water flicker

water flicker

Re: water flicker Posted by Addicted to Morphine on Sat May 21st 2005 at 4:38am
Posted 2005-05-21 4:38am
3012 posts 529 snarkmarks Registered: Feb 15th 2005
I tried searching, but there are just so many threads on water problems
that I couldn't refine the search enough to find a solution. A
couple times it was brought up but no one seemed to know what to do.

Here are two shots of the problem in action:

User posted imageUser posted image

And here's my compile log:

** Executing...

** Command: "C:\Program Files\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\kerosine99@aol.com\sourcesdk\bin\vbsp.exe"

** Parameters: -game "C:\Program
Files\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\kerosine99@aol.com\half-life 2
deathmatch\hl2mp" "C:\Documents and Settings\Thomas
Boardman\Desktop\mymaps\prefuncdetail"

Valve Software - vbsp.exe (Jan 19 2005)

1 threads

materialPath: C:\Program Files\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\kerosine99@aol.com\half-life 2 deathmatch\hl2mp\materials

Loading C:\Documents and Settings\Thomas Boardman\Desktop\mymaps\prefuncdetail.vmf

fixing up env_cubemap materials on brush sides...

ProcessBlock_Thread: 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (0)

ProcessBlock_Thread: 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (0)

Processing areas...done (0)

Building Faces...done (0)

Chop Details...done (0)

Find Visible Detail Sides...

Merged 60 detail faces...done (0)

Merging details...done (0)

FixTjuncs...

PruneNodes...

WriteBSP...

done (0)

writing C:\Documents and Settings\Thomas Boardman\Desktop\mymaps\prefuncdetail.prt...done (0)

Creating default cubemaps for env_cubemap using skybox sky_wasteland02...

Run buildcubemaps in the engine to get the correct cube maps.

Finding displacement neighbors...

Finding lightmap sample positions...

Displacement Alpha : 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10

Building Physics collision data...

done (0) (109829 bytes)

Emitting linux collision data (use -nolinuxdata to disable).

Building Physics collision data...

done (0) (167162 bytes)

Placing detail props : 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10

Writing C:\Documents and Settings\Thomas Boardman\Desktop\mymaps\prefuncdetail.bsp

5 seconds elapsed

Memory leak: mempool blocks left in memory: 48

Memory leak: mempool blocks left in memory: 5

** Executing...

** Command: "C:\Program Files\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\kerosine99@aol.com\sourcesdk\bin\vvis.exe"

** Parameters: -game "C:\Program
Files\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\kerosine99@aol.com\half-life 2
deathmatch\hl2mp" "C:\Documents and Settings\Thomas
Boardman\Desktop\mymaps\prefuncdetail"

Valve Software - vvis.exe (Dec 15 2004)

1 threads

reading c:\documents and settings\thomas boardman\desktop\mymaps\prefuncdetail.bsp

reading c:\documents and settings\thomas boardman\desktop\mymaps\prefuncdetail.prt

80 portalclusters

189 numportals

BasePortalVis: 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (0)

PortalFlow: 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (0)

Optimized: 24 visible clusters (0.00%)

Total clusters visible: 3352

Average clusters visible: 41

Building PAS...

Average clusters audible: 72

visdatasize:2258 compressed from 2560

writing c:\documents and settings\thomas boardman\desktop\mymaps\prefuncdetail.bsp

1 second elapsed

** Executing...

** Command: "C:\Program Files\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\kerosine99@aol.com\sourcesdk\bin\vrad.exe"

** Parameters: -game "C:\Program
Files\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\kerosine99@aol.com\half-life 2
deathmatch\hl2mp" "C:\Documents and Settings\Thomas
Boardman\Desktop\mymaps\prefuncdetail"

Valve Software - vrad.exe (Mar 8 2005)

----- Radiosity Simulator ----

1 threads

[Reading texlights from 'lights.rad']

[45 texlights parsed from 'lights.rad']

Loading c:\documents and settings\thomas boardman\desktop\mymaps\prefuncdetail.bsp

641 faces

30925 square feet [4453277.00 square inches]

3 displacements

153 square feet [22062.13 square inches]

641 patches before subdivision

3849 patches after subdivision

16 direct lights

BuildFacelights: 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (4)

BuildVisLeafs: 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (4)

transfers 208507, max 216

transfer lists: 1.6 megs

GatherLight: 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (0)

Bounce #1 added RGB(12188, 11359, 5201)

GatherLight: 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (0)

Bounce #2 added RGB(2305, 2020, 777)

GatherLight: 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (0)

Bounce #3 added RGB(483, 398, 130)

GatherLight: 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (0)

Bounce #4 added RGB(96, 74, 21)

GatherLight: 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (0)

Bounce #5 added RGB(21, 16, 4)

GatherLight: 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (0)

Bounce #6 added RGB(4, 3, 1)

GatherLight: 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (1)

Bounce #7 added RGB(1, 1, 0)

GatherLight: 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (0)

Bounce #8 added RGB(0, 0, 0)

Build Patch/Sample Hash Table(s).....Done<0.0082 sec>

FinalLightFace: 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10 (0)

FinalLightFace Done

Ready to Finish

0 of 0 (0% of) surface lights went in leaf ambient cubes.

ComputePerLeafAmbientLighting: 0...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10

Object names Objects/Maxobjs Memory / Maxmem Fullness

------------ --------------- --------------- --------

models
1/1024
48/49152 ( 0.1%)

brushes
237/8192
2844/98304 ( 2.9%)

brushsides
1694/65536 13552/524288
( 2.6%)

planes
790/65536 15800/1310720 (
1.2%)

vertexes
1079/65536 12948/786432
( 1.6%)

nodes
284/65536 9088/2097152
( 0.4%)

texinfos
89/12288
6408/884736 ( 0.7%)

texdata
33/2048
1056/65536 ( 1.6%)

dispinfos
3/0
528/0 ( 0.0%)

disp_verts
243/0
4860/0 ( 0.0%)

disp_tris
384/0
768/0 ( 0.0%)

disp_lmsamples
460/0
460/0 ( 0.0%)

faces
641/65536 35896/3670016 (
1.0%)

origfaces
522/65536 29232/3670016 (
0.8%)

leaves
286/65536 16016/3670016 (
0.4%)

leaffaces
710/65536
1420/131072 ( 1.1%)

leafbrushes
529/65536
1058/131072 ( 0.8%)

surfedges
5072/512000 20288/2048000 ( 1.0%)

edges
3009/256000 12036/1024000 ( 1.2%)

worldlights
16/8192
1408/720896 ( 0.2%)

waterstrips
35/32768
350/327680 ( 0.1%)

waterverts
0/65536
0/786432 ( 0.0%)

waterindices
609/65536
1218/131072 ( 0.9%)

cubemapsamples
3/1024
48/16384 ( 0.3%)

overlays
1/512
352/180224 ( 0.2%)

lightdata
[variable]
298388/0 ( 0.0%)

visdata
[variable] 2258/16777216 (
0.0%)

entdata
[variable] 14248/393216
( 3.6%)

occluders
0/0
0/0 ( 0.0%)

occluder polygons
0/0
0/0 ( 0.0%)

occluder vert ind
0/0
0/0 ( 0.0%)

detail props
[variable]
1/12 ( 8.3%)

static props
[variable]
1/2566 ( 0.0%)

pakfile
[variable]
43062/0 ( 0.0%)

Win32 Specific Data:

physics
[variable] 109829/4194304 ( 2.6%)

Total Win32 BSP file data space used: 655469 bytes

Linux Specific Data:

physicssurface [variable] 167162/6291456 ( 2.7%)

Total Linux BSP file data space used: 712802 bytes

Total triangle count: 1701

Writing c:\documents and settings\thomas boardman\desktop\mymaps\prefuncdetail.bsp

9 seconds elapsed

** Executing...

** Command: Copy File

** Parameters: "C:\Documents and Settings\Thomas
Boardman\Desktop\mymaps\prefuncdetail.bsp" "C:\Program
Files\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\kerosine99@aol.com\half-life 2
deathmatch\hl2mp\maps\prefuncdetail.bsp"

** Executing...

** Command: "C:\Program Files\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\kerosine99@aol.com\half-life 2 deathmatch\hl2.exe"

** Parameters: -game "C:\Program
Files\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\kerosine99@aol.com\half-life 2
deathmatch\hl2mp" -console -developer 1 -deathmatch 1 +sv_cheats 1 +map
"prefuncdetail"
The only thing strange is the memorly leak bit, but I don't see how
that would effect the water in game. The problem persists even
after building cubemaps in game and restarting the server.

I have the water surface tied to an env_cubemap that is fairly high
above the water's surface. I also threw a water_lod_control in
for the heck of it. The water itself consists of 2 brushes (since
I didn't want the water brush going through the sloped part of the
pool) all textured with nodraw except the surface.

Here is a shot of it in hammer:

User posted image

The thing is, I know the texture I'm using is OK, because I have water
in a different area of the map that uses the same texture with no
problems. Although, to be specific I am looking down at the water
in the two in-game shots from a higher point than is possible in the
other area of the map. But I don't see how that would make a
difference.

Does it appear to be going from good to cheap for no reason?
Re: water flicker Posted by Rof on Sat May 21st 2005 at 6:48am
Rof
210 posts
Posted 2005-05-21 6:48am
Rof
member
210 posts 41 snarkmarks Registered: Dec 3rd 2004
Could you be having two levels of "expensive" water visible from the same place?

The SDK docs on VERC say you're only allowed to have expensive water at
one surface height within the same PVS. Probably because of the way the
engine calculates reflections from the surface. That might be what
you're experincing.
VMEX, Pakrat & Entspy
Re: water flicker Posted by omegaslayer on Sat May 21st 2005 at 6:50am
omegaslayer
2481 posts
Posted 2005-05-21 6:50am
2481 posts 595 snarkmarks Registered: Jan 16th 2004 Occupation: Sr. DevOPS Engineer Location: Seattle, WA
Why is the cube map pointing to the water twice? Is there two brushes? What water material are you using?
Posting And You
Re: water flicker Posted by rs6 on Sat May 21st 2005 at 1:55pm
rs6
640 posts
Posted 2005-05-21 1:55pm
rs6
member
640 posts 94 snarkmarks Registered: Dec 31st 2004 Occupation: koledge Location: New Jersey, USA
try using a seperate cubemap for the two water brushes.
Re: water flicker Posted by Addicted to Morphine on Sat May 21st 2005 at 3:18pm
Posted 2005-05-21 3:18pm
3012 posts 529 snarkmarks Registered: Feb 15th 2005
Rof, thanks. I tried having the pool expensive, and the shower
area cheap, but than I got a strange effect with the water. So I
tried the opposite and the problem was still there. So I just
made both cheap and it went away.

Are you not allowed to have 1 cheap and 1 expensive if they are at different levels within sight of each other?

rs6, Rof's reminder of the SDK caution solved it for me. I didn't get a chance to try your suggestion.

Now-- how do you guys see the full name of the water texture?
It's too long to be seen in either the materials application box or the
materials browsing window. I feel like there must be a simple way
to scroll left and right through the name. Is that possible?

Edit: D'oh! I just realized if you click on the picture once in the browser it shows you the entire name.