How do I make a viewing portal?

[DigitalVapor]

I want to make a huge view screen so someone could stand there and watch part of the map in real time. like a surveilance camera screen. I saw somthing like that in Q3 Arena with the teleporter portals. How can I do that? Its important cause the area its in is like a batcave kinda thing.

[t3rr0r]

that's very possible... a few of the maps from quake 3 fortress have live cameras showing different sections of the base.

[EL3CTRO]

Try this: http://planetquake.com/bubba/camera1.html

 

It's a tutorial for making a teleporter, which when you walk up to it, you can see what is happening on the other side. It's for Q3 but i'm sure you could adapt it for your needs. The basic function is the same.

[giganerd]

I am also attempting to put a similar thing into the map I'm currently working on. However, in the aforementioned tutorial he talks about placing a portal_sfx texture on the face of the portal. Unfortunately, JK2 does not seem to have this texture although it does have portal, portal_doomgiver, and portal_yavin. I checked each one of these out in the 'system' shader file and found no real difference. I have tried using all three of these texture in lieu of the portal_sfx texture mentioned by the tutorial but I still do not get the desired effect. In order to see what my 'camera' is viewing I have to stick my face right up against the portal. When I do this I see what my 'camera' sees but I also see other parts of my map that are not within the cameras view, almost as if I am simply poking my head through the wall. Anybody have any ideas on how to get this working properly?

[giganerd]

Ok, update. I've been messing around with the whole viewing portal thing a little more and I've figured out that I no longer get those other parts of my map in view if I the back side of the portal is facing out towards the 'void'. So the direction you face when looking at the portal surface is looking out into the 'void' where there are no other parts of your map. Another thing is the texture. I have found that any of the portal textures will work as well as the mirror ones (thanx RD). However, I still cannot seem to get the portal to work unless I stick my face right up to it. And that only works If I have the back face of the portal against a wall. Hopefully you resourceful people haven't run out of ideas yet. As for me, I'm gonna keep trying and will update if I (ever) get these working.

[giganerd]

Shizz... Figures, not even 5 minutes after that last post I figure the freakin thing out. Ok, You have to have the face opposite the portal face of the brush you're using as your viewing 'screen' actually touching the 'void'. So if you have it agains a wall right now you need to stick it into the wall and do a csg subtract. Also make sure that no part of your map is behind this screen or it will bleed into view. Hope that helps.

[Emon]

I think you just have to have all sides of it touching normal surfaces, that's all.

[DigitalVapor]

I tried covering the back face of the portal brush. It kills the effect. If the brush isnt touching the void, all you will see is whatever is behind the brush. I pray that someone figures this out cause raven really screwed this effect up bad.