Reality Factory

Hi folks!

I have a problem with my model. When ever I look at it through glass, it gets invisible. Here is three screenshots.
All info is written below the screenshots.

1. This is what the model looks like. I can see it clearly. 2. When I decide to look at it through a window, I can see nothing. 3. Of some wierd reason I can see the table in that same moment I fire a gun. And right after, it disappers again. Here's some info:
The model is an .act file, and I use the StaticMesh entity.
The glass in the window is just a very flat brush. In the Brush Attributes menu, it is solid and I have maked it sheet. In the Face Attributes, I've made it transperant, and the transperant value is 120.
I hope it is useful info

I have no idea about what to do, so I don't know if I have made the window the wrong way, or the model settings is wrong, or if it is some other settings somewhere which is wrong. I just hope you guys know the answer or that I find the answer myself.

Thanks.

realgaming135 wrote:In the Brush Attributes menu, it is solid

That's the problem. If you want to see actors behind the brush, you must flag it Window or Empty.

Well, I tried to flag it window, but I was still unable to see the model behind the glass. Then I tried to flag it empty, but also here I'm unable to see the model. Still looks like there's nothing.
Anyway, thanks for replying QOD.

If that has no effect, set the vischecklevel to 2. It says it is a visibility check.

Have you tried a static entity proxy table?You cant shoot under it because of the box collision but you can try it.
If the problem is nt in the table,then no need to use staticentity.
Is that grey blur textured sharp faced object on the table in the third pic the bullet projectile?Looks big and i though some bsp brush was at the table s place clipping it.
Static mesh wants no transparent flagged bsp on it anyway.

Hi steven8.
Sorry I didn't answered before now. I don't really understand what you mean

And hi Veleran.
I have tried a StaticEntityProxy for the table, but I can't remember if it worked back then.
And that grey blur textured sharp faced object on the third picture is not the projectile It is the standard concrete actorsprite effect that triggers, when a projectile hits a solid brush.
So I'll try using StaticEntityProxy for the table, and reply if do not works.

Anyway thank you both for answering.

Since you are using the StaticMesh entity, under Properties, set vischecklevel to 2.

Okay. I tried to set vischecklevel to 2, and still the same.
But it works, when I use StaticEntityProxy.

The static entity proxy has solid box collision.If you want projectiles like grenades to pass under it,you can make the table no collision and place some clip flagged bsp boxes at its place that more or less match the shape of the table.

I did not say invisible staticmesh with alpha 0 because if it intersects something it can make other polygons to disappear,get clipped or flicker.
If you can not create the bsp collision for the table to match the actor shape,you can just skip it and use the default box collision to just see if the overall game level is ok.

The clip brushes are also faster if you use stencil shadows because they do no receive the shadows,and they have something useful,they can block view,and monsters can not see through them.

Okay, I'll use the StaticEntityProxy then.
Is there any reason, that the StaticEntityProxy table is alot darker than the StaticMesh table?

Your fill color is default of black. Double click it and select all white. it ought to brighten right up.

Yeah ofcourse. Why didn't I see this before
Anyway, thanks for replying. Model problem and coloring problem is solved.

I don't understand why I couldn't solve those problems by myself. I guess I'll have to read through the docs again

It might be the default light level making the room lookk flat.Default light level is on by default and helps to run level walkthrough's to areas where you have nt yet placed any lights at all or their radius does nt reach enough all areas.

As you add more lights you reduce it to something like 32 32 32 until you completely uncheck it because it reduces the color saturation and the contrast of the darkest areas.

You can measure the level dimensions using the blue templates brushes to determine how large light radius you need.
Generally it looks better to the eye to have partially lit places than flat bright ones.

The fill color is a steady fixed light coming from the side.The lightning is more natural when you set the fill color to 0 0 0 and the AmbientLightFromFloor to = true.
I know the pawns and other static actors are very dark and dull comparing to the bsp world geometry but this way the light on the actors matches the scene lightning directions.


If the environment is all actors without solid bsp that might get over lighted you can Place lights,copy them and change the color to be half darker.
This is a way you get 1.5 light power without making the textures colors look too washed out to white .

Also the ambientlightfromfloor true helps the pawn monsters to be hidden when they pass through dark areas.

Its is nt so easy to fix the lightning very fast because you usually have to run many previews and do changes to the number of lights,lights radius and colors more times that you might expected.
Dynamic lights are limited to 8 dynamic lights on screen otherwise it is a crash.

Hi Veleran
Thank you for the advices about the lightning.
They are appreciated. I'll try to optimize my use of light