Quote from DaMaGepy on May 22, 2011, 6:23 am

Hi.
Since I've read on this forum that some ppl have problem merging resources (custom textures, sounds etc) into the bsp, I tell you how I do that. I made this method for portal 1 but then I modified it for portal 2.

My method requires, that you never launch the map after the compiling is done from hammer. Well, I never, I youst use a shortcut from my desktop to launch portal + my map, and then (since it runs in window) I just press "i" to reload it after every compile.

So:
1. Add a desktop shortcut
I made a shortcut on the desktop (your portal 2 exe path wil be different ofc):
"E:JATEKValveSteamSteamAppscommonportal 2portal2.exe" -novid -console +map sp_damagepy_02
this will launch portal without the starting vid, showing the console, and auto-loading the specified map. Portal should run in windowed mode.

2. Bind a key in portal2 to load or reload the map
In portal I made a binding in console:
bind i "map sp_damagepy_02"
portal saves this binding if u exit portal 2, so will work after next launch too, and you only need to change it (or bind another key) if you making other maps too. After I re-compiled my map, I just switch to the portal 2 windows and press "I" to reload. I shouldn't move ingame tho, because if there were some serious changes in the bsp, and portal2 tries to load something new from the bsp (and ofc it changed), sometimes just crashes portal2. If that happens, just use the desktop shortcut to load the map. I sometimes use the console command "reload" but loading the map is safer, since reload sometimes keeps your location etc and remembers things, that sometimes not there in the newly compiled bsp.

3. Adding bspzip's path in hammer
Since I failed to add a custom executable with path to hammer's F9 advanced compiling, I had to use the game_exe variable for bspzip:
Tools / Options / Build programs tab, Game executable:
$SteamUserDirportal 2binbspzip.exe
(Note: when I added the bspzip with path as a command into the expert mode, the space in the path f@cked up things, Also tried to use $gamedir but it just added it as a text, thats why Ichose to use the game_exe variable to set bspzip's path)

4. Compiling, F9 Expert mode
Now when compiling a map in expert mode, I've added a new row after the $light_exe row but before the Copy file:
command: $game_exe
Parameters: -addlist $path$file.bsp $path$file.txt $path$file.bsp
and of course unchecked the last $game_exe row since it can't auto-launch the compiled map now (can be done with the desktop shortcut, or just reloading the map with the keybinding)
With this command, bspzip will look for a txt file where the .vmf is and process it

5. Making the resource-list .txt
Create a txt, its name is thesame as the map, in my example its sp_damagepy_02.txt
The txt must contain the files you want to include in the bsp. For example if you want to add two custom sound (mind the different and / separators in the paths!):
sound/damagepy/music1.mp3
e:JATEKValveSteamSteamAppscommonportal 2sdk_contentmapsmusicmusic1.mp3
sound/damagepy/cavesound.mp3
f:whatevermysoundscustomsound_cave.mp3

to add a file it needs 2 row (paired), so to add 3 custom thing, the txt must have 3x2=6 row:
The first row is the path inside the bsp where you want to add it
The second is the path to the file, can be anywhere, as I showed in the 2nd custom sound example
(btw sound can be mp3, must be 44100 khz 128 bit, and must be in a sound dir, since in an ambient_generic, I can only specify its location as damagepy/music1.mp3, portal automatically search it in a sound path)
Must make it for every included file.

Thats all, when you compile the map, it will automatically add the files to the bsp. Check the log after compiling for errors (if you have some blank/empty line at the end of the .txt or it can't find the files, it gives an error)
This is my method, after setup, then everything is automatic, just compile the map with F9 as normally, the only difference is that you need to launch the map in Portal 2 on your own.
IF you make a new map, the only thing you need to do is to manage it's .txt file, if you use the same resources as your other map, just copy/rename its .txt...