Gaining skills Created 20 years ago2004-06-25 02:42:07 UTC by Coolfat3459 Coolfat3459

Created 20 years ago2004-06-25 02:42:07 UTC by Coolfat3459 Coolfat3459

Posted 20 years ago2004-06-25 02:42:07 UTC Post #36187
Check out this screenshot of a map I'm making, its a train station based in Winter City, I did not use prefas for those benches, I make them completely from scratch.
User posted image
I think I am gaing mapping skills, this looks much better than most of my other maps.
Posted 20 years ago2004-06-25 02:43:04 UTC Post #36188
Oh, and please don't give me suggestions or notices about the darkened light at the bottom or that the fence doors are touching nothing because I am already planning on fixing those.
Posted 20 years ago2004-06-25 03:25:15 UTC Post #36209
Yes, I think you are improving.

Mhh, just a question, does this park seat touch the ground surface? If so, is the seat made an entity? Since I remember from your de_full_city you left the lantarns world brushes...
Posted 20 years ago2004-06-25 03:30:44 UTC Post #36211
Uhhhh, seat made entity? Whats that?

Yes, the seats touch the ground surface, probably hard to tell from screenshot but I'm incorporating my new fresh snow example into this map. Uhhhhh, I don't see whats wrong with leaving the benches as world brushes rather than entities, what would I make them?
Posted 20 years ago2004-06-25 03:39:33 UTC Post #36216
The benches legs touch the ground and so they'll split up that surface into several faces as faces can't be concave. When you make these legs or just the whole bench an entity (func_wall is best for most cases), they won't split up the ground surface anymore, saving you some wpoly's.

Another thing is that such a complex thing like a bench will cause some extra work for vis while it's not really blocking sight in any way. This article may be very helpfull for you:
http://www.gamedesign.net/book/view/266
It's about Q and Q2 but the same applies to HL in this case.
Posted 20 years ago2004-06-25 03:43:30 UTC Post #36218
A little addition to the surface splitting: brushes only split surfaces they touch when these surfaces are in the same 'group'. World brushes are all the same 'group', and each entity can be seen as an apart 'group'. Two entities (same type or not, doesn't matter) that touch each other won't split up each others surfaces as they're both another 'group'.

I say 'group' as I don't think it's called like that, but it's easy to explain it with that word.
Posted 20 years ago2004-06-25 03:49:15 UTC Post #36219
So, wait, you mean it will be link carving if a block touches a bigger one? Do you mean this will happen when the blocks actually go into each other or do you mean when they merely touch.
Posted 20 years ago2004-06-25 03:55:24 UTC Post #36222
When they just touch. Same effect as if they went into each other as the compiler only generates the outer faces.

It's not link, it's just adding some extra polygons. Especially cilinders and such shapes split up surfaces really bad causing a lot of extra faces. For optimizing polycounts it's an often used technique to make such shapes entities.
Posted 20 years ago2004-06-25 03:57:13 UTC Post #36223
Uhhh... I.. didn't.... use... any...cylinders.

All arch tool.
Posted 20 years ago2004-06-25 04:01:14 UTC Post #36225
The cilinders were just an example. Cilinders would split up the ground face into more faces than a cube would do. Still, both split up the ground surface.

Just experiment with what I've said. You'll find out.
Posted 20 years ago2004-06-25 04:09:39 UTC Post #36229
So... Your telling me to make the benches, walls, fountain and basically everything that isnt the ground a func_wall right? Am I understanding right?
Posted 20 years ago2004-06-25 04:14:56 UTC Post #36230
The smaller objects, yeah, make 'em func_walls. I wouldn't say make everything an entity, some objects do block vis and should be left world brush.

After all, it relies somewhat on common sense. Generally, I make small objects func_walls and leave the larger structures world brushes. It's just something you have to try out a bit what's best for your map.
Posted 20 years ago2004-06-25 08:42:58 UTC Post #36271
Ironically, you should make small details, lights mounted on walls (stops the ugly lighting issues), benches, chairs, etc, func_walls while leaving the walls themselves non-entities.

Nice benches by the way.
Seventh-Monkey Seventh-MonkeyPretty nifty
Posted 20 years ago2004-06-25 09:29:40 UTC Post #36276
i did not know something like that can break up the face, no wonder so many Half-Life signs are entitys.

I think you are improving CoolFat! :)
Luke LukeLuke
Posted 20 years ago2004-06-25 19:49:47 UTC Post #36435
I've run into a problem...
I cant get that darkened area to be lit like the rest of the map, any help guys?
Posted 20 years ago2004-06-26 09:01:05 UTC Post #36569
The thing is, i dont see the dark light or any problems...
Luke LukeLuke
Posted 20 years ago2004-06-26 10:32:25 UTC Post #36605
Ditto.
Seventh-Monkey Seventh-MonkeyPretty nifty
Posted 20 years ago2004-06-26 12:04:17 UTC Post #36627
Look at the bottom of the train station wall, notice how it is darker than the reast of the wall?
Posted 20 years ago2004-06-26 13:31:42 UTC Post #36636
Uh, no.
Seventh-Monkey Seventh-MonkeyPretty nifty
Posted 20 years ago2004-06-26 17:27:48 UTC Post #36673
I do. But i thought it was the texture you used. I think its fine...
Luke LukeLuke
Posted 20 years ago2004-06-26 18:05:35 UTC Post #36696
Well o..k..., but if I release the map and its like that, dont complain about it...
Posted 20 years ago2004-06-26 18:36:04 UTC Post #36712
why dont you make models of those benches. it will save you trouble
Posted 20 years ago2004-06-26 21:40:44 UTC Post #36749
Im only having two and I already made them into a prefab.
Posted 20 years ago2004-06-26 21:41:18 UTC Post #36750
Its a train station map, the screenshot is right outside of the main part of the map. But at the time, thats all I had done.
Posted 20 years ago2004-06-26 22:41:49 UTC Post #36759
Just make em entitys and itl be fine. Models take forever.
Luke LukeLuke
Posted 20 years ago2004-06-26 22:43:20 UTC Post #36760
chow check ya email :P
Posted 20 years ago2004-06-26 22:52:24 UTC Post #36769
o.k...
Luke LukeLuke
Posted 20 years ago2004-06-26 22:57:10 UTC Post #36774
Ha, I dont even know how to model.
Posted 20 years ago2004-06-29 05:23:08 UTC Post #37383
You can learn it. It's not that hard after all. I find it rather usefull to being able to create prop models, as they offer a higher level of detail because their polygons are rendered faster. A disadvantage however is their lighting as it uses the light intensity of the ground below it for it's lighting intentsity. In this case, that wouldn't be a problem though.

But well, learning modeling takes some time so in this case, you'd either leave it the way it is now or you can find some free prop models. There must be some out there... :)
Posted 20 years ago2004-06-29 07:09:13 UTC Post #37401
dont worry, im writing at hugh tutorial serie how to make a model in milkshape
Posted 20 years ago2004-06-30 07:57:57 UTC Post #37683
I dont want to buy Milkshape, and I already used up all the demo time notsing it after I couldnt figure anything out he first time I opened it.
Posted 20 years ago2004-06-30 09:07:38 UTC Post #37695
Then you could always search for some prop models. There are some available.

I've seen some benches models in a CS map once. One of the ZTK contest maps I believe. You could ask the creator of that map if you can use them.
Posted 20 years ago2004-06-30 12:14:20 UTC Post #37711
or just kick em in the nuts and run like hell.
Luke LukeLuke
Posted 20 years ago2004-06-30 16:43:40 UTC Post #37776
Whats wrong with making a bunch of brushes and make them a prefab instead?
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