obscure-information

Repository of dumb things Garry's Mod

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General

[Windows] [Client?] Use junction instead of symlink for addon folders

Seems to work better (ie. models in addons/mylink/models load when using junction but not when using a symlink).

API

GM is available on first load, GAMEMODE on subsequent loads

Can be worked around with something like local GM = GM or GAMEMODE

Meepen Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ: [you should] not do that

Drawing a custom mesh with lighting requires rendering a model in the draw hook

Source: https://facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=1456688&p=47356770&viewfull=1#post47356770

If entity does not appear when rendering an entity manually, call SetupBones

For instance:

e:SetupBones()
e:SetRenderOrigin(somepos)
e:DrawModel()

Pre/Post opaque/translucent hooks are each called twice per frame

Namely once for 3d skybox entities, once after (see https://wiki.garrysmod.com/page/Render_Order). If you do something expensive in the hooks that only needs to be done once per frame, it might be worth it to return early in one of the passes.

Rendering custom stuff to a env_projectedtexture

If you set the texture of env_projectedtexture to some string (eg. myprojtex), you can render to a RT clientside with same name to change what's displayed on the projectedtexture.

HDR bloom/overexposure in RTs workaround

Makes the rt look more like what you're actually drawing to it.

local nilToneMappingScale = Vector(1, 1, 1)

local oldTMSL = render.GetToneMappingScaleLinear()
render.SetToneMappingScaleLinear(nilToneMappingScale)
-- Draw to RT here
render.SetToneMappingScaleLinear(oldTMSL)

SetSubMaterial silently fails if material is not loaded

Source: Facepunch/garrysmod-issues#1511, https://facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=1374457&p=46073827&viewfull=1#post46073827

You can load the material by using surface.SetMaterial(mat) anywhere on client.

Panel:SetDisabled is placebo Garry code

If you actually want to disable Panel functionality, use Panel:SetEnabled(false).

Creating a brush entity

Source: https://facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=1529285&p=50927618&viewfull=1#post50927618 Credits: wauterboi & rubat

AddCSLuaFile();

ENT.Base  = "base_anim";
ENT.Type  = "anim";

ENT.RenderGroup = RENDERGROUP_TRANSLUCENT;

function ENT:Initialize()
  if (SERVER) then
    self:SetMoveType(MOVETYPE_VPHYSICS);
    self:SetSolid(SOLID_VPHYSICS);
    self:SetModel(self.Model);
  else
    self:SetRenderBounds(self:OBBMins(), self:OBBMaxs());
  end
end

function ENT:Draw()
  self:DrawModel();
end

function ENT:KeyValue(key, value)
  if (key == "model") then self.Model = value end
end

RenderTarget name truncation

GetRenderTarget seems to truncate the name to x characters. If you experience render targets pointing to same buffer even with different names, try to shorten the used names to see if it's related to truncation.

Transparent rendertargets

Source: https://facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=1497293&p=49312072&viewfull=1#post49312072

local nm = "myrt"

local rt = GetRenderTargetEx( nm, 512, 512, RT_SIZE_NO_CHANGE, MATERIAL_RT_DEPTH_NONE, 8, 4, IMAGE_FORMAT_RGBA8888 )
render.PushRenderTarget(rt)
render.OverrideAlphaWriteEnable( true, true )
render.ClearDepth()
render.Clear(0, 0, 0, 0)
render.OverrideAlphaWriteEnable( false )
render.PopRenderTarget()

-- Note: specifying alphatest, vertexcolor in material constructor seems to be important
local mat = CreateMaterial(nm, "VertexLitGeneric", {["$alphatest"] = "1", ["$vertexcolor"] = "1"})
mat:SetTexture("$basetexture", rt)

NextBot animations

If using activities other than ACT_WALK or ACT_RUN, remember to edit BodyUpdate (https://github.com/garrynewman/garrysmod/blob/master/garrysmod/gamemodes/base/entities/entities/base_nextbot/sv_nextbot.lua#L64)

3D sounds played via BASS must be mono