Brush Entity
This entity lets you create a stationary piece of geometry in your level which can then be modified (through its rendering properties) for a number of effects. Often used for things like unbreakable glass, masked textures (fences, ladders).

In the past it was also used for performance reasons, but nowadays func_detail (introduced by Vluzacn's compile tools) is often a better choice.

Entity Properties

Class Info

• Name (targetname) - Property used to identify entities.
• Render FX (renderfx) - Gives objects special render effects. Think of it as modifying whatever the Render Mode puts out. The options are as follows:
  • 0 = Normal
  • 1 = Slow Pulse
  • 2 = Fast Pulse
  • 3 = Slow Wide Pulse
  • 4 = Fast Wide Pulse
  • 5 = Slow Fade Away
  • 6 = Fast Fade Away
  • 7 = Slow Become Solid
  • 8 = Fast Become Solid
  • 9 = Slow Strobe
  • 10 = Fast Strobe
  • 11 = Faster Strobe
  • 12 = Slow Flicker
  • 13 = Fast Flicker
  • 14 = Constant Glow
  • 15 = Distort
  • 16 = Hologram (Distort and Fade)
• Render Mode (rendermode) - Controls the type of rendering that is used for an object
  • 0 = Normal
  • 1 = Color
  • 2 = Texture
  • 3 = Glow
  • 4 = Solid
  • 5 = Additive
• FX Amount (renderamt)
• FX Color (rendercolor)
• Global Entity Name (globalname)
• ZHLT Lightflags (zhlt_lightflags)
• Light Origin Target (light_origin)
• Minimum light level (_minlight)

Flags

• Not in Deathmatch (2048)

Notes

• Unbreakable windows: Set the Render Mode to Texture, and the FX amount to about 100. This will make the entity see-through.
• Masked textures (blue background, prefixed with "{"): Apply a masked texture, then set the Render mode to Solid and the FX Amount to 255. The blue areas on the texture will not show up in the game.
• Small / complex objects: Brush entities don't break up world brushes (which can cause harsh transitions between light and dark, and performance decreases), so binding small stuff (light fittings, pipe flanges etc.) to func_wall entities often results in less world polygons. Note that Vluzacn's func_detail offers more control in this regard, and doesn't count towards the in-game entity limit, so it's often a better choice.