Ok, I'm actually using my hl2 mapping powers for good, and trying to show the fiancee that my idea for an indoor aquarium that doubles as an pond outside the house is a practical and buildable theory... Here are the observations I've made trying to get this to look good.
The Setting
This is the basic area... A vaulted ceiling living room/kitchen with the long horizontal window actually viewing into the side of a Koi pond on a raised redwood deck inside of a glass solarium/greenhouse off the back of the house. The interior of the pond is not square, but made up of rippling curves.
http://moike.net/fishtank/fishtank_a70000.jpg
http://moike.net/fishtank/fishtank_a70002.jpg
First Observation:
To look good from the inside of the house, the water level of the pond should be above the top of the glass window, so that all that is viewable from the inside of the house is water. But if I don't have the top of the window frame at least 8 units above the water level which is made up of a brush of water one unit thick (see 2nd problem below) I don't get a proper reflection from the bottom. Here's what it looks like with the top of the window frame above the top of the water by 8 units.
http://moike.net/fishtank/fishtank_a70001.jpg
Which is perfect. The reflection and translucency on the underside of the water is -exactly- the effect I desire. Now here's what it looks like with the top of the window frame below the water level by 1 unit the way it's supposed to be by design.
http://moike.net/fishtank/fishtank_a7a0004.jpg
Notice in the above picture there is no reflection/tansparency on the underside surface of the water. Just a little rippling on a muddy brown surface. I've tried all kinds of different water textures and configurations of nodraw/water on the brush. But the only thing that seems to get me the proper underside reflection is to have the top of the window frame 8 units above the surface of the water to "let light in". (that sounds crazy)
Second Observation:
When the water is viewed from above the pond with the water brush set to one unit thick I get a water-like rippling reflective surface, but it is not translucent. Just a muddy brown. I can't see into the pond like I should be able to. This is with the water brush set exactly 1 unit thick.
http://moike.net/fishtank/fishtank_a70003.jpg
If I set the thickness of the water brush to the bottom depth of the tank I get the -exact- desired apperance from above. You can see right to the bottom and all sides of the tank, with a good reflection off the surface.
http://moike.net/fishtank/fishtank_a70006.jpg
But from inside this is what it looks like...
http://moike.net/fishtank/fishtank_a70005.jpg
You can see through all the vertical sides and top of the water brush like they did not exist. Like they'd been painted with nodraw on the -inside- of the brush. I've tried painting the surface of the water that faces the glass window with invisible, nodraw, glass, water texture. All failed to reproduce the apperance of a70001.jpg with the water brush set to 1 unit thick.
So that's two major problems I'm observing working with water. I think I might be asking a bit too much of the Source engine, I don't even know if this -can- be made to look right, I know I've not seen an example of it in a map yet. I think I've played with just about every variable in this configruation without being able to get the window the size I want, or the water transparent from above and below.
Does anyone have any input as to why I might be seeing either of these two issues?
Thanks,
-Mike-
-Mike- is: Biker ~ Slacker ~ Iconoclast ~ Eclectic Thinker
MoikeNET ~
www.moike.net - Bad Cat Racing ~
www.badcatracing.com
