levelstruct

Levelstruct refers to a data structure used in certain video game development contexts, particularly in game engines like Source (used for games such as Half-Life 2, Counter-Strike: Source, and Team Fortress 2). It is a file format that stores information about a game level's geometry, lighting, and other environmental properties. The primary purpose of a levelstruct is to represent the static elements of a game world that do not change during gameplay.

The levelstruct file, often with a .bsp extension, is generated by a map compiler. This compiler takes human-readable map definition files, typically created in a level editor like Hammer, and processes them into a format that the game engine can efficiently load and render. Key components of a levelstruct include brushes, which define solid geometry, and surfaces, which represent the visible faces of these brushes. It also contains information about lighting, such as lightmaps and light probes, which determine how light interacts with the environment.

The levelstruct's design is optimized for fast loading and rendering, as game engines need to quickly access and process level data. This often involves techniques like spatial partitioning (e.g., using a BSP tree) to allow the engine to efficiently determine which parts of the level are visible to the player and therefore need to be rendered. The efficiency of the levelstruct format is a crucial factor in the performance of games that utilize it, enabling complex environments to be rendered smoothly.