MAX_MAP_VISIBILITY details...

[Botdra]

So I got this error when compiling my map... I know what it means, and I know how to stop it, but I've got some questions about it.

I know the way to avoid this is to caulk every surface the player won't see (which I always do, making my maps from caulk and texturing them later), and using detail brushes instead of structural brushes. I know that making a brush a detail brush makes it "invisible" to the -vis part of the map compile, which means you can't use it on the outermost walls of your map. So all that being said, is there any reason why I shouldn't make EVERY brush that isn't my skybox/walls that surround the entire map a detail brush? Perhaps someone can further define the purpose of each type of brush for me.

[mrwonko]

The whole purpose of the -vis stage is to calculate the visibility, hence the name. To that end it takes into account only the structural brushes. The point of it is so the game only needs to calculate what's currently (potentially) visible. If you were to put a huge structural box around the map and make everything else detail, the -vis stage would conclude that everything is always visible, so you'll want to retain the basic layout of the map, while making details... well, into detail brushes.

[Futuza]

The whole purpose of the -vis stage is to calculate the visibility, hence the name. To that end it takes into account only the structural brushes. The point of it is so the game only needs to calculate what's currently (potentially) visible. If you were to put a huge structural box around the map and make everything else detail, the -vis stage would conclude that everything is always visible, so you'll want to retain the basic layout of the map, while making details... well, into detail brushes.

So what are the advantages of say breaking the map into different sections separated by structural brushes, versus one big structural box surrounding everything?

[mrwonko]

So what are the advantages of say breaking the map into different sections separated by structural brushes, versus one big structural box surrounding everything?

Better FPS.

[Szico VII]

So what are the advantages of say breaking the map into different sections separated by structural brushes, versus one big structural box surrounding everything?

 

"If you were to put a huge structural box around the map and make everything else detail, the -vis stage would conclude that everything is always visible"

 

^^^This.

 

It means that everything in the map will be drawn all the time, resulting in very poor framerates and lag.