Zone Barriers

Forward:

I have had a few people ask me about the proper way to create zones so I best make a tutorial about it huh?

Abstract:

This will explain (in detail) how zones should be used, what they can do and how to set them up properly...

Assumptions:

I assume that you have a decent knowledge of the editor, and how to create a basic level.

Tutorial:

Introduction:

Zones can be quite tricky if you don't really understand how they work, so if we explain them and how they work, life should be a WHOLE lot easier.

Setting the scene:

Zones are used by the editor to know when to stop filling an area with water, they also tell the editor when to make changes to the ambient lighting in an area. They can be used to accomplish a million things, but to do so we must understand how they work. A zone is simply an "invisible wall" that does not affect the player, ie doesn't stop them or anything like that, but tell the editor to stop doing whatever the last zoneinfo told them to do. A zone is automatically placed for example when you use the "Add Special > Waterzone" button. This not only adds in a sheet that can be textured, and made to look nice, and the rest of it, but places an invisible zone barrier, so when we place the "Waterzone Info" below the water line, the editor puts the water UNDER the shhet, then stops adding water to the rest of the room. You can set these barriers in pretty much any way you like, so if you want a complex waterfall, you can make it look really good by using a complex brush, then selecting "waterzone" and adding it in. A zone does not have to be a sheet! It can be any shape that can be made with the construction brush, although sticking to something that isn't too complex is normally a good idea...

How to use zone barriers best:

Technically you could set up a barrier wherever you like, but it is a good idea to be able to place them (assuming they are not a water zone ect) in a place where you will not readily be able to see both zones at the same time. I mean a good place for a barrier would be in a hallway, placed so that the player can see into either zone, but not both. This then stops any problems about Fog not being seen from afar or other problems that can occur. On this note, if you have fog that you would like to add in somewhere, then make sure that you set the barriers in a place where you will not be able to see the fog from. I mean, place the barriers around a corner for example, as when you set a zone to have fog in it, if you should be able to see the fog from afar, and the player is inside another zone, then they will see the light, but the fog will not be seen from the other zone EVEN if it should be in plain view - so keeping barriers around corners is a good rule of thumb to stick to...

The best way to create the barriers:

A barrier MUST completely fill the gap where you want it to be. This may sound silly, but most problems occur when a map editor places a barrier and it looks OK, but the editor keeps finding a TINY (It may not even seem to be there at all...) hole and assumes that it is not a barrier at all, so when you place a barrier, make sure that you create a sheet (or other shape) that is bigger then the area you want the barrier to be in, and INTERSECT it with the world. This means that the editor makes sure there are NO holes in it. This also is generally a better way, because it will make a smaller brush thus putting less load on the processor.

Prefab zones:

The editor comes with a LOT of pre-programmed zones, and for the most part, these will do quite nicely. There are "Water Zones", "Lava Zones" and a whole lot more. These should be allow you to create a fair amount. If you want to create a Fog Zone, then have a quick look at the "Fog" tutorial on this site, and it will tell you what you need to know. If you want to create your own settings for zones then I should have a tutorial posted on it shortly.