Which section is taking the most time? VIS or RAD? If it's VIS, I would recommend looking into hint brushes. As well as increasing in-game performance, used properly they can cut compile times dramatically. If it's RAD, cut down on the number of lights, or if that isn't possible reduce your lightmap scales (you can use 3D lightmap view to easily see where the worst offenders are). From looking at screenshots, the map is not terribly complicated. It should not reasonably be taking the amount of time you describe (unless you're attempting to do it on your graphic calculator, or a similarly spec'ed device).
I know what to do, but I don't have the best knowledge. I need a link that talks about making the map faster compiling wise and in game. I already did a lot with what I currently know but there is more needed. *Edit* Crap I forgot to put the func_detail on the 'teeth' of the wall. Crap that would be a lot. *2Edit* To set fast compile I made my lightmaps at 4. I can fix that later.
I am not a complete noob. I have seen that, but there was a link before that I lost that was a lot better. Also I figured out the whole issue of the optimization should just be for better load times now.
No. Adding more to that would make it longer. The maps shadows do look like crap right now but I got the info I needed.
You sure? I checked my map emp_tankwar and it seems I had to change the lightmap scale from the default 16 to 32 to speed up the compile time. EDIT: Hammer defines lightmap scale as units per luxel. So, it defines the size of each luxel. Bigger luxels means lower resolution
A lower lightmap scale means a higher-res lightmap. A scale of 4 will take longer to compute than a scale of 16.
I think that there is some confusion here. I believe the setting Cyber is refering to is the lightmap scaler in the compile tools, which scales every luxel in the level by the set amount. So anything larger than 1 results in larger overall luxels (thus 4 results in 4x bigger). At least, I hope that's what you mean Cyber. If the scale in hammer is set to 4, no wonder it is taking so long. Typically 16 is the smallest I would go for most surfaces. Larger terrain sections could be as big as 128.
I am lowering my lightmap for the compile. Here is the link showing what lower lightmaps do. http://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Lightmap I will fix once I get done for real though.
