info_overlay

The snarkpit search feature is currently out of commission, but Google's is not. I google searched:

site:snarkpit.net "info_overlay"

and it yielded this result:

http://www.snarkpit.net/index.php?s=forums&f=6&t=3127

but it seemed to not help me. What I have is a custom decal texture I want to apply to a slanted surface of a func_rot_button. I would LOOOVE to just use the infodecal entity method, but the decal leaks on to its neighboring brush faces. In hammer it looks great... but compiled, the infodecal doesn't just stay on one face, as I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. (play tf2 and spray your spray on the bottom portion of a wall.... it will often spill onto other faces (as it is designed to do) See picture below. anyway...it seems info_overlays only apply to the brush face keyvalue specified. This sounds great and all... but I cannot get it to show up in-game when I want it to. If I simply put it on a flat wall... its fine. I can resize it etc in the 3D window... and it still shows up. however, when I apply it to the 45 degree angle button, it does not show up in game. I choose my texture, choose the overlay tool, apply it, resize it, looks fine in hammer, compile it fastvis fastrad, no joy. buildcubemaps.... just in case... still nothin. The texture does not show up.

again... the infodecal shows up o nthe slanted button edge.... but not the info_overlay.

NOTE: I did some various testing before I posted. I applied the overlay texture to various elements and compiled. HEre are the results.

I applied the decal overlay to:

-world brushes: works (shows up in hammer/hl2e2 properly)
-func_movelinear: does not work (shows up in hammer / does NOT show up in game)
-func_detail: works/works
-func_door: looks good in hammer / doesn't work in game
-func_rot_button: looks good in hammer / doesn't work in game

Final thought: info_overlays work on static world brushes and static brush entities, but does NOT work on dynamic/non static brush based entities. It does not specify this in the VDC as seen here and here. Did they forget to mention this, or am I not doing something right within the overlay's settings or whatever...

My last resort is making an entirely new texture with the hand print built into the texture to imitate a decal. If it is the only way to do it and make it look good at the same time...

Sounds like your going to have to make the texture with the hand print embedded onto it, I don't think this is a bad or inefficient solution. When your working with a game engine such as Source, you will often encounter limitations that there is no easy or quick fix to such as this issue and the fade in looping sound issue, so your need to come up with a work around.

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Aaron's Stuff

You are correct Dark Tree, (And you had to figure it out the hard way :P) info_overlays will NOT show up on moving brush-based entities (and some static-type ones too). I found this out the hard way as well, long ago, when I looked into how Valve applied the 'core' logo to their awesome brush-built Combine doors in EP1 (in the Citadel). Of course they made a texture, and there is no such thing as a core logo decal. So, yes, if the info_decal is too big to fit on one face, then you will need to make it a texture. -Lesson learned, -the long way... -The best way!

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Blog: www.playingarchitecture.net
LinkedIn: Eric Lancon
Twitter:@Riven202

there is the cheatin' way which I am partial to

Just make a brush with that handprint texture on it, applied in standard fashion, tie it to your button entity. That way you have full control of its size and orientation and I'll bet nobody notices that it stands out from the surface a fraction

I appreciate your response, haymaker, but that method wouldn't work for a couple of reasons.

1. I'm a freak about things being a unit off if I can help it. This button can be seen from all angles, and one unit off wouldn't look right. It's a strange angle and would be in the end a waste of time if I wanted ti to look right.

2. Even if I could get the extra brush to fit in inconspicuously, your method simply wouldn't work because
A. info_decals have a way of spilling onto the textures next to them, regardless of what brush they are on.
B. info decals can only be resized in the .vmt and in an image editor.

3. If you're talking about overlays, they can't be applied to moving objects.

4. If you're talking about making a new texture (not an overlay or decal) and applying it to a new brush, and tieing it to my existing button.... why not just skip making a new brush and apply my new texture to the face I want on the existing button, which is what aaron and riven already suggested?

If I missed what you were trying to say, lemme know, otherwise I really do appreciate any attempt at help :D:D

My point is that just because a texture is labeled "overlay" or "decal" doesn't mean you can't treat it like any normal alpha-based texture, ie apply to surface and use scale numbers in face edit tool, forget the decal and overlay tools.

You wouldn't put it directly on your button because that would cause the solid to appear non-solid, hence the creation of a thin "overlay"-ing brush mated to the surface. Because it's set at 45 deg you will be able to shave it thinner than 1 apparent unit, while still keeping it verts on grid.

I've done this in all my map releases with a set of "number plates" that show my steam ID. You would be hard pressed to tell them from overlays and they are a fair sight easier to work with.

Plus bear in mind it's a common performance tweak to turn overlays off in-game, I do