anyone know how to make invisible terrain? I've done it accidentally before with corrupt downloads of maps, but i don't know how to do it on purpose, and i don't have the map anymore to figure out what it was doing.
Try Texture 0?
just makes a plain white texture
I don't have a clue if this will work, but you could load the model in Threed, select the material the terrain part uses, then edit the material the part uses, and set the transparency from 100 to 0 and save the model as XSI; it works fine in game with stuff like cockpits, but some say it screws up the frame rate for BZ. Don't really know one way or the other?
Um, texture zero on all layers at 0 or 1 strength... at least I think that's how I've screwed it up before.
Like you said, it's easy to do by accident, but when you want to do it... lol...
-Av-
Erm, BNG? He wants invisible terrain son :)
Texture 0 always did it for me. If not, just get a 128x128 transparent tga/png and have that as one of your textures in the editor and paint the ground with it.
Failing that you can replicate what you are describing as when it screwed up by deliberately screwing it up. Assign a custom texture, delete said texture file = invisible texture (and probably a notification in the console so it isn't the best idea).
yeh, just create a black texture, and alpha channel it. simple. Note however, all you will see underneath it is the global fog colour, and anything else like tunnels that are underground and within view distance.
Just remove the textures on the map. You don't have to make a whole new one :P
I've been using an alpha one I think. Removing the textures all together might work better. My texture turns solid cyan if the detail settings drop. Granted I've had this a long time. Like, pre PB3.
Oh yeh, i forgot that alpha channels on textures (apart from in particle systems) usually turn solid white, and non transparent.
I found during old QF2 development that alpha-transparent textures that I had used to hide the edges of the map in pb4a had turned opaque in TA5.
Yes, I think transparent terrain got "Fixed" :x
Yeh there was a huge bug where random segments of terrain jsut wouldnt appear. I think the fix involved making the base layer opaque at all times. Not overly sure though, no code monkey.
Invisible terrain? Is that like when you load an impcomplete map and all you see in the map editor is your ship like bobbing aimlessly on a plain grey map? Why does BZ do this?
Come to think of it it can be done on purpose. I remember one map that used a custom texture that BZ couldn't find (Toon Explosion I think). Any ways when I tried making an air DM with that map and because I didn't also copy the custom texture it used; when the map loaded my ship was like floating in sheer nothingness, i.e., no visual reference points at all. Maybe you could edit the TRN file and delete any listed texture files to achieve invisible terrain like I...um didn't see? Try it out and let us know what happens. BNG.
PS: When I copied the custom texture back to the folder again everything visually returned back to normal again. I don't know if this is a bug or what, but invisible terrain does appear doable afterall?
Quote from: TheJamsh on August 08, 2009, 10:24:17 AM
Yeh there was a huge bug where random segments of terrain jsut wouldnt appear. I think the fix involved making the base layer opaque at all times. Not overly sure though, no code monkey.
Gaffe #8? If that were true Slaor would have said something.
the hell is a gaffe? still no idea...
I dunno if slaor has worked on epic since 5.0s release
Quote from: TheJamsh on August 08, 2009, 11:19:31 PM
the hell is a gaffe? still no idea...
Two words: Joe Biden
I guess if you load a map with no texture files then you'd have to edit it in wire or color mode to see the terrain itself. Invisible terrain sounds like it could be useful for space maps to get rid of visual terrestrial references.
Didn't someone already try this in the past? I didn't care for the effect as without visual references it felt like flying around in a glass of water; never knowing if you make it to the other side or not. It could create some interesting effects with a few carefully placed props though; not to mention some interesting tank traps and such.
youre description of 'space' in BZ2 is spot-on for anything i've seen so far. I dont know if you played assimilation (Shane Wards 1.2 mod). Despite the fact its a bit of a state, you can appreciatte the modding work that was done for it.
The ground wasnt made invisible as such, but was coloured totally black, then the fog was blackened as well. Add a bit of pluto's sky and its job-done. You can of course use water to keep the ships higher than the ground, which i think he also did to make the 'transparent' effect. Problems with using water of course are that the skydome is not drawn when underwater, so any stars etc that you place will dissappear.
Slaor has done a lot of space-based stuff for EPIC. When thats going to be released i dont think anyone knows, but i hope if it dies Slaor will do a big asset pack for other people to cannibalize and figure out how he did it so well.
Invisible terrain could make for quite an interesting map. You can see the enemy base but you haven't got the foggiest idea how to get there.
Quote from: Mr X on August 10, 2009, 08:29:46 AM
Invisible terrain could make for quite an interesting map. You can see the enemy base but you haven't got the foggiest idea how to get there.
:-D
Both teams can glare at each other with hateful eyes as the commanders build impossible defenses wherever they can.
well i got it, but not sure the best way to do it yet.
No textures (for me at least) just makes opaque terrain in the color selected no matter what.
the way i got it to work is filling layer 0 with a texture that had some transparency already (dirt.tga) with a foreground of 1
still doesn't make it completely transparent though. It still looks opaque white unless theres an object under it. The sky wont show through though. (dunno about sprites) This is good enough for me though cause all i really wanted was a mirror looking terrain that i could build on and textureless water immediately under the faux invisible terrain does great for this.
thanks for all your suggestions
Imagine a map with no terrain so the entire mission is played out while endlessly falling. Death match only.
You could make a world where everything is just fog, you can't tell where there are slopes or anything.
Quote from: Mr X on August 10, 2009, 09:42:57 PM
You could make a world where everything is just fog, you can't tell where there are slopes or anything.
you'd have to get rid of radar to make the full effect :-)
Quote from: Rocket on August 11, 2009, 01:44:15 AM
you'd have to get rid of radar to make the full effect :-)
And site camera.
= recycler variant :)
QuoteImagine a map with no terrain so the entire mission is played out while endlessly falling. Death match only
Don't need to imagine it, try a Dm with the gravity setting on lowest, sooner or later you'll get blown up and set off your jetpack...
Quote from: mrtwosheds on August 11, 2009, 08:24:30 AM
Don't need to imagine it, try a Dm with the gravity setting on lowest, sooner or later you'll get blown up and set off your jetpack...
I guess it doesn't do it in 1.3, but I remember ages ago (probably 1.0 or 1.2) using the game.cheat bztnt and setting your jetpack off 5 or 6 times made you go so high you wouldn't fall back down again. I left it for like 15 minutes and still nothing. The clue was that when you shot your gun, the pulses stayed level with you instead of trailing upward like they do when you're falling.
Or did I dream that? :lol:
actually, i have accidently removed my radar once, i was playing with the ctrl-~ console, checking out all the codes in there to see if anything interesting happens, when i was done playing with it, no radar.. :-o
Happens occasionally when I mess in the editor for too long and have to start alt-tabbing.