Help Making a Fish Tank - Developers

I built a fish tank, added a water brush that is nodraw on all sides except the top and put fish, bubbles and a light in it. Initially the water brush encompassed the entire tank interior but for some reason it eliminated the fish and bubbles. So I had to change it. I shrank the water brush until it no longer covered the env_bubbles (?) and func_fish_pool entities and now everything appears as it should. However, the top of the water when viewed from below and outside of the tank looks like a patch of grey and not like how the top of the water looks like when you are swimming the water. I guess I'm asking if there is a way to make the 'bottom' of the water's surface look like it does when you are swimming in it, but from outside the water's brush (and hopefully be able to see all entities with the tank)? (I've read that several times and I hope it makes sense now)

I don't think that's possible, I'm sure you need to be inside the water to see the effect. The only way I can think of doing it to to simulate it using one of the materials that looks like shimmering water.

Maybe using particle effects will work ? I can make one for you if you wish.

[QUOTE=20-14;42975128]Maybe using particle effects will work ? I can make one for you if you wish.[/QUOTE] Nah, no need for any custom jobs. I am curious on what you were planning, though. Guess I'm stuck with the grey patch. It's not optimal but it's not exactly a map-killer. [editline]25th November 2013[/editline] [QUOTE=Meekal;42974839]I don't think that's possible, I'm sure you need to be inside the water to see the effect. The only way I can think of doing it to to simulate it using one of the materials that looks like shimmering water.[/QUOTE] Which texture is this? I'll give it a try.

I can't think of the name of the top of my head, one like the orange one that refracts what's behind it may work or something similar.

Refract shader. [URL="https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Refract"]https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Refract[/URL] You can create your own refract texture, only remember that they are affected by light around it so if you put it in a dark place it may not be very visible. Refract texture needs dudv (dx 8-) or normal map (dx 9+), it's a must if you want your texture to be rippled, also because it's water, you'd need to animate it to make it look like water but I don't think it would work. You could also send us compile log or a vmf file to me, my steam nickname is 20-14, I could fix that for you (hopefully)

will the fish move out of the way when a player approaches?

I'm going to try this: 1 unit thick brush. Water texture on top and bottom All other sides nodraw 1 Cubemap pointing to both water texture sides. Hopefully this look good. It's not like I'm swimming in this water.

If you're not swimming in the fish tank and you can't see the top of the water, the best way to make a fish tank is to fake it. Don't use any water. Just put some blue light entities inside if you want the blue-ish effect of water. func_fish_pool and env_bubbles will still work even if there is no water present. Here's something I recently made using that method: [t]http://img833.imageshack.us/img833/3633/7ktn.jpg[/t] The refract textures don't make sense in my opinion unless they are only used for open water at the top. Ever been to an aquarium? It doesn't look distorted when you look into the tank.

[QUOTE=Matt2468rv;42981373]If you're not swimming in the fish tank and you can't see the top of the water, the best way to make a fish tank is to fake it. Don't use any water. Just put some blue light entities inside if you want the blue-ish effect of water. func_fish_pool and env_bubbles will still work even if there is no water present. Here's something I recently made using that method: [t]http://img833.imageshack.us/img833/3633/7ktn.jpg[/t] The refract textures don't make sense in my opinion unless they are only used for open water at the top. Ever been to an aquarium? It doesn't look distorted when you look into the tank.[/QUOTE] I agree on that refract thing too. I didn't see how it would be useful. That lighting though is pretty swift, though. The spotlights are world glows with blue render coloring, right? I think that would be useful. Also, is your map released?

The spotlights are point_spotlight entities with the length set to 48 and the width set to 30. I kept their color white, even though I used blue(ish) light entities to light the tank. Also to get the fish to look right, I used 5 different func_fish_pool entities set at different heights, since the fish only spawn and swim at the same height. This map isn't released, it's still a work in progress at the moment.

[thumb]http://cloud-4.steampowered.com/ugc/703981943102939086/59FD975ECEBD69051303F871D4C15BAF18902637/[/thumb] I used very subtle scrolling refract for the effect.

[QUOTE=oskutin;42981924][thumb]http://cloud-4.steampowered.com/ugc/703981943102939086/59FD975ECEBD69051303F871D4C15BAF18902637/[/thumb] I used very subtle scrolling refract for the effect.[/QUOTE] This looks fantastic

cs_nightfever has the best fish tank ive seen imo [URL]http://i.imgur.com/pjg0IXm.jpg[/URL] i decompiled it, no water. the glass is just a translucent blue gradient texture something like oskutins subtle refract+ this would be perfect prolly

[QUOTE=Matt2468rv;42981373] The refract textures don't make sense in my opinion unless they are only used for open water at the top. Ever been to an aquarium? It doesn't look distorted when you look into the tank.[/QUOTE] I disagree. The refract could be used [I]properly[/I]. Simply using a flat bumpmap to create a slight displacement, like you would see in calm water from the side, would actually create a quite convincing water effect, in my opinion. [editline]25th November 2013[/editline] [QUOTE=oskutin;42981924][thumb]http://cloud-4.steampowered.com/ugc/703981943102939086/59FD975ECEBD69051303F871D4C15BAF18902637/[/thumb] I used very subtle scrolling refract for the effect.[/QUOTE] Something like this, precisely.

The refract could come in useful but how do you implement it? Is the brush a cube or is it 2 brushes in a 't' or 'x' shape? The last time I used a cube brush it eliminated all entities within it (no fish or bubbles). I was also trying to choose between whether to: 1. Use a thin brush over the tank with water textures on the top and bottom. or 2. Use a thin brush with a refract on the top and mirror on the bottom. Mirrors won't work in leafs containing or next to water so the top one has to be a refract. Also, thanks to you guys I noticed I need plants and props in my tank. Any suggestions? I'm trying to find the plant you see in HL2 when you fall from the bridge.

I don't remember the exact name ,but it's in props_foliage. [editline]27th November 2013[/editline] Wait, try cattails.mdl.

[QUOTE=:smugspike:;42983902]I disagree. The refract could be used [I]properly[/I]. Simply using a flat bumpmap to create a slight displacement, like you would see in calm water from the side, would actually create a quite convincing water effect, in my opinion. [editline]25th November 2013[/editline] Something like this, precisely.[/QUOTE] If you're going for realism, the sides of the tank shouldn't be wavy or distorted at all: [t]http://aquaponicswork.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/home-fish-tanks-5.jpg[/t] If the true refraction effect of water could be created using a refract texture, that would be ideal: [t]http://images.tutorvista.com/cms/images/83/index-of-refraction.jpg[/t] Regardless, Oskutin's texture does look nice.

[QUOTE=oskutin;42993272]I don't remember the exact name ,but it's in props_foliage. [editline]27th November 2013[/editline] Wait, try cattails.mdl.[/QUOTE] I hate it when Valve fails to standardize its names. Makes it that much harder to find what you are looking for. EDIT: Wouldn't you know it...cattails is too big of a model. Guess I'll have to resort to a bush.