The Simple Questions Thread.

[Gary]

If I use an ent_fire command to trigger a trigger am I the activator?
Example:

Code: Select all

ent_fire my_trigger trigger

And if it was told to kill the activator, would the person whom typed the command die?

[MNM]

Can you change the default texture in hammer?(brick something) :\

you can... I don't know how :p

Awesome helping you got there

[Major Banter]

Can you change the default texture in hammer?(brick something) :\

Yes, though it will have to be a custom texture, or you'll have to extract the wanted texture. Everything in the texture browser is alphabetical, based around the folder system. Unless I'm mistaken, Brick\Brick001 will of course, be the very first texture, NOT props\Alyx_skin or something, despite the fact A is clearly before B.

A very quick and easy fix is to extract the material you want to be first in the texture list from the GCF, say tools\nodraw, and then dump it straight into materials* (make sure if it's Ep2 it goes into HL2, Episodic AND Ep2). That means it's outside of the folder structure and is immediately used first. Don't forget you need both the VTF and VMF.

Course, that could mean some trouble later down the line when you distribute the map, you'd have to change all of your nodraws to the proper tools\nodraw version, or it'll pink and black checker.

Best fix is to stop being a lazy git and simply take 10 seconds to type "nodraw" into the search function of the texture browser, select it, and then start to map.

*When I say "straight into materials" I mean quite literally dump it in there with no other folder. In the texture browser you'll get the path \nodraw rather than tools\nodraw

[Phixious]

Phix you will need to make sure that the files get put in the appropriate paths from the gcfs...
Look in the gcfs and see exactly what folders are in what folders that contain the path (confusing statement but i'll elaborate)


for example if in HL2 its:

models/hl2_mapname/props/whichamacallit

and

materials/props/whichamacallit
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
the files (there should be many files not just two, that are associated with each model, usually around 2-3 files for the materials and 4-7 files for the model, FOR JUST ONE model) will need to go in the exact same folders in that order in the l4d2 folder unless something is different about L4D2

I see. I did not do any of that, I think I even forgot to extract the materials. I feel like such a noob.
Thank you, I'll try it when I get home.

Edit: Works. Thanks

[jgoodroad]

how do you make a brush apear out of nowhere?

[tron00]

Does anyone know, is it the VMT or the VTF that counts towards "unique textures?" I have some doors and windows that I have a regular brush VMT for and a separate VMT calling the VTF files to use it as a decal. Thanks.

[vcool]

You can have one VTF being referenced by over 9000 VMTs.

So, for example, you can have one VTF but two VMTs, one for a model and one for a brush.

[tron00]

yeah, yeah.. I'm doing that. I was wondering if you know if it counts as multiple textures in the Map - Show Information - Unique Textures counts and towards the TEXINFOS in the compile log, or if it just counts as one. Thanks.

[Armageddon]

Anyone know how to make a low fog like this?

[vcool]

Ah.

Well, I am sure someone with more technical knowledge knows better, but I think the VTF is loaded in memory only once.

Now I am not sure if that's the case if you have the VTF used for a model AND a brush.

[Ryukolink]

I see. I did not do any of that, I think I even forgot to extract the materials. I feel like such a noob.
Thank you, I'll try it when I get home.

Edit: Works. Thanks

glad to help , dont forget the kindness expressed to you when you were on your way up though... too many level designers get big headed (and I suck so I'm not saying I'm good at all ;P)

Can you change the default texture in hammer?(brick something) :\

you can... I don't know how :p

Awesome helping you got there

Lol I got a 50 percent though right

[Terr]

Go ahead and use a custom "default alphabetically-first nodraw texture", and then you can mass search-replace it easily later.

It might be safe to use a custom nodraw texture and then not-package it, depending on the exact effects of the crucial %compilenodraw material setting. It may be that you won't get checkerboards simply because of how the information is encoded in the BSP.

[Zecrah]

Anyone know how to make a low fog like this?

Look at these two links (Look at them both before trying anything )
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=31667

http://www.interlopers.net/tutorials/7558

If you're modding, it involves a little coding if you want to get the best looking fog (I hugely advise the tiny change in the code Alters1 suggests in his topic) combined with the tutorial. It's a frequently asked question

[Smurftyours]

How was the elevator in left 4 dead made? Was it a model or brushwork and models?

[trcc]

How was the elevator in left 4 dead made? Was it a model or brushwork and models?

basic structure is brush + some models. The elevator lights is a model and it is emitting its own light (duh) because light_dynamic are expensive.
The counter weight, handrail, button panel and wheels are models too. The floor numbers are func_brushes that get disabled/enabled. They arent animated textures. Ropes aren't model ofcourse.