Circular lasers Created 20 years ago2004-08-16 17:03:40 UTC by x-ice

How would i go about making rings out of lasers?

Also could i then use a func_conveyor to move it up and down?

you mean like it would be sound waves.. but only their lasers right.? and still deadly. hmmm. ill try to do that 1 and ill tell you if its possible.

its in the flags, check (is ring) or something like that and make sure it has a start and ending entity.

http://collective.valve-erc.com/index.php?ent=env_beam&game=hl

Read the comments at the bottom too.

thanks for the link, the problem is though i have done what several tutorials say and it still doesn't work

could this be because i am using info_target's? i have seen others using info_node's

Info_target's are the right entities to use here.

The 'ring' flag of the env_beam probably doesn't work, so your best bet lies in creating several beams so that they link up with each other and form a circle that way.
Info_targets can be used by multiple entities, so you don't have to create a new one for each env_beam's start or end point, just use the end point of a env_beam as a start for the next one.

i have seen people making circular lasers using the ring flag though, take a look at the winning entries for the laser competition

if CP said it ain't possible i highly doubt it is lol

As far as I know experimenting with that flag hasn't gave any ringed beams.

I suggest you take a look at the rmf of the Laser Fun competition winner... I haven't found any env_beam with it's 'ring' flag set...

In fact, I remember having seen an example map, included in the SDK 2.3, that featured ringed beams too. They were built from individual beams, like I described before. So, I guess you'll have to do it that way...

Well, I used it in my competition entry

You can only do it if you are beaming it between two brush entities, my experimentation/that VERC comment has shown.

Ah, so it does work! Good...

Seventh-Monkey is this why i noticed that most of the entrants for the competition used func_train's near the circular lasers

what other brush based entity can be used?

I believe anything that has an origin, but it could well be more entity types too. Just go ahead and try them out, I'd say.

Although func_train is by far most used because it allows for very customizable movement of the env_beam.

when you say between does this mean above and below of on the left and right of the object?

To make a ring laser beam, you need the following entities:

1 env_beam

• Flags to set: ring. (doh)

2 func_trains

• Texture: {blue
• Render mode: solid.
• FX amount 255.
• ORIGIN brush attached!
• Flags to set: Not solid.

Name one func_train "start" and the other one "end" (no quotes).
In the env_beam properties, enter the name "start" in the start entity line, and the name "end" in the end entity line. Set color, beam witdh, stuff like that.

Place both func_train some units away from eachother, try 64. More further space between the func_train means a bigger ring.

Lucky fella's, i recently made a small test map to test die ring effect. And it looks cool. Check out my example map, which is a little bit mroe advanced, because this ring is also moving.
Check it out: http://members.lycos.nl/michielb55/MuzzleFlash/env_beam_ring.zip
(Safe target as)

Submit it to the 'Vault?

K

i done exactly what you said and i have no luck, it never worked

Have you tried compiling his example .rmf? If that map works, then the problem is somewhere in your map. Perhaps you forgot a little thing?

i most likely have because i compiled his map and it worked fine, i dont know what i've not done

Check it once, check it twice... you should be able to find out when the example map does work correctly.

You've checked the flags? You've checked every option, every name matches up correctly?

yep i done the flag correctly. the entities, origin brush, etc...

Then what's happening in-game? What do you see?

Does copying the entities from the example map work?

i see nothing, copying the entities would be the same because mine have exactly the same properties as the example