Above ground pools with irregular shape

[S3Disgruntled]

I am trying to make an above ground pool with an octagonal shape for my map.

As far as I know, it's impossible to "trim" or design sheets that are anything but rectangular. I have made the water layer (zone portal) using an octagonal cylinder of 1 height, however it causes a 5fps loss the moment I apply it. Could this be because of the cylilder, or just because of the translucent water causings extra hardware strain.

Is there a better way to do the water layer for the octagon shaped above ground pool? I've read most tutorials and they always show square pools that are below ground, even complex river designs always use rectangular sheets below ground.

[Apart]

make it in the 2ds editor then click the 'Create a Sheet' button and it makes a sheet in the shape of your well, shape:p

[Apart]

Originally posted by S3Disgruntled
As far as I know, it's impossible to "trim" or design sheets that are anything but rectangular.
wrong, just read my above post

[S3Disgruntled]

Thanks I'll give it a shot.

Seems like it's hard to make an exact octagon in the 2D editor, is there another way to do this?

[Apart]

Make an exact octagon in some program... take a pic of it and save it, then import it into the 2ds editor as a background or something and align the vertexes. It shouldn't be that hard without guidlines though, you're not blind are you :rolleyes:

[tarquin]

get the Extruder from my site.
check the 'plans' page there -- at the end of that page it explains how to use it to make a regular disc sheet.

[smally]

Or you could just make a square sheet and clip all the four corners off of it.

[Slick_Willy]

Or you could just make a square sheet and clip all the four corners off of it.

You can't clip sheets or deintersect or Intersect, well, you can but not with the result you will be looking for.

Also the octagon doesn't have to be prefect, It can overlap into the brush that is making up the wall of the pool. The easiest way for stuff like this is to also make the fountain or whatever you are doing in the 2d editor instead of using the cylinder brush. Since you will be making the octagon or whatever in the 2d editor then the sheet that goes in it will fit pefectly.

[cool breeze]

I always use regular brushes for water. With a thickness of 8.
I`ll probably hear a raft of crap about it, but I always have trouble with the sheets. Once the pool sides are made, then fit in a brush that seals the pool all the way around. then choose the water tex. and add special/water. Dont forget the water info!

[S3Disgruntled]

I'm using a brush now with the thickness of 1, it seems to work.

I just have a general question then how how close of a fit the zone portals have to be. Obviously the reason for the sheet on the pool is to create the water texture, but it's also to show that it's a zone portal.

How close of a fit does the zone portal have to be so it works correctly without causing problems?

[Zaphrod]

The easiest way to fill the pool with water is to make an octagonal brush the exact same size as your pool then deintersect and you should wind up with a brush that fills the whole pool in the area where the water should be. Now just add special>water and put a water zone info in the water.