Decals

[Blackstar1000]

Hey guys, I used to be a Half-Life2 mapper which is the reason I use worldcraft as my preferred program.

Worldcraft obviously doesn't have a function to place decals as Hammer does. I currently use Darkplaces, is there anyway to add some sort of decal functionality? This is to essentially place and rotate translucent textures over the textures
that exist on a brush. So as to detail my maps better.

[Blackstar1000]

Okay, so maybe I'm asking incorrectly... The decal button exists in worldcraft. I have patched mine with the quake patcher for worldcraft.

Is there anyway to add decals to the repository inside worldcraft to make my own custom decals placeable? Is there anyway make this functional in worldcraft for use in the Darkplaces engine?

[ceriux]

there isnt really. since your using darkplaces though, you could just put a brush over the one your trying to decal and have a tga with transparency to simulate it?

[Blackstar1000]

Yes, this is the same thing I have been doing actually. The only problem is that even when using some tricks the renderer will sometimes not render brushes that are obstructed by even a transparent brush... So a picket fence will block the renderer from rendering what is behind it.

Can I tie the brush to some kind of entity that would allow the rendering to take place even if the decal (on another brush) is obstructing it?

[frag.machine]

Yes, this is the same thing I have been doing actually. The only problem is that even when using some tricks the renderer will sometimes not render brushes that are obstructed by even a transparent brush... So a picket fence will block the renderer from rendering what is behind it.

Can I tie the brush to some kind of entity that would allow the rendering to take place even if the decal (on another brush) is obstructing it?

If you're targeting DP or any engine supporting alpha blended entities, use a func_wall to place your transparent brush. Then, set an "alpha" attribute to this entity with the desired value. You can simulate glass this way, and anything behind stills rendered. But remember, every func_wall occupies an entity slot, so be economic on that .

[Blackstar1000]

//EDIT

I figured it out, thanks for pointing me correctly to where I needed to go.

[andrewj]

But remember, every func_wall occupies an entity slot, so be economic on that .

It occupies a mapmodel slot too, which is worse as there are a lot less of them (1/4 of the entity slots, only 256 in vanilla quake, 1024 in DP).

[mh]

If you don't care about entities or the player clipping against them you can makestatic them. Or alternatively stick a clip brush inside them in the world and makestatic the entity (this can also be used for a hacky replacement for detail brushes in Q1 - use simple geometry for your clip brush and makestatic the complex stuff). You will need raised static entity and efrags limits though, but they're so easy to do that there's no reason not to.