func_occluders

[o_eradicatus]

Any info or tutorials on this entity?

hopefully on how to place them around the map.

I only get this when I try to use them:

Occluder "" straddles multiple areas. This is invalid!

[trepid_jesse]

I also haven't been able to pin down what causes that error to occur either, Eradicatus. That's one of the things I'd like to go back to and try to re-create the problem so that I can figure out what exactly a func_occluder doesn't like to do.

Right now, we've used them somewhat sparingly in Hunted, but I imagine that we're going to be using them more and more as we use more and more models.

I can tell you that they aren't like func_areaportals in the regard that the "occluding" face can been traced to from more than one direction. The occluding face also doesn't need to be raised off of a brush.

So, for example, if you had a wall that you also wanted to occlude the models behind it -- the func_occluder that was behind the wall could be flush up against the wall; it does't need to be 1 unit off the wall or anything like that.

Another thing, which you probably already know, is that you put the occluding texture on the face that you wish to occlude "through." What I mean, is that the occluder works based on looking through it from the front and not vice versa. The occluder doesn't work if you're behind the occluder; even though, you're still "technically" looking through the occluder... but yeah, I think you get the idea.

[o_eradicatus]

Such a pain in the butt.

Specially when I *cough* relied on occluders to hide my map.

Now I get 20-30 fps on meh gf6800u in the main fighting areas.

Another thing that frustrates me, is that every tutorial on things, that I come over, apparently is made for newbies. Even the source reference docs is just basic.


What does straddles mean?

Heh, this is turning out to be just as fun as leaf errors was in HL1

[trepid_jon]

I imagine that means the occluder is spread out into multiple...areas. Haha, so I basically said what the error says. I just meant that maybe it's saying that the occluder is in multiple and different VIS areas/portals, and apparently that's a bad thing.

Or maybe it means something different.

Uh, odds are they're probably basic white, cotton, underpants. But I sort of think, well maybe they're silk panties. Maybe it's a thong. Maybe it's something really cool that I don't even know about. You know. And uh, and I started feeling.....what? What, I thought we were in the trust tree, in the nest, were we not?

Anyways, I'm also a little confused with that error, Eradicatus, so I'm just not sure.

[o_eradicatus]

I would like it to be a thong.




And.. HA! just you people wait till yourself are gonna use occluders.

[o_eradicatus]

Peoples going to use occluders are in luck! :P

This is why this error occur:

If you got a room, and splits it in half by adding a wall on the middle. Then have two props in each room. Then you cant have a single occluder brush going from one room to another (going through the wall on the middle) to occlud both props. This will generate the straddles multiple areas error.

If you only have props in one of the rooms, and still have the occluder going through the wall in the middle, it will not generate this error.

Or as Jeff Lane said here:

This error usually occurs when an func_occluder is touching an func_areaportal, or is within a solid brush that touches two different areas on different faces of the brush.

An area is defined by an areaportal splitting up the two spaces.

It's not a fatal error, but the occluder will not function correctly.

[trepid_jon]

Ah, I see. Makes a little more sense now. Good find.