*Zombie Escape Map Help*

[LEMON 27]

Hey guys,
I've made a few maps before, some of which are on SG rotation. I began making a map a few weeks ago and have just recently finished the bulk of the geometry for the map in addition to simple entities such as spawns, lights, doors and sunlight. However, I now come to the point where I need to start making a path for the escape vehicle, creating console messages etc... Here are a few things I could use some help with, thanks in advance.

1. Console messages triggered by button presses.
How do I make a console message appear saying: "door will open in 10 seconds..." after the player presses a button to open the door? or "tram is coming in 1 minute" ?

2. How do I make a path for an escape vehicle to follow?

3. What are some tips for optimizing huge zombie maps?

That's all for now, any help would be great.

[Bob Loblaw]

1. Create a point_servercommand. Then have the button's outputs include this: Onpressed, Servercommand, Command. And then for parameter override put say door will open in 10 seconds...
Include say. So it will look exactly like this:
Onpressed
Servercommand
Command
say Door will open in 10 seconds...

2. Path_track's. I haven't done much work with func_tracktrains, but make the vehicle a func_tracktrain and use path tracks for where it needs to go. Path tracks let you chose where the vehicle will go next and you can reset it's speed and such.

3. Nodraw all unseen sides and use areaportals for doors into big openings etc. Also use hints if there is a place that using them would be helpful

[LEMON 27]

thanks a bunch man, looking forward to finishing this map and getting it on SG!

[Bob Loblaw]

Best of luck. Look forward to seeing it.

[LEMON 27]

Just a preview, it's a zombie escape map set in a Ski Resort. It's a pretty big map, so optimization might take a while. By the way, I know how "nodraw" helps with optimizing, but what do "areaportals" do?

[Bob Loblaw]

Areaportals basically shut off rendering from anything beyond them. So lets say you place an areaportal in a doorway between two areas. It has to basically completely seperate them, so you can't have a func or trigger or anything going through the wall etc, it needs to completely seperate the areas. If it is closed then it will just register the skybox to be beyond it. So have it set to always open and basically it funnels everything you can see.

It takes your view and decides what you can see through the areaportal and only renders that. As your view changes it changes what's being rendered.

You can have it set to close and have a door closed, and when the door opens have the areaportal open. When door is fully closed have the areaportal closed. That way it blocks off EVERYTHING beyond it when the door is closed, but when its open it just funnels what's registered.

Hard to explain without pictures or anything but yeah..

[LEMON 27]

No, I get it. It has to do with draw distance and what's rendered. Thanks