Are there any invisible structural brushes that block vis? I have some areas that are crying for a structural brush to place the hints but I really would like to get around of a visible structural brush. The r_speed is in these areas between 30000 and 40000 so I think I need to do something here.
Invisible structural vis blocking brush?
?
Loffy
(Loffy)
#3
I sometimes use tall strucutral brushes made of CAULK that reach all the way up to the skybox. See link. Also, like stealth6 says, I use brushes made of HINT, especially in corridors. Difficult to provide more precise advice without seeing some screenshots from your editor and/or map. Good luck.
Teuthis
(Teuthis)
#4
thanks to both of you. Indeed I already extended the buildings to the skybox (doing this since a long time to cut the open areas into small closed sections as you mentioned in your post). However, instead of leaving them caulk I gave them the skybox texture, which is at the end the same result
@Mateos. I tried using hints only but the problem remains that if the area is too open the player can see too many vis blocks and thus the engine renders these areas which I wanna skip (so I need to make the engine skip these regions). So just putting some hints to cut down the vis blocks doesn’t help as long as the player can see them. I was hoping there are some invisible blocks that allow the payer to see an area which the engine believes is not seen and thus not rendered. Guess I need to add some usual structural brushes to cut the view of the player. good thing is that given the work that is lying behind me this is going to be an easy way 
stealth6
(stealth6)
#5
What you want is not possible, so yes you need to add brushes that cut the view of the player. Either that or add fog.
FAQIS
(FAQIS)
#6
Have a look at:
surfaceparm antiportal
surfaceparm clusterportal
surfaceparm areaportal
You got a lot to read: http://q3map2.everyonelookbusy.net/shader_manual/ch4.htm
Mateos
(Mateos)
#7
These will not work if you directly see them you know. Use them inside a door for instance, also requires to have structural all around it.
Hint is the only possibility for something invisible but that affect the VIS in sight 
Or fog with a far plane clip, like on Radar.
twt_thunder
(twt_thunder)
#8
Hey teuthis,
If I were you I would play a little with the “_blocksize” , as you know this is set 1024 by default, try setting “_blocksize 512” in your worldspawn.
This helped me on mia
Mateos
(Mateos)
#10
If the thing is really outside like Fuel Dump, it is fine to lower the blocksize. In other cases, try to have a minimum amount of portals, to complete Stealth post:
http://web.archive.org/web/20110205062503/http://www.nibsworld.com/rtcw/tutorial_detail_and_hint_brushes_part1.shtml
Think about the layout, on paper, before starting anything
Look at Fuel Dump, split into two separated parts
FAQIS
(FAQIS)
#11
One of my thoughts:
This is how my map is:
One part is full of houses,
A river split the map…
At the other side its flat and no houses eighter
Kinda open…
But my question is:
As radiant use structural as default…
Is pretty mouch everything structural…
But! Even if I not compile vis does the map get a high fps rate
Not lower than 90 at all at my shabby pc…
East radar = 40…
Well, how can the fps be high even without vis-compile?
Imo I think its a good idea for teuthis to put some houses to block vis…
But put them there a natural way and try to mix them with hills
It will maybe bring more gameplay also…
Large areas tends to be an inpossible mission for nubs
They will be an easy frag for the team at the other side of the field…
The nubs can possibly get a kill in a closed area where their back is protected…
A bunker for example…
Otherwise the nubs wont like it and not vote for it
(just a tip)
Mateos
(Mateos)
#12
Do you have a lot of foliage? (That lower FPS)
How high is the tris count where you have the lowest FPS?
What’s your CPU?
Teuthis
(Teuthis)
#13
Tris is usually nicely between 7000 and 20000. i have as said a few spots were the tris goes to 35-40000. i have not too much open field, comparable to goldrush, also I have everything like in fueldump completely separated into several almost independent parts. Problem are some roads were you go from one part into another but I’m sure I’ll make it. I’ll first try to change the block size and then we’ll see.
Thanks for the many very valuable comments.
stealth6
(stealth6)
#14
Using your own FPS as a reference isn’t a good way to check it. You need to open the console and type /r_speeds 4 then it will start spamming numbers, try opening the console at various areas in your map and check that the 2 numbers after verts stay below 30k.
You can also use /r_showtris 2 to see what your computer is rendering at that moment. Imo 20k is fine (just look at Goldrush), even 35k if it’s just a few rare spots. I wouldn’t go higher than that though.
If you don’t do the -vis compile then the whole map is drawn. This isn’t too bad for testing, but when you add lots of players you will also be rendering all of the players. Then your FPS will probably suffer.
twt_thunder
(twt_thunder)
#15
Agree, but sometimes it makes portals hit otherwize… So if you have a point you wont hit because of tris this can be solution
Teuthis
(Teuthis)
#16
goldrush has around 9400 active portals. I’m currently at something around 4300 so I think there is still some room left to place some hints. I tried to go down to a block size of 512 and this really helped a lot. However, it also increased the size of the bps file from 13.5 to 14.3Mb. I think I will first try to see how the performance is when I reached the Goldrush settings of 9400 portals. If the r_speed is still in some areas above 30,000 then I switch to 512 and then delete one by one the hints I placed until I reach the minimum necessary portals while keeping the r_speed low. I think the file size is of secondary importance and compared to all other custom maps I am well below their bps size. This is quite interesting as I have around 18500 brushes in my map, more than in goldrush and my compile time is lower as in goldrush. I think this is because I have only around 2000 structural brushes, the rest are details.
FAQIS
(FAQIS)
#17
Sounds like you are building the basic stuff structural and the props detail…
Thats a good way to go…
But avoid to place stuff in grid 1…
You should go over grid 1 always…
Just a tip but props that is very detailed should be maded with models or textures…
All machines, tables, drawers, boxes and small very detailed stuff
(trim) should be textures
To make them 3d always lower fps!
Also! Important!
Make a clip around every prop…
The players must slide smooth over the corners and props
An example of this is the doorways in siwa oasis where the proos getting angry when they get stuck and look like nubs/beginners!
Always, use a clip around or use nonsolid script-movers when you build in grid 1-3…
Good luck teuthis :)!