Optimize outside areas (hint brush)

I understand how to use hint brushes for hallways and enclosed areas,
but I can't find a tutorial that shows how to use hint brushes to
optimize outdoor environments.

QUESTION:

Do you guys know how to place hint brushes in large open spaces
(outdoors)? or do you have any good links to tutorials/posts that can
help me with this?

BACKGROUND:

I have a building sitting in a large courtyard. The CT's storm into the
building from multiple directions. There are quite a few entities in
the large courtyard that get drawn constantly. Even in areas that you
have no chance of seeing the entity. Also entities on my roof are
pretty much always drawn. I've used area portals and hint brushes to
optimize the inside pretty efficiently.

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Sixteen years with a water buffalo and I think it's time to move on.

im thinking it might be helpful to see a couple of screenies of this area so's to get a real lay of the land....optimize em, pop em up if ya could sir... :smile:

Doc B... :dodgy:

I'm at work so I'll have to post them tonight. It would be helpful to
analyze them, but I'd also be happy with links to tutorials. I will
post them though...

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Sixteen years with a water buffalo and I think it's time to move on.

I mostly use them for "vertical situations" - if you're walking along, then chances are the leaf you're in extends a few hundred units up in the air, and hence you'll be able to see over walls that are taller than you and even into skylights, etc.. Type mat_leafvis 1 into the console to see where leaves in your map are (anything that can be seen from any point in the red-outlined box is drawn while you're in it) and from there you can work out where HINT brushes could be placed (they'll split/define new "red boxes").

I use them flat against doorways. If you have a room with complex brushes you don't want a bunch of leaves extending out of the doorway into the outside area.

For your outside areas with models, you might be able to improve things using func_occluders. Although I'm not sure if they work with multiplayer. Here's a guide:

http://www.student.kun.nl/rvanhoorn/Optimization.htm#chapter5

Well, they should...

But yes, HUGE Hint brushes are recommended to cut it off, if you check
out Valve's maps, you'll see what I mean :wink: A LOTS of hint brushes.

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HL2 tutorials 'n' stuff: http://madedog.pri.ee
217.159.236.34:27050 - CSS Server - Clean | koffer.ee

Thanks for the info. I've been lazy and haven't posted a screen shot.

Really, it's my props that are being drawn at all times. I've added
some area portals which have helped. I've also tried changing the
visible distance of the props. This seems to be hit and miss. Sometimes
if I even think about looking at the visible distance the prop will not
show up in CS:Source.

I'll give the Occulders a shot. From what I've read on them I should avoid
them unless absolutely necessary. This is my first CS:Source map and
it's small, so I'm not really sure that it's absolutely necessary. But
I'll give them a shot anyway.

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Sixteen years with a water buffalo and I think it's time to move on.