Hammer Map Visleaf Optimization Questions

    Recently, while working on my map I compiled and noted a frame rate drop while exiting my CT spawn to Mid-A side of the map. After turning on mat_wireframe 1 I noted the map appears to be drawing nearly in it's entirety regardless of my position on it. From Mid I could see nearly all of B was being drawn despite a wall blocking view of the visleafs there, a skybox separating the two zones and a hint brush cuttings the ceiling in such a way as there's no chance I'm seeing leaves above that side of the map.


    I know this is something I should be able to solve with hint brushes but I'm not experienced with then enough and I can't figure out exactly where they should be placed. This is really hurting my map's performance. Are there any advanced resources or tutorials out there that might give me some insight on what's going on? Most of my walls are func-details because of the cuts for texturing, then they have with a solid block behind them for cutting the visleafs. Is this an incorrect way of going about this or have I screwed up something else entirely?


    Some Pic's in the spoiler


    All assistance offered is greatly appreciated. This is driving me nuts.


    Edit. Compile code. The viscluster bit.

    1157 portalclusters
    3409 numportals
    BasePortalVis: 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (0)
    Optimized: 36157 visible clusters (0.00%)
    Total clusters visible: 1121668
    Average clusters visible: 969
    Building PAS...
    Average clusters audible: 1155
    visdatasize:341573 compressed from 351728

    Are you sure your hint brush is completely sealing off the area? I dunno much about it, but that is crucial from what i've read/watched, otherwise you are just adding leaves without optimizing.

    Quote from blackdog

    Are you sure your hint brush is completely sealing off the area? I dunno much about it, but that is crucial from what i've read/watched, otherwise you are just adding leaves without optimizing.

    Hello! Thanks for the reply. Just to be sure I made a fresh brush and pulled it completely through the map. It doesn't seem to be the issue.

    Hey guys thanks for the link! It was very helpful understanding what was going on in the visleaf section. It took me a while to figure out what to do and I'm still not good at it but by cutting two low visleafs the map stops the bottom one's from seeing the top leafs on other parts of the map. Also compiling vis on normal instead of fast helps quite a bit it seems. I'll have to practice with it and figure out where to put more of them. Also I didn't realize the valve maps use a fair number of these (20 - 30). I looked around de_dust2 and de_nuke to get some idea how they split those maps as they have significant out door areas like my map and that helped me figure out what to do with my hint brushes. Thank you! =D

    Never compile your map with fast VIS if you want to check its performance. I usually never do a fast compile anyway (unless it's for checking some simple things.

    Quote from Squad

    Never compile your map with fast VIS if you want to check its performance. I usually never do a fast compile anyway (unless it's for checking some simple things.

    Ah I wasn't aware of that. I didn't realize it would have affected performance so much when I had done it. I compile fast most of the time because I'm constantly adding little things here and there and like to hop in and check them out on and off. I probably compile 20 to 30 times a day while working on the map so if I did full compile every time then I'll be waiting upwards to 2 hours on it at least.

    Well, I guess that's fine, as long as you take into account VIS optimization is pretty much non-existent if you do a fast compile (or anything other than full compile).

    Full compile give a good idea of how your leaves are optimized (at least before p2 engine, now vis is globally faster). Fast compile will make leaves but only full calculate visibility between each leaes.


    More leaves means more connectivity between them, etc...


    To see how your leaves are complex in hammer, look at "view => load portal file".

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