decals Created 20 years ago2003-06-29 13:30:07 UTC by Monkfish

Do you have decals.wad in your texture list in the Config options?

I've got a prob with decals, too: the decal application mode doesn't work

I add a decal with it, and the decal shows up. I compile the map... and it doesn't. I then re-open the map in Hammer and it's disappeared again.

Help,

so i can only use textures from decals.wad? i thought you could just use anything because it looks like it works in hammer. Thanks

Let you guy's in on a secret...
I could never get them to work either... But I think SlayerA knows the tricks.
The only Decal I ever got to work was the Bomb Target in CS.

So... If someone does manage to get decals to work, and can put it down in a .txt file, then send it too me and I will post it as a tutorial.. Fame and fortune are yours... Well fame maybe.

(And yeah I think for them to work they must be from the spraypaint.wad or the decals.wad? )

Here's what I know, but I must say I have a lot to learn about using decals. First, you choose the decal you want by browsing the textures. Type the { symbol in the texture filter. Any textures that begin with { and don't have a blue background are decals. Double click the decal you want to use. In the 3-D window, use camera mode to view the surface where you want to apply the decal. Then turn on the decal tool (shift-D) AND the pointer tool (shift-S). (The decal tool only works when BOTH of these are toggled on.) In the 3-D window the cursor now looks like a plus sign over a 2-D explosion. Place the cursor where you want the decal to be and left click the mouse. The infodecal should now be showing. For some reason the decal will show up backwards if you put it on a wall that faces north...I haven't figured out how to turn that around. Decals seem to have their own built in color, most are black, but I don't know if it's possible to change the color. I hope that helps, let me know if you have specific questions and I'll give a shot at finding the answer.

A decal will get it's alignment from the texture of the surface it is placed on. So if the decal is backwards, the texture of the wall surface behind it needs to be adjusted. In my test map, I was able to fix the backward decals by bringing up the texture face properties of the wall they were on and checkmarking the 'face' box in the 'Align:' area.
Also, the disappearing decal problem is caused by using a regular texture on an infodecal. The regular texture shows up in the 3-D window, but does not show up in the compiled map. You must use an actual decal on the infodecal entity. All decal textures begin with the { symbol and do not have a blue background.

I noticed this thread when recently having trouble with my own decals. Here's an exerpt from my error diary:

--"decals show in the editor but not in-game" ERROR:

Decals turn out to be pretty versatile, but they're touchy. If they don't show up, check you have done these things:

-Decals must be applied to a world brush (if you want them on a brush-based entity, you must apply the decals BEFORE you change the brush to-entity.

-Don't move the brush that has the decals, or try to select the decals themselves to move them--they will not show up after compile.

-if decals are on a sliding door and the door is recessed in a wall, the decals won't be rendered. (making the recessed area hollow and lit should fix this)
***

I realize this is a huge bump, but at least someone searching for this problem will be able to find the answer, and not spend 2 hours themselves figuring why they're not working : P

(This info was not included in the tutorial or anywhere I could find)

Wow, check it out. So many kewl hep kats...

Should really go in the Mapping Tips thread.