PortalFlow... DIE

Queops

L2: Junior Member
Apr 30, 2008
77
3
OMG...
I tried everything I know but when I try to compile the map it gets stuck at 9 . . . on PortalFlow phase... Help please? :|||||

Thanks.
 

Queops

L2: Junior Member
Apr 30, 2008
77
3
It compiled after 5 minutes almost (with VVIS)... What the heck is this? It used to compile it all on 30 seconds. Anything I can do to improve it?
 

Apom

L6: Sharp Member
Sep 14, 2008
366
65
5 minutes of VVIS ? Ugh, that's a lot, but it's quite possible if you have large areas with large connections (outdoors etc.). Or too many visleafs (happens if you have too much world geometry when it should be func_detailed).

In the second case, using func_detail is the smart thing to do. You should always do it anyways.

For both problems, using hint brushes can help you.
 

Vigilante212

L420: High Member
Dec 21, 2008
481
33
If it worked before and isnt working now chances are you have a problem with your map. Use the look for errors thing and find any bad brushes.
 

UKCS-Alias

Mann vs Machine... or... Mapper vs Meta?
aa
Sep 8, 2008
1,264
816
May i give another hint: if you are only making a version to test lighting or other effects and arent making it a final version use the fast option for compiles. this skips the portalflow step. However, never release a final map with a fast compile as then your map will be alot more laggy.

Still, using hints and func_details can be usefull. You can check if the leafs are simplified by loading the portalfile in hammer. the more blue lines you see, the more leafs you have. and each leaf increases the compile time. However, dont be overkill in trying to get rid of them, leafs are also used in reducing the ammount you can see which improves performance.
 
T

The Asylum

I'm a little confused now. If hint brushes tell the engine what to draw and not to draw stuff that isn't visible, what's the point of using areaportals?

Though if I can reduce my Meleefort VVIS compile time from 1 hour to 5 minutes, I'm all for hint brushes
 

Nineaxis

Quack Doctor
aa
May 19, 2008
1,767
2,820
Hint doesn't do that. Hint brushes tell vvis to cut visleaves along that face.

Areaportals determine whether or not an area is drawn based on the player's view.

Vvis should not take more than 2 minutes if your map is properly optimised. If you're not sure where to start, look at a decompiled valve map with only world geometry (minus displacements, plus areaportals) to get an idea of what needs to be done.
 

Apom

L6: Sharp Member
Sep 14, 2008
366
65
Hint brushes allow the engine to not draw visleaves that can not be seen from the visleaf you are in. This computation happens at compile time, so there is no extra cost at run time, only benefit.

Area portals allow the engine to not draw visleaves that can not be seen from the exact position of the player. This is more accurate (because a point position can only see less than a whole visleaf), but the computation happens at run time, so there is an extra cost to it (which sometimes is higher than the benefit of what you avoid drawing).
 

theydidntnameme

L1: Registered
Jan 2, 2009
40
8
i have a question! when you use hint brushes to split leaves, does vvis construct leaves around your hint brushes? or does it create leaves like normal, and then at the end create extra splits along the hint planes?
 

Apom

L6: Sharp Member
Sep 14, 2008
366
65
First option, hint brushes are taken into account before the actual leaf building process. So you should use hint brushes not only to help VVIS do smart visleaves (diagonal cuts around corners for instance), but also to prevent him from doing stupid ones (like cutting through doors that aren't areaportaled).