The Case of the Missing Prop_dynamic

FotD

I'm trying to get a moving fan in a map and I'm having a damn hard time "finding" the prop_dynamic. I know it's in the entities list but when you apply it to the map it's not visible. I know it's there because if I select the general area and deselect the verticies, faces, lines, props, etc you can actually select it.

I read somewhere that the prop_dynamic dimensions are 1:1:1 and can't be scaled. (LOL What!?) So I'm asking is there any way to identify or find the prop_dynamic without selecting an area where it COULD be and unselecting everything that isn't it?

WorthyRival

Copy/Paste is your friend
When I'm in a mapping Jam.

Find a map with a moving fan. The Combat map ns2_co_Core has one above the aliens hive. ns2_Mineshaft has a few too as does ns2_tram.
Open said map in the editor.
Click on the Entity/Prop you want.
if you just want to learn the entity/props pathway. View its pathway properties with the select cursor arrow thing if you want to make yours from scratch.

Or
Copy Entity.
Open your Map.
Paste.
Zoom to Selected.

I hope this helped.

FotD

Maybe you didn't understand. I know how to do it I just can't SEE the prop_dynamic. I can't copy paste a working fan because I don't know where the prop_dynamic is on it and from what I understand the prop_dynamic could be anywhere on the map.

And If I copy and paste and deselect there's no telling whether or not the prop_dynamic is the correct one. Plus if I ever want to edit it I have to select all the verticies and walls and deselect them individually? What if there's two fans?

Rudy.cz

Actually the fan is prop dynamic, once you set the model file for prop_dynamic it becomes the model itself.

Rudy.cz

Also you cannot create entities from level geometry. This is not Half-Life. Everything dynamic is done by models.

FotD

Rudy.cz wrote: »

set the model file for prop_dynamic

OK, how do I do that? I try and manually change from prop_static to prop_dynamic but it won't let me change the name, it's all greyed out.

Rudy.cz

Ok, go to entity list (icon of blue person) and pick the desired entity from list. Place it by clicking in the level trough one of the view ports.

FotD

OK, Thanks for the help guys I appreciate it. I just said "screw it." and created one, selected the area and changed the model to the fan. The problem I was having was that when placing it I couldn't see where I placed it, which made selecting it extremely difficult. And even in Half-life, non-geometric based functions were still larger than 1:1:1 (I think the smallest was the multimanager but even that was visible).

And I apologize, I think a part of my own confusion was thinking that prop_dynamic was some kind of flag entity that affects an area (The blue sphere threw me off.) I don't know why, I don't think anyone has used something like that since the friggin' Build engine.

JimWest

You can't scale dynamic props, they we're still the normal scale ingame.
(If they haven't changed this yet, but I don't think so).

Rudy.cz

JimWest wrote: »

You can't scale dynamic props, they we're still the normal scale ingame.
(If they haven't changed this yet, but I don't think so).[/quote

That is unfortunatelly true, but you can workaround this by creating a custom cinematic file where scaling works.