I'm trying to explain to some guy on another message board that when you compile a map it doesn't just "translate it into machine code" Because as we all know it has to calculate lighting and vis and all that good stuff. But I can't quite seem to get it through his thick sckull! Anyway, anyone know of a website which breaks down the compile process so that anyone can understand it?

BTW, hey everyone, haven't posted in quite some time!

I've never really seen one article that has explained it well... some of the concepts are just to foreign to one who has just started mapping. Maybe someone should try to write one?

Yeah, sure would help me to explain myself if someone else would do all the explaining :)

heres something on the compile process, I'm not sure how much of this will help you but here ya go :) Link (http://www.planetquake.com/spog/stuff/technical.html)

or you could look at the source code and try working it out lol

http://collective.valve-erc.com/data/docs/1034150354-69206000/files/zhlt253-17-src.zip

It's all commented :P

Well the very first tool in the compile process is CSG.

It produces a few files (.p0, p1, .p2, .p3) to get essential informations about each face and the texture applied to it.

BSP can be explained once CSG is known :rolleyes: