2D Shape Editor and texture alignment

[GreatEmerald]

What are the tricks you use to quickly make a nice window? I tried it like this:
1. Load the window texture to the 2D Shape Editor
2. Make the shape with the 2D Shape Editor
3. Make it wide enough for a window
4. Subtract the shape
5. Make a tile the same shape
6. Add Special it

This apparently doesn't work... When I try to subtract it, it leaves a bunch of visible tiles inside! Ahh! I can make them invisible though, but then there's no way I could make it breakable. The window is wooden anyway, so not that much of a problem though.
Now when I try and add the tile, nothing happens! Absolutely nothing! I can't see it althouth it's displayed in the overhead display.
Then I make it a brush that has a width of 1, add special it then. Hooray, I can see it... But the texture is all borked! Not even near where it should be! I try to align it to wall (direction and pan), it changes a bit but still doesn't look like I want it to. Then after a hell loads of panning I eventually manage to make the window looking almost nice. But that takes an hour, for a single window! I know there must be a better way of doing this...

And a side question - I want to apply 3 textures to a surface (it's 3x 128 UU) - left trim, middle wall, right trim. How can I easily do that? I don't want to use fake tiles for that!

[cinnober]

Sorry for stealing your subject...but I would also know how to make a window with "glass" which ofcourse can be seen trough but not walked/breaked/shot trough as a simple square???

[Tronovision]

@ GreatEmerald:

Yes there is another way to do this that will likely save time. From what you indicated in your description of what you did it seems to be good up to step 4. In step 5, it seems that you use the same shape in the 2d editor to make a sheet (I think that is what you mean by "tile"). If you add this, you "should" be able to see it but maybe it is one sided and is facing the opposite way (therefore you see no texture). To fix this, turn your red brush 180 degrees and try adding it again.

As an alternative method to build the sheet that has your window texture, dont use the 2d editor, but use the build sheet tool which just builds a retangular sheet. Manipulate it so that it covers your window "hole" and Add Special it. Now you will not have like 4 surfaces on each side of your sheet but now two (if you make it 2 sided of course, if single sided it has only one surface). If you want your window to be a solid (i.e. nothing can pass through) then use the cube builder to make a cube with the 2d dimensions of your window and then a thickness of 1-8 or something and add it. Again, You will have one (or two depending if you want to have the other side visible or not) texture to align and pan, saving you lots of time.

Once you are satisfied with your window, you can hold the shift button and click each of the textured surfaces that make your window, which will select each of the brushes. Once all brushes are selected, duplicate them and move the window to where ever else you want the same window. Build, and TADA! You have an exact copy of your window! Basically do the work once and duplicate. Hope this anwers your window questions. Let me know if anything need clarification.


@ Cinnober:

If you want to have a transparent window that cannot be broken/passes through/shot through. Follow the GreatEmerald's steps up to number 4. Create a square sheet to cover the window hole that you made (you will likely have to rotate it to get it in the proper orientation), click the add special button, select the "Transparent Window" setting and add it. Build a cube to the 2d dimensions to cover your window hole and make it have a thickness of 4-8 units and move it so that it is centered in your window hole (right on top of the sheet that your built). Click the add special button again, but now select invisible collision hull, you will see a solid object blocking the hole but when you press the little joy stick button in the 3d editor window it will dissapear. Basically this is an invisible barrier to make your window unbreakable. Hope this helped ya!

[GreatEmerald]

Oh, right, just use a square brush. This might make some BSP errors though.
Not sure if it was one sided... I don't think so, but didn't check.
Still, this doesn't answer the question of why do I see the sheet-like lines after subtracting. Maybe all lines should go to the same point?

[cinnober]

Thx but I have found a way that works for me.
1. First subtract
2. Then ADD the brush (the texture is not important)
3.Select the texture added to the brush and rightclick and select "Surface Properties"
4. Select the first tab "Flags" and check "Invisible"
Do that for each side.

Now I can see trough but not walk/shoot or break trough

[Tronovision]

Still, this doesn't answer the question of why do I see the sheet-like lines after subtracting. Maybe all lines should go to the same point?

The sheet-like lines you see are likely the result of the geometry of the brush. If you press shift then click on one of the textures of the subtracted window brush you can see the geometry of the brush superimposed on the textures in the 3d view. If the textures seem to be fragmented at the same place that the geometry is cut, then that is your answer to why... The only way to get rid of this would be to add another brush (which does not have any cut through the center) directly in front of the back of the window to hide the texture. This should work, although I confirm if there will be consequences in terms of BSP problems...

[GreatEmerald]

Any way to get it fixed before subtracting? And those textures can be hidden by setting bInvisible flags to those surfaces, just that you won't be able to pass through (the same thing happens if you subtract a 2D Shape Editor-made brush in order to make a corridor).