Water Situation

DrPowerKraut

L1: Registered
May 9, 2010
10
0
I'm making a map that has a glass window looking down at some water. In the middle of the water is a hole that you can go through. My problem is I need to be able to see through the glass so I can see the bottom (or anyone in the water) but so you can't see through the opening so it looks like it's open to the water. Any Ideas?:confused: I can post screenshots if needed.
 

DrPowerKraut

L1: Registered
May 9, 2010
10
0
Kinda Like that. Sorry about the crude drawing, my screenshots weren't good enough to understand.
EDIT: This is what I have not what I want.
hwmw50.png
 
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DrPowerKraut

L1: Registered
May 9, 2010
10
0
You can cut out that square of water and make the water texture nodraw.

That might work. How do I make the water texture nodraw? I'm just starting to learn how to make vmts but I can do some basic things.

@CapellanCitizen: I can't see through the water's surface, which is under the glass, but I can cut the glass.
 
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M0rtanius

L1: Registered
May 17, 2009
14
0
You apply the nodraw texture to the face, which you want transparent, I guess.

Or you can make that block of water into a func_brush and make it transparent in the entity properties.
 

DrPowerKraut

L1: Registered
May 9, 2010
10
0
Unfortunately I need the top transparent but I need the top to be the water texture to make it a water brush, and it never really works very well if you attach an entity to water, but i'll try it.
 

CapellanCitizen

L2: Junior Member
Mar 31, 2010
77
16
Oh, I see. You would need to make a water material that has no to top texture, and then cut it like M0rtanius said.

Material creation help, because you're gonna need it for this.
More specific information for creating water.

Possibly a vmt like

Code:
"Water"
{
	"%keywords" "tf"
	$forcecheap 1
	
	"%tooltexture" "dev/tfwater_normal"
	"%compilewater" 1
	"$abovewater" 1
	//"$nofresnel" "1"

	$underwateroverlay "effects/water_warp"
	"$envmap" "env_cubemap"	
	"$refracttexture" "_rt_WaterRefraction"
	"$refractamount" ".32"
	//"$refracttint" "{191 179 155}"
	"$refractblur" "1"



	"$scale" "[1 1]"

	"$surfaceprop" "water"
	"$bottommaterial" "water/water_2fort_beneath.vmt"

	"$fogenable" 1
	"$fogcolor" "{51 43 13}"
	"$fogstart" "-100"
	"$fogend" "400"

	 "$temp" "[0 0]"
	 "$curr" 0.0
	 "$curr2" 0.0

	"Water_DX60"
	{
		"$fallbackmaterial" "nature/water_dx70"
	}
}

would work for the invisible water, but I haven't made any wqater materials before, so IDK. It's based off the 2fort water, so you might have to change the fog to make it fit with the water ehat you're using now.
 

DrPowerKraut

L1: Registered
May 9, 2010
10
0
If you don't mind me asking what makes it invisible?

you might have to change the fog to make it fit with the water ehat you're using now.
Thank you very much kind sir!:woot: That should be perfect. Let me try it out I and I'll be right back.
 
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DrPowerKraut

L1: Registered
May 9, 2010
10
0
I'm getting this error in the console:
Code:
Requesting texture value from var "$normalmap" which is not a texture value (material: maps/cp_no_diving/water/water_04_-24_32_528)
 

UGLYdumpling

L3: Member
May 24, 2010
127
56
EDIT: This is what I have not what I want.
So this translates to :"IGNORE THIS SKETCH" for us ...

Unfortunately I need the top transparent but I need the top to be the water texture to make it a water brush, and it never really works very well if you attach an entity to water, but i'll try it.

wow. uhm ... none of that made sense to me.
How frustrating.

If you are trying to do something very unconventional (i.e. never been done), and you want to communicate the idea to others for input. And if drawing out the problem isn't your strength, or describing it with words. There is really only ONE choice for you.

You really need to build this out with dev textures, color code all the different surfaces and take a screenshot. Label it and write a clear description of what you are trying to attempt.
 

TheTurnip

L2: Junior Member
Mar 2, 2010
62
20
For some reason, it made sense to me.

If i'm reading this right, he basically wants to create a big block of water. On top of that is all glass so that people walk above the water but can look down into it. In the center is a hole in the glass so that people can jump down into the water.

The problem is that people standing on the glass and looking down into the water don't see into the water (which is what he wants) but just see the surface texture of the water. The issue is that in order for Hammer to see that block as water, it needs to have a water texture applied to it, which automatically makes the top (i.e. the part people are looking down through the glass at) have the water texture. Thus, no-body can see through it into the water below.

I believe the best way to solve this would be the way CapellanCitizen said, by creating a material that is water but has no top water texture.

EDIT: Basically, like this, except he wants the water that is under glass (around the blue hole in the center) to be see-through-able for someone standing on top of the glass:
wja07.png
 
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DrPowerKraut

L1: Registered
May 9, 2010
10
0
I'm glad it made sense to a few at least. Sorry I sometimes cannot convey what I'm trying to say correctly, then people get confused.

But, that's exactly what I need. Does anyone have, or can make, such a texture?
 

Terr

Cranky Coder
aa
Jul 31, 2009
1,590
410
EDIT: Basically, like this, except he wants the water that is under glass (around the blue hole in the center) to be see-through-able for someone standing on top of the glass

Why not just have a single body of water and the glass almost touches the water surface, with a small air-gap in-between?

The overall effect would be a lot more realistic. Use a water_lod_control if it's too murky.
 

DrPowerKraut

L1: Registered
May 9, 2010
10
0
Why not just have a single body of water and the glass almost touches the water surface, with a small air-gap in-between?

Nope I tried that. I still can't see, sorry.
Really I just need a water texture that you can't actually see unless you're in it.
 

M0rtanius

L1: Registered
May 17, 2009
14
0
Have you tried using the func_water entity?

Or just making your own water texture as CapellanCitizen said, only making it have a single transparent color and adding "$translucent" 1 into the VMT file.
 
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