Hammer Keeps not responding when I run the map

[Dakotah Hutchinson]

This only happens on 1 map and its the one I have been working on the map, does have a big open level area, since its not done yet, but when I go and run the map it loads for a bit and then when it gets to PortalFlow:.....0.......1.......2 it starts not responding, but it doesn't load TF2 up at all
I don't know what it oculd be I loaded the same map before, without issues but hte last thing I did was add textures and make some slopes on the water so you wouldn't get stuck

Any ideas?

 

[Wyvern]

Hammer is struggling to load your map due to bad optimization, here's an article that discusses your problem:
https://steamcommunity.com/app/211/discussions/2/353915953245946514/

 

[nesman]

have you let it run for a while, being like 10 minutes. Have you also loaded your portal file? that can show you what hammer needs to render and that can take a long time if there are a lot of blue lines. Try letting hammer do its thing, may just be you need to check your brush work or do some optimization with your brushwork.


Edit: GG wyvern beat me at typing

 

[Da Spud Lord]

VVIS can take a while on maps that aren't well optimized. Use func_detail where appropriate to keep visleafs simple, and keep world brushes simple and on-grid. Large, open, unobstructed areas can be simplified with func_visgroup to further reduce your compile time.

It should be noted that the compile tools temporarily ceasing to respond isn't much to worry over; the compile tools, primarily VVIS and VRAD, have a lot of calculations to make, and there's no separation between the UI thread and the actual compile tools in Source, so the program will appear to freeze up when it's actually still doing stuff. If any part of your compile takes more than 30 minutes to an hour, then you have a reason to start worrying.

 

[Dakotah Hutchinson]

have you let it run for a while, being like 10 minutes. Have you also loaded your portal file? that can show you what hammer needs to render and that can take a long time if there are a lot of blue lines. Try letting hammer do its thing, may just be you need to check your brush work or do some optimization with your brushwork.


Edit: GG wyvern beat me at typing

Question, how I load my portal file, it would be real nice to know whats causing it to crash

 

[Wyvern]

Go up to your toolbar, navigate to maps, then go down to the bottom and hit "load portal file". If it's grayed out lmk, but it should work.

 

[nesman]

Heres what my map looks like for an idea. Keep note that I have only done func_detail for door frames stairs and other little brushwork.

Spoiler

Here is my Last

Here is my First

 

[Dakotah Hutchinson]

Go up to your toolbar, navigate to maps, then go down to the bottom and hit "load portal file". If it's grayed out lmk, but it should work.

Ok I did that and I assume more blue lines equals more bad stuff, so I cleaned up on of my areas that I was designing shapes on and I found out firstly that the entire area was blue, and second that one of the shapes had copied in itself 7 diffrent times

That bit to the right of the boat, was completly blue

 

[henke37]

I have a simple policy: if you can't hide an elephant behind it, turn it into detail geometry.

And there is a trick to stop idiotic cuts: do your own cuts first. Those hint brushes are applied before the normal visleaf cutting. If there is a cut jutting out for no good reason, do your own cut across the offending cut, possibly eliminating the original cut entirely if you stay flush to walls.

 

[nesman]

My rule of thumb when it comes to func_detail is if its a wall or something for gameplay do not func_detail it. For instance if it is a building wall that has playable inside I do not func_detail the walls. If it is a cool door frame that is 4-8hu thick I detail it.

Func_details (or func_brush if you don't want them solid) should be saved for things like doors, door frames, trim, staircases, railings (if not models); things that don't block your view, or are tiny and detailed and would therefor make too many useless vis areas.

 

[Tuaam]

Jesus H Christ, change that entire thing to a func_detail.

Also, it looks like you're making a brush-based landing craft. Why not use the landing craft model the frontline pack has?

 

[Dakotah Hutchinson]

Jesus H Christ, change that entire thing to a func_detail.

Also, it looks like you're making a brush-based landing craft. Why not use the landing craft model the frontline pack has?

How do I change it to func_detail and how do I use the frontlines one I tried to get it but I couldn't fogure that out

 

[Wyvern]

To change an object into func_detail, select it and and hit ctrl + t. As for the frontline assets, you'll need to install it from the front page of the site(it's at the bottom).
Here's a tutorial on how to install it:
https://tf2maps.net/threads/how-to-install-content-packs-or-other-custom-content.28758/

 

[League_Heavy]

How do I change it to func_detail and how do I use the frontlines one I tried to get it but I couldn't fogure that out

To turn the blocks into a func_detail: Select all the blocks you have on the landing craft and then hit To entity which is located on the right side underneath the visgroups box, then a window will appear to show you that the block is an entity. On the top left, it should already have func_detail as the default solid entity, hit apply and then the blocks will be a func_detail.

 

[Dakotah Hutchinson]

To change an object into func_detail, select it and and hit ctrl + t. As for the frontline assets, you'll need to install it from the front page of the site(it's at the bottom).
Here's a tutorial on how to install it:
https://tf2maps.net/threads/how-to-install-content-packs-or-other-custom-content.28758/

To turn the blocks into a func_detail: Select all the blocks you have on the landing craft and then hit To entity which is located on the right side underneath the visgroups box, then a window will appear to show you that the block is an entity. On the top left, it should already have func_detail as the default solid entity, hit apply and then the blocks will be a func_detail.

Also what does func_detail do to the blocks?

 

[Da Spud Lord]

Also what does func_detail do to the blocks?

In order to fully understand what func_detail does, you need to understand how visibility works in the Source engine. This video explains it excellently:

 

[Dakotah Hutchinson]

Thats weird, now loading portal file, it takes me to my folders, instead of loading my portal file

 

[Da Spud Lord]

That indicates that you don't have a leak. If you had a leak, the portal file would exist and Hammer would automatically load it. The fact that it's bringing up a file browser means that Hammer didn't find a portal file.

EDIT: I mixed up point and portal files. See this post.

 

[Dakotah Hutchinson]

That indicates that you don't have a leak. If you had a leak, the portal file would exist and Hammer would automatically load it. The fact that it's bringing up a file browser means that Hammer didn't find a portal file.

but then how would I find the parts of my map that are causing bad optimisation

 

[Narpas]

That indicates that you don't have a leak. If you had a leak, the portal file would exist and Hammer would automatically load it. The fact that it's bringing up a file browser means that Hammer didn't find a portal file.

You got portal and point files mixed up. In fact, @Dakotah Hutchinson 's problem is probably that there is a leak, or at the very least that VVIS didn't run for whatever reason. I'd suggest that you check your computer log for anything that looks like

*** LEAKED ***

in your compile log. If you find that (or even if you don't), then I'd suggest attempting to load a point file (not a portal file) and following the red line that appears and sealing the map so the line doesn't go into the void (you can also use the cordon tool, which is faster and easier for in-development maps, but you shouldn't come to rely on it)