Would this work?

[DaaxGhost]

Plus, the engine is old so you can make 5 Km long maps that don't lag.

Um. no not really you can't do that. It can only be below 245,000 width length and hiegth; or else you'll get an export error. I may be wrong cuase it's been a while since I did that last.

[}_50Æ{_|ñeا†Â«O]

So, then how did Hugeass work?

[Offspring]

Wrong. After it gets to hugeass size, it won't compile. Will say something along the lines of "#1 vertex has a bad point." Anyway, 1km should be fine though >_>.

I remember when i made a map to big i got the same error, so map sizes do have limits. Hell if you successfully made a map in wings and got it into halo you would probably be the first. I'm assuming this is your first map, if so, i recommend you start off more simple (i.e. no structures).

[ExAm]

Make my map geomtery in Wings then export to an .OBJ. Import into GMAX and do everything from there?

I tried making a map in Wings once. I failed. You will too :P

I suggest using Gmax or something. More options for terrain, and better ability for detail.

[}_50Æ{_|ñeا†Â«O]

Yeah, I watched the video on height maos and I think I understand it. Although.. I think i'll ocus on getting models in game before making an entire map. ;P

[TeeKup]

So, then how did Hugeass work?

Tiamat in all his awesomeness had awesome portals. Thats why.

[}_50Æ{_|ñeا†Â«O]

What's a portal?

[Rob Oplawar]

Man, I was about to link you to the wiki, but turns out portals aren't even defined in there. That wiki could potentially be really useful, and I think it's being really neglected. I'll start another thread about that instead of hijacking this one... in the meantime, in semi-answer to your question,
Google
is your friend.
wow, spelling out Google like that was a waste of time. But I'm bored!

[TheFreak]

i think a portal makes it so the engine doesnt render beyond a certain distance from you. i dont see how using them would help an export error as portals come after the geometry export. oh and rob i'ma have to get out mah banhammer on you for advertising

[p0lar_bear]

Close, but not quite.

Area portals are a VITAL part of mapmaking; correctly placed area portals on a correctly designed map can allow for overall high-poly and high-detail environments with little framerate drops.

Normal area portals slice the BSP into sections; if one of these sections aren't visible at all through environmental geometry (meaning scenery/devices/bipeds/vehicles not included), it is not rendered. If you do not define area portals or define them incorrectly, what isn't visible will still be rendered, and thus hog up processor time.

EXACT area portals (a.k.a. exactportals) are portals you put into spots like windowframes, doorways, cave openings, etc. If a polygon is not even partailly visible through an exactportal, it is not rendered.

Exactportals must seal off any openings; a good, basic example is this: let's say you model a map with a house, complete with windows and doors. You must put an exactportal in EVERY WINDOWFRAME OR DOORWAY THAT LEADS OUTSIDE, NO EXCEPTIONS. If you miss a spot, it will not work.

One more little tidbit: you usually shouldn't put normal portals inside of an area sealed off by exactportals; if you look into the area through the exactportal, happen to keep looking through a normal portal inside, and then hit another exactportal on the other side of the area, no environmental geometry will be rendered past that second exactportal. Here's a crappy ASCII diagram to better explain what I'm talking about.

O ->     []             |             []                 NOTHING OVER HERE
^Player   ^Exactportal  ^Portal       ^Exactportal       WILL BE RENDERED

The HEK Tutorial goes over creating basic portals, but I feel portalling is hard to explain; as you make maps and experiement, you'll pick up on it.