brushes flickering/dissapearing

:eek: HELP!!! i'm new to mapping and ths forum so I'll get to the point

I have made a medium sized map and when I play some brushes flicker/dissapear WTF

please hellp!!!!

I have a basic idea about whats wrong..Maybe you arnt compiling it fully, or your getting either a "Texture perpendicular to face" or "Invalid solid" error.

Please, post an image what further show us your image.

I think I have an "invalid solid" error how do I fix it

ps:I am not compiling with VIS

and I don't know what you mean by "post picture"

if the brushes are very thin, this can sometimes happen. for instance if they are signs hanging on a wall. a solution that CJ pointed out in a different thread is to make the brush into a func_wall and extend it back into the brush which is behind it.

Also, if you have an invalid solid structure you won't be able to play the map. it won't compile

maybe the 'flickering, disappearing' brushes are hall of mirrors effects, created by the old tools not dealing with the invalid brush properly.

if this is the case, then the invalid solid error is caused by the 'brush' that you see flickering being wrong somehow.

Invalid solid structure can be fixed by going to the "error report" part of WC/VH and clicking fix...

...it's the simplist of all problems you'll encounter...

also if doing a final compile always run vis and rad, they make the map run smoother and make it look better.

WC/Hammer's method of "fixing" invalid solid structure errors often leaves a butchered mess in its place - leaving you wide open to even more errors either with structure or with leaks. Often it's best to manually repair these brushes with vertex manipulation.

As for this problem, Tracer Bullet looks to be on the right path. A HOM effect is a HOM effect, no matter how you go about it, and won't result in anything disappearing. Also, texture axis perpendicular to face and invalid solid structure errors are caught by the tools and won't let you compile fully - Check for these errors regardless, as these are bad things to have anyway - but I don't think they're the culprit here.

There are a couple other possibilities as well...

1) If you are running software and have more than 800 polys in the scene, you would experience polys disappearing all over the place. It's a rather ugly sight. :razz: With running no VIS, this could be a possibility even in a low-detail map. To solve this problem, run a fast, normal, or full vis and then switch your video settings to OpenGL or Direct3D if you have a video card that can handle it.

2) You may have brushes that overlap with faces occupying the same space. This is the one case in which overlapping brushes actually increases r_speeds, since the compiler doesn't know which face to keep and you get what's called Z-fighting by the two faces trying to stay on top of each other. It doesn't sound like this is the problem, but make sure that no visible faces overlap. This would create a sort of flickering effect.

The first thing to do is try compiling with VIS. It may not do a thing, but it just might fix the problem or at least give a better indicator of what might be the problem by narrowing down the possibilities. You really need to compile at least a fast VIS anytime you compile a map - there's not much to be gained without doing so.

Tracer Bullet also has a good thought, as I mentioned, and I'd recommend checking that one out.

You're just a little bundle of help, aren't you KFS?

EDIT: Anyone remember the thread about trying to make a dome? I carved a half-sphere from a larger half-sphere, saw a lot of errors and let Hammer sort 'em out. Pretty good picture if I remember correctly.

This what you're looking for Hornman http://www.snarkpit.com/editing.php?page=tutorials&id=27

Tracer Bullet said:
This what you're looking for Hornman http://www.snarkpit.com/editing.php?page=tutorials&id=27

oh right, we have a tutorials section...

I have tried th "fix" button and full vis AND I have not found any thin brushes leaks or overlaping brushes

and I have definetly not found any nose goblins :eek:

1) Your map view distance may be set too low and it's taking away from your brushes located at a distance.
Solution: In Hammer/Worldcraft go to Map->Map Properties and change the Max viewable distance to somewhere around 10,000. -note- set this to maximum all the time because it won't stop rendering past that distance anyway and only causes your map to look like crap past the set distance.

2) There are brushes 8 units or thinner past a certain distance.
Solution: From what I've heard having a brush that is 8 units or less -can- cause a "bleeding" effect and appear/disappear at certain distances. This can be solved by making the brushes at least 16 units thick, or moving the brushes touching it behind a little further back.

You might have also embedded something in a wall. If you were making a sign, for instance, maybe you stuck it inside the wall instead of placing it on the outside, or recessing it properly? It's generally not a good idea to overlap brushes, since it can lead to these kinds of visual glitches.

I have tried changing the video setting to "open gl"

it worked!!! thank you all and marry christmas

but I have some questions,does everybody use the open gl setting for custom maps,and also are nose goblins sreious I think I have them :eek: .

A lot of people use OpenGL and Direct3D, but not all. A surprising number don't even know they're there and just use software because it's the default.

The problem you had will still show up to anyone in software mode, but when you run a full VIS on the map that should help drop the polycount to a level that software can handle.

As for nose goblins... I'm afraid. Very afraid...

thanks again dude the problem was driving me crazy

I actualy thought I had monkes in my nose but now I have come to realize that I have nose goblins

I just want to ask one more question,why are they called brushes?

I think theyre called "brushes" because they act like a paint brush, "painting" a 3d space solid. The brush defines the area to be "painted", then the compile tools use the brush to paint the world.

If anyone has a better idea, I'd like to hear it. :biggrin:

cool