Hi there :biggrin:

I heard a little rumor, i wonder if it is true. ?Is it possible to compress .bsp files? I mean, that the file is compressed 'as is' (bsp format), to reduce the space. (obiously) So, when you have the compressed .bsp, it is downloaded faster from the server. Very useful for large maps. "Rat" type maps, for example.

?Does anybody know about this?

Thanks in advance :rolleyes:

Zip and Rar files do compress .bsp files a bit.

However, when someone downloads from a server, HL2 already compresses the file before sending it.

So, the simple answer is no, there is no way to compress a bsp before hand to make downloads faster.

[edit] Fixed typo.

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Dark_Kilauea
DVS Administration
http://www.dvstudio-production.com/

HL2 already compresses the file before sending it.

Really, I never knew that? Do you have any idea on what ratio?

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'The ability to quote is a serviceable substitute for wit.' - Somerset Maugham

So, the simple answer is no, there is no way to compress a bsp before hand to make compiles faster.

I remember HL1 had a .bsp optimizer that also reduced the size of the .bsp itself but I doubt such a thing exists for HL2.

Yea, HL2 turns the file into a bz2 (a zip format) before sending.

If you run a server, you'll see a message in the console whenever someone has to download the map.

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Dark_Kilauea
DVS Administration
http://www.dvstudio-production.com/

you also see it when you're downloading a new map from a server.

downloading newmap.bsp.bz2

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i eat paint

It doesn't do that automatically, and you have to host it elsewhere on the web (an http server) and set sv_downloadurl for it to work.

I use 7-zip to compress the files in BZ2 format, naming them mapname.bsp.bz2

Upload them to a web server (I'm pretty sure it does NOT work on a pure FTP server, it has to have http) in the same folder structure you would find in your hl2dm/cstrike folder (ie make a folder called 'maps')

In server.cfg, point sv_downloadurl to the directory on your webserver where the 'maps' folder resides.

sv_downloadurl "http://www.yoursite.com/fastdownloads/" (or wherever you want to put the files.)

[EDIT]
This also works for any other files clients would have to download, including textures and sounds.

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o

That's correct. As Baron says, that is the method i found after a while searching.

I will try it as soon as i can in my server.

Thank's :smile:

Big advantage to the method described by the baron is that it does not use the upload bandwith of your server. Very handy if you run a server on a home dsl line :smile:

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http://maps.nappy.cc for more info and maps