Technical question

[Masonface]

My map has been compiling the vis stage for over 36 hours now because I have an outdoor area in my map that I didn't plan through well enough, as well as a few other mistakes that vis is known to hate.

My question is:

Because my map is essentially a few large rooms and an outdoor area, is there anyway I can manually create the portals so that vis will only construct a visibility matrix of each individual room and its contents as one leaf, rather than construct a visibility matrix of each individual brush and entity?

Also, would cleaning up the csg clipping, such as having pillars clip the floor and subdividing the geometry, help the vis compile times? Would reducing the volume of my skybox help?

I know this is kind of a technical question, but I'd appreciate any advice.
Thanks in advance.

[Sinnister]

func_details and nodraw what ever you can along with portals will really reduce the compile time

[Masonface]

Thanks, Sinnister; I'll look up some portal tutorials.

[_morgoth_]

à faster cpu also reduces compile time

[Masonface]

I've used the func_detail and overclocked my cpu by 20% and in just 6 short hours it has completed what yesterday took 36 hours.

Would it be wise to use the nodraw texture on EVERY nonvisible face in the level or just some of the faces of walls that terminate into other walls? I started to retexture the map by using 'select all' and applying the nodraw texture to them. I quit after about an hour because it was taking a LONG time to reapply all the original textures back to only the faces that I could likely see as a player. I thought it would be the most effective way of making sure that all the non-visible faces get the nodraw treatment, and I'm still convinced of it, but I'm not sure that I'm up to doing it all just yet. Maybe before my next compile...

Thanks for the tips, guys.

[Friske]

What I do is make every brush with the nodraw texture and then go back and texture anything the player can see. It saves time and is efficient.

[Paramore]

my compile times take around 3 minutes and ive got a fairly large map, fair enough it isnt complete but 6 hours? im getting paranoid, although i do have to look up on different compiling methods.

i also do have a quad core 3.0ghz processor

[Masonface]

I'm not sure that the current compile tools take advantage of the quad core, or even the 64bit aspect of our chips, although I could be mistaken.

Either way, Paramore, is your large map most indoors or outdoors and what vis method are you using? None, fast, or normal?

[Paramore]

ah right yeh its mainly indoors, so i expect thats why then, the stuff is all on normal