very long compile times? Created 17 years ago2007-11-22 22:21:40 UTC by weewun

ok, iv been playing with making TF2 maps, and the more i add to my map (nothing everly complicated i dont think - more brushes, a 3d skybox, etc) the compile time has gone up to like 10 mins :S is this normal or are does anyone have any tips ro reduce compile times or anyting? another small thing im having trouble with (im sure im just being daft :P) but when i put a glass texture onto a brush, it looks fine in hammer, but when i load it up in TF2 the glass has a purple checker all over it, as well as the proper clear glass texture... any info is appreciated cheers

Adding 10 minutes to a compile is nothing. You'll know you have a problem when the compile takes 5+ hours. The best thing to do is func_detail every bit you can so that VIS has as little to think about as possible. Additionally, jacking up the lightmap scale on surfaces that will never be partially lit will boost RAD speeds a fair bit. Just make sure the mapping isn't sloppy or inefficient and the compiler will do its thing.

As for the messed up texture: Is it a custom texture, or a texture already included with the game? If its a custom texture, make sure the files appear in both the SDK directories AND the game directories. If it's included with the game, check to see that it works properly in some of Valve's maps.

Longest compile times I've had were 16 hours, for HL2DM. Keep in mind I have a high end machine, as well.

ok, fair enough about compile times... il just have to stop testing it after i put in each small new thing

the glass texture i used is one of the ones that came with the sdk, i did try one of the other textures and had the same problem... maybe i jsut got unlucky and picked two textures that dint like my map, lol. il give some of the other oens a go.

lol - welcome to mapping & long compile times!!

Hi! I wanted to ask the same question about VVIS ridiculous compile times but as I read now this seems to be normal.

Weewun: If you want to compile your map just to get a feeling for it, compile it without using VIS! It will be finished in no time and it's useable. I will start working on a map (for the first time) and try to optimize for vis later on. Meanwhile I just skip it.

The purple glass thing might be a graphic bug with your g.-card and system. I encountered the same problem when playing CS:S on my old laptop (ATI Radeon 9600 card). Every now and then I had purple glass and purple reflections. Minimizing CS, switching to another program and maximizing CS again usually helped to restore clear reflections.

Greetings!

Rico