Integrating TWP Advertising into workshop
Although I am aware of how to place items as overlays in Hammer, I would like to go back and retrospectively edit some of my maps to include a TWP advertisement as a thank you for the extra plays my maps have had, however for obvious reasons I am reluctant to unpublish all of my maps and republish them so I would like if possible to create a custom item within the editor that would allow me to overlay the advertisement and still keep the upload and compile within the editor. I am aware of how to pack the textures into the BSP
I currently already use HMW's addons. I don't use the square warm light so I would be happy to replace that with the ad (I currently use zivi7's ratman style ad mostly so I'd be happy with that as my only choice)
So is there any way to achieve this?
Just edit the instance for one of your pre placed cubes, then just rotate by changing it to laser and back. Idk how you'll pack it, though.
I would help you out with this however I have to go to work right now, then I need to make a puzzle for my contest map
but you could ask Carlto give you his autopacking exe and integrate a new item into the editor items for you to place those
it really wont be that difficult
Fudepacker! Thats what you use to pack things in PTI maps. Go DL it, its in the P2 other files section. Not sure how to use it though.
As for placing it in the map, you can just edit the square light instance (mapsinstances_hmwptisquare_light_warm.vmf) and replace its contents with a 128x128 brush + overlay. (The brush is necessary because the overlay needs a surface to attach to.)
Additionally, in your editoritems.txt, you need to look up the "ITEM_SQUARE_LIGHT" section and remove the whole block starting with "EmbedFace". This will remove the four sections of wall around the square light so you can use the whole 128x128 surface for your ad.
Other Portal 2 maps: Medusa Glare
Portal 1 maps: Try Anything Twice | Manic Mechanic
I already use fudgepacker so adjusting to that won't be an issue 
Also, Zivi's ad is 512x256, would a 128x128 brush be sufficient for a material of those dimensions?
Also, Zivi's ad is 512x256, would a 128x128 brush be sufficient for a material of those dimensions?
I doubt it, but a 512x256 brush might be...
and that is 4 panels high, 2 wide. But I think a 128 brush with it on it would work, because it might just flow on to the other brushes when the map spawns.
If you want it to span across multiple cells, then you need to make more extensive changes to the item's definition in editoritems.txt. The definition for the large observation window should provide a decent starting point.
(Personally I would go with 256x128. 512x256 is quite huge for an image like that. It will also look better up close, if you scale it down a bit.)
An overlay doesn't automatically extend onto adjacent brushes. You really need to insert a brush of that size in the instance.
Other Portal 2 maps: Medusa Glare
Portal 1 maps: Try Anything Twice | Manic Mechanic
Ok, thank you all for your advice I'll have a play and see what I can do
Ok, sorry to be a further nuisance but I haven't got a clue what I'm doing here either with the editoritems.txt or square light VMF