Lol, explosion Created 18 years ago2006-03-10 14:37:36 UTC by Madcow

Ok, this is what I want to do:

A small building is filled with explosive barrels, now, if you manage to ignite or blow upp any of these barrels all other barrels will explode on the same time, and I also want the whole BRUSHBASED house to blow up into peices wich lands on the ground.
The peices should be solid etc.

How do I do this?
How do I make a building wich can collaps?

I tried splitting the whole building up in small peices, and then select thhem and make them all func_physbox, but that also grouped them, and made it one big house physbox, so, that doesn't work.
Any other suggestions?

Well, I didn't know what to write so..

I dont know the source engine at all, but if it is anything like the HL engine.. tie each small piece to it's own entity (a physbox or whatever)with the same name, and have the explosion trigger that name.. I know it sounds tedious and repetetive, but that may be the only way to do it.

yeah, just do it the way you did, only tie them all individually

That would take months! lol
Well, maybe.
Is there no other solution?

it would also lag like a jackass.

It wouldnt take that long if you make the house into big pieces..

You could make them produce custom GIBS that you make when the building falls apart. Ive been experimenting with custom gibs now, and it wouldnt lag since they turn to Gib models.

I think the walls should have bigger pieces, and the roof a bit smaller, that would make it more realistic I think?

Yeah, a building doesnt explode into each individual brick.. usually a few hefty chunks fly off as well as some smaller ones and some debris.. maybe find out how to incorporate a dust cloud that emerges as the building collapses..

You know I had this funny CS:S idea where the the bomb explodes and makes the skyscraper map fall over...

Obviously you would need quite some func_physboxes.

But you will also want to use some constraint entities with limited strength - at the explosion power they'll break and fail to keep the boxes tied together.

However you'll do it, it's probably going to be some work. Good luck.

If you really want it to look good, keep in mind that buildings have structure:
1st order: pillars and beams
2nd order:floors
3rd order:walls, windows and roofs.

You might want to make a metallic or concrete structure that stays standing while the rest of the house falls apart. Google for destroyed buildings and stuff.

@Capt.P: Thanks.

@Kasperg: Good idea, I didn't think about that at all!

I think I've missunderstood how to make physboxes stay in the same place.
I tried paranting them, but they just fell, they even fell through the ground.
Do I really have to use physconstraints?

I thought physconstraints were for limiting the length of things...
Me thinks you just group them? Or hmm parent them? Gah too lazy to try but..Just try everything!! I do and in the end it works.

Can you disable motion on physboxes and trigger them to enable? If so, why not give all the barrels the same name, make each of them on break, trigger themselfs, and enable motion on the physboxes.

Disable motion eh?
Good idea.
I'll give it a shot

Works perfect!

I gave all the physboxes the same name, and triggered that name to "enable motion" and,, it pwned!
Thanks!

Brushes Jacket, straightens tie

Growls

INCREDEBLE!
The house collapsed!

First I had this problem with the peices getting stuck in eachother, but I fixed it by fixing some outputs that killed some physboxes right before the explosion.
Sure the physboxes acts a little buggy, but viewed from distance, it looks awsome.
You'll see this map in the vault soon.

Oh, and an other question.
I've tried for a long time to create smoke, but I can't figgure it out.
How do I fix a smoke wich appares in the house after the explosion? :S

env_smokestack

I've tried that but it doesn't gather like after an explosion.
It floats away like smoke from a house.

Func_dustcloud (not motes) is your answer, turn it on shortly after the explosion.

Alos, I think you can use the ar2_explosion, or something like that, it's a point entity.

Hope this helps.

I'll try, thanks!

Yeah when it comes to exploding stuff HL2 is the best for it...You will see it used to the fullest in Nightfall :

now the killer question. Why does the house have explode? Should just a part of the house of even only a wall get blown out? Its the same with hollywood and cars. As soon as the car gets a dent in it everythings blown to kingdom come. Bourne identity has the best and most realistic car chase filmed, but thats my opinion. You dont have to make things blow up to make something great, but everyone has his preferences