title: Compiling maps
author: Armin Rigo / Decker

Map compiling is the process of translating a map you made in the editor into something that the game can read, namely a
<tt>.BSP</tt> file. In QuArK, this is done when you select a command in the "Quake" menu (or "Half-Life", or "Hexen II", or
whatever the game is). This is what occurs in the black window with scrolling text. The map compilers are programs written by
the authors of the game (e.g. id Software) and not by the QuArK developers, so our knowledge about them is limited. (These
tools are found in the "Build Pack" corresponding to your game; see the
<link download>download page</link> on the web site.)

There are tons of problems that can occur at map compiling time. You will often get a cryptic error message at the bottom of
the black window. This is 99% of the time not related to QuArK itself; either you made an "error" in your map, or you ran into
one of the numerous bugs and limitations of the map compiler programs. Errors in the map include, for example, "holes", that
is, gaps between polyhedrons that would let you see "outside" the map into the so-called void. You must always think about a
map as floating in the outer space, and you can imagine you must prevent the air from escaping. Thus there must not exist any
path from an entity of your map to the outer space. This error can be complex to localize, and only the map compilers can find
it. QuArK can check for the other most common map errors before it starts the map compilers.

If you have strange problems in the game itself, like some walls being not displayed, this is also often related to the map
compilers. One more time, it's important to understand that QuArK, like any other map editor, only lets you design a map, and
with it you can put virtually any kind of polyhedron or entity in it. What the map compilers and the game itself will do with
these polyhedrons and entities is no longer related to the map editor.

Map compiling is a complex subject and you can find a lot of information about it (not related to QuArK) at
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.planetquake.com">PlanetQuake</a>. See also the links (right column in the current design)
<link website>on the QuArK site</link>, as well as the
<link infobase>on-line docs</link>. See also
<a href="http://quark.planetquake.gamespy.com/armin/adv-qbsp.html">this page about compiling</a>.
