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Leaks with Torque

by Thomas Green · in Artist Corner · 03/19/2005 (10:26 am) · 2 replies

I am wondering what the negative side of leaks are with the Torque engine.

Before you respond, please note that I am familiar with leaks in half-life / quake style maps. I know how annoying they are and some steps to resolve them.

With our new Torque game, we are creating a top-down Diablo style view. So far, I have created a very simple dungeon-like map without the ceiling, and it works just fine in Torque. The entire level has no ceiling so it is essentially a massive leak. This idea has worked well so far, but as I browse the forum here, I see people concerned about their maps having leaks. Why? It doesn't seem to be an issue for Torque.

Long question short....what is the negative side...with Torque....about having a leak in your map?

Tom
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Torque Owner Dan -
#1
03/19/2005 (1:17 pm)
The issue (to my knowledge) that people have with leaks are light leaks. This is where the light from the outside sneaks under your wall to the inside giving you highlighted corners. There is a wonderful thread that goes into some detail on this, but I can't find it. :-(

Basically the thread states do this:
Case 1 (Right/Safe way):
 sun
     \  wall
      \  ||
       \ || Wall extends fully down and
        \|| below the floor. No Leak
         ||==========  floor
         ||

instead of this:
Case 2 (wrong/unsafe way):
 sun
     \  wall
      \  ||
       \ ||  Light hits the floor just on the outside 
        \||/ causing the floor on the inside to be lite
         ============  floor

Being case 2 has the floor potentially touching the outside world of the wall, light might be able to touch it thus giving that part of the floor a slight light leak. In case #1 the wall runs down past the floor keeping it light tight.

In short to avoid this issue extend the walls down below the floor and never extend your floor out to the edge of the wall.

Being you have no roof in yours this probally will not be an issue.

Thomas Green
#2
03/19/2005 (6:07 pm)
That is good news to hear.

Our game is nothing but interiors. The sky and ground are black with no light at all. All lights are from within the interior.

Thank you for the response.

Tom