Most efficient way to update a symmetrical map?

Collaide

L2: Junior Member
Oct 14, 2015
58
3
I've been in the process of updating my map for a long while, but I've never started working. The reason being I don't know how to do it in the most efficient way and I don't want to waste too much time.

Can anyone answer from their own experience?:
Is it faster to update and change your SYMMETRICAL map by updating both halves manually, or deleting a half and replacing it with a copy later on?
 
Last edited:

Micnax

Back from the dead (again)
aa
Apr 25, 2009
2,109
1,585
@Crash showed an awesome example of doing it in his mapping videos, where you place a skip brush filling your map's width and height exactly (with the centre handles matching the symmetry line), selecting your objects and the skip brush, then either rotating it to the other side or flipping horizontal (depending on which symmetry it is)

The video explains it better:
 

Collaide

L2: Junior Member
Oct 14, 2015
58
3
You didn't really answer my question, but rather assumed I don't know how to rotate/mirror a map.

I already made the map, and I'm going to UPDATE it.
 

Crowbar

Spiritual preprocessor
aa
Dec 19, 2015
1,455
1,297
But really, answer a question: what is faster: change it twice or once and copy?
 

theatreTECHIE

Yet another Techie for the net...
aa
Jun 19, 2015
446
457
You could keep two vmf files - one contains all the geometry for one side of the map, and one contains the whole map. This would only be good for maps still in alpha, where layouts change massively. For late alpha and after, just use the method crash shows in the video, since this can also be used with brushwork as well as props.
 

Crash

func_nerd
aa
Mar 1, 2010
3,315
5,499
For individual props yes, but not for major layout changes.

Delete what you want to change on one side and select everything that is replacing it and rotate it over. I did this through the entire development of Glassworks, which had a ton of layout changes.
 

Yrr

An Actual Deer
aa
Sep 20, 2015
1,308
2,743
I like to put each side of the map into a visgroup (sometimes I'll even have like "Red Geo" "Red Clipping" "Red Vis" "Red Logic" seperately).

I'll pick a side to update and, when I'm done and it comes time to mirror the changes, I'll hide the side I updated (and any gamemode logic) and delete the rest, then copy the visgroups, mirror, and rename appropriately.

I actually often put Gamemode logic and anything that doesn't need to be mirrored (ie props that are different on each side) into their own visgroups that I hide while doing the mirroring so that they don't get affected.

Using visgroups also helps with retexturing a side at a time since I can copy Red side, then hide the original Red side and replace all Red textures with Blu to make texturing Blu side easy.