Stargate, Transport rings, Help? Created 19 years ago2005-06-10 14:45:16 UTC by Ichthyosaur

Hey Guys, I Have recently been working on a stargate sg1 themed map, (not crazy detailed or acurate but just for some fun in deathmatch).

In my map I have decided to input those fancy alien transport rings. For those of you that haven't seen the movie or show, they are basically a set of 5 cylindrical rings that come down one at a time from the ceiling of a room and surround a person or object. there is a flash of light within the rings and the person or object is transported to an identical set of rings at some other location. The the rings return to the ceiling and disappear, (at least that's how I remember it. It has been a while). I even found some cannon sound effects to make for an even better experience.

Now ofcource i wouldn't be writing this if i didn't have a few problem, (not that i don't enjoy talking about my creations). I have been able to get working prototypes set up in a test level. I made the rings funk trains and that seems to work fine, (Gackt and I were able to get them working in DM). There are 2 significant problems with the rings.

1. I based everything that the rings do in the button that controls it. The button is damage activated and when you shoot it a large number of things happen. It first plays a sound file, then activates the first ring. Then 0.25 after that it activates the next ring and so on. The only way I have been able to get it all to work is by making everything the button has to do a "on damage, so and so, dose this, time dealy" so I have a very long list of "on damage" commands in the button. The entire sequence takes 8 second to complete. The problem with this is if Evil Jimmy, (random guy), comes along and unload his machine gun at the button it messes up all the sequences because they are all being told to restart while in motion.

2. OK this isn't really a problem but I could still use help. In the show as I said before after the rings come down there is a flash of light during the transit. Anyone know how I could set up something like that? I really am over my head when it comes to doing cool stuff like that.

Anyhow thanks for your help, I look forward to releasing this map to the community, Gackt and I have been working on if for some time. (Again it is not 100% true to the show just for a few laughs in DM)

1. Have the button only usable with the 'permission' of a multisource. Disable the multisource the moment the sequence starts, and re-enable it after it's over. The button will be unusable for the duration. Check jaardsi's multisource Example Map if you need help, and the Entity Guide may be of some help.

2. env_fades, if you mean having a white flash evenly blanking the screen.

I think I've got you, have the button deactivate the multisource, which would disable the button. Is that the idea? That sounds good, however I have not been able to locate the multisource entity in hammer source. Is it possible that they removed it in HL2? Any idea what entity could have replaced it or do the same kind of thing?

Oh, I am sorry, I didn't see that this was HL2 :).

I'm sure there's another way to do it, and I'd imagine there's an disable input or suchlike to most entities?

Well that's the strange thing, the button entity doesn't seem to have a disable input. the only thing that is remotely close to that would be the lock input however I have tried many combinations with it and it seems to have no effect.

I belive I have come up with an alternate solution, though it's a bit low tech. I think I will have the button embedded in a wall and upon being shot a door will close over the button at a high rate of speed so no one will be able to shoot it again until the sequence is over.

That should take care of problem #1. As for #2, I was thinking of a flash that could be bright enough so i could block a persons view of the object or person inside the rings, but not extend much farther than the room that the rings are in. (they are in a building outside with lots of windows)

Hm. A large sprite? Might look a bit poor, though. You could have layers of func_brush walls with white circles fading at the end parallel to the 'gate, going to either end, translucent, and turn them on together to get a sort of sphere-by-slices?