CSGO Map Compiling/Beginner Questions

    I've been learning the hammer tool recently and have been building a CS:GO map and been having a lot of fun with it. I have a main layout all built using dev textures, but have a couple questions:

    - I've been optimizing rotation times and engagement times for the two bomb sites, but every time I make changes I have to wait quite a few minutes for it to compile. Is there some sort of incremental compile or way to make it quicker with just small edits/adding props/lighting etc.?

    - I don't really understand when to use func_detail.

    - How do I add no draw to the outside of brushes, is it placed there as another brush on top or..?

    Thanks for any help!

    1. Use the Run Map in Expert mode and set the configuration to Fast. https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Hammer_Run_Map_Expert

    2. Read more about func_detail here: https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Func_detail I can't really explain it myself
    Personally I rarely use it in the blockout stage of a map, but as much as possible should use func_detail in the end.

    3. Use the Face Edit sheet. Either press the button for it in the left toolbar or Shift+A to open it. Press Browse and search for Nodraw and then select it. Then, with the Face Edit Sheet window open, select any faces on the brushes you want to be nodraw and then press Apply. Read more about it here: https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Hammer_Face_Edit_Dialog

    Quote from Grillet

    1. Use the Run Map in Expert mode and set the configuration to Fast. https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Hammer_Run_Map_Expert

    2. Read more about func_detail here: https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Func_detail I can't really explain it myself
    Personally I rarely use it in the blockout stage of a map, but as much as possible should use func_detail in the end.

    3. Use the Face Edit sheet. Either press the button for it in the left toolbar or Shift+A to open it. Press Browse and search for Nodraw and then select it. Then, with the Face Edit Sheet window open, select any faces on the brushes you want to be nodraw and then press Apply. Read more about it here: https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Hammer_Face_Edit_Dialog

    Thank you very much! This is exactly what I was looking for. (Well except #2, but the impression I am getting while reading around is you use it when it makes sense and will come with experience).


    For No Draw, should it be applied to all sides except the top one with something like a floor? For example if I have a 200 wide x 400 long x 8 tall path with walls - should no draw be applied to all faces but the surface the player walks on, or just the main underside?

    Quote

    For No Draw, should it be applied to all sides except the top one with something like a floor? For example if I have a 200 wide x 400 long x 8 tall path with walls - should no draw be applied to all faces but the surface the player walks on, or just the main underside?

    All sides that can't be seen by the player.

    • the quickest, easiest method for nodraw is apply it to everything
    • then using the face edit tool, only texture the faces that are visible to the player

    basically, with func_detail, you want your rooms to be as square as possible. Any brush work that stops that by jutting out, you want to func_detail it otherwise it creates longer compiles (incrementally across the whole map and depending on the complexity of the object).

    If you refer to the stickied post in the mapore contest, it has everything you need to help you, especially if you want your map to take part in the contest :)

    Quote from jackophant
    • the quickest, easiest method for nodraw is apply it to everything
    • then using the face edit tool, only texture the faces that are visible to the player

    basically, with func_detail, you want your rooms to be as square as possible. Any brush work that stops that by jutting out, you want to func_detail it otherwise it creates longer compiles (incrementally across the whole map and depending on the complexity of the object).

    If you refer to the stickied post in the mapore contest, it has everything you need to help you, especially if you want your map to take part in the contest

    Ahh, I didn't look there because I don't plan on entering the contest. I'm taking this slow and steady. This answers all the questions I have so far, thanks!

    Quote from Vaya

    did you alt tab? that causes this some times.

    Not really, also this is running on high+ settings, I always play on lowest when I'm not checking out the aesthetics of my map and on lowest + a lower resolution it all seems fine

    Since this seems like a good general beginner question thread:

    I am trying (and failing so far) at finding a good tutorial for building natural terrain/displacements with textures. I would greatly prefer it to NOT be a video tutorial, but will accept anything if that is what is available. Thanks!

    If this is going to become a general Q and A thread, I have 2 questions:

    1.) Some decals, when I put them down with the overlay tool, flicker in Hammer. Is there any known workaround/fix for this? It's pretty damn annoying when I want to align them and have to move the camera to even get the full decal to show up in the 3D view.

    2.) I used to do a full compile in expert mode (the preset with "(slow!)" in the name) and that would take ~2 hours for VVIS alone on ~4k portals. End result was good, my map ran well as it should. Then, for testing purposes, I've done a number of compiles on FAST VIS using the normal page as opposed to the expert page on the F9 dialog. Now when I go to the expert tab again and select the full slow compile preset, VVIS is done suspiciously fast (but not like if it was on FAST, if VVIS is on fast, it goes by within seconds, right now it's 10-15 minutes for 3.5k portals) and I get some pretty big optimization issues/FPS drops. Has anybody ever come across this issue? Can anybody recommend good render parameters for final shipping?

    Thanks ahead of time.

    You have to put VVIS on fast for a better optimization. When it's on fast, the partals are drawn but there is no visibility calculation between them. If you want to reduce the VVIS compilation time, you need to reduce the number of portal. 3500 seems a bit too many to me.


    For the decals, are you sure you are using decal ? this happen when you use textrure that are not made to be a decal.

    Have you tried using normal mode? Although there isn't really a difference between expert and normal when it comes to vvis, but that might fix it.

    @NihiL If you haven't done so yet, optimize your map, that should fix a lot of things. Once upon a time I didn't optimized my maps, the result : 2-3h to compile. Now that I've learned to optimize, it takes less than 5 minutes on the same maps and fps is consistently better in game. That's when I knew how huge it makes a difference. (However, I'm not saying an optimized map always takes a few minutes to compile, but when it take an hour or so, it is when it is as polished as operation maps, for instance.)

    Thanks for the ideas so far. @3Dnj: Are you saying I should compile my maps FAST VIS? That's the first time I've EVER heard that so allow me to ask for other opinions on this? As for the decals, they are certainly normal decals:

    [Blocked Image: http://i.imgur.com/8CzzizN.png]

    That's an example of a flickering decal. Any further ideas?

    @FireWarp: I have, it doesn't make any difference

    @laminutederire: I'm aware of how important optimization is, I was asking my question because I used to get good in-game performance with VIS that took long, as expected, and now for no apparent reason it goes by much quicker during compilation (like 10x faster but not instant like actual FAST VIS) and I get way worse in-game performance (ie. FPS). And that's what puzzles me as I didn't do much except add a couple more func_details.


    Thanks for the input so far, again. Do let me know if there are more ideas you guys have, I'll also continue to investigate.

    @NihiL

    Check those func_detail then :) func_detail are very powerful you know, many times have I gained 5 or 10 minutes of compiling just by func_detailling some stairs I forgot about :)

    however, are fps drops only appearing near these particular brushes?

    When designing the layout for my map, I've been using grids of size 2 or 4. A tutorial I saw recommended using snap on grid with a minimum size of 8 for initial layout. Is there any truth to this?

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