Hi. This might sound noob, but what are portals for anyway? There are tutorials for how to portal, but I really don't quite grasp the point of portals. Do you really need them? Because I haven't ever used it and I think my maps are just fine. I searched for it but it didn't really answer my question.
Thanks for helping

In short, portals make it easy on the computer to render the map. Instead of rendering the map all at once, portals only render what the player can see.

This also ensures that there is no lag spots in your map.

They're usually only needed if your map is relatively complex, and in my opinion aren't worth the effort anyway. Same for -vis when compiling.

Portals are very important! They stop your computer from rendering anything in another portal so your map runs faster. However with graphics cards and other computer parts improving portaling becomes less important on older games. When COD4 tools are released, the map should be properly portaled. However with older games it is less important because of people upgrading. You should do a quick portal job anyway for the people that have not upgraded.

NovemberDobby writes...

WHOA VIS is VERY important high vis = high lag = a map nobody want to pay, if you work hard on a map then take some time and portal it, rember less is more when it comes to portals

Speak for yourself.

Maps should be portalled and -vissed... I know most computers these days are fast enough not to need it, however, there are still alot of people out there who don't have the most up to date videocards etc, so for those peoples sake, please do this.

NovemberDobby writes...
I just did
Why work hard then only do something half assed? Make something everyone can enjoy.

Whoah.

I did quite a bit of portalling in the buildings of my main map, and never heard anyone complaining about it. I should have put it differently.

My only problem with -vis (the pac-man thing, if I'm remember the names properly) is that it resets the -samplesize to around 8. In my maps I like to have a much lower -sample size on certain objects that need detailed shadows on them.

(edit) The above refers to CoD1 and UO. I guess I don't know if there are drawbacks to -vis in CoD2.

edited on Jan. 7, 2008 10:41 am by Filbert