Bit o discussion about valve info..

[SidewinderX]

hmmm...condradiction.....

Hi David,

See my answers below.

Rick

-----Original Message-----
From: SidewinderX
Sent: Tuesday, January 06, 2004 7:43 PM
To: Rick Ellis
Subject: HL2 Hammer question

Hi!

I have some quick questions for you about making maps for
Half-Life
2 (as the SDK will be released "soon" it's time to gather info ). We
know from the first E3 tech demo that displacment maps can be used to
change terrain in maps on the fly, but can a mapper use a displacment
map to make the basic terrain for a level? (for something like an
outside level)

*** Yes of course, this is exactly how terrain for outdoor environments
is made.

Also, would it be possible (either in the editor itself or through
code) to do something like specify a "zone" on a map and have the map
randomly generate a tree within that zone everytime the map loads?

*** This is not currently supported. I'm not sure how difficult it
would be for you to add, I'd have to look into it more.

Thanks and Happy New Year,

David Petkofsky

This is what I asked and the answer I recived....

This is what someone else got....

Yes you could create such an entity. We also have a system for
instancing detail objects like foliage, so you might just use that
directly or in addition to such an entity that you create in your mod.

Yahn

-----Original Message-----
From: xxxxx
Sent: Friday, January 09, 2004 2:48 AM
To: Yahn Bernier
Subject: Entity-Question (SDK)

Hi Yahn,

would it be possible to create an entity that specifies an area in that,
at the time the map loads on the server, randomly placed objects are
created (rocks, trees, whatever) with defined density, for example using
an entity-variable 'density', etc.?

Thanks for your time,

Tim

I trust Yhan... as he does programming...but i'm confused

 

[Maxi]

Maybe Rick was really tired and missunderstood the question?

 

[mortiz]

I could see how your original question could be mis-understood.

 

[PvtRyan]

I think both answers are correct. Because I think with the second answer he meant that you can specify the foliage that should spawn in front of you in an area, like grass that isn't always visible but pops up a few meters ahead of you.
And Sidewinder meant trees , which are always visible, from great distances too.
You understand what I'm trying to say?

 

[The Dark Elf]

Both questions are quite differently put and out of context (not seen together) I can see why they both got different answers

 

[VoiD]

I would say go with the second one, in the first once it seems he is saying you could not do this with what we have currently coded but could perhaps be coded in. In the second one he is saying you could code it in yourself. Perhaps he checked up on it between the first and second emails so he knew for sure ?

 

[Fallout]

Both answers look the same to me.

One says, "No, but you could code it yourself."

Other says, "Yes, you can code it yourself."

 

[phantomdesign]

Also, would it be possible (either in the editor itself or through
code) to do something like specify a "zone" on a map and have the map
randomly generate a tree within that zone everytime the map loads?

It appears to me that the difference is in one you create a specific location to load an entity, and the other you are specifying a 3D area to load an entity.