Can two different skyboxes share entities?

JMRboosties

L2: Junior Member
Jun 3, 2009
98
2
On my map I have a cliff face with some trees at the top of it. There are two playable areas on either side of this cliff face, both of which are meant to see these trees. However as they are two different areas I'd like to contain them in adjacent skyboxes for optimization. Is there a way to make it so you can see the same props from each side? the separation is too thin to just create separate entities on either side...
 

Terr

Cranky Coder
aa
Jul 31, 2009
1,590
410
I think your use of the term "skybox" may confuse people: There can only be one "3D skybox", and one "2d skybox texture".

Option A: Use the 3d skybox.

There are some guides out there, but the 3D skybox is a single isolated "room" in your map. You'd set it up so that there is a narrow strip of trees inside at the place corresponding to where you want them to show up in the main map. In that way, you can have the same tree visible from both sides. (Note the 3d skybox is always rendered wherever you are, so it shouldn't be too complex in there.)

Option B: Optimization tools

If you really can't put more space between the two (and put the trees in a 3D skybox), you may try using hints and nodraw surfaces so that everyone can see the top of the hill, but nobody on either side can get in a postiion to see the other side.
 
Last edited:

Waif

L7: Fancy Member
Mar 22, 2009
412
125
For this to work and the trees show on both sides of the skybox brush, you would have to have it thin enough that the props physically extened out of the skybox from either side.

Picture:

| |
| | (sky brush from top view)
| |
| |
++++ (tree prop must come out both sides of the brush to be rendered from
| | both sides)
| |
 

Psy

The Imp Queen
aa
Apr 9, 2008
1,706
1,491
Here's a visual example of what Mash describes.

tree-skybox.jpg


The tree renders on both sides in-game despite their being a 16 unit thick skybox brush in between the two areas.