[Kolossus]

I have some new questions about mapping...

1. Is a map that reaches 4096 on any side (in Radiant) big? An almost-square (not exact one).
2. What about using meshes for things that would otherwise be detailed brushes? Not all of them, but for example roofs, decorations on buildings?
3. I was wondering about the structural brushes. If we have buildings in the map that only serve the purpose providing the layout (and well the environemnt)... how do we do them?

Do we place a single huge brush that represents the building or do we place only the "walls"? What's the best way?

4. When two walls meet in a perpendicular fashion, how are they supposed to meet? (The shape 1 is there for completeness actually and I don't really use it, since I know it's wrong.)

This post has been edited by Kolossus: 17 March 2013 - 12:55 PM

[FS Markinho]

1. It's ok
2. Dunno, I'd rather model decorations and I think roofs should be structural
3. 1 brush or 4? Doesn't really matter
4. They all work fine afaik, #3 is maybe the best compromise

[Kolossus]

Roofs structural? Are you sure?

I'm not speaking about the brushes above the roofs (which are needed for hinting) but rather the roofs themselves. Considering their various shapes I doubt they're going to be structural.

Yes, oh I forgot another example for the walls... I added a fourth choice.

[FS Markinho]

Well yea it depends, hard to say when you don't know how the map is gonna be like

I like the #3 better, less faces to texture

[FS HappyDay]

• Size is ok, it's roughly twice as big as turnpike in each direction.
  
• Well, what exactly is your question? Entites (models) don't fall into the structural/detail category, only brushes do. Everything else besides structural brushes, hints and areportals is ignored by the vis process.
  
• Hard to say. Might depend on the situation. In any case the difference is so tiny, it truly doesn't matter if you place one big brush or build the 4 walls with 4 brushes.
  
• Depends. If the playable area is in the bottom left corner and there's void on the other side (top right) number 2 is the best choice because it minimizes vis portals. If there playable area is on the top right number 3 is the best choice because you only have two faces that are drawn. Number 4 has 3 faces in that case.

[Kolossus]

Thanks guys. Yes, Happyday I agree with you about that differentiation. I think I'll adopt number 2 for the skybox/external boxing.

About the second question... I meant that since the roofs are going to be detail for me anyway, I thought I'd use meshes since they don't increase the tris count, no? They look like other brushes in game but still have no tris in them... right?

[CMM|banksy]

For any wall I tend to use 3 but thats just how i first learnt

[Kolossus]

Thanks banksy. :) By the way, I see you're using NetRadiant, right? Me too!

This post has been edited by Kolossus: 18 March 2013 - 05:18 PM