How do you keep track of smoothing groups?

Bombcartography

L1: Registered
Aug 28, 2013
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The topic question is the main question I have. The second main question is, how do you eliminate all smoothing groups without hunting down every single brush face?

I tried to keep a written log of my smoothing groups this time but didn't keep up with it. I'm hoping there's a simple way to do this I have overlooked.

I tend to avoid smoothing groups because beyond their basic function there are a few things I can't find the answers to.

Do things in separate areas need to be in separate smoothing groups?

From my experience I think this is true. It seems like the game is trying to apply smooth shadows across different areas and they get messed up. Or maybe the brushes are just unsmoothable. It just seems like some times it doesn't matter if they're in their own group. Sometimes it does. Though I try to keep them in separate groups (but it feels like a superstitious gesture).
 
Last edited:

Fantaboi

Gone and one day forgotten
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Mar 11, 2013
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Can't you just select all? That seems liked it'd work. Or maybe i'm misunderstanding the question
 

Bombcartography

L1: Registered
Aug 28, 2013
25
7
Can't you just select all? That seems liked it'd work. Or maybe i'm misunderstanding the question

I tried this before but it doesn't show the smoothing groups. But now thinking about it, I thought I might be able to add everything to a group and then remove them. I just tried that and eureka! What happens is all the groups they belong to are revealed when you try to set a new smoothing group.
 

YM

LVL100 YM
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Dec 5, 2007
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You could write a simple regex to do a find/replace within your vmf if you want a [reasonably] simple way to reset them all.
If your PC will keep hammer running through thick and thin, you could just select all brushes, open the face editor and then set them all to the same group. You might be able to un-set the group as a reset, but I don't know. Also I'd expect this to crash hammer.

I avoid smoothing groups entirely. They are counter intuitive in source, unpredictable and just a pain to work with.
 

Pocket

Half a Lambert is better than one.
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Nov 14, 2009
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You could write a simple regex to do a find/replace within your vmf if you want a [reasonably] simple way to reset them all.
You don't even need to do this; just open the VMF in Notepad and do a simple find/replace all.
 

YM

LVL100 YM
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Dec 5, 2007
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Which you need to do 32 times for each group, then on top of that you're assuming that vmf's tabs are consistent and will find them all.