GPULib Screen Switcher tool

[TomyLobo]

I made a small tool that switches a GPULib screen to render elsewhere, on a different prop/entity.

Unfortunately there are some Z order issues I cannot easily resolve.
Maybe one of you can, so I'm posting this as is.

Edit: Problems fixed, SVNed

[Schilcote]

I don't exactly understand what this does. Does it just allow you to change the prop that a console screen or digital screen and whatnot is?

On a slightly unrelated note, the graphics tablet needs an update. I want to make a remote drone that allows me to select entites on the RT screen (feed the GT coordinates into a ranger) but I can't seem to find a way to pair up a tablet and an RT screen (it only works with the props listed in the drop-down menu, any other prop, and I mean ANY other prop just dosn't work, and the RT version of the large wire screen is a different size than the non-RT verison for some reason and the small version is just too darned small to use).

[TomyLobo]

nope, it allows you to put the screen on any existing entity you want, like a button or something. I plan to make this useful once it works by making a couple of GPULib screens that can be used as buttons.

edited OP to clarify

[Grocel]

Error report:

When you remove the linked entity then you get an error spam:
wire/client/cl_gpulib.lua:167: Tried to use a NULL entity!

Wire rev. 1984, updated 29.12.2009 at 2:10 am (GMT+1).

An if valid check should fix this.

[TomyLobo]

Testing a fix atm

PS: I committed this tool, just to be clear.
The z order problems are not fixed btw, but I found out they only occur on transparent props (or props with transparent skins)

Edit: fix is working, committing it
I also found out that the screen entity has to be in your PVS (potentially visible set) or the screen won't be drawn.

[Grocel]

And if you change the alpha of the screen entity to 0, will the screen not be drawn too?

[Schilcote]

nope, it allows you to put the screen on any existing entity you want, like a button or something. I plan to make this useful once it works by making a couple of GPULib screens that can be used as buttons.

edited OP to clarify

Oh heck, that's awesome!

Thank you TomyLobo!

[TomyLobo]

i can only think of the SBEP buttons. if anyone can think of something else that's a good button/screen combination, shoot

[TomyLobo]

works with (advanced) duplicator now

[Azrael]

I also found out that the screen entity has to be in your PVS (potentially visible set) or the screen won't be drawn.

Well yeah, that's the whole point of the PVS -- anything not in it can't be seen by the player and so it doesn't have to be drawn. Why, have you faced some problems in which you should be able to see the screen but the entity's not in your PVS?

You could do some stuff with SetRenderBounds if the screen is bigger than the entity to make sure that it's visible.