Why is it so...

The Wombat · Post by **The Wombat** » Wed Apr 06, 2005 10:00 am

Is there a reason why a few of the panels in the dwarf caves 'flick' between mirror images as one walks past? There doesn't seem to be any event associated with them as I can tell. Is it just an artefact of the grahics engine? If so, why ony a few and not the rest?

FyL · Post by **FyL** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 11:21 am

they flicker because of a problem with the map file
every map is a grid, and each "cell" of the grid has 4 possible walls.
the maps are typically defined by placing walls on one or more of the 4 sides of a cell.

if you have two adjacent cells and put a wall on the common side of one of those cells then everything is cool. but if both cells put a wall on that common side, the graphics engine can't quite get the Z-order right (since they're equal) and they get fluttered about during the render.

so it looks kinda like this (where | is a wall and [] is a cell)

[] [] <-- no walls
[]| [] <--- one wall correct
[]||[] <-- two walls, makes it flicker.

thought we'd cleaned all the visible ones up, guess we missed a few.
It's helpful to know this when you're making your own levels though.

HGamer · Post by **HGamer** » Sat Apr 09, 2005 6:36 pm

A very good explanation by FyL. Better than the one used on the old forum, IMHO.
This glitch is most often visible when you aren't facing the offending wall "head on". Us map designers just have to be careful...

A related issue is when the wall textures in adjacent cells don't match up across the cell boundary, because some are designed to be adjacent only in certain directions.

Another minor one can be seen when moving along a long outdoor wall, like just inside the outer wall of Rennibister. You can see through the gaps between the wall textures several cells away.

The Wombat · Post by **The Wombat** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 8:01 pm

I see......

Is this also why I get 'snagged' on an outside angle corner from time to time if I'm not carefull? Some corners seem worse for this than others.

HGamer · Post by **HGamer** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 5:49 pm

Getting "snagged" should only be happening if you've got the "Free Navigation" option turned on. That's an Evil Thing (tm), upgraded to Very Evil Thing (tm) if you also enable Mouse Support at the same time. Use at your own risk, IMHO.

The Wombat · Post by **The Wombat** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 8:02 pm

Well, I was just using ortho mode with keys only. Then I turned on mouse support and suddenly I have the free nav. I like it, other than the odd snag, oh and accidently walking through the occasional 'solid' wall.

origen · Post by **origen** » Thu Apr 21, 2005 4:07 pm

I think free navigation is the first sign of the apocalypse.

Growler · Post by **Growler** » Fri Apr 22, 2005 7:08 pm

I think Origen is the first sign of the apocalypse.

HGamer · Post by **HGamer** » Sun Apr 24, 2005 6:09 pm

Growler must be the sign poster-being, then.
And since the easy way out, from 1 straight down to 0, wasn't taken, I assume we'll be treated to an infinite series of fractions from now on. Threatening to stay around forever won't make us love you any less, but probably not any more than we do already.

Growler · Post by **Growler** » Sun Apr 24, 2005 9:27 pm

HGamer has once again proven his prowess in predictive predation ~ as in, consuming my matchless scheme stillborn 'fore it hath fully hatched..grrr

Thus we come to it, if prematurely:
Where there is love, there is infinite re/digression.
Yet what & how is a number?
Let me count the ways.

Maybe later...for now we must be (a) little more than chaps with chops & pates with lipless locks.