with the cylinder there, compared to it not being there. 

turns out quake 1 doesnt support patches, so u have to use prisms! :) thx anyhow 

Of course, you could just carve the cylinder out of a cuboid, if you're feeling really hardcore... 

Say I have a plat that I want to move a long way (say 1000 units vertically). What I'm hearing is that the sound plays from where the plat started and doesn't follow - so as you get further and further away, the sound dies out until it's silent.

Is there a trick to getting the sound to follow a plat that travels a long distance? 

and not just that, the sound will emanate from the plat's origin, which is determined by the center of the first brush in it's definition in the .map file.

well, ok, i suppose you could play the sound on the player entity's item, body or weapon channels, as those are special and always play through both speakers, but that would be dumb. :P

one thing i've noticed is that id tend to be pretty lazy about their sound in all of their games. 

Ahh crap, so no work around? Oh well... 

in the code, it looks like the sound comes from origin + (mins + maxs)/2, which means, the center of the bounding box at its default location, shifted to compensate for any movement (since origin for bmodels is normally 0,0,0.)

But, the mins/maxs for bmodels might be calculated badly by qbsp, so you could still be right, i'd have to look into that.