Outdoor map - general question
I've read that one should avoid the big square box enclosure but I'm not sure how else you would approach this. What I want to do is basically a 3D skybox/fog thing so that the perimeter area sort of fades off in to the foggy distance.
Other than a large surrounding box is there a better way to approach this?
Is there a big performance penalty for rendering this with a big surrounding box?
Thanks
Steve
Valve used it over 10 times.
It's like people say DON'T USE THE CARVE TOOL!
But you can use it to cut something square out.
I really don't see any other way in this setting.
But I still think you shouldn't carve. Tis bad news nod nod
I deeply suggest you to use the 3D skybox instead of the large surrounding box. I suppose this post is related to your previous one about 3D skybox, right? Please check my reply to your previous post:
http://forums.thinking.withportals.com/post63525.html#p63525
I think you could just use the 3D skybox with the due toolskybox textured brushes inside your chambers + a fog_controller entity placed inside your "real" map (not in the 3D skybox... you have fog settings available in the sky_camera entity, but that fog won't extend to the inside of your chambers!), and if you think you need it (for example for a death pit) you could build a "partially" big box at some places altogether with some env_fade entities (https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Env_fade)... but I won't suggest you the big box surrounding all map...
It is extremely costly for performance in-game and also for compiling. Anyway, if you really want to choose this way, I suggest you to decompile this map: "sp_a4_jump_polarity.bsp". It is the best one for you to learn the right way (Valve's way) for building the big box around your map. Try to check out how they use the "hint" tools/texture altogether with the "Skip" one. They make big brushes with these textures to delimit areas properly... Also do not forget to turn into a Fuc_detail anything it's not a border-brush in your map in order to reduce compile time and performance. I assume you know you have to use the nodraw texture everywhere that cannot be seen in the map, and ofc in all outside brush sides.
I hope this helps!
I am very happy with my new map but I need to get the surrounding environment in order.
Hope to release soon.
Steve
It's a very large open area enclosed in a giant box made from displacements (don't forget a nodraw hull if you do this!)
As mentioned above, it's acceptable to do this sometimes. Sure it's not ideal, but sometimes is the only way to enclose such a large area. Framerate isn't an issue if you ALWAYS keep optimisation at the front of your mind.