Optimization help

That's the plan

L4: Comfortable Member
Jul 8, 2018
183
38
I can't test my map because it never finished compiling. It always gets stuck on the "portal flow" section of the compile, and then just crashes hammer. I tried to open up the portal-file for the map to optimize it but that won't work either. I can't even get a copy of the compile log because it just crashes hammer every time. Help?
 

That's the plan

L4: Comfortable Member
Jul 8, 2018
183
38
Try to use the Compile Pal, if it continues to crash, then your problem is in the portals themselves and you should fix this problem on your map in hammer
Never used compile pal before. I tried compiling the map in compile pal but it didn't run after.
 

Da Spud Lord

Occasionally I make maps
aa
Mar 23, 2017
1,339
994
You should be able to fetch your compile log from the <mapname>.log file within the same folder as your VMF. I think it puts the compile log there even when it crashes, although I could be wrong.

Also, check your Alt-P problem checker.

Also also, are you using func_detail appropriately?
 

worMatty

Repacking Evangelist
aa
Jul 22, 2014
1,257
999
Visibility optimisation is a step in your design and finishing process which requires knowledge of how VVIS calculates visibility. I suggest you take some time to read and digest some guides.

In brief, though: The portal flow step commonly takes too long because there are a lot of visleaves (the shapes which are made up of individual portals, or 'sides') which can see each other. VVIS needs to spend time on each corner of each portal to see what other corners of other portals it can see. The more portals that can see each other, the longer it takes. That counts for both small to medium areas and very large areas. The program which creates the portals in the first place is actually VBSP. If you perform a VBSP-only compile (no VVIS or lighting), you can load the map's portal file using the option in Hammer's menu, which shows the portals as blue shapes. Look for places where there are a high number of portals in a small space and try to reduce them. Then look at your larger, open spaces and have a think about which portals can see each other. You may need to partition some areas so that the portals can't see each other as much.

VVIS should only take five minutes at most. See what you can find out and post your progress.