QuArK FAQ and Troubleshooting

QuArK FAQ and Troubleshooting
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This section covers common QuArK problems and their solutions.

Configuration Issues

Getting inexplicable errors when exporting? Here is a checklist of settings to fix common configuration errors.

In the main Quark window, make sure that you have Torque selected in the Games pull-down menu as shown below.

Select Torque Game Type
In the Configuration... panel, ensure the following setting are correct:
- "Output Map format" is set to Valve 220
- Make sure the path listed "Directory of Torque files" matches the location that is your working directory.
- Make sure the path listed "Default directory of build programs" is actually the directory containing map2dif. This should be /tmpQuark
- Check that the version of map2dif is correctly named.
Choose the Valve 220 Output Format

Modeling FAQ

1. How does QuArK unit scale compare to units in Torque and in the application I am using to make DTS shapes?

How does QuArK unit scale compare to units in Torque and in the application I am using to make DTS shapes?

1 Torque Unit = 32 QuArK Units = 1 3DSMax Unit = 1 Maya Meter

You can alter this by changing the "geometry scale" option in the worldspawn options. The default is 32.

Texturing FAQ

1. I am trying to pull down the Edit menu to Import(copy) my textures into QuArK. When I try to do so, no menu appears!
2. Does QuArK support .PNG textures?
3. Are there any restrictions on texture size?
4. I have changed my textures, but the changes aren't showing up in QuArK! What is going on?

1.	I am trying to pull down the Edit menu to Import(copy) my textures into QuArK. When I try to do so, no menu appears!
	This is a known issue with QuArK 6.4 alpha and some versions of Windows. QuArK 6.3 does not have this problem.
2.	Does QuArK support .PNG textures?
	Not really. QuArK can now add PNG to the add-ons but there are still some "bugs" in the current version. If you need a PNG for transparency, you will need to make a JPG copy to be linked in QuArK to be applied to the brushes and a PNG copy to be placed in the game directory.
3.	Are there any restrictions on texture size?
	Textures must be sized in powers-of-two with a maximum of 512x512 pixels. They do not have to be square but you should not exceed aspect ratios of 8:1. Also, although you can use textures up to 512 pixels, be aware that large textures are memory hogs and can bog down frame rate.
4.	I have changed my textures, but the changes aren't showing up in QuArK! What is going on?
	If you make changes to the source images, you will need to cut and re-import the images in the add-on that is storing your grouped images.

Exporting FAQ

1. I get an error that looks like this:
2. I get an error that looks like this:
3. I get an error that looks like this:
4. I get an error that looks like this:
5. I get an error that looks like this:
6. I get an error that looks like this:
7. My file exports and looks fine, but I get a warning that looks like this:

1.	I get an error that looks like this: Error processing entity brushlist on or near line 17
	Make sure your .map file is being exported in Valve220 format. Map2DIF only accepts maps in Valve220 format. This option can be set in the Torque section of the Quark Configuration panel.
2.	I get an error that looks like this: ::createBaseWinding: Bad face on brush. < 3 points. DMMNOTE: Handle Better?
	This problem usually occurs when vertex locations are arranged in such a way that map2dif finds it impossible to create a valid plane. This is often the result of having the "Don't use floating point coords" option selected in the Quark Configuration. It can also be a result of using an old version of the Map2Dif utility that does not support floating point values.
3.	I get an error that looks like this: There is a problem on this map: Brush Entities (e.g doors and plats) are not valid without any attached polyhedron. Delete these empty entities in the tree view now or the game will crash.
	There are a variety of special Brush Entities that create special instance Brushes in QuArK. Among them are Portal, Detail, and Collision groups. If one of these groups exists but does not have any brushes attached to it, the exporter will likely choke on it.
4.	I get an error that looks like this: CreateBaseWinding: No Point found for Winding
	This is likely due to bad geometry. Having an infinite plane or infinite ray. This usually occurs when some planes of a brush have been deleted but others remain.
5.	I get an error that looks like this: CreateBaseWinding: No Point found for Winding
	This is likely due to bad geometry. Having an infinite plane or infinite ray. This usually occurs when some planes of a brush have been deleted but others remain.
6.	I get an error that looks like this: Error, bad assumption (pEntry-<windings.size()==2(not1) Go smack DMoore(portal 1)
	This error occurs when a portal contains more than one brush, or a complicated brush. Portals should always be simple boxes. This can also happen if a portal is getting split during export. This is a more difficult problem, and usually requires you to play around with your brush hierarchy or rebuild your portals.
7.	My file exports and looks fine, but I get a warning that looks like this: * Number of ambiguous planes (dropped): 1
	This is normal, don't worry about it.

In-Game Problems FAQ

1. Some (or all) of my rooms seem to be almost totally dark!
2. I have lighting set up in my building, but the sunlight is overriding it!
3. I am getting weird lighting artifacts showing through at the edges of my walls or on brush seams.
4. Where my portals should be, I see what appears to be some sort of graphical glitch. It looks sort of like my level is reflected infinitely in a "Hall of Mirrors" effect. Also, I cannot pass through the portal.

1.	Some (or all) of my rooms seem to be almost totally dark!
	Your rooms are sealed in by portals. The sunlights is not illuminating them. This can be to your advantage if you want to have total control over the lighting in the room, but if you have not created any lights in QuArK, the room will completely dark. If you want to custom light the room, just make sure you create light entities (with falloff and intensity values high enough to illuminate the room) in QuArK. Alternately, if you want sunlight to enter the room, find the "don't let ambient light pass" option in the portal options, and uncheck it. This should allow external lighting to effect the interior of the room. The engine will blend the sunlight with the lights defined in QuArK.
2.	I have lighting set up in my building, but the sunlight is overriding it!
	In order to create a room with its own lighting that is linked to the outside, all openings must be portalized. You must create portal brushes that fill all of the openings from the interior. It is likely that you have either forgotten to create portals, or there is a hole in your map that you are unaware of. QuArKprovides a tool to address this issue. The "find holes in map" command will search for leaks in your geometry. Alternately, you may have unchecked the "don't let ambient light pass" option in the portal options. It is selected by default. Some of your lighting will show up in this case, but it will be blended with the sunlight.
3.	I am getting weird lighting artifacts showing through at the edges of my walls or on brush seams.
	There are some strange lightmap scaling issues that can crop up under certain circumstances. Two possible solutions are reducing your lighting scale (in the world spawn entity) and trying to align your brush edges at a distance of a multiple of the lighting scale (for default lighting scale of 32, valid coords are (-64, -32, 0, 32, 64, etc.) For more detailed information on how lighting works, see the lighting section of Desmond Fletcher's quark editing site.
4.	Where my portals should be, I see what appears to be some sort of graphical glitch. It looks sort of like my level is reflected infinitely in a "Hall of Mirrors" effect. Also, I cannot pass through the portal.
	This is what happens when a visible brush is textured with the NULL texture. You probably forgot to put your portal brush inside a portal group entity.

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