how can i make shadows?

[Meik]

I have a singer in front of a wall and i am going to make him dance and sing. I put a light shining on the singer but on the wall behind him there is no shadow of him. Why and how can i make shadows? help!

[Zappy]

Right-click the light in the animationset editor, and click "Enable shadows". If they are already enabled, the model might just not be shadow-compatible.

[Bop]

Originally posted by Vintage:

Right-click the light in the animationset editor, and click "Enable shadows". If they are already enabled, the model might just not be shadow-compatible.

By not shadow-compatible, it probably means it has "$translucency" in the material files.

[Zappy]

More specifically not $opaque or $mostlyopaque in the QC file(s).

[Bop]

Originally posted by Vintage:

More specifically not $opaque or $mostlyopaque in the QC file(s).

That rarely causes problems. $opaque and $mostlyopaque are almost never used in material files.

[Zappy]

Originally posted by Vintage:

QC file(s).

QC. The file used to compile the model. The model itself has to be flagged as "opaque" to have shadows.
If any materials are transparent in any way (that includes $alphatest), the whole model gets flagged as "see-through", thus has no shadows.
If $opaque is used in the QC file, the whole model gets flagged as "solid", thus casts shadows, even through see-through parts.
If $mostlyopaque is used in the QC file, all materials with any sort of transparency has no shadows, but all "solid" materials do cast shadows.

[Bop]

Originally posted by Vintage:

Originally posted by Vintage:

QC file(s).

QC. The file used to compile the model. The model itself has to be flagged as "opaque" to have shadows.
If any materials are transparent in any way (that includes $alphatest), the whole model gets flagged as "see-through", thus has no shadows.
If $opaque is used in the QC file, the whole model gets flagged as "solid", thus casts shadows, even through see-through parts.
If $mostlyopaque is used in the QC file, all materials with any sort of transparency has no shadows, but all "solid" materials do cast shadows.

Ach I did mean QC files :P. Brain ♥♥♥♥♥ everywhere, but the point is that it is pretty much never used.

[Zappy]

Well, for some models it certainly should be used.

[Bop]

Originally posted by Vintage:

Well, for some models it certainly should be used.

The commands are only used when translucency is involved, which most models don't have. $opaque and $mostlyopaque have certain issues when it comes to shadows so it really isn't used much, and alternative methods are often used.

[Zappy]

Most models don't have transparency. Most. Thus some models certainly would benefit from at least $mostlyopaque.

[Bop]

Originally posted by Vintage:

Most models don't have transparency. Most. Thus some models certainly would benefit from at least $mostlyopaque.

There really is no point getting translucency in SFM. It's too buggy. Doesn't seem to read the alpha levels other than 0 and 255 in the textures and has really glitchy shading.

[Zappy]

$alphatest reads only 0 and 255. $translucency reads only 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, [...] 240, 241, 242, 243, 244, 245, 246, 247, 248, 249, 250, 251, 252, 253, 254, and 255. Just like any other Source engine game. The glitchy lightning is because the Ambient Occlusion behind translucent stuff gets rendered over translucent stuff, unless $ambientocclusion 0 is in the VMT file.

[Meik]

thx guys!!!!