Creating 2D sprites that show through walls.

[Heavy_4HTD]

Hello.

I want to add 2D sprites to my map that are similar to the sprites shown on players behind walls in the Passtime gamemode (sprites that show through walls and scale with distance from player to the entity).

Like these


With these sprites, I want to create player markers that would show the location of two randomly chosen players.

I've tried using the env_sprite entity with the Render Mode property set to Glow. In this render mode, the sprite does scale with distance, but it doesn't show through walls and the sprite turns darker the further away the player is from it.

Up Close


At Distance



Is there any way to achieve this effect without using Passtime gamemode logic ?

 

[Tiftid]

I've heard that parenting something to an info_particle_system entity will make it always render, even through walls.
For the distance scaling, you're on the right track with the Glow rendermode.

Another way to make something always render is to put it in the 3D skybox - however, everything in the 3D skybox must render behind the main map. This is actually how Idolon did that "wallhack" koth map 10 years ago - the whole visual representation of the map is in the 3D skybox, so it always renders behind the players and you can seemingly see the players through walls.

 

[Sonoma]

$ignorez in a vmt file should work

 

[Heavy_4HTD]

$ignorez in a vmt file should work

The sprite I used in the preview images (passtime_ball.vmt) already has Ignore Z set to true.

I've heard that parenting something to an info_particle_system entity will make it always render, even through walls.

Tried it, sadly it didn't work. Parented the sprite to an info_particle_system, it didn't render at all.

Another way to make something always render is to put it in the 3D skybox - however, everything in the 3D skybox must render behind the main map. This is actually how Idolon did that "wallhack" koth map 10 years ago - the whole visual representation of the map is in the 3D skybox, so it always renders behind the players and you can seemingly see the players through walls.

The map looks pretty cool, but it wouldn't work for my use case. I only want to show the location of 2 players at any given time.

---

I tried setting the env_sprite's Render Mode to Solid and Size of Glow Proxy Geometry to -1, and that did give me a sprite that renders through walls. The problem now however is that entities and players aren't rendered when they're not in an area visible by the player.