Setting up your pk3's

[Drofder2004]

I am quickly typing this as it seems people don't know how to create the pk3 properly.
On the maps page 43 out of 59 maps have at least one error.
The errors range from small errors such as 'extra (unnecessary) files' or 'no arena or levelshot files' to larger errors mainly including the 'map or bak' files with the pk3.

Quick tutorials on pk3 creation
Create a folder on you desktop (or other)called "PK3 Creation" for the pk3 folders to be placed.

This is the list of folders that at least should be included...

/maps/mp/ {- This folder should contain BSP and GSC files (A bsp file is your compiled map and your GSC files are scripting for your map)
/mp/ {- This folder should contain your ARENA file (An arena file is used to add the map to the 'Start New Server' menu in CoD)
/levelshots/ {- This folder should contain a DDS levelshot (a levelshot is also known as loading screen. This folder and file is not a must)

Other folders that can be included in your pk3 include...

/sound/ {- This folder should contain any sounds that will be used in your map
/soundaliases {- this folder conatins the CSV files that load the sounds for your map
/textures/<textures>/ {- This folder contains custom textures (DDS format), <textures> to be replaced by the folder name you've used

*Do not include your MAP or BAK files in your pk3 as they can be used to alter you map*
Also, do not include any files that are created during the compile process (obviously except BSP). This includes LIN, POLY and PRT.

Once you have everything in the correct folder, you have a choice of 3 programs to use for creating the pk3.
WinZip, WinRaR or PakScape all which are free (either as freeware or shareware/trialware).

Pakscape instructions

Open PakScape and select File then New (CTRL+N)
Drag and Drop all folders in to the blank window.
Then select File then Save As. Add you map name and change filetype to pk3.

Pakscape is a freeware utility for creatin PAK and PK3 files and can be found on ModsOnline... HERE only 100kb and no installer.

Done
Edit: Removed WinRaR and winzip nistructions as problems arise from using it. Use Pakscape, its easier and successful.

[Drofder2004]

The maps with those errors, small or large

Green Least Important
Red - Most Important

bc_bocli - No levelshot
cj_change - Extra Files including 'bak' file
cj_cow - Extra Files
cj_hallwayofdoom - Extra Files and no levelshots/arena files
cj_hornet - Additional map file is corrupt, extra folder and files
cj_quick - Extra files including 'bak' file and Peds_Puzzle levelshot
cj_wolfsworld - Extra files including 'bak' file
dawnjump - Extra files including 'bak' file and no levelshots/arena files
doorway - Extra files including 'bak' file
easyrun - Extra files and no levelshot/arena files.
germanjump - Extrafiles including 'bak' file
greenjump - Extra files including 'bak' file and no levelshots/arena files
illjump - Extra files including 'bak' files and no levelshots/arena files
jm_corridor - Extra files including 'bak' file and no levelshots file
jm_crispy - No levelshots file
jm_infiniti - Extra files including 'bak' file and no levelshots/arena file
jm_krime - Extra files including 'bak' file, files in wrong place and missing files
jm_ladder - Extra files
jm_milestone - Comes with 'map' file (Is it meant to?)
jm_rikku - Extra file (Thumbs.db)
jm_room - Extra files
jm_sic - Corrupt?
jm_titan - Extra files including 'bak' file and no arena file
jm_uzi - Extra files
ladderway - Extra files including 'bak' file
mixjump - Extra files including 'bak' file
mp_hochhaus - Extra files including 'bak' file and no levelshots file
peds_bathroom - Extra files
peds_f4a - Extra files
peds_puzzle - Extra files including 'bak' file
peds_puzzle_race - Extra files
ptg - No levelshots file
pyro_jump_new - No levelshots/arena file
rrak - No levelshots file
speedjump - Extra files including 'bak' file
waterjump - Extra files including 'bak' file and no levelshots/arena file
zaithouse - Extra files including 'map' file and no levelshots/arena file
zaitjump - Extra files including 'map' file and no levelshots/arena file
zaitroofs - Extra files including 'bak' file
zaittower - Extra files including 'map' file and no levelshots/arena file
zaittower2 - Extra files including 'bak' file
zaitwater - Extra files including 'map' file and no levelshots/arena file
zaitway - Extra files including 'map' file and no levelshots/arena file

[Koekie]

jm_rikku - Extra file (Thumbs.db)
isn't this automatically made by windows, when you set the view-type to miniature?

[Drofder2004]

jm_rikku - Extra file (Thumbs.db)
isn't this automatically made by windows, when you set the view-type to miniature?

Yes.
This file is the folder file (if you change the folder layout etc, it gets given a hidden file called thumbs.db)
Its nots meant to be in the pk3, but the pk3 is not harmed by it being there (I believe those files are less than 1kb).

Its not worth getting in a fuss about and changing the file. If you were to change this file, you would have to reupload it everywhere, and everyone would have to redownload it (as the pk3 would be different causing a Pak Sum mismatch error)

The post is ment to be for informative reasons only, except the ones that contain the map file/bak file as these will lead to people 'editing' the map itself. Only give the map file if your prepared to allow people to steal your work

[Dan2k3k4]

KillerSam you probably have alot of custom maps in your main folder and CoD reads your pk3 but then reads 20 or 30 more pk3s... and so it doesnt show in the DM because I think you can only have a max of 20 maps or something in each category
You could try moving all your custom pk3s to a file called Customs... mines in CoD/Main/Customs and CoD wont read anything in there or it wont do anything with the stuff in there Meh hope that helps

And Drofder nice work! And I dont see my maps up there for errors yay! <3

Oh and the Levelshots dont need to be .DDS format... .JPEG works too so I guess .JPEG should work for textures as well? And I think .TGA works for textures too? But I guess if you used .JPEG for textures you wont be able to make it fully solid or w/e sorta thing

[Guest]

Thanks for your help!
I still cant get the map to show, i have no clue what "worldspawn" is but it sounds important, I have 2 DM spawn points and DM intermisson. I dont have a clue either what a DM intermission is but i understand that i need one so i randomly placed one in a room.
I followed your advice and moved all non standard maps to a folder called custom (this freed some room as i did have rather alot).
I tried creating the PK3 again, I placed it in CoD/main, opened the game , selected start new server, DM, turned pure off but could not find my map.
Is it possible that the other files that where created (polys and stuff) could be interefeering with this? I tried moving the bsp and .bak, .map files completely out of my CoD folder and still got the same.
Once again thanks for your quick reply

[Pedsdude]

I didn't know back in the day when I made my previous maps that I only needed the .bsp file I thought the other ones were to do with lighting or something!

[Dan2k3k4]

Intermissions are basically that camera view you see when you join the server... its also the same view for when they map ends and it shows the scores so a DM intermission would only work on DM etc.

Im not too sure why its not showing up in your DM folder thing tho But if you just want to test the map then I would use console and type:
/g_gametype dm; devmap sams_map
or w/e the bsp file name is

Also are you sure your Arena file is named exactly the same as your BSP file? so if your bsp file was: sams_map.bsp then the arena file needs to be: sams_map.arena
Im not 100% sure but w/e

[Drofder2004]

Ok, I had problems trying it with WinRaR lately also although I have got it to work a while ago. Use PakScape (its in my initial post) and do exactly the same and save as a Quake3 (pk3) file.

Worldspawn is so you have natural light in your map... There is a tool on modsonline.com (use their search feature, its in the downloads category somewhere).

I couldn't be arsed to read all of the above posts in full, so if I've missed something, reply again.

[Guest]

you where right, i used pakscape and it worked!
I have no idea why since the pk3 was the same letter for letter. Still it worked so thats cool . Dam winrar.

[Luke]

You don't need winrar, pakscape or anything else to make a pk3, if you go to My Computer, then tools > folder options, and under the view tab uncheck the "hide extensions for known file types" button and from now on your files will display the extensions which you can change by simply renaming. so all you need to do is zip all the map files, and rename it to yourmap.pk3

[Drofder2004]

You don't need winrar, pakscape or anything else to make a pk3, if you go to My Computer, then tools > folder options, and under the view tab uncheck the "hide extensions for known file types" button and from now on your files will display the extensions which you can change by simply renaming. so all you need to do is zip all the map files, and rename it to yourmap.pk3

So you need winzip.

Why use winzip if you can have winrar (does winzip and more) or pakscape (does winzip and more)

[Luke]

So you need winzip.

Not if you have windows xp.

[Luke]

That was posted 2 months ago, whats with the random replies old topics?

[Drofder2004]

That was posted 2 months ago, whats with the random replies old topics?

I removed the post as obviously it was the same lame spammer as always (except without links )