Props/prefabs vs. brushes, pros and cons?

[CaptainCrazy]

Pretty sure i asked this before but i think it was for Hammer and not Radiant.

 

So say i want to use prefabs instead of brushes to make buildings.  Is that a bad idea?

 

Like making sure that my prefabs snap to the grid and such then putting them into Radiant and such to make maps when needed.  I obviously don't want to lag the map out with a lot of models and such xD

[mrwonko]

Define prefabs.

[CaptainCrazy]

Building parts?

[eezstreet]

Not a bad idea, it's actually preferred for me. Just make sure you don't fall into the trap of making same-y looking buildings. Have tons of variety.

[CaptainCrazy]

I dabbled in it a little when i was helping with that Galaxies mod.

 

Just concerned that things of such size will yield terrible results when it comes to texture scaling.

[eezstreet]

Not really. When you import a prefab, the texture scaling sticks with it.

[CaptainCrazy]

I know that but i meant in general, even in the modeling software.

 

In-game it'll look pixelated and almost blurry.

 

Btw is anybody closer to the whole normalmaps creation yet?  I remember somebody saying ages ago that they were working on it but seems, well, impossible.

[Raz0r]

Btw is anybody closer to the whole normalmaps creation yet?  I remember somebody saying ages ago that they were working on it but seems, well, impossible.

Oh, hello.

[MoonDog]

Like making sure that my prefabs snap to the grid and such then putting them into Radiant and such to make maps when needed.  I obviously don't want to lag the map out with a lot of models and such xD

 

Why would models "lag" your map out? Whatever you put in there is going to draw tris. You aren't getting something for free either way. Doesn't matter if you use 99 percent models and 1 percent BSP or vice versa. 

 

Optimization happens through smart layout/vis, and doing what you can do reduce tris counts on complex objects. Eliminating unnecessary faces, reducing complexity on objects etc...

 

 

Also, do define prefab. Do you mean CoD style prefabs? Because that is not how the GTKRadiant do. The GTKRadiant just stamps geometry directly in. What are you trying to achieve? A set of objects that you can place in and rotate freely? Do you mean .ase models?

[CaptainCrazy]

Models, pre-snapped to grid, that i can place onto brushes and such.

 

Say you have a brush the size of a house and then you have models of windows that snap to the grid.  You'd use them to make the house look better rather than use brushes or textures.

 

I think there's another word for it but i forgot it xD

[MoonDog]

ASE models. You make BSP, compile it and then convert it into an ase to be placed as a misc_model. GTKRadiant prefabs are a bit weird in how they work. It basically just copy pastes the prefab geometry into the map you have open. CoD radiant allows you to actually insert a prefab entity that you can rotate and move however you wish. Then you can dive into the prefab and edit it freely.

 

Your best bet is going to be ASE models. Or if you are so inclined, getting a 3d package like blender and making assets in there.

[CaptainCrazy]

ASE models. You make BSP, compile it and then convert it into an ase to be placed as a misc_model. GTKRadiant prefabs are a bit weird in how they work. It basically just copy pastes the prefab geometry into the map you have open. CoD radiant allows you to actually insert a prefab entity that you can rotate and move however you wish. Then you can dive into the prefab and edit it freely.

 

Your best bet is going to be ASE models. Or if you are so inclined, getting a 3d package like blender and making assets in there.

 

 

Been using 3DS Max for 9 years and that's what i intend to use for this lol.

[MoonDog]

Been using 3DS Max for 9 years and that's what i intend to use for this lol.

 

You could pretty much make your entire level in 3DS if you want. You would then use Radiant to place your assets, obviously, and then setup collision/visibility with a well made caulk hull. Then proceed to hint brush the level as needed to improve it.