A few mapping questions!

[Smokin]

What are the advantages of the skybox?
How dose it effect the performace of bsp and anything else that is rendered in it?

How bad is having 2 BSP blocks overlaping as i have a map that i am making and it seems to stall in the VIS compiling stage or it is taken an extra long time. The map use to take around 6 to 10 hours to compile but now i have had it compiling for 12+ hours and it stalled around 25% of the longest compiling task, the computer had not froozen and the VIS was still using CPU when i ended the the program the map still compiled only the light isnt very good.

http://members.iinet.net.au/~hyoung2/

 

[The_One_Free_Man]

sky boxes make it so you can have outdoor maps or indoor maps with windows. uh it dont think it alters anything in it, im talking about the 2d sky box the 3d sky box im having trouble with.

 

[Unarmed]

The 3d skybox is nice since it as has been previously stated does the same thing as a 2D skybox but much better. It makes youtdoor enviroments look a lot nicer... I don't know about the performane effects in detail but i know its usually "cheaper" to have a skybox.

Also. I am hoping that you are trying to compile a pre-source map because a source map shuold not take long. If you are indeed using pre-source things, then the 3D sky is ofcourse not avalible to you.

Also. Keep bsp blocks form overlapping when possible,. Vis also takes time although 12 hours is extreme. send us the compile log and we'll tell you whats wrong.

 

[Smokin]

** Executing...
** Command: "d:\program files\valve\steam\steamapps\smokin408\sourcesdk\bin\vbsp.exe"
** Parameters: -game "d:\program files\valve\steam\steamapps\smokin408\counter-strike source\cstrike" "D:\Program Files\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\smokin408\sourcesdk_content\hl2\mapsrc\Map2"

Valve Software - vbsp.exe (Jan 19 2005)
1 threads
materialPath: d:\program files\valve\steam\steamapps\smokin408\counter-strike source\cstrike\materials
Loading D:\Program Files\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\smokin408\sourcesdk_content\hl2\mapsrc\Map2.vmf
fixing up env_cubemap materials on brush sides...
ProcessBlock_Thread: 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (2)
ProcessBlock_Thread: 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (3)
Processing areas...done (0)
Building Faces...done (0)
FixTjuncs...
PruneNodes...
WriteBSP...
done (3)
writing D:\Program Files\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\smokin408\sourcesdk_content\hl2\mapsrc\Map2.prt...done (0)
Creating default cubemaps for env_cubemap using skybox sky_wasteland02...
Run buildcubemaps in the engine to get the correct cube maps.
Finding displacement neighbors...
Finding lightmap sample positions...
Displacement Alpha : 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10
Building Physics collision data...
done (1) (984387 bytes)
Emitting linux collision data (use -nolinuxdata to disable).
Building Physics collision data...
done (1) (1100089 bytes)
Error! prop_static using model "models/props_c17/FurnitureDrawer001a.mdl", which must be used on a dynamic entity (i.e. prop_physics). Deleted.
Error loading studio model "models/props_c17/FurnitureDrawer001a.mdl"!
Placing detail props : 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10
Writing D:\Program Files\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\smokin408\sourcesdk_content\hl2\mapsrc\Map2.bsp
19 seconds elapsed
Memory leak: mempool blocks left in memory: 48 <---- (Is this a Problem)
Memory leak: mempool blocks left in memory: 4 <---- (Is this a Problem)

** Executing...
** Command: "d:\program files\valve\steam\steamapps\smokin408\sourcesdk\bin\vvis.exe"
** Parameters: -game "d:\program files\valve\steam\steamapps\smokin408\counter-strike source\cstrike" "D:\Program Files\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\smokin408\sourcesdk_content\hl2\mapsrc\Map2"

Valve Software - vvis.exe (Dec 15 2004)
1 threads
reading d:\program files\valve\steam\steamapps\smokin408\sourcesdk_content\hl2\mapsrc\Map2.bsp
reading d:\program files\valve\steam\steamapps\smokin408\sourcesdk_content\hl2\mapsrc\Map2.prt
3841 portalclusters
11158 numportals
BasePortalVis: 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (102)
PortalFlow: 0...1...2 (This is where it freezes)
** Executing...
** Command: "d:\program files\valve\steam\steamapps\smokin408\sourcesdk\bin\vrad.exe"
** Parameters: -game "d:\program files\valve\steam\steamapps\smokin408\counter-strike source\cstrike" "D:\Program Files\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\smokin408\sourcesdk_content\hl2\mapsrc\Map2"

Valve Software - vrad.exe (Mar 8 2005)
----- Radiosity Simulator ----
1 threads
[Reading texlights from 'lights.rad']
[1 texlights parsed from 'lights.rad']

Loading d:\program files\valve\steam\steamapps\smokin408\sourcesdk_content\hl2\mapsrc\Map2.bsp
No vis information, direct lighting only.
12832 faces
545296 square feet [78522672.00 square inches]
6 displacements
346 square feet [49839.56 square inches]
29 direct lights
BuildFacelights: 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (183)
Build Patch/Sample Hash Table(s).....Done<0.0490 sec>
FinalLightFace: 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (1)
FinalLightFace Done
Ready to Finish
0 of 0 (0% of) surface lights went in leaf ambient cubes.
ComputePerLeafAmbientLighting: 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10

Object names Objects/Maxobjs Memory / Maxmem Fullness
------------ --------------- --------------- --------
models 43/1024 2064/49152 ( 4.2%)
brushes 6171/8192 74052/98304 (75.3%)
brushsides 44307/65536 354456/524288 (67.6%)
planes 2518/65536 50360/1310720 ( 3.8%)
vertexes 26688/65536 320256/786432 (40.7%)
nodes 8658/65536 277056/2097152 (13.2%)
texinfos 1317/12288 94824/884736 (10.7%)
texdata 63/2048 2016/65536 ( 3.1%)
dispinfos 6/0 1056/0 ( 0.0%)
disp_verts 486/0 9720/0 ( 0.0%)
disp_tris 768/0 1536/0 ( 0.0%)
disp_lmsamples 1416/0 1416/0 ( 0.0%)
faces 12832/65536 718592/3670016 (19.6%)
origfaces 6578/65536 368368/3670016 (10.0%)
leaves 8702/65536 487312/3670016 (13.3%)
leaffaces 14008/65536 28016/131072 (21.4%)
leafbrushes 6997/65536 13994/131072 (10.7%)
surfedges 87616/512000 350464/2048000 (17.1%)
edges 52549/256000 210196/1024000 (20.5%)
worldlights 28/8192 2464/720896 ( 0.3%)
waterstrips 1443/32768 14430/327680 ( 4.4%)
waterverts 0/65536 0/786432 ( 0.0%)
waterindices 23919/65536 47838/131072 (36.5%)
cubemapsamples 2/1024 32/16384 ( 0.2%)
overlays 2/512 704/180224 ( 0.4%)
lightdata [variable] 1920068/0 ( 0.0%)
visdata [variable] 0/16777216 ( 0.0%)
entdata [variable] 41864/393216 (10.6%)
occluders 0/0 0/0 ( 0.0%)
occluder polygons 0/0 0/0 ( 0.0%)
occluder vert ind 0/0 0/0 ( 0.0%)
detail props [variable] 1/12 ( 8.3%)
static props [variable] 1/2614 ( 0.0%)
pakfile [variable] 33829/0 ( 0.0%)

Win32 Specific Data:
physics [variable] 984387/4194304 (23.5%)
==== Total Win32 BSP file data space used: 6411372 bytes ====

Linux Specific Data:
physicssurface [variable] 1100089/6291456 (17.5%)
==== Total Linux BSP file data space used: 6527074 bytes ====

Total triangle count: 35698
Writing d:\program files\valve\steam\steamapps\smokin408\sourcesdk_content\hl2\mapsrc\Map2.bsp
3 minutes, 8 seconds elapsed

** Executing...
** Command: Copy File
** Parameters: "D:\Program Files\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\smokin408\sourcesdk_content\hl2\mapsrc\Map2.bsp" "d:\program files\valve\steam\steamapps\smokin408\counter-strike source\cstrike\maps\Map2.bsp"

 

[Smokin]

Also what would cause this stuff up in the skybox.

 

[Unarmed]

The memory leak is not a problem. I have that all the time. I have no idea why your compile freezes... It should not take more than an hour to compile a source map but still I cant see any errors in the bsp compile process.

Maybe Raeven0 or someone else can spot the problem, i sure cant.

 

[Limpet]

The stuff in the sky looks like you tried doing a 3d skybox but messed up somewhere, or tried removing it but missed something. Maybe a sky_camera

Looks like you need to optimize your map.

 

[Smokin]

Well it dosnt freeze just that for 10 to 12 hours of compiling and it had only compiled a small amount of VIS. I guess I should be asking what is the longest compile time you have had, and how detailed was the map.

 

[Mith']

func_detail is your friend...

 

[Unarmed]

I never have compile times over 25 minutes... and thats for big maps.

 

[Raeven0]

Hmm... TMP has a worse computer than I, and before optimisation it took him something like seven hours to compile a map. I optimised it and compiled it myself for a grand total of 12 minutes.

 

[Unarmed]

That being Magic TMP right?

And as has been previously stated, func_detail is hella good.

 

[Smokin]

Well I have func_detail a fair bit of the BSP work and it worked. The map now compiles in 5 hours, but I have entered another problem I have made a large hollowed room surrounding the map so I dont have any leaks, the only problem is that I think it is casting a shadow over the map. How can i either get rid of it or turn off shadows for certain BSP brushes.

 

[Unarmed]

The hollow room should be deleted instantly. That is the worst way of "fixing" leaks. Keep on recompiling with BSP only and with the room gone and follow the pointfile to find your leak.

This should save you some time on compile aswell

 

[Smokin]

Ok I have another problem, when rescaling my 3dskybox down the textures do not get scaled as well. I am NOT going to resize all of the texture one by one as it will just take to long and it will be the last straw of annoyances with this editor.

Yeah the enigne has cool graphics but compared to the Unreal engine editor Hammer Sux big time.

 

[Limpet]

Select all of the brushes (many was to do this), shift+a, scale.

 

[Raeven0]

If you have the texture-lock on (it's the small tl icon on the top toolbar), there should be no texture issues when scaling.

 

[UltraProAnti]

Also what would cause this stuff up in the skybox.

those tower block models are only skinned on two or three sides. looks like you've got them round the wrong way from here

 

[Smokin]

I would like to thank everyone who replyed to my questions you were al great help. My map now compiles in under 5 mins which is a great help in mapping and i now have the skyworking at around 99% there are very small aligning problems which i will either leave or fix later they are that bad. I have started to add cubemaps to the map so the windows will reflect the world around them now, well half of them do the rest will come.

I would like to ask now if everyone can give the map a tryout and review it if you want so i can fix up any problem that i have missed.
http://members.iinet.net.au/~hyoung2/ApartmentComplex.zip
I am also wanting to try the map out with at least 8 to 16 players in it i have tested it with 4 and find it fun to play, The map plays well with a small amount of player because its a small play area and you start right in the action but there is enough room to sneek around the map without being seen. I would really like to know how the map plays with a good amount of players in it.
I can run a dedicated server on my spare system and i have 1000kbit upload speed so I think i can run a 16 player server based in Sydney Australia if anyone wants to test it with me.

 

[Smokin]

Sorry this was webserver lag doubble post.
And to UltraProAnti that was a stuff up in creating the skybox i wasnt using any building prop models in that build, also i have the problem fixed, But thanks for the help anyway.

 

[Kyorisu]

I'd be willing to play test for you. Shout me on msn or email that adress.

 

[Smokin]

MSN is [email protected] also I have reuploaded a new version of the map with better cubemaps.
http://members.iinet.net.au/~hyoung2/ApartmentComplex.zip

 

[Smokin]

http://members.iinet.net.au/~hyoung2\ApartmentComplex3.zip
This version should look alot better as I dont think vis was compiling on the other version, I didnt realise that Func_detail creates leaks. I have also added bot path file so you can play with a few bots running around.