Questions in need of answers (HL1)

[Colonel Kernel]

1). So, is it a bad thing to make ceiling/floor in a room with a lot of complex angles - i.e. not a square room - from just one single brush?

Or do I have to break it up, in this case on the picture, into three brushes?

2). Are there any consequences of blending together objects from the map, like a crate with a tank or the wall? If I were to make a crate buried half way in sand, should I clip away the side that's "buried"?

OK so this is all I can think of right now. There's maybe more, but I'll ask some other time.

 

[Lobster]

1. From a compiling standpoint you wont have many problems with either, but you may find lighting on the floor/ceiling surfaces looks strange in the first example, as the light can appear like it is disapearing under the brushes marked in red. It doesn't always happen that way, but it can.

2. For stuff like this, it is best to use prop models, as you can safely position them at any angle and clip them through objects without many issues. Using brushes for complicated shapes, will bog down your compile.

However if you do end up using brushes to make unusual shapes for detail objects, turn them into func_detail entities, as this prevents them from slicing up your map.

 

[Colonel Kernel]

Thanks very much. But the thing is, I don't have func_detail listed in ToEntity. Could it be because I'm using the old Half-Life .fgd that comes with Hammer? There are probably newer ones, so I better grab one. I'm not using Spirit of HL, btw.

 

[Barnz]

I don't think he noticed the HL1 tag on your thread title. You can use func_wall instead of func_detail.

 

[Colonel Kernel]

Ah, yeah. Always, but I should avoid objects clipping through other objects, right? So If I'm going to make an object, like a buried crate ^, I should clip away the side that's not normaly seen by the player.

Another thing, in order to reduce r_speeds/lag, how am I to proceed? Should I initially build map brushes out of NULL/clip textures, and then when the map layout is complete, with all the brushwork done, I replace the "inside" faces with the apropriate textures?

Or, simply, how da heck do I build big detailed maps with an r_speed of under ~400-450 wpoly drawn? Is there some kind of specific way of map building that I need to understand first? I'm more concerned to HL1 Deathmatch maps right now.

I've also seen big detail-packed maps (ag_hidden_lab for example) that have an r_speed average of 400-500 wpoly.. I'm probably missing something.

EDIT: I guess the ag_hidden_lab lag is less on a server, compared to run on LAN. How come?

 

[Barnz]

func_wall is no different from standart brush. it's a special brush to avoid VIS from slicing faces in bad way. use it for complex brushes. there is plenty of tricks to keep the r_speeds low.

.you can make short hallways to connect your rooms.
.hint brushes
.make sure you have VIS-friendly brushes.

let me know if you need further help.