SF's Hammer Tutorials - Optimization 1: func_detail

Learn the basics of optimization, learn about leafs and portals and how to keep their numbers down to increase compilation speed.

Rundown
First there's a quick theoretical walkthrough of how leafs and portals work. Then the problem is presented; round shapes and details.

Then we open up hammer and create a cylinder, we compile the map and see a large amount of leafs and portals in the compiler window. Then we tie the cylinder to the func_detail entity and compile the map again to see that the number of portals and leafs have decreased a lot.

Made by Silverfish
http://www.precautious.nu/~silverfish

Category:

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• compiling

[Kazaanh]

Man you save my life. I was looking why compliting take so long.

Thanks you for decent hints.

I would like to see more videos about mysteries of hammer.

Enjoy !

[Silwerfish]

@Kazaanh I'm glad my tutorial helped you!

Do stay tuned for more tutorials about the mysteries of Hammer. ;)

[jkruse05]

Quick question, I'm assuming baked lighting displays just fine on a func_detail, but do dynamic lights react to them properly?

[Silwerfish]

@jkruse05 Quick answer: Yes.

func_detail is just like normal geometry in how it looks and is lighted. It doesn't block visibility, that's basically the only difference.

[idonthatethissite]

im still confused about why do source make things harder like that... what happens if i make everything func_detail?

[Silwerfish]

@idonthatethissite They do that to make it easier on the engine, that's why Source can run so good on most computers. If you make everything func_detail your map will be leaked and won't compile properly.

[StringDeposit]

thank you. i have been looking for tutorials at this level of understanding. i DO prefer to know the reason behind things. that gives me more skills than just following along behind someone who doesn't know why they do what they do.

[00vitality00]

Hint and skip plase

[StudioAR3]

Great tutorial. Very helpful.

[14wasp]

So that's why it took so long to compile my supermarket. All the shelves where pretty detailed so...

[Raiden738]

thanks!

[Silwerfish]

@spenceriguess I'll add that to the request list, thanks!