Mapper: SW corner glitch and other

[Muttie]

I did some work with the BiS mapper (fixed for hi-res), for one to clean up some maps, but mostly to learn using it. While doing so I came upon a map based on “Cafe of Broken Dreams” and it had some random SAI blockers. My first thought was that this was another “old remnant” that needs to be cleaned up, but I then tried to figure out why it was placed there, and after some time I realized that this is an attempt to fix the glitch that SW corners turn transparent when running past them or standing at them.
I never saw this anywhere else, nor used by anyone else (FoRes, Nevada etc.), and it's not the cleanest fix but it does work.
Not really sure this is interesting, but the way it works is:
The Fo2 mapper did set the two wall pieces left and right of the corner piece to “Wall Trans End: Yes”, then to avoid the glitch when approaching the corner from the inside placed the two SAI blockers. After some testing I think it needs a third one, though (just above the two along the N to S wall). Either way, after this the corner is fixed: the outside is turning transparent very little when moving and none at all when standing still, and the inside is fine, too, except that the corner is blocked, but it doesn't feel arbitrary or out of place, I'd say.
Still, it's a bit of work just to avoid a transparent glitch. Also every corner is individual. I tested a few others and it all worked the same, but eventually I found a “curved” corner, which required to set the piece left and right of the corner AND the corner piece itself to “Wall Trans End: Yes”, then it worked the same... so each case would need checking it seems.
Anyway, I thought maybe people saw these corners turn transparent when running past them and thought it odd/wrong. This old "trick" from the Cafe of Broken Dreams map seems to fix that.


Hex Marker Glitch: The marker is normally standard, however, it can be made to feature a “x” (or “1” etc.), which can be helpful when trying to click on hexes (especially when using Q). To do so, trigger the test mode (F8), then move the cursor on any blocked hex so that the “x” is featured, then end test mode (via F8), from now on the default hex will feature the “x” until closing the mapper.
This had me pretty frustrated until I finally figured out that it is a “glitch” and not a hotkey I couldn't find a second time or kept hitting by accident.


BEEP: When pressing “e” followed by “f” while having selected something that is currently not viable (i.e. wall category is open and selecting a scenery piece) it starts to beep. Going into F8 and a set of numbers is running through the display. This does not stop until pressing “e” and “f” again.
Anyway, I'm curious what those numbers are running through the display, maybe someone knows. If so let me know.

 

[.Pixote.]

I suspect the frame offset positions are crappy on the computers so they interacted with the walls properly, but as a consequence they interact badly with the player character (as you described). One solution is to make the computers non-transparent and avoid the shittiness...there are many objects with similar problems in the game.

 

[Muttie]

The “SW corner” glitch, as I believe, is that the engine assumes that the dude is behind the wall when the dude actually isn't and turns the walls transparent. As is normal.
Looks like this:
[and it's noteworthy that it's always the opposite corner that turns transparent, thus "as if the dude is behind it, assuming the wall continues on an eternal line". The below is a bit misleading as I caught it in mid-stride, which makes the transparent effect more obvious]

And the only fix I saw for this was the method used on Cafe of Broken Dreams map. [edit: and Guardian Forever map.]
Looks like this:

Plus setting the two wall pieces next to the corner to "Wall Trans End: Yes". Which works for that corner on Cafe of Broken Dreams.
However, every corner is individual... so each case would need checking how many SAI are needed, and if something else collides with it.
[For example, the doors of the Vault City buildings do mess this up again. The SW corner can be fixed just fine, but the door (in the south wall) itself continues to glitch like the SW corner and I haven't figured out how to turn that off... may not even be possible.]
Looks like this:
And again I think the dude is so close to the wall that the engine thinks the dude is behind it and turns it transparent... at least that's my guess.

Edit: Btw, it does not work to use the "None Trans" flag it must be "Wall Trans End", else the inside won't look good. Looks like this:

But you want it to look it like this:

which requires "Wall Trans End" and some SAI blockers so the dude can't get too close (as above).
And there is no way to fix the Vault City door, I think.