Best Map Compile Utilities

[Team Xlink]

What are the best map compile utilities?

My goal is to find out what utilities I should use if I am trying to get as high an FPS as possible.

[r00k]

Enhanced TreeQBSP
=================

Main features are :

* Very low memory requirements, typically 10-20% of most other compilers.
* Fast processing, partly due to the low memory requirements.
* Large map capacity; most limits are beyond the Quake engine capacity.
* High precision in floating point calculations.
* MultiWAD (WorldCraft-style) and wildcard support.
* Support for default wad file if no other wads found.
* Support for Valve WAD3 format.
* Support for Hipnotic/Ritual entity rotation.
* Support for enhanced texture positioning in QuArK.
* Support for Valve 220 map format, e.g. from Hammer.
* Support for Q2/Q3 map format, e.g. from GtkRadiant.
* Support for floating point coordinates in map files (e.g. from QuArK).
* Enhanced warning/error messages.
* Enhanced leak handling.
* Progress feedback that works in any console and does not cause performance loss.
* Transparent water support.
* Cleanup of texture names.
* No hull files.
* Log file.
* INI file.


vs



Enhanced TxQBSP
===============

Main features are :

* Very low memory requirements, typically 10-20% of most other compilers.
* Fast processing, partly due to the low memory requirements.
* Large map capacity; most limits are beyond the Quake engine capacity.
* High precision in floating point calculations.
* MultiWAD (WorldCraft-style) and wildcard support.
* Support for default wad file if no other wads found.
* Support for Valve WAD3 format.
* Support for Hipnotic/Ritual entity rotation.
* Support for enhanced texture positioning in QuArK.
* Support for Valve 220 map format, e.g. from Hammer.
* Support for Q2/Q3 map format, e.g. from GtkRadiant.
* Support for floating point coordinates in map files (e.g. from QuArK).
* Enhanced warning/error messages.
* Enhanced leak handling.
* Progress feedback that works in any console and does not cause performance loss.
* Transparent water support.
* Cleanup of texture names.
* No hull files.
* Log file.

hmm, maybe its just a namechange??

[xaGe]

..Well once upon a time I thought TxQBSP was the one to support Quark's enhanced texture positioning where as TreeQBSP did not. Not sure any more though.

[Team Xlink]

I edited my first post in this topic to avoid starting a new topic that was so similar.

So what are the best map compile utilities if your goal is to achieve as high an fps as possible.

[Spirit]

The compiler does not matter as much as your map(ping style). I think it does not matter at all.

[Downsider]

The compiler really can't magically speed up your maps..

[Spike]

LordHavoc's hmap compiler supports a bigger lightmaps extension thingie. only works with engines that support that, but it means less surface fragments and thus a bit higher framerates.
so mneh.

[goldenboy]

In tests, Bengt's vis tool seemed to do the best culling. I would advise to use that.

You can see how much of a map is actually rendered with an engine that lets you lock the PVS, like Tyrquake. It was pretty interesting to do this and compare the rendering of the same map compiled using different vis tools.

That will influence FPS for sure.

I think some engines also promise improved culling, but that's beyond the mapper's control (well, without applying unreasonable methods).

[Downsider]

In tests, Bengt's vis tool seemed to do the best culling. I would advise to use that..

Good to know.

[Team Xlink]

In tests, Bengt's vis tool seemed to do the best culling. I would advise to use that.

You can see how much of a map is actually rendered with an engine that lets you lock the PVS, like Tyrquake. It was pretty interesting to do this and compare the rendering of the same map compiled using different vis tools.

That will influence FPS for sure.

I think some engines also promise improved culling, but that's beyond the mapper's control (well, without applying unreasonable methods).

Having improved culling in the engine seems like a very useful thing, do you know of any that have it?

[goldenboy]

Hmm, I might have confused something, I just seemed to remember reading something like that in some engine readme. Sorry. It might have been bjp's engine, but I'm not sure at all. I'm a little out of the normal Quake scene. Don't remember too much of these things.

I should have worded that better. An ISTR would have been appropriate

I do definitely remember doing that vis test on one of my maps, though.