Problem with func_dustcloud

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Pilchardo
21 Posts
Posted Mar 03, 2013
I'm attempting to use a func_dustcloud entity to create a low-lying fog/smoke effect as in this tutorial. However, I'm getting opaque white blocks instead of fog:

img

Any ideas?

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josepezdj
2,386 Posts
Posted Mar 03, 2013
Replied 2 minutes later
The func_dustcloud is broken in Portal2. Try using a fog_volume altogether with a fog_controller instead.
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Pilchardo
21 Posts
Posted Mar 03, 2013
Replied 1 minutes later
Ah, thanks. Will try that.
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Gemarakup
1,183 Posts
Posted Mar 03, 2013
Replied 9 minutes later
Aren't those your alternatives?
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Pilchardo
21 Posts
Posted Mar 03, 2013
Replied 1 minute later
Yeah - he'd made a cheeky edit. :lol:
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Gemarakup
1,183 Posts
Posted Mar 03, 2013
Replied 1 minutes later
I saw that.
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Pilchardo
21 Posts
Posted Mar 03, 2013
Replied 7 hours later
I think I could achieve what I'm after with an info_particle_system but none of the existing particles seem to quite fit the bill. I'll try using the particle editor but according to this it's not supported in Portal 2. :angrysquare:
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Lpfreaky90
2,842 Posts
Posted Mar 03, 2013
Replied 8 minutes later

Pilchardo wrote:
I think I could achieve what I'm after with an info_particle_system but none of the existing particles seem to quite fit the bill. I'll try using the particle editor but according to this it's not supported in Portal 2. :angrysquare:

Even if you can get the particles in portal 2, you can't pack them into the bsp =/

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Pilchardo
21 Posts
Posted Mar 03, 2013
Replied 37 minutes later
Ah well. Onto the next challenge!
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zivi7
649 Posts
Posted Mar 03, 2013
Replied 44 minutes later
There are dust particles in the game you can try: https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/List_of_Portal_2_Particles

Alternatively, maybe env_dustpuff can create what you want as well.

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Pilchardo
21 Posts
Posted Mar 03, 2013
Replied 1 hour later
I was really after more of a constant layer of mist than intermittent puffs but I do like the fact that the colour of env-dustpuff can be adjusted. I might give it a whirl. Cheers!
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FelixGriffin
2,680 Posts
Posted Mar 03, 2013
Replied 4 minutes later
Symlink your Portal 2 and Alien Swarm particles folders and you can use AS's particle editor. That one works.
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Lpfreaky90
2,842 Posts
Posted Mar 03, 2013
Replied 1 hour later

FelixGriffin wrote:
Symlink your Portal 2 and Alien Swarm particles folders and you can use AS's particle editor. That one works.

It does, but they will only work if they're separate parts; if the particle is either in a vpk and if the particle manifest is updated. Which is impossible with a bsp. You'll have to add the files manually.

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reepblue
894 Posts
Posted Mar 03, 2013
Replied 1 hour later

josepezdj wrote:
The func_dustcloud is broken in Portal2. Try using a fog_volume altogether with a fog_controller instead.

I'm sure that if you look up what the func_dustcloud loaded as it's sprite, you can fix it. But this is not 2004, particles and fog volumes are less expensive anyway.

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josepezdj
2,386 Posts
Posted Mar 04, 2013
Replied 5 hours later

reepblue wrote:
I'm sure that if you look up what the func_dustcloud loaded as it's sprite, you can fix it. But this is not 2004, particles and fog volumes are less expensive anyway.

Hmmm... but this entity does not have a keyvalue like "Sprite name" or something like that, like the env_sprite entity... I guess that the sprite it uses is hard-coded into the entity, so how could I fix this? should I edit the entity itself using Visual Studio or something like that? if that's the case then I can't do :smile:

Lpfreaky90 wrote:
Even if you can get the particles in portal 2, you can't pack them into the bsp =/

can't you? I thought you actually can, as this tutorial explains... but I haven't created a custom particle yet to pakrat it and check.

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FelixGriffin
2,680 Posts
Posted Mar 04, 2013
Replied 5 hours later
Nope, not in games with NCFs.
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TopHATTwaffle
113 Posts
Posted Mar 04, 2013
Replied 3 hours later
Look for the particle file that it is pointing to. I had this issue with the func_dustmotes entity. All I did was copy the texture from Half-Life's Particle folder. Hope this helps. :smile:
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reepblue
894 Posts
Posted Mar 05, 2013
Replied 17 hours later

josepezdj wrote:
Hmmm... but this entity does not have a keyvalue like "Sprite name" or something like that, like the env_sprite entity... I guess that the sprite it uses is hard-coded into the entity, so how could I fix this? should I edit the entity itself using Visual Studio or something like that? if that's the case then I can't do :smile:

If you look at func_dust.cpp in the 2007/ASW solution, it will help you see what it is loading.

void CFunc_Dust::Precache()
{
   PrecacheMaterial( "particle/sparkles" );
}

It is spawned a function above this with:

SetModel( STRING( GetModelName() ) );

Under Spawn()

As TopHATTwaffle already mentioned, this can be fix porting the materials/particle texture over. Some things in Portal 2 that are broke are just missing resources since Portal does not load the main source gcfs. Again, particles in the end are a better choice, they use less memory and looks better then a coded effect!

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josepezdj
2,386 Posts
Posted Mar 05, 2013
Replied 1 hour later
Thankks Doug and Reep for the answers. :thumbup: > reepblue wrote:

Again, particles in the end are a better choice, they use less memory and looks better then a coded effect!

Yeah might be... but learning this kind fixes is very interesting to me nonetheless :wink: