What Is The Correct Way To Make Roofs?

Zoc

How to make details on roofs ? (For works well with the CC Mode ? - Like: Its better to make everithing as entities, avoid entities, make everithing on a specific entity, etc)

Reese

Ok, here's how I handle roofs

1) decide if an object is a detail of the room or a piece of architecture

Pieces of architecture are generally those brushes that are in some way exposed to the void (the area outside your map) These are ALWAYS world brushes (not entities). Making them an entity will give you a leak, so don't do it. Details of the room are those things completley inside the structure (like pipes following the wall for instance). These CAN be world brushes or entites.

Details can be handled for commander mode one of two ways. (I know there are more, but these are the easy ways)
1) Make them an entity, specifically make them func_seethrough with commander alpha of 0 and player alpha of 255.
2) leave them as world brushes, but texture all the faces the commander would see, but everyone else would not, as NULL. This makes the brush see through from the top down, and is useful for things like pipes that are only half exposed from the ceiling.

In general you don't have to worry about something being visible in commander mode as long as the top of it touches the void. The part that does touch the void will be where the commander sees through the solid. It's only when you start decorating that things get tricky.


I apologize if this post was in any way incoherent, it's been a very sleepless finals week <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->

Zoc

Thank you! I'll try this <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->

Soylent_green

If the actual roof is very detailed(to the point of being annoying in commander mode) you might wish to make it into a func_seethrough with commander alpha 0 and player alpha 255, to prevent leaks put a NULL textured worldbrush ontop of it enclosing your map from the void.

This is not usefull in most maps since most maps don't have roofs that have such geometric complexity(such as lots and lots of grooves or something) that they disturb the commander, and such roofs would really suck for skulks to climb on.

Soylent_green

unless you are doing something on par with this madness(note it's ugly, but it's just an illustration on the kind of roof I mean and made as an example).

Moconnor

you mean a ceiling!!!
a roof is usually on the outside <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->

Zoc

Yeah.. sorry for my english... <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif'><!--endemo-->

I'll try that soon... <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->

EDIT: I'm doing a combat map, to "learn" how everithing works on NS... next I'll make a NS Classic map...

Now, I'm really worried if it would have too much poly counts, how to reduce them, etc <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif'><!--endemo-->
Any tip for that ? (If I try to make a "complex" ceiling <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif'><!--endemo-->)

Thaldarin

<!--QuoteBegin--Zoc+Dec 20 2003, 10:09 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Zoc @ Dec 20 2003, 10:09 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Yeah.. sorry for my english... <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif'><!--endemo-->

I'll try that soon... <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->

EDIT: I'm doing a combat map, to "learn" how everithing works on NS... next I'll make a NS Classic map...

Now, I'm really worried if it would have too much poly counts, how to reduce them, etc <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif'><!--endemo-->
Any tip for that ? (If I try to make a "complex" ceiling <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif'><!--endemo-->) <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Try combat and classic, if you don't like too long term maps stick with combat.

As I see it the ceiling can be the most basic thing, or the most complex thing. If you have simple walls, simple floors and it looks average make a complex and interesting ceiling. If you have very detailed nicely lit room, make the ceiling simple, even flat, adding things like pipes, wires and girders(possibly my favourite) just below the roof of the ceiling will give it life.