hint brushes kill map

Hi,

When i add hint brushes ("skip" on all sides but one hint face) my map no longer works. I get an error about not "reading" memory when loading the map. The strange thing is it works fine without these brushes.

Is it because im doing fast Vis? Or is there something more sinister at work here?

Normal VIS takes a LONG time so i would rather not try it on full and risk it not working.

Thanks in advance :smile:

Post your compile log.

** Executing...
** Command: "c:\program files\valve\steam\steamapps\sam3777\sourcesdk\bin\vbsp.exe"
** Parameters: -game "c:\program files\valve\steam\steamapps\sam3777\half-life 2 deathmatch\hl2mp" "C:\Program Files\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\sam3777\sourcesdk\hl2mp_sample_content\maps\dm_peninsul"

Valve Software - vbsp.exe (Dec 15 2004)
1 threads
materialPath: c:\program files\valve\steam\steamapps\sam3777\half-life 2 deathmatch\hl2mp\materials
Loading C:\Program Files\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\sam3777\sourcesdk\hl2mp_sample_content\maps\dm_peninsul.vmf
Detected multiplayer map, building linux dedicated server data
fixing up env_cubemap materials on brush sides...
Multiple references for cubemap on texture maps/dm_peninsul/tile/tilefloor011a_-3440_-2096_304!!!
Multiple references for cubemap on texture maps/dm_peninsul/tile/tilefloor011a_-3440_-2096_304!!!
ProcessBlock_Thread: 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (0)
ProcessBlock_Thread: 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (1)
Processing areas...done (0)
Building Faces...done (0)
Chop Details...done (1)
Find Visible Detail Sides...
Merged 482 detail faces...done (1)
Merging details...done (0)
FixTjuncs...
PruneNodes...
WriteBSP...
NODRAW on terrain surface!
NODRAW on terrain surface!
done (0)
writing C:\Program Files\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\sam3777\sourcesdk\hl2mp_sample_content\maps\dm_peninsul.prt...done (1)
Creating default cubemaps for env_cubemap using skybox sky_day02_06...
Run buildcubemaps in the engine to get the correct cube maps.
Finding displacement neighbors...
Found a displacement edge abutting multiple other edges.
Warning: overflowed 34 displacement corner-neighbor lists.Finding lightmap sample positions...
Displacement Alpha : 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8....1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10
Building Physics collision data...
done (1) (1258679 bytes)
Building Physics collision data...
done (1) (2952021 bytes)
Placing detail props : 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10
Writing C:\Program Files\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\sam3777\sourcesdk\hl2mp_sample_content\maps\dm_peninsul.bsp
13 seconds elapsed
Memory leak: mempool blocks left in memory: 48
Memory leak: mempool blocks left in memory: 9

** Executing...
** Command: "c:\program files\valve\steam\steamapps\sam3777\sourcesdk\bin\vvis.exe"
** Parameters: -game "c:\program files\valve\steam\steamapps\sam3777\half-life 2 deathmatch\hl2mp" -fast "C:\Program Files\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\sam3777\sourcesdk\hl2mp_sample_content\maps\dm_peninsul"

Valve Software - vvis.exe (Dec 15 2004)
fastvis = true
1 threads
reading c:\program files\valve\steam\steamapps\sam3777\sourcesdk\hl2mp_sample_content\maps\dm_peninsul.bsp
reading c:\program files\valve\steam\steamapps\sam3777\sourcesdk\hl2mp_sample_content\maps\dm_peninsul.prt
1288 portalclusters
3679 numportals
BasePortalVis: 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (10)
Optimized: 60291 visible clusters (0.00%)
Total clusters visible: 1378491
Average clusters visible: 1070
Building PAS...
Average clusters audible: 1278
visdatasize:417387 compressed from 432768
writing c:\program files\valve\steam\steamapps\sam3777\sourcesdk\hl2mp_sample_content\maps\dm_peninsul.bsp
12 seconds elapsed

** Executing...
** Command: Copy File
** Parameters: "C:\Program Files\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\sam3777\sourcesdk\hl2mp_sample_content\maps\dm_peninsul.bsp" "c:\program files\valve\steam\steamapps\sam3777\half-life 2 deathmatch\hl2mp\maps\dm_peninsul.bsp"

BTW that was an extremely quick reply from you (thanx)

You have a displacement error spat out by VBSP. Try fixing that.

And if VIS takes a long time, it is most likely due to the design of
your map. Big open maps are possible in Source, yes, but if you're
relatively new to mapping you shouldn't try them - they can still go
wrong rather easily. Virtually all FPS engines favor small, enclosed
spaces!

What happens when you texture all sides with HINT?

I dont think the hint brush is the problem here.

Post your system specs, it might be that you have a low amount of RAM.......compiling takes up a lot of it.

Thanx for the replies. I have 1GB of RAM, athlonxp3200 so I dont think thats the problem.

As I said it works fine without the hint brushes, but with them it gives errors on loading. Im gonna try using hint on all sides of the brushes as lep said. (when i get home to my own PC that is..) :smile:

nope that wont work, what HINT does is create a 2D plane in your map
and it cuts your brush to break up the VIS portals. But hammer
cant make a 2D object, the best you can do is a 1*1*1. So you
skip all but one side and that side is seen as the flat plane.

could you maybe upload a pic from hammer of your HINT usage. How
big is your hint brush, where is it? is it touching a displacment
map?

Hi ive got some pics of the hint usage...

BTW im a newb with hint so it wouldnt surprise me to hear ive made a mistake or two :smile:





In this third pic the hint texture is on the other side of the brush and it cuts across the corner of the wall:



One final one to show outdoor areas:



The hints here reach the top of the skybox (thought maybe they need to be sealed)

Thanx for any help

BTW I think maybe theres too many of them, but thats for you to decide i guess. (I'm lost :rolleyes: )

http://xs12.xs.to/pics/05032/hinthelp4.JPG

DrGlass, there is no harm in texturing multiple sides with hint - it
will just cause multiple splits. Often that is ideal as well, as you
can make a large hint brush filling a section you want to be one leaf,
and cover all faces in hint.

I wouldn't think you need those hint brushes that are reaching to the skybox, in the last pic. If you want to seal the villa's top, I'd think one Hint brush across the top, like a roof, with the hint texture on the top - or on the top and bottom perhaps.

Also, in the compile log it says (I think) you have nodraw on a displacement brush, get rid of that. Nodraw on displacements causes problems.

It's not the cause of your problem, but your hint brush usage could be tweaked some...

In the first pic, the hint brushes in the doorways are probably doing very little to help you out, as the bsp will automatically split up leaves here because of the brush placement. Try using area portals in instead, but make sure you cover ALL exits of the rooms, since each area MUST be enclosed by brushes (non-detail) or other area portals. Vertical hint brushes may do well with the hole in the ceiling, since it would allow the bsp to cull objects on the other side of the ceiling.

In the second pic, again, try area portals in the doorways. The bsp is already cutting the leaves for them, and area portals will cull more objects.

Your best use is probably in the third pic, since if you're in the hallway on the left, it will properly cull the room on the right. Good work.

On the last pic, instead of using vertical hint brushes, try a single horizontal one lined up with the top of the roof. This will allow the bsp to cull faces in the courtyard when you're standing outside the building, and vice versa.

Also, I'm not sure of this, but I think your arched doorways may be causing alot of extra leaves. Hint brushes on both sides of the doorways, or even making the arched parts of the doorways detail brushes would fix this (make a rectangular opening with regular brushes, and fill in the curved parts with detail brushes). It may or may not be a problem, it all depends on how the bsp interprets them.

Looking at your map in glview, or with mat_leafvis 1 can help you find ways of optimizing your map.

Hi

thanx for the replies.

I got it working on fast vis after deleting loads of hint brushes on doorways etc. I also changed the brush around the rooftops to a horizontal one. Not sure exactly what was causing the problems but it seems ok now.

thanx everyone for the help. :smile: