fast compile details?

[Dario D.]

I did a search on Valve's developer site, but I couldn't find anything explaining what fast compiling is and does (besides go faster).

I'm trying to optimize my map, and need to know what the exact differences are between fast compile and full compile, especially in VVIS.

Does anyone know?

I just did two fast compiles of my map, one with and one without hint brushes, to see the difference in compile time, but the time was almost the same (only one minute difference), so, I'm not sure if fast compile is ignoring the hints or not.

Anyway, I just need to know what fast compile does differently.

 

[giant384]

the only thing that makes compiling longer for me is the lighting because it has to render every face and which face the light will hit.

 

[Dario D.]

My map is huge and outdoorsy, so VVIS takes the longest, by far. I think indoor maps would probably fly through vis.

 

[Icewolf717]

I made a World Trade Center map (actual size, their huge). I compiled it using the "fast" option and got these weird horizontal lines on the building. Then I changed it to normal and the lines went away. I dont know exactly what it does, but thats just what happened to me.

 

[JFry]

Basically what vis does is draw a bunch of invisible lines all over your map. Whenever the player runs into one of these lines it will tell your computer which areas of the map may need to be loaded next. Putting it on fast vis compile just makes it draw much less lines. The drawback of this is that your computer will be less efficient at precaching resources and thus can be laggy. A fast compile can be fine if you are just trying to test your map, but for a final compile always go with a full vis.

 

[Dario D.]

Oh, I see. That's kind of what I suspected, but I thought Source was forced to create a leaf every 1024 units, no matter what. :O

Thanks for the info.

 

[Unarmed]

Oh, I see. That's kind of what I suspected, but I thought Source was forced to create a leaf every 1024 units, no matter what. :O

Thanks for the info.

Bingo.

Now you know why hammer has every 1024 units highlited in a brownish red. Plannig your map so that your VIS cuts created by the map matches those will save performance and compile time.

Outdoors should compile quite fast unless buildt strange. If outdoors is like a big box with details in it then there really aint all that much for Vis to do.

think of fast VIS compared to slow vis as prop_physics_multiplayer compared to prop_physics. And think of the engine in the first place as the player in the second.

Slow vis just like prop_physics_multiplayer, does the trick but it is in general a bit dumber and doesnt do the job as well or niceley. And while prop_physics_multiplayer annoys the player the fast Vis "annoys" the engine causing lower FPS. Just like player like to see prop_physics the engine likes a long VIS. More work during compile, less during gameplay.

//Unarmed