ok, can someone tell me where I might find a detailed tut about the bsp compile. The list of different options to do it has lots on it and I'd like to read about how each one work and best one to use etc........if ya know please share? ;)

If you want more control, your best bet is to take the compiling string to the dos window. A similar compile line that you would find in the editor can be used in from the dos prompt.

open a dos window and head over to the folder that contains the compiling programs. Since I no longer have anything installed (recent reformat here) I can't recall the names of the programs for SOFII.

Take a look at the compile strings (radiant preferences I think defines them... either way they are in the .qe4 project files). There you will find the compile string. The first compile program for SOF1 was sofbsp.exe. I don't remember what it is now. Anyway, look at the compile string for the program and type that program into the dos window (when you are in the same folder where the program exists). if you type the program name in without any commands after it, it should output all the possible commands including the command for help. The help command will tell you all the possible things that you can add or to your compiling process.

Running it all from the dos window will also give you the control you might be seeking.

This might be confusing but perhaps this thread well help : here

If you bring up your console and type in 'sof2map' with no parameters, it will list the first level options..

'sof2map -bsp' will list the options for the bsp process specifically

'sof2map -vis' for the vis options

and finally

'sof2map -light' for lighting options

and my personal fave

'sof2map -all'

pipe it to more to read it all, or dump to a text file:

'sof2map -all > options.txt'