How to Build Cubemaps for Black Mesa (For Lower End Computers)

If you have tried to build cubemaps in Black Mesa and for whatever reason it keeps freezing or crashing, this guide is for you! This guide will teach you how to properly build cubemaps for lower end computers or if for whatever reason building cubemaps freezes or crashes your game even on higher end computers.

Intro:

I decided to write this guide for newbies on how to build cubemaps for Black Mesa, specifically lower end computers, cause it's a tiny little bit different. Unless you have a high end computer in which case you can build cubemaps normally like any other conventional source game. I see commonly that BM maps don't seem to have cubemaps built so I assume they might have the same issues I had, and that is that building cubemaps either freezes their game or crashes it, and so I shall spread the simple yet vital knowledge through this easy guide.

As the solution is buried in old steam discussions and discord chat logs it's understandable that you might not find the information, and some people get lucky and either find the solution through vigorous searching or are given the solution by asking community members.

Alas not everyone is lucky so I shalt spread my fortunate knowledge to you, to end your pain and confusion on why your game keeps freezing when you build cubemaps forcing you to restart your computer and making you bear to look at the barren source walls without delicious bumpmap reflections on your glorious map. Rejoice!

Unless someone else already made a guide, in that case here’s another one.

3 Simple Steps:

To Build Cubemaps in Black Mesa There Are 3 Simple Steps To Follow:
(I have put stars around the vital info, the other text is extra explanations and suggestions.)

1. First and foremost you are going to want to put this one command in your autoexec file in:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Black Mesa\bms\cfg, so that you don't have to type in the command every time you launch Black Mesa. This is a config file that automatically executes whatever dev console commands you put in from the start such as sv_cheats 1 if you were to put it into the file.

*That command is r_4way_use_fast_normals 0. Simply copy and paste this command into your autoexec, it won't change anything other than you being able to compile cubemaps without freezing your computer. This is the command that will allow you to build cubemaps. If you have a higher end computer and don’t have to put in parameters in your launch options to get your flashlight or certain textures working, then you don’t have to follow this step. You can simply go to step 2 or 3, likely 3. Unless building cubemaps freezes your game, then follow this step.*

2. Second, you want to have all your files in the correct place when building cubemaps. That being your compiled .bsp into your maps folder, and your .ain in your graphs folder in the same maps folder as where your .bsp is. Otherwise it will crash and not end up building the cubemaps.

*If you did not touch your .bsp map file and move it from the default location compiled map files go, then you don't have to worry about this, as the .bsp file goes into your maps folder in bms after compiling. And same thing with your .ain files where by default .ain files are placed in a folder called graphs in your maps folder after launching the map. So everything is already in place for you to build cubemaps. If for whatever reason there isn't a graphs folder in your maps folder create one, though there should be one already.*

It's only when you move out the .bsp to a custom project folder which contains not just maps but custom assets and such, and put it into the designated maps folder of that project folder but forget to put your .ain files in your graphs folder of your maps folder in your custom project folder *breeaath*, and then build cubemaps, that's when it crashes. You CAN create a graphs folder in your maps folder of your custom project folder and then move your .ain files to that graphs folder after launching your map at least once, and putting your custom project folder into custom and compile cubemaps, but that is a hassle to move your .ain files every time you want to test your cubemaps.

So it's better to simply create a project folder with the custom assets and move them to your custom folder and keep the .ains and .bsps in the maps folder of bms until the the map has been finalized so that you can keep compiling and testing the map without moving it back and forth, and then when it's finally done move the maps and graphs folder in your maps folder to your custom project folder.

3. And finally third, you want to build the cubemaps into your map.

*Simply launch the game, launch your custom map by typing "map yourmapname” in the dev console, and then type buildcubemaps. You'll watch a stream of images being taken and when it's done it should relaunch your map with cubemaps.*

They are now imbedded in the bsp so you can move the .bsp wherever and the cubemaps will still be in them. The bsp should increase in memory some amount and that's it.

That is how you get cubemaps for your map in Black Mesa.