View source for User:SirYodaJedi/Source map compiler wishlist

Features I'd like to see in custom compilers for {{src13sp}}, {{src13mp}}, and {{strata}}
{{see also|[[/FGD]]}}

== BSP / CSG ==
{{note|I am working on a custom fork of VBSP, named [[User:SirYodaJedi/YBSP|YBSP]], which will have some of the easier features to implement found here.}}
* Everything from {{mapbase|2}}'s and DeathByNuke's [[VBSP]]s
* Generate a file alongside the BSP (or in the zip lump) containing KVs for func_group, func_detail, and prop_static, for use with VRAD.
** The brushes would be stored as a comma-delimited list of brush numbers, indicating which brushes are in the group.
** KVs which are used by the static prop lump are stripped, along with targetname, mindxlevel, and maxdxlevel, and any KVs which are only used by VBSP. 
* func_group
* Don't CSG coplanar brushes to prevent Z-fighting when at least one of the materials on said brushes has {{cmd|$decal}}, as that command prevents the Z-fighting to begin with.
** Or perhaps a {{code|func_decal}} that acts like a func_detail which keeps all geometry even if it would've been CSGed (and sets contents to CONTENTS_EMPTY).
*** As well as a {{code|%CompileNoCSG}} VMT parm that acts the same way.
* {{code|_contents}} KV in all brush entities (along with func_group, func_detail, and func_ladder), which overrides the [[contents flags|contents]] of contained brushes which would otherwise be CONTENTS_SOLID (ex: for grates using CONTENTS_GRATE, stairs using CONTENTS_DEBRIS, or nonsolid [[func_train]] using CONTENTS_EMPTY).
* {{code|_illusionary}} KV on func_detail which disables generation of brushsides for the given brushes, resulting in the geometry being purely visual and not having any collision whatsoever (ex: for foliage). This would be cheaper than CONTENTS_EMPTY, since it doesn't eat up brushsides, but probably would be buggy on entities.
* {{code|func_illusionary_visblocker}} like in [[ericw-tools]] - A world brush that blocks vis but is non-solid.
* {{code|detaillevel}} KV for func_detail, which affects how it would chop or get chopped by other brushes. 0 = vanilla behavior; 1 = chopped by world, chops all else; 2 = chopped by world and level 1, chops all else; etc.
* Ability to toggle {{quake2|2}}-style detail brush behavior for func_detail (in a KV), wherein it still chops underlying world brushes, even though it doesn't affect VIS. This fixes some lighting bugs caused by the world brush lightmap bleeding underneath the func_detail, at the expense of additional drawn faces. 
** This could be done by setting the aforementioned {{code|detaillevel}} KV to -1.
** You can manually do this with nodraw brushes on stock compilers, but that eats up more brushsides.
* Ability to set DeathByNukes's %compileChopHigh, %compileChopLow, and %compileChopAll settings directly in func_group and func_detail's KVs, so that the same material can have different chop settings in different situations (improving runtime performance). Useful for coplanar brushwork.
* {{code|_origin}} KV, which replaces the {{code|origin}} KV once BSP is finished. Useful for shifting entities by microscopic amounts (ex: 0.0625).
* {{code|_origin_offset}} KV, which offsets the {{code|origin}} KV once BSP is finished. Useful for shifting entities by microscopic amounts (ex: 0.0625).
* {{code|_noportal}}, {{code|_nodecal}}, {{code|_nodraw}}, and {{code|_nolight}} KVs that set the applicable [[surface flag]]s for all faces on the brush entities (including func_group, func_detail, and func_ladder)
* Flag {{ent|func_ladder}} as detail unless it would also have CONTENTS_TRANS (Visleaves are used for alpha sorting; offer an additional KV, like {{code|force_detail}}, to always make ladders detail.)
* Don't create unused {{ent|info_ladder}} unless {{code|keep_info_ladder}} is enabled.
* {{code|_nobmodel}} KV on brush entities to write {{code|mins}} and {{code|maxs}} KVs indicating the bbox, instead of creating a [[bmodel]] for the entity (useful for [[func_team_wall]]).
* Merge the brushwork used by unnamed [[func_null]] entities which do not have any KVs that start with {{code|_}} or {{code|vrad}} into a single bmodel, reducing MAX_MAP_MODELS usage.
* {{code|_clone}} and {{code|_clonename}}, like {{nrc|2|addtext='s}} Q3Map2.
* {{code|_use_lightmap}} KV for {{ent|prop_static}}, which takes a VTF, converts it to [[PPL]] (with correct number of LoDs if necessary), and embeds it in the map with the correct filename. This should tick the "no per-texel lighting" flag, so that it doesn't get overwritten by VRAD (the engine doesn't care about the flag).

== VIS ==
* Rename {{file|vvis_dll|dll}} to allow installation alongside vanilla compilers.

== RAD ==
* Rename {{file|vrad_dll|dll}} to allow installation alongside vanilla compilers.
* 64-bit executable, regardless of whether engine is 64-bit
* bounced prop_static lighting (bouncing both ways between props and lightmaps); this would be really beneficial on lightmapped props
* Ability to select texture format for [[PPL]] files:
** Recommended formats to allow:
*** {{src13mp}} RGB888 (default), RGBA16161616F, DXT1, I8, BGR565, BGRA8888 (RGBM-compressed HDR), DXT5 (RGBM-compressed HDR)
*** {{strata}} BC6H (default), BC7, RGBX8888, RGBA8888 (RGBM-compressed HDR), RGBA16161616F, DXT1, ATI1N, I8
** This could possibly be noted by using lightmap resolutions higher than 4096 (reading the three most significant bits as a separate value, with 0 being the default RBG888).
** Alternatively, unused static prop flags could be used, but VBSP would need to be modified to properly write them.
** Or just use the extra data I suggested writing in VBSP.
* Support {{code|lightingorigin}} KV on brush entities, like {{code|light_origin}} in GoldSrc.
* {{code|_nobounce}} KV on lights, which disables bounced lighting from the light source.
* {{code|_nodirect}} KV on lights, which prevents direct lighting from being written to the lightmaps.
* {{code|_nodynamic}} KV on lights, which prevents the light source from affecting dlights.
* {{code|_onlydynamic}} KV on lights, which makes the light ''only'' affect dlights (like Quake III lightJunior)
* bounced named lights (could also have radius-based control over how far they are allowed to bounce)
* toggleable shadows for brush entities, handled in a similar manner VHLT's [[light_shadow]] (so they'd be controlled by a regular [[light]] entity in-game)
* toggleable texlights, handled in a similar manner VHLT's [[light_surface]] (so they'd be controlled by a regular [[light]] entity in-game)
* {{code|%lightmapmask}} for {{ent|VertexLitGeneric}}, which dictates locations of the [[PPL]] lightmap to mask out and replace with a dialation fill like [[xwad]] does for index 255 of transparent textures.
* {{code|%lightmap_normalmap}} for {{ent|VertexLitGeneric}}, which acts like Q3Map2's {{code|q3map_normalImage}}, baking the normal map lighting information into the [[PPL]] lightmap.
* An equivalent to [[ericw-tools]]'s {{code|-dirtdebug}} command, which disables standard lighting and only puts generic ambient occlusion on edges to prevent the unsealed fullbright map from looking bad.
* Colored texture shadows.
* Texture shadows from [[Refract]] materials.
* {{code|_minlight}} on prop_static, func_group, and func_detail
* {{code|_maxlight}} wherever {{code|_minlight}} is available
* {{code|_minlight_color}} and {{code|_maxlight_color}}, which control the color of {{code|_minlight}} and {{code|_maxlight}}
* {{code|%CompileMinLight}}, {{code|%CompileMaxLight}}, {{code|%CompileMinLight_Color}}, and {{code|%CompileMaxLight_Color}} [[material map compile flags]], which function like the equivalent KVs, but on a per-material basis.
* [[Half Lambert]] flag for per-vertex and lightmapped static props
* {{code|%CompileIgnoreNormals}} [[material map compile flag]], like the equivalent [[static prop]] lighting flag (on both brushes/disps and MDLs)
* In a similar vein, {{code|%CompileNoSelfShadowing}}, which prevents surfaces with the given material from receiving shadows cast by another surface with the same material (on both brushes/disps and MDLs)
* {{code|%CompileNoCastSunlight}}, which if found in a material for a surface with SURF_SKY or SURF_SKY2D, prevents the given surface from casting sunlight.
* {{code|%CompileLightTwoSided}}, which makes a face receive light from both frontfaces and backfaces. If undefined, defaults to on for [[$nocull]].
** {{code|%CompileLightTwoSided_Bias}} (default 0.5), only applied if %CompileLightTwoSided present. If greater than 0.5, the face will receive more light from its frontfaces. If less than 0.5, the face will receive more light from its backfaces. Like VHLT's [[info_translucent]].
* {{ent|light_rect}}; rename to {{ent|light_spot}} after compiling to keep compatible with I/O.
* {{code|func_sunlight}}; like light_environment, but as a pseudo-brush entity; only casts the defined lighting from sky brushes within the brush's boundaries.
* {{code|_targetname}} on lighting entities, which acts the same as {{code|targetname}}. This would reduce edict usage in the compiled map when having multiple lights with the same name, as you would only have one light entity that has {{code|targetname}}, while the rest would have {{code|_targetname}}.