Computer Troubles Running Hammer Created 17 years ago2006-06-29 22:44:28 UTC by TawnosPrime

I'm really starting to hate this Dell I'm stuck with. I don't know if it's the Sys memory or the Vid memory or what, but I keep crashing Hammer. I'm attempting to make a dome 'shield'. I'm planning on doing this by creating a 16-sided sphere w/ dimensions 1150x1150x1150, cutting it in half w/ the clip tool and then hollowing out the half I keep. But every time I try to clip it, even if I use a blank map, I crash Hammer.

My comp has 128 MB of video memory and 1 GB of system. Also, as long as I have Hammer open and displayed, I can hear my HD going constantly. Is there anyway I can optimize Hammer to work on my system?

Also, if anyone who knows anything about modelling and HASN'T already seen my 'Skinning Problems' thread, plz have a look and see if u can help there as well. Thx.

Can't really help you in any way cos I'm really not the expert in computer equipment, but I can tell you this: Never try putting a decal on a 36 face cylinder. I don't know about about others but my Hammer crashed when I did that and my 3 months of hard work went down the drain cos I couldn't even load that map anymore. sniff...

Can noone help me boost my performance while running Hammer?

Well if that's the case...can someone tell me how to make a dome w/out modelling?

I shocked.

Have I managed to find a problem that is unsolvable by the TWHL community?

Can noone give an answer to either of my requests?

Is it not possible to optimize Hammer for more detailed work on lower spec machines?

Is it not possible to make a dome w/out modelling it?

Am I the one to 'break' TWHL w/ a question that noone can answer?

Are u sons o' bitches just ingnoring this b/c it's Jimmi level spamming or a stupid question?

Someone give me an answer, god damn it!!

Is it not possible to optimize Hammer for more detailed work on lower spec machines?

I don't believe so, although I'm not the most qualified to answer.

I only find Hammer crashing like this on GIGANTIC maps--where the outer boundary's are only like 64 units from the edge of the useable space--and then, only sometimes.

I hope your not literally "hollowing" a big sphere like that, and rather your using clip/vm to make a hollow version of it.

My computer has 512 MB of system memory and I don't have problems. Have you checked if any software is running in the background?

Hammer crashes sometimes if you do strange things. To make a dome without modelling, check this thread http://twhl.co.za/forums.php?action=viewthread&str=domes&type=1&pg=1&id=9149

As for ways to make Hammer run faster, remember you can adjust the back clipping plane and model render distance in Options >> 3D views

I think this is definitely a hammer bug.

Come to think of it, I just had this happen working on my enterprise map, where I was doing simple translations on an extremely large 8-sided cylinder. After about the fourth time crashing, I just clipped the big cylinder in half, and it never crashed again.

Possible fix would be to make the brush smaller, or less complicated--clipping a single complicated brush into many simpler ones might be a good practice for you here

Just make a cylinder with brushes, copy paste on top of eachother, Vertex scale inward, copy, vertex scale, repeat. Its easy.

As for your proplem, post the vmf with the trouble. Im not sure what your actually trying to do.

As for performance: ctrl alt delete and check for any unnessessary programs or processes running. Disable your virus scanner for the time of using hammer.

BTW, whats your CPU frequency and type?

lol I didn't even notice this was the Source forum

Kasperg: that tutorial looks awsome btw!

WAHT R DISPLACEMT?! gOLDSOURCE FTI!!!1

Damn, had a detailed post written for this but just lost it. So u get the slimmed down, jist of it version.

Processor: P4 3.4GHz w/ HT
Bground Processes: Family comp so messing w/ them is out of the option (don't know what needs to be there and what doesn't)
Hollowing Method: Clip the brush in half, create copy and shrink 30 units or so, clip small out of large, painstacking vm to optimize
Options >> 3D View: Back Clipping Plane = willing to lower, Model Render Distance = No touchy (mod map's for has a VERY large model included, I'm using it)
Posting VMF: Would, but as stated above, map's for a mod. For optimal viewing and possibly understanding, Dystopia prolly would be required, but I could be wrong.
Map Size: Fledgling map, very little to it yet.
Dome Thread Link: Thanx

Your background processes are most likely causing you a fair bit of grief. Have you scanned for spyware/adware/viruses lately?

Try forcing Hammer to run in DX7 mode. You can do this by creating a shortcut to Hammer, and adding the line "-dxlevel 7" in the target field.

Hmm...that could work.

And an update on my opinion of your dome link Kas...I appreciate it, but my dome will be seen from both sides, especially the outside, and after just trying The Pit's displacement method for domes, I have no intention of touching the damn things for quite a while. I find them damned infuriating.

(don't know what needs to be there and what doesn't)

Do your research, then. Use Process Explorer, too.

Ok, I didn't know there was a program like that was out there. I'll have a look at that, thanx.