Env_laser draw distance problem

[Timberjaw]

My skybox contains a laser, stretching from the top of the non-skybox height to the top of the skybox height. It's rendering in-world OK, but it fades out part of the way up, like so:

I should mention that the skybox is unusually tall; about 7500 Hammer units. This is necessary because I have the moon as a brush within the skybox, and it needs to be very high up to avoid noticeable parallax when the player moves around the level.

Is there anything I can do about the laser render issue? I'm assuming it's some kind of draw distance issue, but the moon is rendering fine.

 

[Ælement]

Have you tried to make it in a 3D skybox instead? Not sure how that'd work, but its worth a try

 

[Timberjaw]

Have you tried to make it in a 3D skybox instead? Not sure how that'd work, but its worth a try

It is in a 3D skybox. Sorry if that wasn't clear.

 

[ForbiddenDonut]

Make a 3D skybox with a custom skybox texture that contains the moon. 7500 unit tall skybox with a brush moon? Optimization nightmare.

Mr. Happy did a space-themed map for the artpass contest. Although he did the earth (and not the moon), it's a pretty good example of how you can use a skybox to portray a distant celestial entity.
http://www.mapcore.org/viewtopic.php?f=57&t=15595&start=0

If you're curious about how to pull off the actual making of the skybox texture:

Rexy has a wonderful guide on implementing photoshop or gimp textures into the correct order and place for skybox usage.
http://forums.tf2maps.net/showthread.php?t=5268

Cheers!

 

[Timberjaw]

Make a 3D skybox with a custom skybox texture that contains the moon. 7500 unit tall skybox with a brush moon? Optimization nightmare.

The brush is necessary, actually. You see, I plan to blow up the moon.

 

[ForbiddenDonut]

Oh jeez. Uh. Hmm.

This is probably outside the boundaries of what Hammer can offer, but I commend you for trying to think outside the box. Perhaps Boojum Snark or Rexy might have an idea about how this might be done.

EDIT: Also, I just realized how pathetic I am:

You see, I plan to blow up the moon.

Totally read that in Dr. Evil's voice.

 

[tyler]

You should turn both the laser and the moon into models. I think that'd be the only feasible way.

 

[Fruity Snacks]

From a scientific aspect, you will see a visible extinction of the laser (like what you see) if something like this was to happen in real life/in general (anywhere)...



... just sayin.

EDIT2: it might also be because you're in fullbright.

 

[A Boojum Snark]

Try using an env_beam instead. It has options to enable/disable fading out the beginning or the end. Env_laser may have something like that hardcoded (laser is much less flexible of an entity).

 

[Timberjaw]

Try using an env_beam instead. It has options to enable/disable fading out the beginning or the end. Env_laser may have something like that hardcoded (laser is much less flexible of an entity).

Tried env_beam. Same result, unfortunately. If I noclip into the skybox region (with either env_beam or env_laser), the beam displays with its full length.

I tried some console settings related to fog distance, which also didn't seem to have an effect on the render distance.

 

[Timberjaw]

From a scientific aspect, you will see a visible extinction of the laser (like what you see) if something like this was to happen in real life/in general (anywhere)...

Good point.

EDIT2: it might also be because you're in fullbright.

Tried full VRAD, no go. Either it's some kind of entity render distance limitation, or it's something specific to both env_laser and env_beam rendering.