First is the problem does seem to be confirmed by others so I have remove the level file (Worlds.zip) and replaced it with the avi (Polygon.zip) just in case anyone else wishes to view the problem and again it is at the same link:
http://home.earthlink.net/~ronholmes/ I understand about being able to pass through the surface of the table prefab model and that is what I thought but I just needed a confirmation on that point. There was also just a very slight chance that this was not the case and that it remotely was related to the transparent polygon issue.
I would just be so thrilled if I could make this one little canyon piece a map entity. But there seems to be a problem of converting a model into a map entity because of the vast differences in the file content of each. I have made every effort that I could to have this done but it seems that no programmer wants to tackle it. Now I think that it would be next to impossible but not impossible to make this canyon wall in MED with less than 150 polygons as I have done. I do not believe that the curved surfaces can be reproduced nor the texture that is on this canyon wall can be applied in the traditional way and have it appear as it does. The texture is just to complex to do by hand and since the texture is one bit map I think that there just might be some alignment problems if it is broken up and applied as separate pieces. And since the problem appears also with a simple cube that was produced in MED I don't think that my model making process has anything to do with it or the fact that the texture is one bitmap. Again, I would just love to replace this canyon wall with a map entity but I do not see how that is possible so it seems that I am stuck using a model for my canyon.
Now since we cannot change a model (mdl) into a map entity so that we get surface contact collision detection I have worked around the problem using additional invisible walls placed along the model sides. In this way I will not be restricted in using the bounding box of the model. I don't think I will have a problem with to many polygons trying to be rendered at any one time in the level because the canyon will not be straight but will wind back and forth so the view will be some what restricted And I don't think that there will be a frame speed decrease either but this may introduce other problems that I have yet to encounter.
Doug, you mentioned that the "Near plane of the camera is going to clip any polygon it encounters so the closer you get the more polygons get clipped".
I have run a search within the manual and cannot find any reference to the "Near plane of the camera". My interpretation of this statement is that within the plane of view of the camera. But what exactly is:
1. The Near plane of view? And can it be adjusted or changed and if so how do we do it?
2. Can you give some numbers for a size or distance that would be involved when clipping would first start to happen?
3. Does the clipping only happen with models or does it also happen with map entities?
4. When you said that the closer that you get the more polygons would get clipped. That would seem to imply that you would not be able to make contact with the other surface without having the polygons being clipped. If you have a model of a canyon wall or other object you would expect to be able to make direct contact with the surface without the surface disappearing. I think I am missing something hear as that does not sound right. Can you elaborate on this a little?
5. Is there a maximum size of a model or map entity that we have to stay under so as not to encounter this problem?
6. Or is there a maximum size in quants that a polygon is allowed to be on its longest side that we have to stay under so as not to encounter this problem?
7. Or is there a maximum viewing angle referenced from the horizontal axis that we have to be restricted to or stay within so as not to encounter this problem?
8. Is there maybe a minimum distance or space that we have to maintain from the surface so as not to encounter this problem? If this is the case I cannot see how you can make the environment realistic when moving through the world.
I do realize that your statement has brought up more questions but it has also brought to light some more experiments that I can run to give you more input. The biggest problem that I have is that I am doing these experiments blindly as I and the others that are having this problem do not know the internal workings or limitations of the A4 engine. Only you and JCL can properly solve this problem or direct the interested parties to do some specific tests that will help in coming up with a solution or a work around for this clipping problem.
I did not notice this problem until I upgraded to A4 4.23. That revision incorporated a change that fixed the texture crawling or distortion problem. Tomorrow I am going to back track to A4 4.17 demo if I still have it. If not I have 4.18 and the upgrades to the other revisions that followed. I will determine exactly in what revision the clipping first appears or maybe it is clipping in all of them but that I only noticed it in 4.23.
I apologize for being a pain in the butt with some of the things that I have brought to the surface but the way I go about things are usually not the way everyone else does them and that process seems to show up problems that might otherwise not be found until a much later date if at all. It does not matter if it is a bug in A4 or not but that the source of the problem is brought out and either a direct solution or a work around is found so that it does not present a problem anymore. So we do need your expertise and in a collaborated effort of all of us we can put this behind us and continue with fortitude to produce that commercial game that most of us are shooting for. We are all on the same boat and it is really up to all of us to help as much as we can or the ship and all of its crew (Us) just might sink to the bottom. Please if you can answer in as much detail as possible with all possible solutions any and possible work around that you can think of. The more information that you give us the more information and feedback we can give to you. And sorry for being so long winded but I did not know a shorter way to say everything.
Ron