A prop question

[Smyger]

So, I'm at alpha stage on my map, and I have a lot of prop_static's placed out, around the map. The reason is that the maps is supposed to ahavea great quantity of containers in it, so it's necessary. The problem I haev is that since there's a limit for how many prop_static you can have in your map, is there any other way I can make these containers?

I thought I could make a texture, and them do some brushwork, but I'm a sucker at making textures.

I also thought about making them prop_detail, and then filling them with a nodraw block. Will that work? Will it make it look strange?

If you have any ideas of how to do this(I'm sure you do, I'm just to new to this to do myself)

Thanks.

 

[grazr]

If you have any modelling experience i guess you could create a prop that has several containers as a single model. You must have a LOT of models to be worried about your prop count.

 

[Psy]

As far as I'm aware, you can have as many static props as you like. There isn't any hard limit.

 

[YM]

The limit is in the thousands so if you are having a problem then I'd suggest that you're over using that prop and might want to consider cutting back rather than making alternatives

 

[Sgt Frag]

If you can get the model converter to work you could import the model into 3d program and combine several of them into on model.

But like Youme said, that's alot of containers

I have Vista, can't get the model converter to work. I think it probably works with XP. If you are using alot of these that's probably not a bad thing to do anyway.

 

[Smyger]

The limit is in the thousands so if you are having a problem then I'd suggest that you're over using that prop and might want to consider cutting back rather than making alternatives

Hehe, thanks. I thought it was in the hundreds. That's what a friend said anyway.

But if I have this many big props, will it affect how well it runs? How about the optimization?

 

[YM]

As long as the prop isn't overly complex you could probably get away with rendering 100-300 in one area (depending on how powerfull your PC is, but you always have to cater for those with lower end PCs)
As long as you make sure visgroups are cut up properly and you're making proper use of area portals then you should be fine using lots of props as nowhere near all of them will be rendered at once.

If you wan't a good reference, jump into a stock map and take a look at each area, you'll see they don't use as many props as people might think. I suspect that in dustbowl your PC renders an average of 75-150 props for each area

 

[Ziggurat]

http://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Prop_Types_Overview#Differences_in_prop_types

here's a chart.