Flowing Water

For Half-Life, I've been trying to create a flowing stream of water (one that the player is totally submerged in, not just standing on) that pushes the player in one direction. I have a func_conveyor (not solid) and a func_water in the exact same position, to create the stream. The problem is that I can't find a good method of pushing the player. Because the func_conveyor is not solid, it won't push the player, so I have to find another way of doing it.

I've tried using a trigger_push (the same size and in the same position as the other two entities), but this only pushes the player a few metres, when I want to keep a steady flow going. I'm completely stuck here. Does anyone have any ideas on what to do?

If the trigger_push is the same size as the water it should push you the entire length of it. Try resizing it or even making several different brushes for the trigger_push. Also I'd delete the func_conveyor as its not really doing anything for you. Just sounds like a glitch to me.

Try putting a solid func_conveyor (might have to use a custom texture) under the non-solid func_conveyor and see if that works. Though I remember some tutorial talking about how that won't work...

But I don't think there's a workaround - in both Half-Life and Opposing Force, the water-slides were always just solid func_conveyors with a water texture on them. If there was an easy solution, Valve or Gearbox would have discovered it.

it was still as buggy as hell, but when i wanted to do the same thing, the best i could do to get the effect that you are looking for, was to make lots of thin trigger pushes in the water. i eventually gave up on it.

Sorry guys, but neither worked. Thanks anyway.

/me goes to redesign map a bit

Kage_Prototype said:
Sorry guys, but neither worked. Thanks anyway.

/me goes to redesign map a bit

my advice, decompile valves map that has a successful version.. see how its done.

I honestly don't remember this even being in Half-Life. Thanks anyway.

Kage_Prototype said:
I honestly don't remember this even being in Half-Life. Thanks anyway.

undertow..

Thats just a trigger_push, which I already know doesn't seem to keep a steady flow, it just pushes you once.

Kage_Prototype said:
Thats just a trigger_push, which I already know doesn't seem to keep a steady flow, it just pushes you once.

well damnit then, i know they have water that continuouesly pushes, cause i have had to endure it before..

perhaps you could place them not horizontally, but virtically thin, in this way, you will enter a whole new brush with a small movement.. as long as the pushing brush is no smaller than a player start....

| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
_____________> direction of flow.

I just tried it, and the effect it gives is very unnatural. It's lke "push...slow down-push...slow down-push" and so on. Very uneven. Thanks, but I've just decided against making the player go with the flow of the stream -- the level is actually better because of it. In other, words I don't need it. Thanks anyway guys, you've been really helpful. :smile:

i remember reading somewhere that if you use a func_conveyor the texture has to be named scrollwater1.. dunno if that helps.

on a side note, does anyone have a map decompiler that works? i have one, but it gives me some weird error.

you use a texture that has scroll in front of it and it will flow, you can either make it a func_conveyer and set how fast it flows or you can cover all fo the water with a trigger_push and have the direction face the flow of the water meaning as long as they are in the area it pushes them

The only requirement for a scrolling texture is to have lowercase "scroll" as the first 6 letters in its name.

siron said:
i remember reading somewhere that if you use a func_conveyor the texture has to be named scrollwater1.. dunno if that helps.

on a side note, does anyone have a map decompiler that works? i have one, but it gives me some weird error.

I personally dislike decompilers, simply because you are copying other peoples work, without thier permission, remake the level yourself, from scratch.

Any-whos, if you are using winbsp, i doubt any other decompiler would work, winbsp is supposebly the best.

all decompilers produce errors.. i feel its supposed to be this way so i never complained about them myself.

its not a crime to decompile, the crime is borrowing the results.

Easy.

Make your water. Give it rendermode texture 180. Set the angle of the texture so that it flows the way the water flows.

Underneath, make a thin func_conveyor. Give it a rendermode texture 0. Set angle you want the push to push you. Don't check not solid or no push flags.

Underneath that, make your underwater brush..dirt, rock, whatever.

Compile and see.

all decompilers produce errors.. i feel its supposed to be this way so i never complained about them myself.

its not a crime to decompile, the crime is borrowing the results.

^^ What Orph said - there's absolutely nothing wrong with decompiling
in my eyes for research purposes (eg, find out how an effect was
achieved) - you only cross the line when you actually copy sections (or
the entire map, for that matter and pass it off as your own work).

If you do need to do it as well, remember to ask the author first as
well if you intend copying/pasting or using an exisiting map as a base
:smile:

Do what JFry said back at the beginning, but make the push stronger. Read the waterfall tutorial I wrote, as that is how to do it, but note that if the player is standing on the floor then they won't move if the current isn't strong enough to overcome the limiting friction...

Do what JFry said back at the beginning, but make the push
stronger. Read the waterfall tutorial I wrote, as that is how to do it,
but note that if the player is standing on the floor then they won't
move if the current isn't strong enough to overcome the limiting
friction...

sigh

I already said that wasn't happening. I have read your waterfall
tutorial, and folowed it exactly. I've tried it over and over again,
but it just isn't doing it - all it does is push the player a bit, it
doesn't keep a steady flow. If I make the push stronger, it just pushes
the player faster, but again, does not keep a steady flow, and only
pushes the player a certain distance before they end up just floating
in the middle of the water (read: floating i.e. not touching the
floor). I don't know why, but that's what's
happening. I didn't mark his answer incorrect on a whim. Besides, I
have already designed this thing out of my map like I said previously.

Ok, then do what they actually did do in undertow- make a 'not solid' func_conveyor in the same space as an invisible func_water, with a conveyor speed of 150 or more.

Again, I've tried this. But because the func_conveyor is "no solid", it
doesn't push. The map seems to use a trigger_push, which like I said,
does not keep a steady flow.

I'm just repeating myself here Lep, read the whole thread before suggesting answers over and over. :smile:

One method i've used is a func_train with Render Mode set to Texture and FX Amount set to 0 so its invisible, make the train cover the water in the vertical plane and have it constantly run thru the water or use some triggers to start if off when a player enters the water.

Theres some drawbacks with this but is was ok in a single player level, never tried it in multi player although func_trains usually cause lag.

This is strange, I seem to recall Undertow's river pushing you but it doesn't do that anymore (ever?), so sorry for repeating myself :argh: It would appear there is no way to push the play while he is underwater- trigger_push and func_conveyor are the only 2 normal methods I know of pushing the player and if neither works... Have to do it another way, e.g. how beer hunter's suggestion with the func_train. Doc's method wouldn't work if you want people to be able to go underwater as you could "walk on water" and stop the pushing.

I know I'm a little late seeing as you've redesigned your level but I figured I'd say it anyway. It appears the trigger push doesn't function correctly if the player is submerged in water at the same time as the trigger push. However it should work if you lower your water to where he isn't submerged. I dunno if that fits what you had in mind and there is a good chance you already know this. Nah well!

I appreciate the help guys, but I don't need it anymore really. :smile: Thanks again.