optimization/scenery question

Zee

L1: Registered
Dec 30, 2009
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Hola. I was wondering if there was anyway to have hammer not think a sealed off area is a place a player can get to. I have a decent portion of water in my map that you can't go to, but has to be there as a skybox would block off other parts of the map. This would take time out of compiling and weaken optimization right?

Thus I was wondering if a hint brush would work here, and how would I place it if so. All over the area? or just as a wall? If not, what could work? Thanks in advanced. Sorry if this has been asked before, kind of a hard question to search for.
 

StickZer0

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Nov 25, 2008
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not think a sealed off area is a place a player can get to.

I really don't understand what you mean. Could you maybe take a photo in hammer and explain what you mean a little bit more?
Thanks
 

jpr

aa
Feb 1, 2009
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Ok so if I understood you right, you have a lake of some sort between 2 areas in your map?
A hint wouldn't do anything there... You could try an areaportal but I don't think it would help much if it's a really large area. I would probably just put a wall between the areas. Sometimes you have to prioritize and looks aren't as important as good fps.
 

Zee

L1: Registered
Dec 30, 2009
34
16
Sorry, Ill try to be more clear, it's kind of late.
I have a boat on a ocean, that is docked on a island. The problem is I need a whole bunch of water the the player only looks at, and can't get to. Because of the island, I can't just seal it off with a sky box filled with water since it sticks out, and I need a decent amount of water to go around the island . I used a player clip so the player can't go far off, but there's quite a bit of space that is there to only look at. I was wondering if there was anyway to tell hammer this, and optimizes that space.

It's not over-over-size mind you, I just want the best FPS for the map. I've seen Valve do much worse in terms of a big sky box.

Also a quick question, vertexed water is fine as long as it's 180 degrees horizontal correct?

Edit: to clear things up more, it's not between two places. , just off in the distance. Kind of like L4d's lighthouse level.
 
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StickZer0

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Nov 25, 2008
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Because of the island, I can't just seal it off with a sky box filled with water since it sticks out, and I need a decent amount of water to go around the island.

You can cover the playable map with a skybox texture, and make a seperate 3D skybox with the water and the island. I don't know what you mean by the island will "stick out" but if it's not reachable and it's very far away, a 3D skybox is what you need.

This should get you started, but if I didn't answer your question, it's because I don't full understand what you mean. hope it helps
 

Zee

L1: Registered
Dec 30, 2009
34
16
By stick out, I mean the island has to extend out, thus the playing area has too also, or it will just end. I should have gave you a picture in the first place. Sorry about that.

xwater2.png


The fence is where the player clip would be, I had to take a few things out to get a better picture. Don't be judgmental now, its a work in progress :p

See the island sticking out, and how that and the boat pushed the sky box back?

I could possibly make corner of the island in the sky box, cutting down on space, but it would look way too janky being so close the the playing area. As I said, it shouldn't effect the fps too much since it's quite empty, but I still would like to know if I could do anything about it.
 

Zee

L1: Registered
Dec 30, 2009
34
16
Thank you both for the help. :) . This is what I was looking for it seems :) . Any special way to do apply the viscluster ? Or just cover the whole none-playable area in a box?
 
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