Wheelvalve

HOW TO MAKE A VALVEWHEEL TURN (OPEN AND CLOSE)

During the game, players encounter physics scenarios, where they will need to turn a pipe valve on and/or off to achieve an effect or desired progress in the game. This page will describe steps on how to build a functional valvewheel prop for a custom map, where:

• The Player can +USE the valve object and it will turn (to open).

• The Player can repeat the +USE action and the valve object will toggle back (to close).

GATHER REQUIRED OBJECTS

Create and place the following entities in your map.

momentary_rot_button (Create a texture brush and 'Move to Entity'. Then select this entity type. )

SET FLAGS:

• Not Solid (Checked)
• Toggle (Checked)
• Use Activates (Checked)

prop_dynamic

SET WORLD MODEL:

• valvewheel001.mdl

SET OBJECTS' PARENT/CHILD RELATIONSHIP

Bind the two new objects together, making the momentary_rot_button entity as the parent of the prop_dynamic entity.

1) Set the Name property for each of the entities (Give each entity a unique, meaningful name). For example:

   (momentary_rot_button)   Name =  MyValveRotator
   (prop_dynamic)           Name =  MyValve

2) Set the Parent property of the prop_dynamic entity to the name of the momentary_rot_button entity:

   (prop_dynamic)           Parent = MyValveRotator

SET OUTPUTS

Set an output statemet in the momentary_rot_button entity's OTIP settings (i.e. Output, Target, Input, Parameter Override settings in the entity's Properties | Outputs tab-page).

1) Use the following values:

  Output...    OnPressed
  Target...    MyValve
  Input...     SetAnimation

GROUP THE OBJECTS

Drag the momentary_rot_button brush over the prop_dynamic entity, making sure that the prop is completely enclosed by the brush.

Once the entities are properly aligned, it is recommended that they be locked together as group entity. (Also recommend saving that grouped entity as a Prefab in the Steam directory.)

NOTES

The momentary_rot_button brush placement/position will effect the precision of prop's dynamics. For example, if the brush is moved away from its associated prop, the rotation performance of the prop will behave like a right/left/up/down lever, offset from the intended axis of the prop. A good practice is to make sure that the Origins for each entity are centered and aligned to each other. (You can experiment with the brush placement to illustrate this.)

Updates pending: (valve, valvewheel, pipe-valve, pipe-valvewheel, pipe)

-- The PaperDog 21:22, 16 February 2009 (UTC)