env_fade

env_fade is a point entity available in all Source games.

Entity description

It controls screen fades. Screen fades are used to blend regular game imagery to or from a solid color. Add duration and holdtime together for the total time this entity will be in effect.

The modulate flag on env_fade uses a different kind of blending to achieve the fade. The normal fade does a straight weighted blend between the screen and the fading color (i.e. the fade color becomes a more/less opaque overlay over the scene). Modulate actually attenuates the screen colors in RGB with the fade color. So you could, for example, remove all of the red and blue from a scene with modulate and be left with a green overlay - well, sort of night vision anyway. The fade color for that would be pure green with modulate.

Note:This effect can also be achieved by using the console commands fadeout and fadein. The default transition time is 2 seconds. You can supply other parameters in curly brackets like fadeout {time r g b}.

Keyvalues

Duration (seconds) <string>

The time that it will take to fade the screen in or out.

Hold Fade (seconds) <string>

The time to hold the faded in/out state.

Fade Alpha <integer>

Alpha of the fade, where 0 = fully transparent and 255 = fully opaque.

Fade Color (R G B) <color255>

Fade color.

Reverse Fade Duration (seconds) <float> (New with Portal 2)

The duration of the reverse fade.

Targetname:

Name <string>

The targetname that other entities refer to this entity by.

Entity Scripts <scriptlist> (New with Left 4 Dead 2)

Space delimited list of VScript files (without file extension) that are executed after all entities have spawned. The scripts are all executed in the same script scope, later ones overwriting any identical variables and functions.

Script think function <string> (New with Left 4 Dead 2)

Name of a function in this entity's script which will be called automatically every 100 milliseconds (ten times a second) for the duration of the script. It can be used to create timers or to simulate autonomous behavior. The return value (if present) will set the time until the next call.

Note:Try to avoid expensive operations in this function, as it may cause performance problems.

Flags

The Flags menu will show this for Flag 4 (Turn off SmartEdit and type spawnflags 4).

• 1 : Fade From

Essentially a "fade in," where the screen begins from an opaque color.

• 2 : Modulate

Use attenuation blending, see Entity Description.

• 4 : Triggering player only

Only affect activator.

Note:This flag exists in all Source games, but isn't listed in the FGDs for some, if you don't want to edit the FGD to get it, just add 4 to your current spawnflags.

• 8 : Stay Out

The fade remains indefinitely until another fade deactivates it. This prevents the ondeath-fadeout used in Portal 2.

Inputs

Fade

Start the screen fade.

FadeReverse  (New with Portal 2)

Begin doing the reverse of the current fade.

Targetname:

Kill

Removes this entity and any entities parented to it from the world.

KillHierarchy

Functions the same as Kill, although entities with a large number of children are killed marginally faster.

AddOutput  <string>

Evaluates a keyvalue/output on this entity. It can be potentially very dangerous, use with care.
Format: <key> <value>
Format: <output name> <targetname>:<inputname>:<parameter>:<delay>:<max times to fire, -1 means infinite>

FireUser1 to FireUser4

Fire the OnUser outputs; see User Inputs and Outputs.

Use  !FGD

Same as a player invoking +use; may not do anything. Can also be invoked by creating an output that does not specify an input.
This input is not included in Valve's FGDs.

RunScriptFile  <script> (New with Left 4 Dead 2)

Execute a VScript file from disk, without file extension. The script contents are merged with the script scope of the receiving entity.

RunScriptCode  <string> (New with Left 4 Dead 2)

Execute a string of VScript source code in the scope of the entity receiving the input. String quotation may be needed when fired via console.

Bug:

In , the code is executed in the script scope of the entity that fires the output, not the one receiving the input.

Warning:Never try to pass string parameters to a script function with this input. It will corrupt the VMF structure because of the nested quotation marks, which then must be removed manually with a text editor.

CallScriptFunction  <string> (New with Left 4 Dead 2) !FGD

Execute a VScript function in the scope of the receiving entity.

Note:This input is missing from some games FGD files.

SetLocalOrigin  <origin> (New with Alien Swarm) !FGD

Set this entity's origin in the map.

Note:This input is missing from some games FGD files.

SetLocalAngles  <angles> (New with Alien Swarm) !FGD

Set this entity's angles in the map.

Note:This input is missing from some games FGD files.

Outputs

OnBeginFade

Fired when the fade has begun.

Targetname:

OnUser1 to OnUser4

These Outputs each fire in response to the firing of the like-numbered FireUser1 to FireUser4 Input; see User Inputs and Outputs.

OnKilled  (New with Left 4 Dead)

This Output fires when the entity is killed and removed from the game.