Using The "null" Texture

Coroner · October 2003

<div class="IPBDescription">and then retexturing</div> Ive been told that if you basically do an CTRL+A (select all) and texture EVERYTHING on a map in the null texture, and then go through and retexture the map on just the inside visible surfaces of all the brushes, that it will reduce compile time and greatly increase game stability on the map. Is there any truth to this? If I was to do something like this on my near finished map, I would definantly want it to have results.

HAMBone · October 2003

Yes, there is truth to it, but the preferred method is originally creating the brushes with the null texture and then only texturing the visible faces. Although I guess technically your way would work too. Although I think its possible that it might be faster to texture all(or most of) the non-visible faces null then it would be to retexture all the visible faces.

Edit: Also, by the way, there is now a mapping questions forum linked at the top, that would probably be the right place to put this.

Coroner · October 2003

Thanks. Yeah, Im sure it would be MUCH easier to make the textures null and then texture the visible surfaces. Unfortunantly I have a map 90% done and just was made aware of this.

Caboose · October 2003

So select all, then deselect all of the visable faces and texture all of the rest with null.

Tequila · October 2003

And next time use null from the start, saves a lot of time in the long run <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'>

Kage · October 2003

You could save yourself a little time now and just null the stuff that needs to be nulled. The outside of the map will automatically be discarded, so you don't have to worry about that. Also, worldspawn faces with no visible surface (for example, the face is covered by another worldspawn brush) will be deleted. If you want to get most (not all) of the results you would get from doing what you described, just cover the unseen sides of brush entities, backsides of pipes, and surfaces covered by opaque water. These are all surfaces that HL renders to no visual effect.

Wurmspawn · October 2003

here's a trick i use (for VHE. if you use quark i've been told u can set the default texture to null);
make a flat-coloured texture named aaa_null or something... it loads the 1st alphabetical texture when you open hammre so you can madly place brushes and then replace them all later. unless you want a flat coloured map.
if you retexture as you go, you definitely have to keep the null in mind.

Coroner · October 2003

just for the sake of humoring this semi-n00b mapper, how do you des-elect visible faces?

reaperman · October 2003

In VHE, hold down the Ctrl key while you click on the desired face to be selected/deselected.

uffo · October 2003

written by Erias:
</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>Are you referring to the "method" where you texture every brush as NULL and then only texture the inside of your map? Because although the NULL texture is useful, that method is primarily a misconception. The compiler removes MOST the map's outside and unseen faces automatically. There are ways to reduce r_speeds using NULL, but the method I've been hearing about isn't correct, although it may reduce r_speeds by "fluke."

I've found two ways to use NULLs to significantly decrease wpolys and r_speeds. One is on the backside of brushes that are in the map but you never see that side or can't get behind the brush (say, on the back of a round pipe placed a few units away from a wall.) This will only be effective if there is a spot where VIS thinks it can see this side (say, around a corner or bend.) NULL can also be placed on very small or barely visible faces that are present on detailed brushes.

The other is on solid brush entities, on the sides that are flush with or inside the walls (these sides are still visible a lot of the time, because brush entities don't integrate into the level geometry or get culled.) This can really help if you use a lot of func_walls or somesuch to prevent funny shapes from breaking up your faces too much.

Hopefully this will dispel any rumours. <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>

Using The "null" Texture

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