I'm creating a fizzler. Anytime I create a prop_static with a world model of portal_cleanser_1.mdl, it adds 26 seconds to my compile time (which is only about 8 seconds).

It looks like it's doing it when it's calculation collisions. Any ideas on what that is?

Try adding it as a prop_dynamic.

Hmm it shouldn't do that really, but yeah a pro_dynamic is even more expensive though Sleeper, and would take longer to render considering it can move, so the engine must be aware of this.

Well 28 Seconds isn't much of a big deal, but for that area of compilation it seems funny.

Yeah, I don't get it. It more than triples my current compile time, which is annoying. I'll try it later in a new map to see if that makes a difference.

Incidentally, I did try it as a prop_dynamic. The compile is fast as usual, but at runtime they don't appear! The fizzler is just in the air by itself.

Yep, even with a brand new empty map, it still happens. My map compiles in less than one second (I'm not doing vrad). If I simply add a prop_static with a world model of portal_cleanser_1.mdl, it balloons to 14 seconds.

What could it be?

Incidentally, I've moved my map to another PC and now during compile it says the following error when I create a prop_static for portal_cleanser_1.mdl:

Error loading studio model ""!

So WTF is going on! Any help?

I figured out why the portal cleanser posts were disappearing in the game. Because when they are set to prop_dynamic, the portal cleanser trigger is destroying them immediately since the Everything flag is checked.

The error went away apparently randomly after a couple restarts.

So they only mystery left is why adding them as prop_static triples my compile time?

Mainly because there solid, and dont move, but still, it shouldn't add much of a time frame to it, unless there within multiple leafs or something.

whupper - @ the fizzler destroying the model

As for why the prop_static is taking longer to compile, i have no clue, that really doesn't make any sense. Which program (vbsp, vvis, or vrad) is giving you the additional compile time? That could help figure out why it's doing it.

Yeah, I changed the player start to begin in front of the fizzler, and it was funny to see the cleansers float away and turn black, like the cube does! At least it solved that mystery of why the prop_dymanics were disappearing. I guess it's pretty obvious in retrospect.

The extra compile time is happening during vbsp. It gets to these lines really quickly:

Building Physics collision data...
done (1) (106651 bytes)

So that's fine. But then it takes it's long time to think, which, when it's done, outputs this:

Placing detail props : 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10
Compacting texture/material tables...
Reduced 478 texinfos to 191
Reduced 65 texdatas to 52 (2795 bytes to 2374)
Writing e:\bin\steam\steamapps\[email protected]\sourcesdk_content\portal\mapsrc\d03o.bsp
26 seconds elapsed

Does that mean anything?

Are the prop_statics sticking deep into walls? Try placing them kind of floating in mid-air just to test and see how that compiles.

Load up your map in glview and see what the area looks like there. I wonder if something weird is happening and vbsp is cutting it up strangely because of the prop, or maybe the clipping hull is getting mucked up.

I had a problem with the prop_statics disappearing if they touched either the floor or the roof (don't remember which).
Maybe the problems are related?

No, I had tried it in the air with no contact with anything else. It didn't help.

Also, it happens no matter where it is on the map, so it's not a visleaf problem. It also happens on an empty map with just one room.

Hmm that's pretty normal bud, I don't see why it bothers you, I mean 28 seconds isn't that big a deal to be honest, Currently my map takes about a Full minute and a half to do Physics compilation.

I don't think it should be ignored, obviously something is causing a problem. If the compile time increases by 20-30 seconds for every fizzler model that gets added, you can see how that could add up very quickly.

Does the time increase for each fizzler prop you add, or is it a one-time cost?