BIG zone problem

BIG zone problem:

I just created a map which is some kind of space station with an inner area, an outdoor area and as part of the inner area some glass pipes (transparent semisolids)

After finishing all the geometry I started to zone the whole map to make the inner area a normal gravity one and the outside area low gravity.
So the zone inside the semisolid transparent pipes where first the same zone as on the outside of it. Now the outside is a different zone and this gives the trouble. If you now look trough the semisolid pipe you see right through all geometry, while at first when the outside still belonged to the same zone, all looked just fine.

I tried to solve it creating: a huge nonsolid zp in the same shape as the pipes, a nonsolid transparent pipe and a invisible collision hull of the semisolid pipes. Theoretically this should work, but you can imagine that the editor just can’t build it right.

Another option would be to leave all the same low gravity zone. But the inside area isn’t large enough 4 this, you would be constantly with your head stuck in the ceiling and stuff, so this would spoil the fun of the map.

A third option would be to make the pipes non transparent. But this again would be a waste of the architecture and the gameplay.

So I’m looking 4 a zone solution where I can have separate zones that only effect the gravity, but leave all the rest the same.

Or maybe anything else I haven’t thought of?
(I’m just thinking, I could create a zone inside the pipes with just a little space left, so the inner side of the pipes and the outside would have the same zone. Going to test this right now)

Originally posted by Machismo
couldnt you just have make the pipe out of 8 non-solid sheets add
a solid ich in the middle of the pipe. the areas will be seperate zones and u have the see through pipes. just a thought

Click to expand...

ehhhhh, Machismo, I'm not talking about a single pipe you know

Nuclear Fuzz Grunge, thx, I'll try to appreciate the engine a little more, it's just that I feel so limited sometimes

Machismo, I did actually try a similar thing like you said, just to test, I added a zone inside the pipe without touching the semisolid at all... and..... even this caused the same problem.

next time I build a map I'll keep this limitation in mind. I think I'm just going to release this map with a single zone (is that bad?). The low gravity would be a little irritating in the inner hallways but I it’s acceptable.

meshes? that would be an option I guess. but you can't walk inside a mesh can you? (atleast not the ones created with meshmaker)

so I'd still need to create a collision hull out of the existing semisolids or convert them to invisible solids, whichever turns out 4 the best

Originally posted by Nuclear Fuzz Grunge
Ren,
I read these kinds of sentiments alot. Great ideas that the Engine didn't seem friendly to. You know, that wireframe looks good. The ideas I'm having are all time-consuming and will probably result the same. But, how about, rebuilding your map? Duplicate sections that would naturally be zones, export, (delete section and rebuild old map) import to new map, re-zone solidly, rebuild all, save, and repeat until you've got the whole thing renewed. I don't know if it would work,...but, that's what I would do.

Click to expand...

but how about my nice glass pipes? hell, first I thought I couldn't make them solids, but couldn't I?????? maybe it causes the same problems but I'm going to try anyway (the pipes are connected to semisolid "rings" so that wouldn't cause problems)

anyway, the map is pretty clean, so if I want to do it your way, I might as well start with a new map, and I will, because this map only needs botpats to be finished
(btw, this isn't my old map if that's what you where thinking, this is just a small/medium size map I just started to create a while ago)