Better understanding help?
First of all, thanks to TeamSpen210 for the puzzlemaker trick with holding ctrl while compiling. Now I have the style changed textures in Hammer when I open the VMF that is automatically exported.
Another big thanks to you iWork925, who took the time to explain me how to trigger voice clips. Otherwise, I still would despair at such 'easy' things (I say easy, because it is easy to most of you Hammer users I think). 
But now to my next problem. It is an issue with the sound clip at the exit. When I enter the exit room, I have triggered a sound clip for beating the test chamber. Works fine so far.
But when I leave the exit room to the catwalk that leads to the elevator (so, when the door from the exit room closes as I leave it) the voice clip stops playing, because I change the map (from the test chamber inside to the outside "p2editor_1960elevator_entrance.vmf").
How can I avoid the voiceclip stopping? When I export a puzzlemaker map as VMF via console, the random voice clip at the end of the test chamber does not stop playing until it's over. I want to have that too. It starts playing in the exit chamber and keeps playing even when leaving to the catwalk outside.
But I want to avoid putting the voiceclip at the end into the Elevator Entrance VMF, because every map that is in 1960 style uses it, and I don't want the same soundclips over and over again.
If you have copied the default instances and started to use your own copy then you could put $soundclip into the sound file name of the ambient_generic. Then place a func_instance_params into the instance. Set up the option for $soundclip to be a string variable and the default field to the soundclip you want played most (copy the filepath as it appears as if you had selected it for an ambient_generic). The "$" symbol acts as special wildcard in an instance, as a placeholder for information that can be put in later.
Then in your main map click on the instance and you will now see a $soundclip ??? parameter. The ??? will use the default value stored in the func_instance_params, however you can replace it with a new/different soundclip path (again as though you had selected it in an ambient_generic). With this method you can then use that same instance in numerous maps and have a different soundclip played in each one if you wanted without doing tons of extra work.
Hope that helps you with future maps.
As to your current problem the likely cause is audible range (the change from one section to the next puts you out of audible range of your ambient_generic.. maybe) ... you can solve this by checking the play everywhere flag of your ambient_generic and also possibly by putting !player into the source entity name field. (!player is another special Hammer wildcard that targets the player character, useful in many cases. In this case it puts the player as the center/origin of the audio.. not the location of your ambient_generic)
PS. By doing these things you are starting to learn Hammer ... not so hard really is it, one small step at a time
First Question: should I give the ambient_generic the name $soundclip or is 'soundclip' just a placeholder for any name?
Second Question: the func_instance_params, should it be in my test chamber (inside) or outside? (elevator map)
Third Question: When I put the sound file name in the default field, when the func_instance_parms is in the elevator map outside, then this chosen path will play on every map, will it?
Also, the copied path of the sound is too long for the default field.
In my main map, on which instance? The 'func_instance_parms' or the 'ambient_generic'?
Also, in both instances I can't see a ??? parameter.
The !player command does not work, it's marked red. Since my test chamber is a bit big, I can't hear the sounds when I move further away from the ambient_generics. I have checked the 'play everywhere' flag on every ambient_generic. It doesn't seem to do anything.
That's a problem I would like to solve too. Like hearing them everywhere. !player seems not to work. Is there another way to solve that?
Obviously I haven't explained it as well as I thought
Clicking the "play everywhere" flag should make them.. er.. play everywhere.. not sure why that's not working..
The !player is a wildcard and will always (I think) show red in Hammer (same as !activator or !caller), but it does still work as intended...
Give me a minute and I'll think of a better way to explain the func_instance_params and it's use (or someone else can jump in and explain it better then me !)
Well, the sound still comes from the ambient_generic. When I go away from their position, the sound volume goes down. Gets louder when I get onto it. (Flag 'play everywhere' is checked, '!player' is also in the field 'source entity name'. Seems to do nothing)
Okay. So try only ticking "play everywhere" OR sourceentityname = !player. See if that makes a difference... If not, then someone else will have to help here because I'm out of ideas.. sorry I couldn't help further 
You want to name your ambient_generic whatever you want (its "outside" in the elevator map, right?). In the Sound Name field is where you want the $wildcardnamedthingwhateveryoulike. The important part is the $ . Copy what would be in this box if you had browsed to a soundfile and selected it.
Also "outside" (in the elevator map) you want to place the func_instance_parms. With a Parm of $wildcardnamedthingwhateveryoulike (it should do this automatically if done in order). The value field set to string. The default field set to what you had copied before. Save. Exit the elevator map.
In your main map, find the func_instance entity that points to the elevator map. It will now have a Parm $wildcardnamedthingwhateveryoulike ??? field on it. Leaving it like this will play your default from the elevator map. Changing it here will replace it with something different. Remember it needs to be written as though you had selected it from browsing the soundfiles.
I hope I can get across what I'm aiming for you to set up here. This way every main map that uses the elevator map will default to the default soundfile unless you change it in the func_instance entity. It allows you to use the same elevator map multiple times choosing a different clip if you want to.
Hope that helps..
Also "outside" (in the elevator map) you want to place the func_instance_parms. With a Parm of $wildcardnamedthingwhateveryoulike (it should do this automatically if done in order). The value field set to string. The default field set to what you had copied before. Save. Exit the elevator map.
'$wildcardnamedthingwhateveryoulike' there is written wildcard in there. Should I write '$!name' then or '$name'?
Okay. So '$wildcardnamedthingwhateveryoulike' is the sound name. Copy.
Now to my problem ... when the Parm Name must be '$wildcardnamedthingwhateveryoulike', then it is the copied from before. So the Name / Parm must be named '$wildcardnamedthingwhateveryoulike', the value is 'string' and the default is also '$wildcardnamedthingwhateveryoulike'? I'm a bit confused ...
Another problem is, they are not linked with func_instance. Instead of this, they use linked_portal_door. I tried what you tried to tell me, but the "linked portal door" thingies don't seem to have a Parm like "$wildcardnamedthingwhateveryoulike ??? field" ...
I am just despairing again. Why I don't understand these things. It seems so complicated for me ...
$name ... $!xxx will likely confuse the engine.
In your map. Select your elevator instance. Open properties. Click Edit Instance. Elevator .vmf opens. Bingo step one done.
Find/add your ambient_generic. For the sound name. Browse to your soundfile (a default one you wish to use in most of your maps). Select it. Copy what is now in the sound name field. Delete it. Type in $name. Apply changes. Close properties. Save.
Find/Add a func_instance_parms. It should have a parm that says $name. value is string. default is the soundfile name that we copied from the ambient_generic. Apply changes. Close properties. Save.
Save. Yes for no reason other than your using Hammer.
Close the elevator .vmf.
Save.
Back in our main map now? .. good. Click the elevator instance. The func_instance that points to the elevator. In Hammer this is what links your map.vmf to the elevator.vmf. It will have a parm field of $name ???. Place here a soundfile name as if you had picked it from the sound file browser.
(The linked_portal_door is an entity in Hammer to connect two places INSIDE a map together as though there was no distance between them... as you can see there is when viewed in Hammer.)
Do Not Despair. You're not understanding these things because you're kind of jumping into the Hammer deep end without bothering about the basics, thinking the PTI IS the basics. What you want to do is actually rather in-depth Hammer stuff. It is complicated for all of us, not just you.. Stick at it and one day it will just "click" into place.
Hope that helps...
In your map. Select your elevator instance. Open properties. Click Edit Instance. Elevator .vmf opens. Bingo step one done.
Find/add your ambient_generic. For the sound name. Browse to your soundfile (a default one you wish to use in most of your maps). Select it. Copy what is now in the sound name field. Delete it. Type in $name. Apply changes. Close properties. Save.
Find/Add a func_instance_parms. It should have a parm that says $name. value is string. default is the soundfile name that we copied from the ambient_generic. Apply changes. Close properties. Save.
Save. Yes for no reason other than your using Hammer.
Close the elevator .vmf.
Save.
Back in our main map now? .. good. Click the elevator instance. The func_instance that points to the elevator. In Hammer this is what links your map.vmf to the elevator.vmf. It will have a parm field of $name ???. Place here a soundfile name as if you had picked it from the sound file browser.
(The linked_portal_door is an entity in Hammer to connect two places INSIDE a map together as though there was no distance between them... as you can see there is when viewed in Hammer.)
Do Not Despair. You're not understanding these things because you're kind of jumping into the Hammer deep end without bothering about the basics, thinking the PTI IS the basics. What you want to do is actually rather in-depth Hammer stuff. It is complicated for all of us, not just you.. Stick at it and one day it will just "click" into place.
Hope that helps...
[s]Okay ... so I apologize to say that I don't need this procedure ... I just tried putting away the 'play everywhere' and only putting '!player' ... it worked very well for this problem ... sound and trigger on main map ... sound goes with player everywhere, even on another map ... big thanks to you anyways ... because you said earlier I should try it this way and it's much less complicated.
Without you I still would have this problem. Thank you.
So now I feel very sorry that you had to write this long post ... but I hope you are not that mad about it ... just glad I made it a lot easier.[/s]
The sentence of yours I marked red: I can't seem to find this one. Maybe it is not named automatically by the PTI. So I could search for eternity I think.
PS: Is it a problem if this thread could be still open? In a few weeks I would need help with the choreographed_scenes for the Wheatley monitors ... but for now that's all ... so I guess I'll post later again. When I get the time to.
PPS: Thanks to all of you that you're ready to help and don't get mad when somebody like me makes mistakes even when you try to explain as good as you can.
EDIT: The first time I tested it this way it worked, but now it does not work anymore?? Tell me what I did wrong! (striked through / green) ...
Okay.. well at least we got your sound problem sorted
At the very minimum reading through this thread/posts will at some point aid you (and others) in your future maps. Maybe. I have very little experience with converting PTI maps into Hammer maps. For me it is just easier to build it in Hammer from the start. Possibly because PTI didn't exist when I began to learn, I had no other option but to start learning Hammer. I can see the limits of PTI and have no intention of making maps with it. It is good at laying out a rough puzzle concept very quickly though.
I think with some of the ideas you seem to have in mind learning Hammer will benefit you (ie; I haven't even tackled monitors, or in fact custom sound lines either! - my map is eerily quiet unfortunately with regards to Glados/vo lines!). I think our biggest problem here is/was communication and our interpretations of "instance" and "goes everywhere, even on another map" ...
In short, keep posting your questions, if you're willing to listen and learn there will be people willing to speak and help. I'm sure the more PTI maps you modify the better grasp of Hammer you will attain, until you no longer require PTI at all ... ... ..