func_detail grouping?

[DrHaphazard]

I heard somewhere that its advantageous to group your func_details. I can't really figure out why this might be except maybe to reduce the number of entities in order to stay under the limit?

Is this actually true? If so I guess that means i need to save creating the func_details until the map is very near complete. Otherwise it makes it difficult to manipulate individual pieces of the func_detail.

Alternatively is there any way to turn a func_detail back into a regular brush? I have yet to find any method to do so.

Thanks for any help on this. I have been turning my detailing brushes into func_Details as i went but now i am concerned that i'll have a gazillion of them if I don't group properly.

 

[YM]

If so I guess that means i need to save creating the func_details until the map is very near complete. Otherwise it makes it difficult to manipulate individual pieces of the func_detail.

Nah, jut hit the IG button at the top of the screen, it means you can select only one brush from a group/multiple brush entity.
Just make sure you hit it again before you try to do any entity work.

 

[Scotland Tom]

Let's, for instance, say I make an "I" beam out of 3 brushes. If they aren't serving to seal a part of the map as world geometry It's probably a good idea for me to select all 3 of the brushes at once and turn them into func_details. When I select them again (with the "groups" selection option in the upper right corner) I'll automatically select all 3 brushes with one click. Helpful if you want to move or rotate the brushes as one. This is a personal preference of course; one that's used mostly for organization of map elements. If you don't want to group your details, then there's really no reason for you to do so.

Yes, it's possible to turn it back into a regular world brush. Right next to the "To Entity" button there's a "To World" button. I'll bet you can guess what it does.

 

[DrHaphazard]

Bah I should suck less at mapping i suppose. I bet there was a help topic i could have looked up if i was less lazy.

Thanks guys!

Oh, wait, what about the grouping saving you on entities counts? If you group the brushes and make them all a func_detail at the same time does it create one func_Detail instead of multiples? It only labels the grouped func_detail, which leads me to believe it might only be one.

 

[jamin620]

Yup. Just one.

I always border on max entity counts when I map so I often end up going back and making multiple func_details one entity.

incidentally, I dont know if just grouping does it. you have to actually (crtl-T) tie them all together.

 

[dirtyminuth]

Oh, wait, what about the grouping saving you on entities counts?

Grouping does not save on entity counts. Grouping information is retained in the vmf only, not the bsp. Notice that when you decompile, there are no groups (minus the groupings automatically created (in the Auto visgroups tab)).

It all comes down to this: Tie to Entity (Ctrl-T) turns all selected objects into one func_detail. Grouping just allows you to select multiple objects at once.

 

[oxy]

Nice to know Dirty, thanks for this tip.

 

[DrHaphazard]

Grouping does not save on entity counts. Grouping information is retained in the vmf only, not the bsp. Notice that when you decompile, there are no groups (minus the groupings automatically created (in the Auto visgroups tab)).

It all comes down to this: Tie to Entity (Ctrl-T) turns all selected objects into one func_detail. Grouping just allows you to select multiple objects at once.

Heh ok, so I understand that grouping does nothing, however if i understand you correctly, having 3 items selected and pressing Control+T turns them into ONE func_detail right? Not 3 func_details?