Texture Problems (might be challenging)

egohavoc · Post by **egohavoc** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 12:58 am

Okay, well. Thanks in advance to anyone that will take the time to help me with this. I'm working on a map that's going to be rather large, and rather detailed. It's taken me some time just to get it to the point of testing it and it's not even half done.

But anyways, my question is, before I go too far into detailing I want all my textures to be perfect.

I have 2 walls that have arched door ways all along them, like Algiers.
This is what it's supposed to look like:

Everything looks great in radiant. The only worldspawn settings I have are:
ambientlight 30 30 30
farplane 3000

Now I'm not sure if it's the farplanes fault, but while I'm in the hall way, you can't see through the archways. It's all black, and the inside of the archway doesn't exist.
Example:

Now for the outside of the archway, looking into the hall. You do not see the wall on the right, and all you see is my LOD Terrain. And again, the inside of the arch texture doesn't exist.
example:

If anyone has ANY idea what is going on, please let me know.

Oh, also I get an error, something about a tiny node 0.0.0.0.0 not existing? Maybe? I'll check the compile for the exact error and post it.

tltrude · Post by **tltrude** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 1:13 am

Your shots are too dark to see but, if your arches are made of brushes, I think I know the problem.
When brushes are copied and rotated, they have a bad habbit of moving off the grid lines.
That cause vis compile problems and some faces don't get drawn in the map.

So, try making a new arch that does not have to be rotated.

Hope that helps.

Krane · Post by **Krane** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 1:31 am

Try adding:

key:suncolor
value:18 18 22

key:ambientlight
value:6 6 9

egohavoc · Post by **egohavoc** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 2:01 am

Krane wrote:Try adding:

key:suncolor
value:18 18 22

key:ambientlight
value:6 6 9

Will that give me a night time "effect"?

oh and thank you tltrude

egohavoc · Post by **egohavoc** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 2:26 am

I tried your suggestions.. I'm compiling right now and I get this error in the very beginning
vvv

WARNING: node without a volume
node has 0 tiny portals
node reference point 0.00 0.00 0.00

tltrude · Post by **tltrude** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 3:02 am

You get that when too many posts are touching a single cross beam--like a tall ladder or a balcony rail.
My guess is that your arches have a single brush above them that they are all touching.
That can also cause brush faces to vanish.
To fix it, try cuttung up the brush, above the arches, into several shorter brushes.

egohavoc · Post by **egohavoc** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 4:47 am

Yea, it somewhat worked. still get the warning, but that's no big deal. it's taking forever to compile though.

What you suggest the best way of making arched doorways?

My arched openings/doorways have a ton of brushes in them.

I used an 18 sided cylinder to cut out a circle in a wall, the used a square brush to cut out the retangular part, matching it w/ the half way point of the circle cut-out. Maybe I should have cut out the retangular part first?

egohavoc · Post by **egohavoc** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 4:54 am

each door has about 19 brushes.. i have like 10 or 12 of them.

Any help appreciated! You guys are always great, and I've learned a ton just from asking for help - Thanks!

tltrude · Post by **tltrude** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 5:35 am

Most players will never see the difference between 9 sides and and 8 sides.
But, I would at least go with a even number of sides.
The original arches you are trying to match looks like they were cut with a 24 sided brush (12 sides to the half circle).

If it were me, I would make one arch by cutting the brushes with the clipper tool--so I know it is on the grid and
has the fewest number of brushes possible. Then copy it for the other ones.

It is not good to have those tiny brushes in your arches--on the left.
Try a test map with just the arches and see if the compile error is still there.
Then you will know if they are the problem.

egohavoc · Post by **egohavoc** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 6:15 am

lol I didn't elaborate very well in the post up there ^ :p I'll try using 8 brushes though. The circle I use has to cut it out has 18 sides, but I will try your 8 sided idea

Balr14 · Post by **Balr14** » Wed Aug 11, 2004 12:00 am

Judging by the angles in those cuts, this looks like csg subtract handiwork. Clip the arch yourself and make sure your cuts are on gridpoints, if you aren't doing so already. Also, make it detail.

bdbodger · Post by **bdbodger** » Wed Aug 11, 2004 12:26 am

Yes don't use the csg subtract maybe make 1/2 the arch with brushes yourself you will end up with less brushes and when you are done clone it and rotate it around to get the other 1/2 of the arch . That tiny portal thing happens most often when you use csg subtract thats why I never use it . Also you can make a 12 or whatever sided brush and use it as a guide when you make your arch then delete it .

Jack Ruby · Post by **Jack Ruby** » Wed Aug 11, 2004 12:29 am

When I make an arch I convert a brush into a square cylinder then hit B and bend it in the middle to form one half of the arch, then copy rotate and move the copy into position and you get a really nice arch, then build brushes around it then hit E to shape them around the arch. In the image the arch looks lighter ( texture wise ) when compiled it will be the same as the surrounding wall, also when you texture the square cylincer hit Natural on the surface inspector to make the texture wrap naturally

Also to stop Z fighting with the textures you need to make the arch slightly wider than the surrounding brushes like so: