DarkPlaces handling of brush models

[Baker]

After writing some code to support maps running with missing models, I can understand why LordHavoc thinks brush models (like health boxes) should be centered on the origin [like mdl models].

With "run with missing models" support, the fact that brush models do not behave like mdl models and sprites means that "missing models" for brush models aren't placed correctly, nor can they be, since you have no idea of their dimensions without the actual model that isn't available.

[Spike]

you make me think that its normal for the center to not be the center.

okay, origin plots, etc, etc.
maybe you want to put a health box in some small room.
oh. you can't put its origin in the middle.
huh
you have to move it by '-16 -16 0'... that makes no sense!

it just makes more sense to have the origin at the center of the entity. having said that, it also makes a certain sense to have the origin on the floor - hexen2 does this, floating point precision can result in a pointcontents at the origin to touch the floor below, which means that you end up unable to swim upwards unless you jump - its weird.
when you start dealing with better(q2+) clipping code that doesn't have descrete hulls, you tend to find that the thing clips better if the origin is at the center of the object. if its at the edge, you get all sorts of weirdness.

so:
rotations, clipping, editor positioning, missing model indicators, tracelines from the origin not touching the object, consistancy...
any other reasons to go with the origin at the center? :)

either way, its too late to change those bsp models now.

[mh]

There's also inline bmodels which typically have their origin at 0,0,0 just to add further spice to the mixture...!