Help with (ridiculously sexy) windows Created 9 years ago2015-03-26 22:07:57 UTC by Boomer Boomer

Created 9 years ago2015-03-26 22:07:57 UTC by Boomer Boomer

Posted 9 years ago2015-03-26 22:07:57 UTC Post #325028
Hi! I wanna start by saying I tried to bump the other thread about Vluzacn's tools, but wasn't able to. So, a new thread it is!

These windows (http://forums.svencoop.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=14552&d=1294594292) are so incredibly appealing to me, and I must have them in my map. But I can't figure out how to replicate it!

His notes on it are a bit limited, and doesn't get me all the way, and I'm not smart enough to figure out the rest myself. I can basically only get the backlit part semi-right, and then nothing else.

Any help is greatly appreciated. Here's a link to the thread http://forums.svencoop.com/showthread.php/38059-ARCHIVE-Custom-ZHLT-by-vluzacn?p=463614&viewfull=1#post463614.

Thanks. :-)
Posted 9 years ago2015-03-27 02:28:36 UTC Post #325029
Aren't these windows just solid, perhaps with a mildly light-emitting texture, but definitely non-transparent brushes?

That or you mean a different thing than what I understood.
Posted 9 years ago2015-03-27 06:45:38 UTC Post #325030
Sounds like vrad treats the brush like it's a translucent material, and samples lighting from the other side of it, as though the light is bleeding through the window. It is pretty sexy.

I've never used it before, but the instructions on that Sven post seem thorough enough. A few things stand out that could be stopping it from working for you, Boomer.
Create an info_translucent entity, disable the Smart Edit mode, add keyvalues. Keys are names of textures, values are their translucent amount.
Values are from 0.0 to 1.0: 0.0 = normal; 0.3 = 30% light from back and 70% light from front; 1.0 = 100% light from back and 0% light from front. Also support 3 values mode to set r g b amount individually.
Disable Smart Edit and insert a key the same name as the texture you want the light to filter through, and enter it's translucency as the keyvalue, from 0 (no light filters through) to 1 (all light filters through). Make sure the texture name is correct and the value doesn't go over 1.0. You can use 3 values to set the individual r g b bleed amounts, but that doesn't seem that necessary.
There is also a limitation in the shape of solids that use translucent textures: They must not be thicker than 2 units. (The max thickness '2' can be changed by hlrad parameter '-depth #').
Make sure the brush is 2 units thick, or use that compile parameter to increase the thickness to suit your brush.

Gonna' have to test this myself. I'm pretty surprised at how advanced ZHLT is, I'd have killed for half this stuff when I was still mapping for Source.
Strider StriderTuned to a dead channel.
Posted 9 years ago2015-03-27 13:19:36 UTC Post #325037
Yep, that's about as far as I get. I set up a little test area where I played around with it, trying to get it right with different numbers, a.s.o, but I can't make it all the way (see image).
User posted image
So while they're definitely lit up a light source from behind... well, you can see for yourself. I tried making the textures give off light, but that cancelled out the back-lit effect. And if I make them transparent with func_wall, the effect disappears too.

I'm obviously missing something else. I just don't know what. :-(
Posted 9 years ago2015-03-27 13:21:56 UTC Post #325038
Perhaps some regular light entities in front of the windows will give the effect you want.
Dr. Orange Dr. OrangeSource good.
Posted 9 years ago2015-03-27 15:08:53 UTC Post #325039
hmm its probably info_translucent with 0.5 (or 1.0 if u put a different tex on the inside so it isnt black on inside)
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