Anyone know how to use Autodesk Revit Building 8? and 3DS Max?

I figured out that it's theoretically possible to make an entire map in Revit, export it to 3DS, make it a model, import it to hammer, then just clip all the parts that you don't want the player going through.

I realize that it's just easier making a map just in hammer, but it's an idea.

Of course, if doing it in Revit&3DS, you have to think about when in-game, the player won't see the marks on walls when he shoots and whatnot.

The reason why I think it's worth mentioning is that the mapper could possibly cut down on compiling times and create maps that are very detailed without having to sacrifice the usual factors.

But still, it's an idea.
I just thought I'd mention that here.

You *could*, but it would probably require a lot of parts and ways to separate them so that you have at least some blocking (visual). I've thought about it as well, but it's not a very feasible result.

You'd certainly need something as powerful as areaportals for your million polygon model to not be rendered as a whole all the time. And as you said, interactivity goes right out the window. No decals/overlays and one hell of a giant texture to make.

Could you imagine trying to talk someone into skinning a model like that. :mod:

They did it for Battlefield more-or-less

They do it for a lot of games - make the map in Max, use special textures to define portals, put lights in the map and render the lightmap out as a seperate texture. Its what Ghost Recon does.

But thing is with those, I'm pretty sure it's also a lot to do with the engine. The game was designed for it. Whereas, in the HL world it isn't.

That is how they're designed. I remember the Rogue Spear map editor, you couldn't actually add anything to the map, every part of the map associated with a level was modelled, you just chose where to put enemies, hostages, extraction zones etc.
but also with HL2, I'm sure there'd be a way that somebody could edit the textures for this one huge model. Someone could replace all the textures with a see through one, and have a simple wall hack that VAC or whatever couldn't detect (although it'd be extremely obvious if someone was cheating this way). That's why, in a similar way, with games like Moh:aa you could effectively make wallhacks useless by using world brushes (as opposed to detail) and areaportals, meaning anything in a certain room wouldn't be drawn whether or not you could see the wall infront of it.

good insight surgeon. I think in half life this method is so dodgy due to the obvious pitfalls.

Originally posted by TheSurgeon
That is how they're designed. I remember the Rogue Spear map editor, you couldn't actually add anything to the map, every part of the map associated with a level was modelled, you just chose where to put enemies, hostages, extraction zones etc.
but also with HL2, I'm sure there'd be a way that somebody could edit the textures for this one huge model. Someone could replace all the textures with a see through one, and have a simple wall hack that VAC or whatever couldn't detect (although it'd be extremely obvious if someone was cheating this way). That's why, in a similar way, with games like Moh:aa you could effectively make wallhacks useless by using world brushes (as opposed to detail) and areaportals, meaning anything in a certain room wouldn't be drawn whether or not you could see the wall infront of it.
Ah. That is a very very good point.

Well, then....... oh well.
Although... I have no experience with making models in 3d modelling programs... but I'm now happy to know that I can make models in AutoCAD and export it to a modelling program :)