would it be possible to make an underwater tunnel?

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that1guy112

L1: Registered
Jan 12, 2009
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I'm working on a map which involves a couple of levels, and I wanted one of those levels to be below water level, and have the two bases connected by an underwater glass tube. I have read elsewhere that this isn't possible, but I just wanted to make sure.
 

Armadillo of Doom

Group Founder, Lover of Pie
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Oct 25, 2007
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Just to clarify, you want to have water around the connection piece? I'm pretty sure this is possible, since a similar thing was done in cp_aqua. What you'll have to do is make your glass tube, then cut the water brush around it. If people won't be swimming in this area, you could also just make a texture that has a picture of water, and use that to create a box around the connector.
 

Rexy

The Kwisatz Haderach
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Dec 22, 2008
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To second what Immortal said, the alternative with the picture to give the illusion that the player is underwater is better because it will cost your computer less to render the image than actual water.

If you want to simulate the wavy water effect, you can make an animated water texture with the proper .vmt parameters and a func_conveyor.

What I'm thinking of is something like in Bioshock, when you're walking through the underwater tunnels and you look out into the sea, the water is distorted and wavy.

I'd create a semi-transparent texture with the similar surface quality as the top of water, add normal mapping, then cause the texture to scroll at a slow speed, placing it parallel to the tunnel wall and just outside, that would give the illusion of being in a tunnel of water. I almost want to create a test room, build the textures and see how they would look. Maybe when I have some time.

This tutorial will run you through creating an animated texture:

http://sdknuts.net/tutorials/wiseMaterialScroll.asp
 
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Laz

L420: High Member
Jul 5, 2008
461
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There are ways to get an aqarium effect, looking at water from the side behind glass, and having it look normal. Googeling will turn you up a tutorial.
 

tenaciousg

L1: Registered
Jan 8, 2008
44
7
hm.. like dustbowl with multiple levels and having one of those levels completely submerged under water? i suppose its possible though im not an expert and im not even 1% sure that it is but if you did i dont know how popular the map would become amongst pubbers. for one you're eliminating much use of a pyro on that level, for two you're also crippling the demo. so, no matter how well the map is done, if you do have a whole level under water it's going to severely ruin the popularity of the map.
 

that1guy112

L1: Registered
Jan 12, 2009
15
0
thanks

Thanks, I will try cutting the water brush around the tube. The majority of the level is above water, and the water isn't a big part of the level. It will primarily be just for looks.
 

Sgt Frag

L14: Epic Member
May 20, 2008
1,443
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Like this?

hoover02.jpg


Funny I just saw this post. I spent most of yesterday figuring out how I was gonna make one work.

construction:
The metal rings are func_details. The bolts are func_brushes (so they don't cut the metal rings into a thousand polys and they have no physics)
The wiremesh is a displacement.
The glass tubes are 2 layers of green glass displacement tubes.

The area around the glass IS NOT WATER. It is an enclosed cube of black tex. I suppose I will make a black fade overlay to fade the bricks of the walls out fast.

Then the water from the top side will be in a seperate box of it's own. The water wont be swimmable and the tubes wont be seen from the top side.

problems (aka why the black box instead of water):
TF2 is weird with water and I haven't played with it much. But it seems anything in the same 'box' as water below the surface of water, even if in air space has an effect on the player.
Demos stickies and pipe bombs travel through the air slow as if they are in water.
But if the tunnels are in a box under the water box this doesn't happen.

Also, the water surface doesn't work if you are in air space under the water. It'll just be a flat green/grey color. But if you no clip up into the water it's normal. Then you can go back down to airspace and it will look right until you move the camera around (possibly looking into a new leaf) at which time the water surface is messed up again.

So I figured I'd just make it look really dark and add the second layer of glass which helps to block view some and gives it an underwater effect.

I'm interested to see if you get different results.