Hollow

US-cobra-V

<div class="IPBDescription">why not?</div> first of all i'm totally new at mapping. <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->

why do i read everywhere not to make a cube and hollow it out to make a room out of it?
whats the problem with hollowing? if you hollow the cube and then ungroup it isn't it the same as placing 6 pieces togheter? (not to mention the time you win out of it)

thats all for now. <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->

Reese

The problem lies in the <i>way</i> that hammer hollows out a cube. Generally speaking it is better to align brushes so that they touch each other on vertices. Since this keeps them from touching faces, those faces aren't split at compile time, which is a good thing. (read as saves r_speeds) Hammer usually will make it so that two or more of the brushes do NOT touch at the vertices, but do so at faces. This isn't really all that noticeably in the first rooms, but will be a big issue with a full blown map. Basically the problem is that Hammer doesn't do things as well automagically as it can be done by hand... and you pay for it in r_speeds.

Rokiyo

Bevelling brushes like that has no advantages except for making texture alignment slightly easier to do automatically.

The compilers are smarter than you give them credit for. You could create a flat wall using 256 tiny brushes, stretch 1 texture across them, and it'll generate exactly as many w_poly as if you had 1 brush with 1 texture.

The compiler splits faces along textures, not along brushes. Since it's coverting your map from CSG into a polygon mesh, it doesn't need to worry about brushes and can focus only on polygons.

Reese

That was the original explanation that was handed to me, sorry if it was incorrect. In either case it <i>usually</i> is better to do it by hand in that the corners are visually neater...which makes things easier on the editor. Granted there's always the possibility of visgroups, but if it costs nothing then why do it.

Most of the time I see the "don't make anything hollow" suggestion as an addendum to the "carving is of the devil" thesis. While the first may be disputable, with complex structures the second one is true. Hammer can't really do too much in the way of carving well. I guess this is another example of why it's a good idea to post here instead of asking someone directly... you never know what kinds of misconceptions have been given to them.

Kage

I can make walls that line up on the vertices faster than I can hollow, ungroup, and adjust them. The main reason I make them flush is for texture alignment. It also gives me more control over the process.

Forgot to mention: r_speeds won't be affected by hollowing, since the extra ends are chopped off by the compile tools.

BigD

When it comes down to it, hollow isn't the devil (that carve can be.)

It can just become a bad habit. Hollowing a cube is one thing, but try hollowing a cylinder. Can be very ugly some times. Heck, carving with cubes can generally be safe when done properly (and knowing what it's going to do.) But, if you don't check to make sure it didn't cause some weird effects, you may run into trouble.

watch_me_die

want to see something really ugly?

hollowing a sphere-ish object...
<img src='http://merkury.orcon.net.nz/Image1.gif' border='0' alt='user posted image'>

Maveric

Oh god, take it away! Take it away!

RPG_Jssmfulhud

Now try and compile that. <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->

Kage

How did you make the sphere? It looks nice and round...for the most part.

RPG_Jssmfulhud

Most likely imported from a 3d modeling program.