Could you do away with the visible block requirement for map entities? They aren't much use if you want to make a level out of models.

I am not aware of a visible block requirement - do you mean the lighting? By default, models use the precalculated lighting of the block below them, and thus appear black when no block is below.

This however can be switched off by setting trace_floor at zero.

In order to build, you have to have a block that is visible, otherwise you'll get a "no geometry" error and the map won't build at all. I think this is what he/she means. Using a map entity has the added advantage of everything being there all at once and it's easier to stitch repetitive parts of levels into a level.

No, it isn't that, thanks for that info anyway.

The map compiler requires a visible block before it will build a map entity. I have noticed this is no longer a requirement to build a level, so perhaps it was an oversight?

Sometimes it is useful to bundle some meshes together in a map entity, and with a model level there is no reason to include a visible block (currently I am hiding a tiny block inside a model to get around it, but that isn't very elegant).

This is with the current BETA and the current release versions.

I can not confirm this problem. I'm using WMB files that just consist of models all the time.

Can you tell me exactly what problems you're getting when compiling a level from models?

No, not compiling a level, compiling a map entity (select Build Map Entity in the map compiler and you will see what I mean). Error, no visible blocks.

No, there is no difference between compiling a level and map entity.

Just try it: Open an empty level, add some models, and compile.

Maybe your problem is that you've placed something else in your level that requires a block?

Okay, I know when it happens now.

I included an invisible, passable block to encompass the models as a reference to the size of the map entity and because models in map entities are not rendered in WED. If there is an invisible block in a map entity it will throw an error if you do not also include a visisble block. This seems uneccessary, so can this requirement be removed?

I will send you an example if it helps.

Not necessary. The BSP compiler requires that the level does not just consist of a passable block. You then indeed need at least one solid surface.

It is not a good solution to use an invisible passable block just as a size mark. The block won't be rendered, but it will be there and enlarge the geometry list.

The main reason I did that was because models inside map entities do not show in WED. i.e, they load successfully, but can't be seen in the editor. Perhaps that could be rectified?