Level Design Map is blurry online but fine in Practice mode

[Divinehammer]

I have a map that seems to be blurry to users when you walk around or drive a vehicle. But in Practice mode everything seems fine does anyone know what could be causing this or have you encountered this before? I have no clue at the moment. I think it is probably a zone portal issue but from what I am told it is out in the main area of the map also which would not be the normal bad zp when you go close it gets all blurry. Anyone have any trouble shooting tips here. Thanks.

 

[Lt_Kettch]

Maybe it is a HoM (Hall of mirrors)?

Screenies would help, I think

 

[Divinehammer]

I dont have any screens yet but seems like HOM would occur around BSP or a bad ZP sheet brush I haven seen it occur out in the middle of a map before.

 

[worluk]

can be caused by complicated BSP geometry, even outside the brushes. But like you describe it, its everywhere on the map?

 

[Shurek]

I had it happen on a test run. Looks like HoM. It affects tank and AT gun optics too.

 

[EvilHobo]

I think I have this problem with my map too, but I don't know how I could possibly go about fixing it.

Only occurs with optics though.

 

[[TW]DrGuppy]

I had the same problem on Leningrad. I spent hours and hours trying to narrow down the brush by deleting large sections of BSP, rebuilding, then testing to see if the HOM was gone, and then repeating this process over and over again. I could never figure out which brush was causing it so I figured it was coming from a combination of two or more brushes. I eventually fixed it by going into the Build > Build Options... menu and playing with the BSP settings until I found a combination that worked.

That fixed the error for me on Leningrad at least. However, during one of the last patches TW cleaned up a brush or something and did a Rebuild All (with the default settings) before releasing the patch and that partially brought back the elusive HOM for scopes (tanks, binocs, snipers). So if you use this method and it works just remember to do Build All from the Build Options menu with your new settings.

I can't say I'll miss BSP too much when it completely gets phased out.

 

[EvilHobo]

Do you remember what settings you used or was it trial-and-error?

 

[Divinehammer]

I think part of my problem here is additive BSP overlapping. So I am checking stuff for grid. If you take a brush and its on the grid at a right angle and then you set to lock to grid and tilt the brush it comes off the grid i am assuming that is bad? Also can anyone tell me the pros and cons of intersecting like I have a rubble wall with some window holes and jagged edges I can put the red brush over it and hit intersect and build a new 1 piece brush for my map. Is it good or bad to do it this way?

 

[EvilHobo]

It could potentially be a bad idea. I would suggest optimizing the existing BSP by making sure that it is all snapped to the grid and if at an angle, situated at an angle that on the Top view can be reduced to a basic slope like m=(1/3) or m=(-2/5) and so forth. If you have something very complex, I would look in to making it a hybrid of mesh and BSP.

 

[[TW]DrGuppy]

Do you remember what settings you used or was it trial-and-error?

Sorry, it was quite a while ago, I believe the first two settings were Lame and 50 but it may just be up to the right settings through trial and error. I have a feeling that this scope problem has something to do with the relation between BSP and zone portals but I can't be sure. If your map is made up of buildings I would find the error and delete the surrounding buildings one by one, rebuilding geometry and testing that spot each time. If the error goes away then you just reload the map and take a closer look at that particular building you just deleted for overly-complex brushes or verts that are off the grid.

DivineHammer, it's best to cut your brushes up into several simple shapes to fix BSP errors rather than intersecting complex sections and making large brushes out of them. It can be done without any errors if you're lucky but I wouldn't normally do it, especially if the brushes containa a lot of concave shapes in them. I also try to keep my addition brushes out of each other but that's mostly just for neatness. It shouldn't cause any problems... unless the goblin wants it to of course.

 

[Divinehammer]

So we really dont know what those sliders do in the build menu. Which direction should i try first? I have searched for stuff off the grid but I cannot find anything my only other thought is overlapping BSP in the vertical realm which should be fun to find.

 

[Divinehammer]

it is something in the map I dont think it is the tank that is the problem. I tried different build settings the wiki has some info on these sliders.

 

[Divinehammer]

This thing is still giving me problems I dont know if it is the zones or what I did notice was that under build options it says I have 39 zones but I only have 23 zone infos. I have no idea where the other zones are hiding what is included in this zone number capzones spawns mines?? That would make sense I guess. I am off to delete all of my zones I guess.

 

[EvilHobo]

Just check every brush you have for out-of-the-way subtractions within them. I had a bit of that problem too, sometimes you just miss them. However, they may not be missing but you may have just misplaced your ZoneInfos.

 

[Divinehammer]

well deleting all but my main zoneinfo doesnt change anything about the number of zones so I dont think it is that. I guess I am going to start deleting zones.

 

[Divinehammer]

Does every Zone have to have a zoneinfo? I didnt think that this was mandatory.

 

[EvilHobo]

It isn't unless you want to adjust Zone properties like ambient light and fog (fog is the important one, gives zones a seamless transition).

 

[Divinehammer]

What is the difference between zoneinfo distancefog = true and level properties distance fog= ...... Do they need to be the same?

 

[Divinehammer]

pics finally

pics finally

Here are some pics finally.
pics 57 ad 58 looking from a zone out into the mainzone through a zone portal I get this effect it will eventually correct but you can get it with rapid mouse movements.

pic 59- is taken out in the main world subtraction on the terrain so this would be the main zone again moving the mouse gives this effect sometimes.
pic60 - is what a situation like 59 sometimes transitions into a total white out it does not do this all the time or when looking in any particular direction.

HELP!

I am actually home sick today because I probably have spent to many hours fretting about this map. Thanks.