I'm using fog in my latest map, and its fairly open with a lot of areas. I really want to set the far Z clip plane so that I can improve the performance of my level. I know with it at default, it still draws objects even completely covered with fog (I see them in wireframe)

BUT: When I use far Z clip plane, instead of clipping off the back and replacing it with fog it clips it off entirely and you get the streaky wall of mirrors effect. These screenshots may help

Env_fog_controller
FogStart: 450
FogEnd: 4000
Far Z Clip Plane: -1

that's normal. Now:

Env_fog_controller
FogStart: 450
FogEnd: 4000
Far Z clip plane: 4000

even with the clip plane greater than the fog end:

Env_fog_controller
Far Z clip plane: 5000

(you can see it in the bottom of the shot)

so.... what's up with that? How do I fix it? I don't want all that stuff thats hidden by the fog to be slowing down my map, but I don't want that crap either. I've even tried very high values of far z (up to 10k) and it still does that.
Is there another entity I should be using?

I'm not entirely sure I have you're answer, but the first thing I see in your "normal" picture is a floating door. Also, have you added any hint brushes or started optimizing anything yet? Also, if running with vis on None or Fast, optimization isn't taken in account as much.

Just checked the VDC and it says "ensure fogmaxdensity is set to 1". Try that.

Another Bad Pun wrote:
I'm not entirely sure I have you're answer, but the first thing I see in your "normal" picture is a floating door. Also, have you added any hint brushes or started optimizing anything yet? Also, if running with vis on None or Fast, optimization isn't taken in account as much.

I have already used ample hints occluders and areaportals, but it still is not enough. And forget the floating door that was something I forgot to hide for the test screenshots. I'm not sure how you would use hints in such a big open area. I'm more concerned about it drawing the stuff behind the fog.

WinstonSmith wrote:
Just checked the VDC and it says "ensure fogmaxdensity is set to 1". Try that.

nope maxdensity is already set to 1 it still does that

A long time ago a friend had the same problem. I told him to create a small skybox texture, using the normal toolsblack.vtf. Just create a vmt with all settings of a skybox but leave the "$nofog" "1" out.
Maybe you have to create some skybox textures to tell the game that there is a sky.
For my friend it worked.

Skotty wrote:
A long time ago a friend had the same problem. I told him to create a small skybox texture, using the normal toolsblack.vtf. Just create a vmt with all settings of a skybox but leave the "$nofog" "1" out.
Maybe you have to create some skybox textures to tell the game that there is a sky.
For my friend it worked.

I don't know how to add .vmt's but I could make a black skybox, that might fix it. So, I just create a skybox off to the side of the map with all the textures black and put a skybox entity in there, right? and that will get rid of the "wall of mirrors effect" associated with the far z clip plane? because if it just replaces that effect with pure black, then it still won't look good

nevermind