Water

[Tutorial]

category
General Half-Life 2/Effects

description
Compared to HL1 water is a doddle, although there are a few extra rules.

keywords
water, liquid, rain.

Adding water has caused some problems to quite alot of the Source editing community. In this tutorial I will show you how to add water into your map.

To start off you need the area where you are going to have your water. As shown below, I am using a very basic area.



To make the water you must first have a brush which must be textured on every side with "tools/toolsnodraw". This brush is going to be the size and shape of your water.



Next select the texture application tool and apply the water texture you want to use to the top face of the nodraw brush. I am going to use "liquids/water_pretty1". When you have done this, it should look something similar to this.



This is where the problems tend to occur. Most people would now just compile and in-game would get this rather nasty purple tinge.



To stop this happening, we must select our entity tool and click anywhere within the map. When the entity is still selected, press alt+enter and a dialog box will appear. From the list choose "env_cubemap" and leave the settings on their default. Your map will look similar to that of below.





Thats it done. When you compile the map and open it, the water should look like this.




Example map

http://www.interlopers.net/downloads/maps/water.zip

Contributed by Cr4ig

[X3RO]

Hey im having issues with the water in my map im working on im pretty sure im doing the water right ive gotten it working before in other maps but for some reason in my latest maps the surface of the water is showing up white but the effects work under the water can u guys help me?
pics:

[YokaI]

tried a different texture? this should really belong in the help forums btw!

[Cr4ig]

tried a different texture? this should really belong in the help forums btw!

No it shouldn't Replying in the thread is better.

You propably have a leak, post the compile log.

[snufflez]

either that or move the cubemap (s) farther away from the water. if u have any, that would do it.

[Spartan]

In the two days I've been working with the editor I've found a lot of issues with the water than can be easily fixed.

First off if you have a leak that will cause the surface of the water to look odd.

Second off if your water goes into a displaced surface then you will need another brush below that displaced brush to block it off from the void. For someone reason the engine renders the water as being leaked if it goes into a displaced brush that is exposed on any side to the void.

Also if your using a water material that has "bottom" or "beneath" at the end of the name then you the entire map will look like it is underwater when you swim underneath the surface. This is because these materials are not meant to be used in the map by themselves.

Another thing that can happen are colors (mainly green) that will glow from your water if you have too many different water materials in one map.

[X3RO]

yep u guys were right there wasd a leak but it was so small i had to completely zoom in to be able to see it thx for the help guys

[iambadsim]

hey the next hammer editor hud have the ability 2 jst clik an area and it fills with water + abaility 2 make water squirt out of pipes etc

[CrapinaBottle]

i'm having the same problem with X3R0. i checked that there were ne leaks, but yet i can c thru everything where water is supposed to be. please help![img=http://img117.echo.cx/img117/913/cswreck00005km.th.jpg]

[Cr4ig]

Post your compile lag.

[CrapinaBottle]

i dont get it, when i do the "load pointfile" thing, the red line goes through a texture and ends up at a prop_static. you know when the red line is suposed to go through the edge of a texture? well this red line goes through a whole texture
edge------------middle---------------edge
----------/
---------/
red line/
please help, also, i found the leak in the compile log, except i cant fix it! plz help!

[Grim Reaper]

Help me!

I followed the whole tutorial correctly and this is what i get:

Under The Water: http://tinypic.com/53n5o5

Above the water looking at the surface: http://tinypic.com/53n5vs

By the way the first shot is simply i can go under the water fine but i can sort of see through the walls. The whole room is textured with grass, roof, walls the works, just so you can see shot one properly.

Ok so i added some snow, and now its like this: http://tinypic.com/53nrpl

[Charron]

I can see the problem right away, it's not sealed. Put blocks all around the water so it's completely contained.

[Grim Reaper]

Alright, thanks

[Grim Reaper]

Another problem, the splash on the water when i shoot it goes out of the box, look:

http://tinypic.com/53oayf

P.S LOOK CLOSELY