.Map :: MoHAA Mapping

You could always just use a nodraw or caulk and make it nonsolid in the surface properties I suppose . . . that would at least save it from having to render textures on the outside of the skybox where no one will see them.

I'm still wondering about the vis compiling. I don't think that ever got explained. Sometimes mine takes a really long time too. I'm still kind of struggling with good lighting that isn't ambient.

I always use caulk on my skyboxes and it works just fine. It's only when I make a ginormous skybox that it doesn't work very well. But I learned lol.

mffpetergriffin wrote:I'm still wondering about the vis compiling. I don't think that ever got explained. Sometimes mine takes a really long time too. I'm still kind of struggling with good lighting that isn't ambient.

I always use caulk on my skyboxes and it works just fine. It's only when I make a ginormous skybox that it doesn't work very well. But I learned lol.

Been explained numerous times and using caulk on your skybox means jack sh#t
Detail anything that does not block (vis)ibility ....the clues are there.
Other than walls/floors etc anything else should be detail.

Actually the issue that started this thread with the vis compiling taking forever never was explained in this thread. Also, the stock maps have caulk all over the place, including on the outsides of the skyboxes. I don't care if it means jack sh#t or not, it works just fine.

Was a bit harsh with my last reply.
Basicaly the vis stage taking a long time is primarily because the mapper has not detailed enough of his/her brushes, also complex brushes are difficult and time consuming for the compiler to work out.

Yes I did some detailing and it made a world of different. I also looked at the stock maps and noticed some things. At what point do you use the VIS caulk?

I personaly never used vis caulk, however I did make use of area portals and manual vis (vis leafgroups)
As all these things were used to optimize the map performance, I doubt if it is as much a problem now as the game is old and technology has developed to such an extent that fps issues should be a thing of the past with this game.
I loved this game for many a year and spent countless hours mapping for it but alas the game unfortunatley has had its day.
It doesn't help that I have shi#y vista that for some reason doesn't let me play the game let alone map for it anymore.

Yeah, the VIS leafgroup thing. I see that in the stock maps all over the place but I have no idea what key/values to put it to make it do anything. My FPS is in the 90s give or take for most of my map. There is one section with a lot of juniper trees and FPS drops to high teens. It's not laggy or anything but I was just wondering if the leafgroup thing would do any good there. I checked out Snowy Park to see what was done and they did the leafgroups like crazy there.

Using vis leafs, you don't unless you want to have to give key - targets, with 2 'blocks' of vis you simply select 1 then the ofther and press crtl k (i'm going off of memory here I think its right).
It still gets confusing and I would advise you testing in a simple map to get used to the basic principle.

How would I know if it did anything? Would my FPS be that much better?