env_beam trials and tribulations Created 18 years ago2006-07-10 00:34:33 UTC by supafighta

I've looked all over the forums plus many others and I haven't been able to find many answers:

I'm trying to create an env_beam ring that flows across a cylinder. I've followed numerous tutorials and I've looked at numerous example maps but I still can't figure out what I'm doing wrong:

Path_Corner

Name: 1
Pitch Yaw Roll (Y Z X): 0
Next stop target: 2
Fire On Pass: blank
Wait here (secs): 0
New Train Speed: 400
New Train rot. Speed: 0
Flags checked: None

Name: 2
Pitch Yaw Roll (Y Z X): 0
Next stop target: 1
Fire On Pass: blank
Wait here (secs): 0
New Train Speed: 400
New Train rot. Speed: 0
Flags checked: None

Name: 1a
Pitch Yaw Roll (Y Z X): 0
Next stop target: 2a
Fire On Pass: blank
Wait here (secs): 0
New Train Speed: 400
New Train rot. Speed: 0
Flags checked: None

Name: 2a
Pitch Yaw Roll (Y Z X): 0
Next stop target: 1a
Fire On Pass: blank
Wait here (secs): 0
New Train Speed: 400
New Train rot. Speed: 0
Flags checked: None

---

Func_Train

Name: start
Global Entity Name: blank
Render FX: Normal
Render Mode: Solid
FX Amount: 255
FX Color: 0 0 0
ZHLT Lightflags: Default
Light Origin Target: blank
First stop target: 1
Move Sound: No Sound
Stop Sound: No Sound
Speed: 400
Angular Velocity: blank
Damage on crush: 0
Contents: 0
Sound Volume: 0.85
Minimum light level: blank
Flags checked: Not Solid

Name: end
Global Entity Name: blank
Render FX: Normal
Render Mode: Solid
FX Amount: 255
FX Color: 0 0 0
ZHLT Lightflags: Default
Light Origin Target: blank
First stop target: 1a
Move Sound: No Sound
Stop Sound: No Sound
Speed: 400
Angular Velocity: blank
Damage on crush: 0
Contents: 0
Sound Volume: 0.85
Minimum light level: blank
Flags checked: Not Solid

---

Multi_Manager
Name: mm
Key Values:

end = 0
start = 0
beam = 0

Flags Checked: None

---

Trigger_Auto

Target: mm
Delay before trigger: 0.1
Kill target: blank
Global State to Read: blank
Trigger State: On
Flags checked: None

---

Env_Beam

Name: beam
Start entity: start
Ending entity: end
Render FX: Normal
Brightness: 255
Beam color: 175 187 30
Radius: 256
Life: 0
Width of beam: 30
Amount of noise: 10
Sprite name: sprites/laserbeam.spr
Texture Scroll Rate: 100
Frames per 10 seconds: 0
Starting Frame: 0
Strike again time: 1
Damage / second: 0
Flags checked: Ring

Here's the layout on a practice map I'm using to figure this out before I place it in the map I'm working on: http://img134.imageshack.us/img134/3641/setup0hq.jpg

what's going wrong?
What is occuring that isnt right?

That's what I'm trying to figure out. Nothing works when I play the map and I can't figure out why.

Come on now. Please someone help me out, this is the third forums I've asked the same question in. The other two provided no answers or at least the answers I needed to fix this. I've spent a week and a half trying to figure this out, all night and all day, looking at every tutorial Google and Yahoo has to offer, and I still don't know why it's not working. I've looked at numerous example maps and used them as reference, but to me it would see that I have everything set up properly, but if everything is set up properly then it would work, but unfortunately it doesn't work.

So tell me what am I missing? Do I need more "path_corners"? Do I need to change a key value? What?

post a problem map, i keep reading trhough the entities and it seems like everything's all set.
send a link when you're done and ill have a lookie.

if you can change the textures to default hl.wad or just include the proper wad (just to make things easier)

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=163SA2YR

This is just the map I'm using to set it up so I can use it in the map I'm working on. I use this map so I don't have to go through a long compile progress.

you could have uploaded to this site you know...

I forgot about that... I apologize...

Somehow I was able to get it to work, the only problem is just that the beam ring is facing the wrong way.

Change the positioning of your path corners to control the way the beam ring is facing.

So instead of having them right next to each other, have them on top of each other?

um
i assume you want a vertical beam correct?
For that you need to have the func_trains above/below one another. But you need to offset them by one unit or else it wont work correctly because the engine is wierd.

Well that didn't work the way I want it to. I want the env_beam ring to move across a cylinder, but even after moving the func_trains the beam ring stayed facing the wrong way. I tried moving around the path_corners but that didn't really change do anything but tilt the beam ring.

Anyone? I tried moving the func_trains on top of each other (not directly) and it didn't make much of a difference.

This is going to sound strange, but I tried it and it worked. Select both your trains at once and rotate them 90 degrees to change the angle of the ring beam. Wierd, but true. It seems that the starting position of the trains in the rmf affects the way the ring faces.

I can't seem to get it working... maybe I also have to change the positioning of the path_corners?

try anything and everything that comes to mind.
Try exactly what SlayerA said.
then try rotating the trains correctly..
If that doesnt work... rotate the ENTIRE LEVEL 90 deg.
That should do it.

Rotate it with the rotate tool or with the setting in the entity properties?

The path corners need to be vertical to each other if you want the ring to stand vertical. Or horizontal if you want the ring to lay flat. Then you need to play with the positioning of the func_trains to get the ring to face the proper way. Use the rotate tool to change the postion of the trains in the rmf, not the entity properties. The entity rotate properties cause the train to rotate in game, that's not what you want.

yup, so click them until you see the circles on the outside of the wireframe and then hold shift+rotate to rotate by 15 deg. at a time until you come to 90.
Just fiddle with it

Rotating the func_Trains didn't work... The env_beam ring stay facing the same way.

Could having an ORIGIN textured brush within the func_train prevent the env_beam ring from facing the way you want?