a few quick & easy questions

[Bjarne BZR]

12-when i try 2 compile with -staticshadows the compiler seems 2 freeze somewhere in the bsp process can any1 help me with that?

The BSP compile is completely separate from the LIGHT compile. So I'd say it is totally impossible to affect the BSP compile by giving the LIGHT compile the -staticshadows parameter.... that is unless you gave the -staticshadows parameter to the BSP compile and somehow made it crash

13-what happens if i place a hint brush into a wall (structural or detail).
i mean part of it ,not all of it.i want 2 make a hint brush 4 the entry points 2 the undeground in the map.however the entry point is much smaller than the area below it ,so placing a hint brush the size of the entry point would create portals on either side of the hint brush .but if i make it the size of the lower area it wouldnt make portals on either side since the hint would be side by side with the wall,however this would make a part of the wall of the entry point in the hint ,
did any of that make sense? if so then plz answer me,if not then i guess i have 2 post a screenie of what i mean.

It made some traces of sense... I dont think you use the hint brush correctly. And after doing a web search, I concluded that the majority of the tutorial writers on the subject does not even understand it.
But after some more searching I found someone that DID understant it an wrote a nice tut: http://www.planetquake.com/6thfloor/tut ... _brush.htm
But I dont think that "ramming a hint brush into the wall" will cause any problems, but maby elongate the VIS compile as it will need to look at some more leaf grougs and see if any other leaf groups can see it.

14-what is the attitude of other parts of the map that arent done with vis_leafgroups towards them?is it always draw,or never draw ,or draw when u c it?

Its "kind of" drawn when you see it. Well, actually MOH:AA does not give a rats ass if you see it or not, it only cares what the "leaf node" you are currently inside can "see". This is something a lot of people have a hard time getting their heads around, but I think it is explained rather good in the tut above. Read it. And when you understand it: you will become a better mapper, young Jedi

[M&M]

But after some more searching I found someone that DID understant it an wrote a nice tut: http://www.planetquake.com/6thfloor/tut ... _brush.htm

hmm!! master yoga , that even added 2 my confusion . i did understand it though .but there are afew questions in my head that i cant get into words
im trying 2 achieve better fps by either leafgroups or hints

I concluded that the majority of the tutorial writers on the subject does not even understand it.

i agree ,the only few who understand them well are pretty bad at explaining in easy terms .i have like 6 different tuts on my harddrive about hints .yet there is alot of confusion still in my mind .i know how 2 implement hints around corners and other simple situations.but i have a complex problem and i dont know which manvis tool 2 use .

Its "kind of" drawn when you see it. Well, actually MOH:AA does not give a rats ass if you see it or not, it only cares what the "leaf node" you are currently inside can "see".

i know that the map is split into leafnodes ,and which can c what and so on.in my map as u saw ,its almost visible from anywhere (rats,i should have made an indoor map,maybe next one ) .anyways,what im trying 2 do is seperate the only nonvisible part of the map (which is the underground) from the rest of the map (unless u are over an entry point).i used hint brushes and they proved much more effective .i managed 2 make the whole map not draw in key areas which greatly increased the fps in those key areas .however whenever im somewhere near i ladder the whole map is still drawn .i would like it 2 be drawn only when im at the bottom of the ladder or on the ladder if possible.

.... that is unless you gave the -staticshadows parameter to the BSP compile and somehow made it crash

i guess thats what happened .[/quote]

[wacko]

anyways,what im trying 2 do is seperate the only nonvisible part of the map (which is the underground) from the rest of the map (unless u are over an entry point).

errm, this topic is going on for so long now, so maybe I missed something, but why don't u use just two vis_leafgroups then? 1st one is everything on top. 2nd is everything below with cut out rooms under entrypoints. This would do exactly what u describe...

[Bjarne BZR]

however whenever im somewhere near i ladder the whole map is still drawn .i would like it 2 be drawn only when im at the bottom of the ladder or on the ladder if possible.

Well, as I see it, you cant... not unless you:
1) Use vis_leafgroups and get a graphical error when near the ladder looking from one vis_leafgroup to the other.
2) redesign the connections between the 2 areas.
3) Use a LOT of small vis_leafgroups. ( generally a bad idea )

[M&M]

but why don't u use just two vis_leafgroups then? 1st one is everything on top. 2nd is everything below with cut out rooms under entrypoints

doing that would split the map into 2 areas which cant c each other unless near an entry point (exactly what i want).which is good ,but it would override the default settings ,meaning that the what the compiler did (normally does in the vis part) is overlooked.so when i stand in anywhere in the one of the 2 areas ,the whole area im standing in is drawn .if im standing in the upper area,its all drawn ,if im standing in the lower areaa its all drawn .but if i want 2 fix that i have 2 make small vis_leafgroups which are

3) Use a LOT of small vis_leafgroups. ( generally a bad idea )

.

if i manage 2 fix those entry points i could fix the whole area .so far i managed 2 fix one entry point with hint brushes ,so only when i stand directly under the entry point the upper area is drawn.i tried applying the same technique 2 the rest but it didnt work 4 some reason .
if i fail 2 improve on what i did so far,i might release it the way it is.it has a much better fps than b4

[M&M]

after some more work on it .i think im satisfied with the map .but however there is a huge drop of fps in a corridor underground 4 no appearent reason.when i type r_showtris 2 there isnt much that is drawn .however the fps is something like 40 .i cant find out y there is this huge drop ,but i think (my theory) it has 2 do with a console error i keep getting at the start of that corridor
it says

Code: Select all

Spherical lighting: Ran out of space in the sphere array!" 

it appears so much that when u type something into the console u dont c it as its quickly buffered out by this error .

you get that error when you can see too many surfaces that have to be lite . I had a map where you parachuted in and got that error when in the air but ok on the ground

when i type showtris 2 there isnt much surfaces that are drawn which need 2 be lit .so does any1 know y ther is an fps drop or how 2 fix this error?