Compiling Tipps

Info
If you are new to mapping or even you know less about compiling and compiler commands, it is better to read it to the end.
Maybe you will know a bit more after it :)
If you have proper mapping skills, you don't need to read it.

I will divide the Tipps in to the compiling tools(hlcsg,hlbsp,hlvis,hlrad)


Hints
For a better result in the end product:
- No carving
- No fit button
- No large rooms*
- func_walling things**
- Texture scaling***
- Many spawnpoints up to 32

* only in the beginnig if you don't know much about visblocking and proper texture applieing
** like crates, jumps, small things etc... also it will speed up compiling too
*** Proper texture scaling will speed up compiling, too


Design/Concept Building
If you are building the design or making the layout, it is better to make some test compiles during the building procedure.

Compiling options:
HLBSP: -leakonly
HLVIS: -fast

HLBSP will only write now the pointfiles for checking up the map for leaks. -leakonly is good too if you know that there is a leak in a map.
HLVIS will reduce the the compiling time because it won't drop polygones now. But the r_speeds will be bad. -fast is only for testing to speed up the compiling time.


Light building
If the design or layout is done, it is better to start off with the light

Compiling options:
HLVIS: -fast / or turning off vis
HLRAD: -bounce value
-chop value
-extra
-smooth value
-sky value
-maxlight value
-lights filename.rad
-incremental

HLVIS can be turned off or you can run HLVIS with the -fast command.
HLRAD
-bounce value - higher value makes the shadows less harsh and can light up dark spots
-chop value - low value = better quality, It needs to be divided with 16. Note: a higher value can fix maxpatches but it shouldn't go over 96.
-extra oversamling the lights, so it looks much better
-smooth value - smoothing the lights transitions between lights & shadows
-sky value - gives the shadows behind a shadowobject more color from the sky into it.
-maxlight value - can give the map a darker look (good for night maps or where the sun goes down)
-lights filename.rad - for textlights (for more informations about textlight, read the zhlt docs or make a deep search in the forum)
-incremental - for light settings changes only.

Run incremental
Make a compile with your light settings which you want with the -incremental command.
If the light doesn't fit with your setting or layout. Change it like you want.

Now make a recompile from the map with:
HLCSG: -onlyents
HLVIS: -fast / or turning off vis
HLRAD: -extra, -chop, -texchop, -notexscale must be the same as the last compile!

Now in the second compile with the -incremental again. HLRAD will skip BuildVisLeafs, MakeScales, and SwapTransfers for a faster compile.


Half-final / Midcompile
If the map is nearly finished and needs to have bug fixing or optimizing. It is better to make last compile with all these settings you have made

Compiling options:
HLCSG:
-wadautodetect / -wadinclude filename
Optional:
-cliptype precise OR -cliptype legacy Or without -cliptype
HLBSP: n/a
HLVIS: normal vis compile without -fast / -full
HLRAD: with your light settings which you have already done

HLCSG can include the textures in the bspfile with the -wadautodetect or else you can use -wadinclude wadname but you need to write it for every wadfile then.
with the -cliptype precise you can get right of some smaller clipping bugs and maybe from some wallbugs too, but maybe it can cause some wallbugs too.


Final Compile
Everything is done? Bugs are fixed?

Compiling options:
HLCSG: with the settings from the half-final / midcompile
HLBSP: n/a
HLVIS: -full
HLRAD: with your light settings which you have already done

HLVIS -full is reducing vis errors and in some cases it is reducing r_speeds


Outliner
All tipps/hints which has been given are experimental things which i had learned from the past years. Also it should clear some things up with compile speeds...
If you want more informations about the compiler options: http://zhlt.info/command-reference.html

If you have questions or have other things which could improve some procedures don't hesitate to post them.

gj man that is really util

gj dEMo

in spanish??

thanks