'Chop Winding' Error Created 19 years ago2005-03-29 09:56:23 UTC by Patashnik

I've searched for any info on this compile error but haven't managed to find any anywhere...

Basically, every time I compile my map I get the message 'Chop Winding Error due to too many points' over and over and over when it reaches the 'Leaf Thread' point in the compile process.

Now I think this is because a portion of my map has a series of brushes (1 unit thick) fanning out in a complicated arch-style arrangement at the end of a long corridor. It's basically like a grand entrance to the main building that I'm in the process of constructing.

When I made this arch, I figured Hammer wouldn't like it so I blocked off the open end of the arch so there'd be no leaks and compiled it to see if it worked - and it did (and looked gorgeous too ) but now that I've started making the building on the other side of the arch, hammer won't compile...

Any idea what this error means? I can't find a definition anywhere...

Thanks in advance.

Merle says, "A winding is a data structure used in the compile tools to store a set of points. As they are very versatile, they can be used to describe a number of things (surfaces, brush faces, brush sides, whole brushes, etc...). Your Warning (note: which is not an Error.) message is simply alerting you to the fact that one of these winding data structures has a larger number of points than expected, and one of the points was ignored.
"It is hard to guess what casues this as most of the typical causes (eg. brush sides with large numbers of vertexes) should be really caught earlier on in the process. Hence, it is most probably the artifact of some subdivision or modification of the points of the map itself during the compile, which makes it even harder to track down.
"I recommend using the 'Big Block' method of trying to isolate a particular area of your map that causes it, and to modify/simplify/change the general brush geometry. This is a very generic fix, but its also a very generic message."

Thanks for the help Pepper.

I only just found the site that that was taken from today (followed a link from seventh's compiler-reading post). Wish I'd have seen that sooner - that would have solved at least half the problems I've been having lately!

Just out of interest, when trying to fix the problem last night I was looking at this line in the defenition you gave above...

"message is simply alerting you to the fact that one of these winding data structures has a larger number of points than expected, and one of the points was ignored".

Now, this might be a bit of a noob question - but looking at each individual brush in my map, there are none that have a particularly 'large number of points'. There's no complicated geometary in there, or any crazy vertex manipulated brushes. The whole thing is constructed out of very simple shapes (triangles and squares basically). In the case of the arch I described above, it's constructed out of about 80 narrow triangles in a fan like arrangement. To make working on the map easier, I grouped them all - so does that mean that the compiler sees all the grouped brushes as one brush with loads of points, or does it see the grouped traingles as just that - a whole bunch of individual triangles?

Also, sorry to be a pain, but when constructing complex architecture, rather than using vertex manipulation, I prefer to painfully construct things using loads of little triangles - as it helps give a more organic feel to the spaces and I have more control over the shapes I end up with. Is this a good practice? Or am I just over-complicating things for myself?

Once again, thanks for the advice guys...

Hm, I know, try tying them all to a func_wall. That might well help.

Tap "gl_wireframe 1" into the console in-game and see what it looks like, too.