Problem with Compiling Created 20 years ago2004-10-29 02:54:53 UTC by shotoutofnowher

map and have been having a problem compiling. When it starts the HLVIS it freezes up on Leafthread and won't go any farther anyone have any suggestions on how to correct or look for the problem?

It's probably not frozen, but taking a while, as VIS usually does. What are your system specs?

I have a Dell XPS 3.2 ghz processor, 2 gig of memory it is the top of the line. I have let the map run for 10 hours compiling and it does not get past the leaf thread point

Well your map's badly-designed then, either read up about VIS calculations on places like RUST (www.gamedesign.net) or be very patient.

patience has never been a virtue so I had better just read.

Have you by any chance enclosed your map in a GIANT skybox?

there is a sky box but it has not been a problem until I added the last couple of buildings. I was told I needed to have a skybox to test it but now I am being told i don't need it(depending on which tutorial you read LOL!). I have only built small maps playing around and this is my first serious map. I am a novice at best but have been obsessed with making this map and all of a sudden it did this. Could having several transparent windows cause a problem too?

No. you can have about 2000 ish entities, so a couple windows is nothing.

"Sky Box" is a relative term, what I'd call a sky box, would be an 'outside' area of the map, where the "roof" is normal brushes, all lining up with the outer edges of that area, and textured with 'sky'.

Some people see a sky box as a big empty box that their map is inside.

Here is a tip: HalfLife will render everything unless you have made the effort to stop it doing so, so you have to make maps that are pretty much like teh old Quake maps, 'rooms linked by corridors'
You can have larger maps in HL, and also the term room and corridor are deceptive, you can have some artistic license, but you can't have a large map enclosed by one box. The compile tools (are you using Batch Compiler with teh zhlt tools?) get rid of all the outsideunseen faces during teh compile, so if you have a big box, the tools will render all teh faces, this means huge lag, and bad compile times. Large boxes also affect VIS, the blocking part of teh compile. It now has to calculate all teh way aroud teh outside of the map too.

So that's why the 2nd definition of Sky Box is a bad one, and shldn't be used.. ever. imo.

Tutorial:

http://countermap.counter-strike.net/Tutorials/tutorial.php?id=16

(Check out Countermap for all your begginner problems, and great tutorials on lighting and windows etc)

Some people see a sky box as a big empty box that their map is inside.

That's the actual definition.

shot, never skybox for any reason.

Idd.