Light Entities / Void Noob Question

Sylver · October 2003

Hi i'm new to mapping, so I posting my questions here, since they'll propably be noobish questions. Here goes:

1) When I compile my map I use the tools from the NS mapping FAQ, the ones you can use inside Hammer. Now I made this room with several light entities, and every time I compile my map, only 3 of the 20 lights are visible in-game. Now I searched very thoroughly, and I can't find any differences between the 3 and the other 17, only that I first put those 3 in, compiled, tested, put in the other ones, compiled again. It also can't be a leak issue, because I made a box around my map for testing. Please help? <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif'>

2) I also made some windows (using func_seetrough) that show the outside of the level (so into the void). Now every time I look trough the window (when I remove my outer-level-box) it get's all weird and the game crashes. Do I have to make a solid behind the window so you can't see directly into the void, or is there another way to prevent these crashes?

else · October 2003

regarding number 2, try making a box outside the window and giving it the sky texture. there are a few half-life tutorials around on how to add a sky view. i assume that is what you were attempting to do here.

uffo · October 2003

1) Good thing you readed the FAQ <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif'> If you're using 20 light entities in same room, they're prolly overlapping
themselves and therefore all what you can see is fullbright room. If it's small room that is.

2) When you remove the outer box (never ever use big box surrounding your map), it's called a <a href='http://collective.valve-erc.com/index.php?go=leaks' target='_blank'>LEAK</a>
because entities can't touch the void. They aren't that kind of brushes. If you want to see the space from
window, you have to create a brush behind it and texture it with the SKY texture. And if you wanna change
the enviroment map you're seeing, go to map -> Map Properties and look for enviroment map (cl_skyname).
There you can add different env maps. Search your Half-Life/NS/gfx/env folder, there's the env maps
you can use. For example there's marsbk, marsdn, marsft etc. so if you want to use this,
just type mars to the little box mentioned before.

Oh, and when you have a LEAK you can't run VIS, and RAD needs VIS so you can't run RAD either, so then
your map ends up as fullbright.

This wasn't a professional answer but hope it helped <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif'>

Sylver · October 2003

Thanks to the both of you!

I know about leaks and stuff, at least I've read about them. I'll just try to make a small skybox just outside the window. The big box around the entire level will be removed, it's just there for testing.

I'm still a little fuzzy about the lights though. Like you said, I do have about 20 lights in my room, but the room doesn't appear as fullbright at all. The first three lights apear ON and the others appear OFF. I searched trough the properties of the light entities but couldn't find any difference between the light that appear ON and those that appear OFF. <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='confused.gif'>

Rokiyo · October 2003

Check your compile logs. You can only have 3 custom light styles on any one face, if you can turn any of those lights off or if they flicker and do funny effects that are different from each other, then your compiler will hate you for it and refuse to calculate it.

watch_me_die · October 2003

Also if you created the lights by point-clicking in the 3d view, sometimes they will be a tiny bit into the wall and hence not give off any light.

Sylver · October 2003

thanks mate, that helped a lot, guess i have a long way ahead <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'>
note to self and other who are confused about this:

never place an entity, even for a tiny bit, into a solid shape.

- are there any exceptions?

Kage · October 2003

Yes, it's mostly light entities that you should be worried about there.

Many entities end up in a worldbrush during the game (doors, for example).

Light Entities / Void Noob Question

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