Making things float

[Amadeus]

So, I'm currently working on an FM and building a small flooded area. Is there a way to make models or brushes float on water (I haven't found anything on the wikis)? It's not terribly important, its just for detail and immersion. Thanks.

[Bikerdude]

I beleve some of the smaller crates float, but dont know about other things...

[grayman]

Bring their mass down using

 

"mass" "N"

 

until the object starts to float.

 

The game compares the object density to the density of water, and calculates object density using mass and size.

[Amadeus]

Thanks grayman, I'm going to try it out.

[Bikerdude]

The game compares the object density to the density of water, and calculates object density using mass and size.

Is the game code smart enough to know that a wood table weighing X would float compared to the same table made of metal that would not..?

[grayman]

Is the game code smart enough to know that a wood table weighing X would float compared to the same table made of metal that would not..?

 

Maybe. There's also a "density" spawnarg, but sometimes the code likes to calculate the density based on mass and size, and other times it uses the density setting directly, and sometimes it calculates "mass" based on size and density, and sometimes it uses "mass" directly. I couldn't tell you when each method is used. Very confusing when I first encountered it.

 

Best to just play with "mass" and "density" until you get the results you want.

[Amadeus]

So, grayman, would you mind explaining this like I'm five. Is mass a property that I can add to a specific entity or model, or is there a script I need to write. Thanks.

[SteveL]

They are both spawnargs that you can add to a model or a func static in DR's entity inspector.

[Obsttorte]

They are spawnargs on moveables. Func_statics don't need them, as they are static You can also increase the density of the water to let things float, which may be the faster approach.

[SteveL]

They are spawnargs on moveables. Func_statics don't need them, as they are static You can also increase the density of the water to let things float, which may be the faster approach.

Ooops, quite right!

 

I noticed in Old Habits 2 right at the beginning where you have some breeze blocks and a channel of water, if you drop the blocks in the water they float really high, barely sinking, like you'd expect from concrete that's full of air. I wondered how you did that, but I guess that was how :-)

[Amadeus]

Thanks guys, I'm going to try it out tonight and let you know how it works out.

[Obsttorte]

Ooops, quite right!

 

I noticed in Old Habits 2 right at the beginning where you have some breeze blocks and a channel of water, if you drop the blocks in the water they float really high, barely sinking, like you'd expect from concrete that's full of air. I wondered how you did that, but I guess that was how :-)

Nope, didn't do anything on the water. The blocks are custom moveables, and I guess the default density is pretty low