What are thoooooose??? - Developers

I have to ask a question: What are all those "Skip", "Nodraw", "Area Portal" textures on Volvo maps?

Hoo boy. Skip has something to do with AI pathfinding i believe. Nodraw designates a surface that will not be rendered. Areaportal divides the map up into chunks, so a computer doesnt have to render the whole map at once.

Skip doesn't do anything. It's called a skip brush because the compiler skips it completely.

[QUOTE=Little Donny;50478602]Skip doesn't do anything. It's called a skip brush because the compiler skips it completely.[/QUOTE] That sounds very pointless, but if you say so.

[QUOTE=Little Donny;50478602]Skip doesn't do anything. It's called a skip brush because the compiler skips it completely.[/QUOTE] So, you put something inside it and it isn't compiled?

Read this [url]http://www.optimization.interlopers.net/index.php?chapter=intro[/url]

[QUOTE=Pootis-Man;50478645]So, you put something inside it and it isn't compiled?[/QUOTE] No, reading up on it, its used to envelop a piece of the map, so you can use the box it creates to scale a number of other brushes relative to each other and to the size of the skip brush. Then you can leave it in for the compile should you want to change things even further.

[QUOTE=Pootis-Man;50478645]So, you put something inside it and it isn't compiled?[/QUOTE] No I'm pretty sure it just skips the brush itself. I've seen it used as a sort of measuring stick and also as way to 'turn off' a brush entity that isn't being used in the current version of the map in the same way that a programmer would comment out a line of code.

[QUOTE=Sprockethead;50478567]Hoo boy. Skip has something to do with AI pathfinding i believe. Nodraw designates a surface that will not be rendered. Areaportal divides the map up into chunks, so a computer doesnt have to render the whole map at once.[/QUOTE] Skip has nothing to do with AI - It's a brush used for optimization. When HINT is in the view of the player, everything behind it becomes visible. When SKIP is picked up by the compiler, it is removed from the compile entirely, as it is "skipped". Nodraw surfaces are not rendered, but SKIP is entirely removed. Good basic explanation of areaportal, but it's actual function is much like sealing off different parts of the map... Whatever is inside of an areaportal, or separated by an areaportal, until the areaportal is opened, that part of the map is not rendered to the player... For example, if I built a tunnel with a garage door, and inside the garage door I put an areaportal, then each side of the garage door will be rendered only when the areaportal is open and/or occupied. So if I'm in side A, and the door is closed, side B is completely unloaded and irrelevant. The moment I open the door, Side A and B are fully rendered. [QUOTE=Sprockethead;50478641]That sounds very pointless, but if you say so.[/QUOTE] Not useless. Very useful for here-and-there brushes you don't want compiled. Great for optimization.

[QUOTE=Rory;50478696]Skip has nothing to do with AI - It's a brush used for optimization. When HINT is in the view of the player, everything behind it becomes visible. When SKIP is picked up by the compiler, it is removed from the compile entirely, as it is "skipped". Nodraw surfaces are not rendered, but SKIP is entirely removed. Good basic explanation of areaportal, but it's actual function is much like sealing off different parts of the map... Whatever is inside of an areaportal, or separated by an areaportal, until the areaportal is opened, that part of the map is not rendered to the player... For example, if I built a tunnel with a garage door, and inside the garage door I put an areaportal, then each side of the garage door will be rendered only when the areaportal is open and/or occupied. So if I'm in side A, and the door is closed, side B is completely unloaded and irrelevant. The moment I open the door, Side A and B are fully rendered. Not useless. Very useful for here-and-there brushes you don't want compiled. Great for optimization.[/QUOTE] Thanks for that, will use it in the future. :smile: