Rockbomb
Dog fucker (but in a good way now)

2009 Nov 14 • 2045

So today I created my first CS map, and everything went fine as I designed it, I even got no leaks on my first try!
But... It lags a LOT. I'll give a link at the end of this thread to d/l the map so you can see it, but I think I might know why its lagging a lot (just not how to fix it )
So when I was building the map, I ended up piecing a lot of it together, so there a lot of objects making up the map. I know in other 3d programs (like maya, 3ds max, etc) you can join objects together so there are less faces/polygons, which in turn makes less lag. Is there a way to do this with Hammer?

If not, heres a link to download my map, maybe there is somethin I did wrong :/
<a href="http://www.4shared.com/file/151757362/df294e01/exhibition.html">link</a>

EMO_with_AWP

2008 Mar 24 • 192

probably something to do with the lighting. I'll take a look at it.

while i'm doing that, post your compile log please. (would be map name.log)

Rockbomb
Dog fucker (but in a good way now)

2009 Nov 14 • 2045

Hmmm, now that I think about it, I only put two lights in the whole map (in the rooms that each side starts out in),

Also, that file is a .bsp, do you want me to upload a .map file so you can look at it in hammer?

EMO_with_AWP

2008 Mar 24 • 192

holy crap there's a hole right through the map! upload your .map or the .rmf file for my please.

Rockbomb
Dog fucker (but in a good way now)

2009 Nov 14 • 2045

Ok I'll upload it in a min.
Are you talking about the windows I made in the sniper towers? I was wondering if those would create a problem, but I didn't get any leak errors or anything.

Edit: Heres the .map
http://www.4shared.com/file/151766942/1f94b4e0/exhibition.html

EMO_with_AWP

2008 Mar 24 • 192

Yeah.. that's a pretty messed up map right there.. when i fell down through the sniper tower i was in and endless fall.. i've never seen that before. .lol

Rockbomb
Dog fucker (but in a good way now)

2009 Nov 14 • 2045

Lol. I haven't figured out how to make windows yet, but I think that might solve the problem.

Then again, if the windows got shot out you could still jump out of them

Edit:In case you didn't see my edit in my last post, heres a link to the .map
http://www.4shared.com/file/151766942/1f94b4e0/exhibition.html

EMO_with_AWP

2008 Mar 24 • 192

hmm try plugging up those holes.. i don't understand how you did not get a leak error..

EMO_with_AWP

2008 Mar 24 • 192

also i don't understand how those 2 lights lit up the whole map..

Rockbomb
Dog fucker (but in a good way now)

2009 Nov 14 • 2045

Idk either 0.o
Also, originally I had a blue light on one side and a red light on the other, but neither emitted the said colors, just lit of the room.

Is there a way to add a clear brush, that you can shoot through, but a player can not pass through? Cuz thats what I'd need in order for the towers to still be effective.

sprinkles


2009 Sep 6 • 2547
10 ₧

Make the brush you want and apply the CLIP texture to it.....

There is also some fancy way that you use applynotextures or something, but in the end, they both give you the same outcome.

EMO_with_AWP

2008 Mar 24 • 192

Put a CLIP textured brush in the sniper window.

Make a sky textured brush so the clip is not exposed to the outside. Also try to make the sky brushes as small as possible. And a big sky box over your map is NOT a good idea.

Make your sky emit light by making a light_environment somewhere in your map. Change sky texture by going to map>map properties>environment map. Put in the sky name there.

EDIT: This was copied from a post superjer made.. which i saved in notepad

2desert
desert
backalley
badlands
blue
city1
cliff
cx
de_storm
Des
doom1
DrkG
dusk
forest
green
grnplsnt
hav
morningdew
office
show
showlake_
tornsky
TrainYard
tsccity_

Rockbomb
Dog fucker (but in a good way now)

2009 Nov 14 • 2045

Ok, I replaced the empty spaces (the windows) with a brush that uses the clip texture. In Hammer it looks like a face, I'm assuming it will be clear ingame?

About the sky, I saw the post in the FAQ's and changed my sky to forest or something like that, but it didn't show up in game. Will adding that light-environment entity make it show up?
And also, what is a sky box?

EMO_with_AWP

2008 Mar 24 • 192

sky box = box of sky around the whole map.. don't do it, it'll lag your map worse

yeah it should be clear ingame.

idk if light environment would make it show up or not.


..
By the way I haven't used hammer in months..

sprinkles


2009 Sep 6 • 2547
10 ₧

Ok for this reference I am going to use the infamous dust2. You know how you see the mountains in the distance and the sky? That's the sky box. Simply put it gives the environment the feel it is bigger than the actual map. Also without the sky box [and with an open sky] all you would see is a black abyss [instead of the sky].

Rockbomb
Dog fucker (but in a good way now)

2009 Nov 14 • 2045

Mmk, I'll make a .bsp and see what happens

Edit:
@Sprinkles - So my sky won't actually show up unless I add a sky box then? Cuz I was trying to get the sky to show earlier, cuz I don't like seeing an endless blackness xD
If I can get the map run run without all the lag, I'll try to add a sky in.

Rockbomb
Dog fucker (but in a good way now)

2009 Nov 14 • 2045

Ok, I set everything up and I realized that I was wrong before, I AM getting a leak error, even with the new clip brushes (though they do work how they should for not being able to jump out of the windows ;))

So, I looked at my map a little bit, and I can't find where there would be any leaks. Here is a link to the updated version of the .map file, if someone could look over it that would be sweet :D
http://www.4shared.com/file/151784387/dbe5fc5f/exhibition.html


Edit: Ok, so I found the cause of the leak error, but I don't know how to fix it. Basically, whenever I create the info_play_start entity, and the info_player_deathmatch entity, I get the leak error. Both entities are inside the room, and not touching the ground/walls/ceiling. If I delete them, the leak error goes away, but then obviously I can't use the map cuz there are no starting points.

Mate de Vita
Kelli

2008 Oct 4 • 2453
159 ₧

Look. A leak error appears whenever an entity is not completely blocked from the outer void by solid world brushes.

So if you can see any of the black outer space (in hammer) from inside your map, even the tiniest bit, that will cause a leak.

Clip brushes, origin brushes, null brushes and aaatrigger brushes do NOT count as solid world brushes. So in your map the upper parts where the clip brushes are used as windows of some sort with the outside void between, will cause a leak.

The reason there is no leak if you don't put any entities into your map is that there are no entities exposed to the outside void then.

If I have some time later, I'll try to edit your map a bit and upload it.

Rockbomb
Dog fucker (but in a good way now)

2009 Nov 14 • 2045

Hmmm, I think I have an idea. May work, may make my map suck. Idk but I'll try it xD

Mate de Vita
Kelli

2008 Oct 4 • 2453
159 ₧

Alright, the first possible solution is making a sky and a floor for the entire map like this. This might cause some lag (although it worked fine for me) and might look a bit weird. Of course you can also make and texture the brushes a little differently to make it look better but you mustn't be able to see any of the outside area from inside the map.

The second solution is blocking only the part between the two rooms with clip windows like this. That way no entity will be exposed to the outside void. Again use textures different from my white (you can even use the sky texture). This will however prevent the players from seeing the rest of the map through these clip windows.

The third solution is the simplest and most likely the worst one, simply deleting the clip windows and replacing them with solid brushes like this. This will solve the problem but will remove the whole point of the clip brushes which was that you could shoot and see other players across the map.

Think of what would look best on your map and possibly think of your own solution (or a combination of mine) that will look better than all 3 that I've posted.

On a side note you'll have to put a few more lights into your map, unless you want the players to have to play the map with a flashlight (the map was probably fullbright before because of the leak so you didn't see the lighting problems).
Also I fixed a couple of 'malformed face normal' errors (use the alt+p check for problems in hammer to scan for possible errors).

Rockbomb
Dog fucker (but in a good way now)

2009 Nov 14 • 2045

I took what you did in the second one, and kinda made it a little more custom, so that you could also see the big room at the bottom of the map from the towers. I'm planning on also adding some windows to the top of that room to give a little more purpose to the towers.

Here's what I did...
http://www.4shared.com/file/152157958/fef7888a/exhibition.html


And also, the big room at the bottom, I'm planning on adding some pillars/boxes to make it, well, not a big empty room xD
Also, I think I saw something somewhere on here while browsing about it but I don't remember where, but is there a way to make strobe lights? I was thinkin about making the center room have a couple very dim lights, where you can barely see anything, and then having a strobe or two going. I don't wanna do it on the whole map, cuz that would be pretty annoying, lol.

Edit:Figured out the strobes on my own
I'll work on gettin' this map finished up, and hopefully I don't run into any more problems. I'll post a link to the final version whenever I finish up :D

Rockbomb
Dog fucker (but in a good way now)

2009 Nov 14 • 2045

Well, here it is, the final version.
http://www.4shared.com/file/152242984/cec511c0/exhibition.html
^^That is the playable .bsp file^^

If you like the map feel free to take it and use it.
If anyone wants to edit it for their own use I can upload the .map also