One-Way Mirrors - Possible?

Stormcaller3801

L5: Dapper Member
Jul 5, 2009
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Yet another idea that I'm not sure if I can implement or not. I'd like to try and set up some glass to be a one-way mirror: look through it one way and it's reflective, look through the other and it's translucent. Preferably with func_breakable involved as well. I'm expecting that this is more complex and difficult than truly possible, but what's one more impossible idea among the many I've had?
 

Owlruler

L12: Fabulous Member
Dec 10, 2008
964
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Possible but causes lag, drops framerates and is just plain overusing entitys.
 

Rexy

The Kwisatz Haderach
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Dec 22, 2008
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You won't get any player reflections, but yes, you can do this:

You need to create a surface with a texture that has the highest settings of specularity, so a white texture I assume may work the best, with this in your vmt:

"$envmap" "env_cubemap"
"$envmaptint" "[1 1 1]"

And on the other side of the brush, you'd apply any glass texture--the nature of materials applied to brushes is that in neglects the surface on the other side.

Then tie the brush to func_breakable.
 

lana

Currently On: ?????
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Sep 28, 2009
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Make two brushes adjacent on one side and textured with nodraw. Tie one brush to a func_reflective_glass and leave the other be. Apply the reflective glass texture to the face you want to be opaque on the func_reflective_glass brush and on the opposite face of the other brush, apply a glass texture.
 

Rexy

The Kwisatz Haderach
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Dec 22, 2008
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Oh yeah, func_reflective_glass, that's better idea. Do that instead.
 

Locutus

L2: Junior Member
Nov 3, 2009
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Why are you trying to make these things? Doing a surfmap? :eek:

I know my buddy used pretty much a standard texture on one side of a brush and nodraw for the rest for a 1-way wall. He used this for the "jail" in his surf map.
 

Stormcaller3801

L5: Dapper Member
Jul 5, 2009
249
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Nah- I'm just working on ph_storage and I've been trying to make sure all the glass in the place is breakable. For the inevitable spytech room, I've got a wall with two doors and half a dozen windows separating the actual spytech area from the 'front room,' akin to what you see in 2Fort. And while you can easily go through the doors to see that it is a spytech area, I got it in my head it might be interesting to have the windows as one-way mirrored glass that you could shoot out to reveal the area.

Granted, this is a prophunt map, so there's limited shooting (relatively speaking), but I still figured that it'd be a neat visual effect.

As for the questions about slick surfaces and ball pits, that was related to Team Interrobang's PropHunt map contest. One of the side prizes is for the map with the best slide. I was thinking a slick surface could help with that one (and the ball pit's fairly self-evident, I think). The fact there's another prize for the best environmental deathtrap means the alternative's just fine too. :p
 

lana

Currently On: ?????
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Sep 28, 2009
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Have a separate func_breakable that kills the two other brushes.