env_screenoverlay

An env_screenoverlay with effects/combine_binocoverlay on d2_coast_03.

Class hierarchy
CEnvScreenOverlay ↳CPointEntity ↳CBaseEntity
env_screenoverlay.cpp

env_screenoverlay is a point entity available in all Source games. It can display and control a set of screen overlays, to be displayed over the player's view. Useful for view effects like drunkenness, or teleporter afterimages, etc.

Note:An overlay will be applied to all players in multiplayer games, even when the!activatoris one player. To apply an overlay to a single client, the command r_screenoverlay <material_path> needs to be used with a point_clientcommand.

Note:In , screen overlays are disabled by default. You must set r_drawscreenoverlay 1 to enable.

Note:In , the overlay can be overridden by certain actions such as being ubercharged or burned. The SetScriptOverlayMaterial input or VScript function on the player can be used to set a separate overlay that will not be overriden by such actions.

Materials

You can use any material as an overlay, but UnlitGeneric materials are the least likely to have any visual bugs.

Tip:You can create custom pixel shaders for the overlay and pack them with the map. See sdk_screenspace_shaders for more details.

Valve provides these materials in the /effects folder:

combine_binocoverlay

Combine binoculars

tp_eyefx/tpeye

Green teleport shimmer

tp_eyefx/tpeye2

Red teleport shimmer

tp_eyefx/tpeye3

Blue teleport shimmer

tp_eyefx/tp_eyefx

Warped distortion, somewhat similar the one seen on strider charge shots.

tp_eyefx/tp_black

Black. A thin border around the overlay is still visible.

tp_eyefx/tp_eyefx_eli

Flashing animation of three figures. Hardly usable as an overlay.

These materials are not designed as screen overlays, but will work as one:

debug/yuv

Monochrome (Black and white)

effects/com_shield002a.vmt

The combine shield shader effect - refraction with drifting squares.

models/effects/portalfunnel_sheet

Red-yellow-green scrolling ground overlay

models/props_combine/portalball001_sheet

Green downward haze

effects/tp_refract

Red/Orange Refractive overlay

glass/glasswindow_refract01

As if looking through a glass Observation window from Portal

Flags

Allow Suit Zoom : [1]

Keyvalues

Name (targetname) <string>

The name that other entities refer to this entity by, via Inputs/Outputs or other keyvalues (e.g. parentname or target).
Also displayed in Hammer's 2D views and Entity Report.

See also:  Generic Keyvalues, Inputs and Outputs available to all entities

Overlay Name 1 (OverlayName1) to Overlay Name 10 (OverlayName10) <string>

Name of the first overlay material to display.

Overlay Duration 1 (OverlayTime1)) to Overlay Duration 10 (OverlayTime10) <float>

Amount of time that the overlay should be displayed for, after which it will begin showing the next overlay. Setting this to -1 will make the entity display the overlay indefinitely, until it's forced to change by an input.

Inputs

StartOverlays

Start displaying currently selected overlay, selected using the SwitchOverlay input.

StopOverlays

Stop displaying any overlays.

SwitchOverlay <integer>

Switch to displaying a specific overlay. Pass in the desired overlay number in the parameter, where 1 is the first overlay, etc. Out of bounds values will be ignored. Negative numbers will be converted to positive numbers + 1 (-1 becomes 2, etc) due to how the input is coded internally.

See also

• Video with some overlays.