Valve, why?

[Geisteskrankenchan]

Max hammer grid size is 32768 x 32768 x 32768 units, but you can't compile the map if it's near grid's end, and you have to move brushes 512 units away. Just, why?

[Callum]

The void is a scary and versatile place, some say it holds the Necronomicon and evil spirits of trapped farts. VALVe are doing good by avoiding connection to this horrid place.

[[B.n.B] AlcyToronto]

... and because everything has a limit, in the known universe! :)

[Callum]

Mine was better.

[Geisteskrankenchan]

Then why did they make such size? They could have made 32256 x 32256 x 32256 units instead of 32768 x 32768 x 32768 units

[[B.n.B] AlcyToronto]

Probably they made ​​the grid a little larger to allow us to work better in areas near the outer end. Also because if you use props, the origin must be within the limits, but the object can overflow, and if the grid wasn't larger, the prop's shape would come out ... ;)

[Geisteskrankenchan]

I hope the grid will be larger in Source 2, as well as brush limit and stuff.

[[B.n.B] AlcyToronto]

Yes, although I think a too huge map could be not easy to be optimized and played...

[Geisteskrankenchan]

Maybe they'll optimise the engine for large maps.

[Rectus]

Another reason for thigs breaking near the edge is that the map file format used by Hammer only stores the planes of each face, not the actual vertex positions. The coordinates have limited precision, so huge brushes are likely to get rounding errors, and have part of them stick outside the grid.

Source still uses pretty much the same BSP brush system and portal visibilty system as Quake 1 used, and they are designed for corridor shooters. If they want to optimize Source 2 for huge open maps, they'd probably have to trash those and write entirely new sytems.

[Geisteskrankenchan]

I heard that Source 2 engine is being written from scratch.