`newxog_global`

newxog_global in bm_c4a1b.

newxog_global is a point entity available in Black Mesa. Xog (short for Xen Fog) is Screenspace Fog, very flexible new fog system that replaces Source's legacy fog. The new xog can be configured on the fly with instant results ingame, it can change over time with I/O, and it can vary in density and color based on height. Along with its tons of options, is that it became (sort of) the preferred way for level designers to do color corrections in the xen part of the game instead of the old color correction entity provided by Source Engine. Uses radial fog instead of deprecated planar/z fog. On top of 3 colors for blending, it support both 1D and cubemap gradient textures. The game also have console-based Xog Editor which can select and edit almost every property of any xog entity.

Important:This entity doesn't affects optimization, this entity for visual effects only. Combine with env_fog_controller.

Warning:Xog use expensive gbuffer, that means that with this entity your scene rendering at least 5 times, which makes your level very expensive, considering that XenEngine uses 32-bit architecture and DirectX 9 rendering. In large quantities, xog entities can greatly heat up your computer and also cause large FPS drops (depending on difficulty of your map and how your area open). Use wisely.

Represented by class CNewXogGlobal.

← Black Mesa Level Creation

Keyvalues

Targetname:

Name (targetname) <string>: The targetname that other entities refer to this entity by.

Enabled (Enabled) <choices>: Enable/Disable this Entity.

Determines is this entity enabled or disabled on spawn.

0: Enabled
1: Disabled

Xog Type (xogtype) <choices>: Determines xog type. Global - render xog in world space only. GlobalWithSky - render xog in world space and add third layer for skybox (without color blending, uses skyColor instead). SkyOnly - xog will be applied to skybox with color blending, skyBlendFactor will not work, decreased intensity will show a "black void" instead of skybox.

0:0: Global
1:1: GlobalWithSky
2:2: SkyOnly

Examples
Global GlobalWithSky SkyOnly

Important:You can have only one GlobalWithSky or Global with SkyOnly (separately as well) in your level. Otherwise, game will crash on map launch with this engine error message.

The engine error message.

skyColor (skycolor) <color255>: Xog color in 2D skybox.

Examples
skyColor - 255 0 0. skyColor - 0 255 0. skyColor - 60 0 180.

skyBlendFactor (skyblendfactor) <float>: Xog intensity in skybox. This is a float value from 0.0 to 1.0.

Examples
skyBlendFactor - 0.0. skyBlendFactor - 0.5. skyBlendFactor - 1.0.

Color Mode (colormode) <choices>: Determines color mode. With StaticColor it will use color from colorBottom and colorTop, doesn't affects color in skybox. With 1DGradTexture, color will depends on texture from Grad Texture, doesn't affects color in skybox.

0:0: StaticColor
1:1: 1DGradTexture
2:2: CubeGradTexture

Examples
StaticColor 1DGradTexture (in this picture, xog doesn't use any texture, the engine replaces missing texture with the chessboard, this is why the color is purple. CubeGradTexture

Grad Texture (texname) <string>: Grad texture to use.

Grad texture uses .vtf file and not .vmt. Works only if Color Mode value is 1DGradTexture.

colorTop will use texture itself to render, colorBottom will use main color of chosen texture to render.

htZColStart will set texture position. htZColEnd will scale texture.

htZStart will set main color start position, htZEnd will scale main color.

With Global and GlobalWithSky xog type, it will be applied only in world space. With SkyOnly, it will be applied in skybox. If you want to have it for world space and sky together - you can use 2 entities as workaround, first xog will use Global type, second will use SkyOnly type.

Confirm:Special gradient textures should be used.

Confirm:Is it used in

Black Mesa campaign ?

Example of how it works with `Global` and `GlobalWithSky`.
Used dev/xog_grad_1d.vtf texture. Using Xog Editor to change values.

Example of how it works with `SkyOnly`.
Used dev/xog_grad_1d.vtf texture. Using Xog Editor to change values.

colorTop (colortop) <color255>: Xog top color.

Examples
colorTop - 255 0 0. colorBottom - 60 0 180. colorTop - 0 255 0. colorBottom - 60 0 180. colorTop - 255 255 0. colorBottom - 60 0 180.

colorBottom (colorbottom) <color255>: Xog bottom color.

Note:Top and bottom colors blending in xog center, for example with red and green colors the center of xog will be yellow.

Examples
colorTop - 255 0 0. colorBottom - 0 255 0. colorTop - 255 0 0. colorBottom - 0 0 255. colorTop - 255 0 0. colorBottom - 255 255 0.

distStart (diststart) <float>: distStart

Xog start draw distance.

Examples
distStart - 150. distEnd - 150. distStart - 1000. distEnd - 150. distStart - 1500. distEnd - 150.

distEnd (distend) <float>: distEnd

Xog end draw distance.

Examples
distStart - 150. distEnd - 150. distStart - 1000. distEnd - 1000. distStart - 1500. distEnd - 1500.

distDensity (distdensity) <float>: distDensity

Density of xog entity, only values from 0 to 1 works.

Examples
0.0 0.5 1.0

opacityOffsetTop (opacityoffsettop) <float>: opacityOffsetTop

Offsets top color of xog.

Examples
opacityOffsetTop - 0.0. opacityOffsetTop - -0.5. opacityOffsetTop - 0.5.

opacityOffsetBottom (opacityoffsetbottom) <float>: opacityOffsetBottom

Offsets bottom color of xog.

Examples
opacityOffsetBottom - 0.0. opacityOffsetBottom - -0.5. opacityOffsetBottom - 0.5.

htZStart (htzstart) <float>: htZStart

Height that xog starts rendering at.

Examples
htZStart - 80. htZEnd - 0. htZStart - 90. htZEnd - 0. htZStart - 90. htZEnd - 10.

htZEnd (htzend) <float>: htZEnd

Height that xog stops rendering at.

Examples
htZStart - 0. htZEnd - 80. htZStart - 0. htZEnd - 120. htZStart - 0. htZEnd - 400.

htZColStart (htzcolstart) <float>: htZColStart

Height that xog color starts rendering at. Results depend on htZColEnd value.

Examples
htZColStart - 0. htZColStart - 50. htZColStart - 150.

htZColEnd (htzcolend) <float>: htZColEnd

Height that xog color stops rendering at. Results depend on htZColStart value.

Examples
htZColEnd - 400. htZColEnd - 100. htZColEnd - 190.

noise1ScrollSpeed (noise1scrollspeed) <vector>: Layer one, speed at which noise moves trough xog volume (X Y Z).

Examples
noise1ScrollSpeed - 1 0 0. noise1ScrollSpeed - 0 1 0. noise1ScrollSpeed - 0 0 1.

noise1Tiling (noise1tiling) <vector>: Layer one, tiling speed at which noise moves trough xog volume (X Y Z).

Examples
noise1Tiling - 10 1 1. noise1Tiling - 1 10 1. noise1Tiling - 1 1 10.

noise2ScrollSpeed (noise2scrollspeed) <vector>: Layer two, speed at which noise moves trough xog volume (X Y Z).

Examples
noise2ScrollSpeed - 1 0 0. noise2ScrollSpeed - 0 1 0. noise2ScrollSpeed - 0 0 1.

noise2Tiling (noise2tiling) <vector>: Layer two, tiling speed at which noise moves trough xog volume (X Y Z).

Examples
noise2Tiling - 10 1 1. noise2Tiling - 1 10 1. noise2Tiling - 1 1 10.

noiseContrast (noisecontrast) <float>: Contrast of xog.

Examples
0.1 1.0 3.0

noiseMultiplier (noisemultiplier) <float>: Multiplier of xog.

Examples
0.1 1 10

RadiusX (radiusz) <float>: RadiusX

RadiusY (radiusy) <float>: RadiusY

RadiusZ (radiusz) <float>: RadiusZ

Confirm:Are RadiusX, RadiusY and RadiusZ a deprecated properties ? These seems to be non functional, there is also no information in xogscripts.cfg. The same have env_cascade_volume.

~~skyColorTop (skycolortop) <color255>~~ !FGD: Deprecated. Xog top color in skybox. Can be found in .vmf files of some xen levels. Use colorTop instead.

~~skyColorBottom (skycolorbottom) <color255>~~ !FGD: Deprecated. Xog bottom color in skybox. Can be found in .vmf files of some xen levels. Use colorBottom instead.

~~gtZColStart (gtzcolstart) <color255>~~ !FGD: Deprecated. gtZColStart. Can be found in .vmf files of some xen levels.

~~gtZColEnd (gtzcolend) <color255>~~ !FGD: Deprecated. gtZColEnd. Can be found in .vmf files of some xen levels.

Inputs

TurnOn <void>: Turn the xog on.

TurnOff <void>: Turn the xog off.

Toggle <void>: Toggle the xog current state.

Base:

AddContext <string>: Adds to the entity's list of response contexts. See Context.

AddOutput <string>: Assigns a new keyvalue/output on this entity. For keyvalues, some rely on extra necessary code to be ran and won't work if its simply just changed through this input. There is a strict format that must be followed:

// Format of changing KeyValues: "AddOutput [key] [value]"
//// Raw text:
"OnUser1" "!self,AddOutput,targetname new_name"

// Format of adding an Output: "AddOutput {targetname}:{inputname}:{parameter}:{delay}:{max times to fire, -1 means infinite}"
//// Raw text:
"OnUser1" "!self,AddOutput,OnUser1:SetParent:!activator:0.0:-1"
// Arguments can be left blank, but the empty blank should still be contained.
//// Raw text:
"OnUser1" "!self,AddOutput,OnUser1:ClearParent::0.0:-1"

ClearContext: Removes all contexts from this entity's list.

ClearParent: Removes this entity from the the movement hierarchy, leaving it free to move independently.

FireUser1 to FireUser4: Fires the respectiveOnUseroutputs; see User Inputs and Outputs.

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

KillHierarchy: Functions the same as Kill, although this entity and any entities parented to it are killed on the same frame, being marginally faster thanKillinput.

RemoveContext <string>: Remove a context from this entity's list. The name should match the key of an existing context.

SetParent <string>: Move with this entity. See Entity Hierarchy (parenting).

SetParentAttachment <string>: Change this entity to attach to a specific attachment point on its parent. The entity will teleport so that the position of its root bone matches that of the attachment. Entities must be parented before being sent this input.

SetParentAttachmentMaintainOffset <string>: As above, but without teleporting. The entity retains its position relative to the attachment at the time of the input being received.

Use !FGD: Same as a player invoking +use; no effect in most cases.

DispatchResponse <string> !FGD: Dispatches a response to the entity. See Response and Concept.
DispatchEffect <string> (removed since ) !FGD: Dispatches a special effect from the entity's origin; See also List of Client Effects. Replaced by the particle system since .

RunScriptFile <script> (in all games since ) (also in ): Execute a VScript file from disk, without file extension. The script contents are merged with the script scope of the receiving entity.

RunScriptCode <string> (in all games since ) (also in ): 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 Hammer, using string arguments will corrupt the VMF file's structure, making the file unviewable for the next Hammer session.
Fix:Remove the string argument manually with a text editor.
Note: Backtick characters ` are replaced with quotation marks at runtime, allowing quotation marks to be used when normally not possible.

CallScriptFunction <string> (in all games since ) (also in ) !FGD: Calls a VScript function defined in the scope of the receiving entity.

TerminateScriptScope (only in ) !FGD: Destroys the script scope of the receving entity.

SetLocalOrigin <coordinates> (in all games since ) !FGD: Send this entity to a spot in the map. If the entity is parented to something, it will be offset from the parent by this amount.

SetLocalAngles <angles> (in all games since ) !FGD: Set this entity's angles.

Outputs

Base:

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.

Bugs/Limitations

Xog incorrect work with $translucent

Xog all time fully rendering through everything with material shader parameter $translucent. This happen because of game can't tell the depth of scene because of the transparency.

No $translucent. Behind the wall placed xog volume and some models with small room.
With $translucent. Now player see everything, but only what in xog.

This is how it looks with beam from the gluon gun.
This is how it looks with sun flare.

This problem also applies to brushes which not have $translucent, but which parented to brushes that have this parameter. Similar will happen if brush with $translucent is part of your brush entity. Same will happen if you use overlays/decals on brushes with $translucent.

Metal speaker is overlay that use $alphatest, but xog fully visible anyway, because overlay pasted on the transparency window.

This issues does not happen if replace LightmappedGeneric to ShatteredGlass or UnlitGeneric, so, you can use one of them for glass or transparency surfaces when it's needed.

In some cases use $alphatest if it'll give similar to $translucent resualts.

Xog incorrect work with $alphatestreference and $allowalphatocoverage

$alphatestreference is a material shader parameter that specifies the threshold alpha channel value at which the surface should be transparent instead of opaque, default "0.5". $allowalphatocoverage creates translucent steps based on alpha values. Both have one and same problems with gbuffer. For examples used this texture with this alpha channel.

Diffuse texture.
Alpha channel.

Here xog placed behind wall with the texture. We can see the circle part of that have alpha channel part which is invisible due to $alphatest, with enabled xog we see that the invisible part doesn't show through itself xog.