I'm new to hammer, and I have doing various "experiments" with everything from the particle shooter to trigger_sandbags.

After using light_enviroment succesfully in each of my tests, when it came to messing with light_enviroment, It will no longer display in my compiled maps. light spots still do.

Here is the output of my compile


** Executing...
** Command: Change Directory
** Parameters: "C:\Program Files\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\account@hotmail.com\da y of defeat"


** Executing...
** Command: C:\hltools\zhlt\hlcsg.exe
** Parameters: "c:\sierra\half-life\dod\sound\ambience\light_enviroment_test1"

hlcsg v2.5.3 rel Custom Build 1.7 (Dec 9 2002)
Zoner's Half-Life Compilation Tools -- Custom Build
Based on code modifications by Sean 'Zoner' Cavanaugh
Based on Valve's version, modified with permission.
Submit detailed bug reports to (merlinis@bigpond.net.au)
----- BEGIN hlcsg -----
Command line: C:\hltools\zhlt\hlcsg.exe c:\sierra\half-life\dod\sound\ambience\light_enviroment_test1
Entering c:\sierra\half-life\dod\sound\ambience\light_enviroment_test1.map

Current hlcsg Settings
Name | Setting | Default
---------------------|-----------|-------------------------
threads [ 1 ] [ Varies ]
verbose [ off ] [ off ]
log [ on ] [ on ]
developer [ 0 ] [ 0 ]
chart [ off ] [ off ]
estimate [ off ] [ off ]
max texture memory [ 4194304 ] [ 4194304 ]
priority [ Normal ] [ Normal ]

noclip [ off ] [ off ]
null texture stripping[ on ] [ on ]
clipnode economy mode [ on ] [ on ]
onlyents [ off ] [ off ]
wadtextures [ on ] [ on ]
skyclip [ on ] [ on ]
hullfile [ None ] [ None ]
min surface area [ 0.500 ] [ 0.500 ]
brush union threshold [ 0.000 ] [ 0.000 ]

Using mapfile wad configuration
Wadinclude list :
[zhlt.wad]

0 brushes (totalling 0 sides) discarded from clipping hulls
CreateBrush:
50%... (0.01 seconds)
SetModelCenters:
50%... (0.00 seconds)
CSGBrush:
50%... (0.01 seconds)

Using Wadfile: \sierra\half-life\valve\halflife.wad
- Contains 1 used texture, 25.00 percent of map (3116 textures in wad)
Using Wadfile: \sierra\half-life\dod\dod_northbound.wad
- Contains 1 used texture, 25.00 percent of map (73 textures in wad)
Using Wadfile: \sierra\half-life\dod\dod_saints.wad
- Contains 0 used textures, 0.00 percent of map (87 textures in wad)
Using Wadfile: \sierra\half-life\dod\dod_donner.wad
- Contains 2 used textures, 50.00 percent of map (117 textures in wad)

Texture usage is at 0.15 mb (of 4.00 mb MAX)
0.03 seconds elapsed

----- END hlcsg -----




** Executing...
** Command: C:\hltools\zhlt\hlbsp.exe
** Parameters: "c:\sierra\half-life\dod\sound\ambience\light_enviroment_test1"

hlbsp v2.5.3 rel Custom Build 1.7 (Dec 9 2002)
Zoner's Half-Life Compilation Tools -- Custom Build
Based on code modifications by Sean 'Zoner' Cavanaugh
Based on Valve's version, modified with permission.
Submit detailed bug reports to (merlinis@bigpond.net.au)
----- BEGIN hlbsp -----
Command line: C:\hltools\zhlt\hlbsp.exe c:\sierra\half-life\dod\sound\ambience\light_enviroment_test1

Current hlbsp Settings
Name | Setting | Default
-------------------|-----------|-------------------------
threads [ 1 ] [ Varies ]
verbose [ off ] [ off ]
log [ on ] [ on ]
developer [ 0 ] [ 0 ]
chart [ off ] [ off ]
estimate [ off ] [ off ]
max texture memory [ 4194304 ] [ 4194304 ]
priority [ Normal ] [ Normal ]

noclip [ off ] [ off ]
nofill [ off ] [ off ]
null tex. stripping [ on ] [ on ]
notjunc [ off ] [ off ]
subdivide size [ 240 ] [ 240 ] (Min 64) (Max 512)
max node size [ 1024 ] [ 1024 ] (Min 64) (Max 4096)


BSP generation successful, writing portal file 'c:\sierra\half-life\dod\sound\ambience\light_enviroment_test1.prt '
0.05 seconds elapsed

----- END hlbsp -----




** Executing...
** Command: C:\hltools\zhlt\hlvis.exe
** Parameters: "c:\sierra\half-life\dod\sound\ambience\light_enviroment_test1" -full

hlvis v2.5.3 rel Custom Build 1.7 (Dec 9 2002)
Zoner's Half-Life Compilation Tools -- Custom Build
Based on code modifications by Sean 'Zoner' Cavanaugh
Based on Valve's version, modified with permission.
Submit detailed bug reports to (merlinis@bigpond.net.au)
----- BEGIN hlvis -----
Command line: C:\hltools\zhlt\hlvis.exe c:\sierra\half-life\dod\sound\ambience\light_enviroment_test1 -full
5 portalleafs
8 numportals

-= Current hlvis Settings =-
Name | Setting | Default
-------------------|-----------|-------------------------
threads [ 1 ] [ Varies ]
verbose [ off ] [ off ]
log [ on ] [ on ]
developer [ 0 ] [ 0 ]
chart [ off ] [ off ]
estimate [ off ] [ off ]
max texture memory [ 4194304 ] [ 4194304 ]
max vis distance [ 0 ] [ 0 ]
priority [ Normal ] [ Normal ]

fast vis [ off ] [ off ]
full vis [ on ] [ off ]


BasePortalVis:
50%... (0.00 seconds)
LeafThread:
50%... (0.00 seconds)
average leafs visible: 5
g_visdatasize:15 compressed from 5
0.00 seconds elapsed

----- END hlvis -----




** Executing...
** Command: C:\hltools\zhlt\hlrad.exe
** Parameters: "c:\sierra\half-life\dod\sound\ambience\light_enviroment_test1"

hlrad v2.5.3 rel Custom Build 1.7 (Dec 9 2002)
Zoner's Half-Life Compilation Tools -- Custom Build
Based on code modifications by Sean 'Zoner' Cavanaugh
Based on Valve's version, modified with permission.
Submit detailed bug reports to (merlinis@bigpond.net.au)
----- BEGIN hlrad -----
Command line: C:\hltools\zhlt\hlrad.exe c:\sierra\half-life\dod\sound\ambience\light_enviroment_test1

-= Current hlrad Settings =-
Name | Setting | Default
--------------------|---------------------|-------------------------
threads [ 1 ] [ Varies ]
verbose [ off ] [ off ]
log [ on ] [ on ]
developer [ 0 ] [ 0 ]
chart [ off ] [ off ]
estimate [ off ] [ off ]
max texture memory [ 4194304 ] [ 4194304 ]
priority [ Normal ] [ Normal ]

vismatrix algorithm [ Original ] [ Original ]
oversampling (-extra)[ off ] [ off ]
bounces [ 1 ] [ 1 ]
ambient light [ 0.000 0.000 0.000 ] [ 0.000 0.000 0.000 ]
maximum light [ 255.000 ] [ 256.000 ]
circus mode [ off ] [ off ]

smoothing threshold [ 50.000 ] [ 50.000 ]
direct threshold [ 25.000 ] [ 25.000 ]
direct light scale [ 2.000 ] [ 2.000 ]
coring threshold [ 1.000 ] [ 1.000 ]
patch interpolation [ on ] [ on ]

texscale [ on ] [ on ]
patch subdividing [ on ] [ on ]
chop value [ 64.000 ] [ 64.000 ]
texchop value [ 32.000 ] [ 32.000 ]

global fade [ 1.000 ] [ 1.000 ]
global falloff [ 2 ] [ 2 ]
global light scale [ 1.000 1.000 1.000 ] [ 1.000 1.000 1.000 ]
global gamma [ 0.500 0.500 0.500 ] [ 0.500 0.500 0.500 ]
global light scale [ 1.000 ] [ 1.000 ]
global sky diffusion [ 1.000 ] [ 1.000 ]

opaque entities [ on ] [ on ]
sky lighting fix [ on ] [ on ]
incremental [ off ] [ off ]
dump [ off ] [ off ]

colour jitter [ 0.0 0.0 0.0 ] [ 0.0 0.0 0.0 ]
monochromatic jitter [ 0.0 0.0 0.0 ] [ 0.0 0.0 0.0 ]
softlight hack [ 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 ] [ 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 ]
diffuse hack [ on ] [ on ]
spotlight points [ on ] [ on ]

custom shadows with bounce light
[ off ] [ off ]
rgb transfers [ off ] [ off ]


184 faces
Create Patches : 3352 base patches
0 opaque faces
39139 square feet [5636096.00 square inches]
4 direct lights

BuildFacelights:
10%...20%...30%...40%...50%...60%...70%...80%...90 %... (0.80 seconds)
visibility matrix : 0.7 megs
BuildVisLeafs:
20%...40%...60%...80%... (1.98 seconds)
MakeScales:
10%...20%...30%...40%...50%...60%...70%...80%...90 %... (3.35 seconds)
SwapTransfers:
10%...20%...30%...40%...50%...60%...70%...80%...90 %... (2.04 seconds)
Transfer Lists : 8279484 : 8.28M transfers
Indices : 440276 : 429.96k bytes
Data : 33117936 : 31.58M bytes
Bounce 1 GatherLight:
10%...20%...30%...40%...50%...60%...70%...80%...90 %... (1.06 seconds)
FinalLightFace:
10%...20%...30%...40%...50%...60%...70%...80%...90 %... (0.59 seconds)
9.88 seconds elapsed

----- END hlrad -----




** Executing...
** Command: Copy File
** Parameters: "c:\sierra\half-life\dod\sound\ambience\light_enviroment_test1.bsp" "C:\Program Files\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\account@hotmail.com\da y of defeat\dod\maps\light_enviroment_test1.bsp"


** Executing...
** Command: Copy File
** Parameters: "c:\sierra\half-life\dod\sound\ambience\light_enviroment_test1.pts" "C:\Program Files\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\account@hotmail.com\da y of defeat\dod\maps\light_enviroment_test1.pts"

Any ideas anyone, this kinda puts the stoppers on everything else that I'd like experiment with.

Might sound stupid but you need at least one brush covered on all sides with the sky texture.

Do you have this in you map still?

For example, if you have a simple box map then the top brush should be the sky brush. Also check the pitch property as well ... set it to around -45 for a nice angled down effect for casting shadows.

aha, I see what I was doing wrong now thanks to your post hairspray. I did indeed have a brush for the sky, however I had used the texture application tool to apply the sky texture to just one face of the brush, the underside. I had to apply the sky texture to all sides of the brush before the lighting would work.
Thankyou for your help.
Oh and thanks for the great tutorials I've been using from www.mardymouse.co.uk