TRANSPARENT WATER

r_wateralpha 0.4  (or any number 0 - 1 in .1 increments)

Makes water, lava and slime surfaces translucent, so you CAN see what's underneath. With normal maps, the vis info isn't there,  so you have to turn on "r_novis 1" to actually see through unless you vis'ed your maps.  (0.3 looks like fog!)

Get the water vis utility

If you vis your maps with the above utility, it will cost you 15% in FPS on the timedemo2 test. The timedemo2 is just a test. It the real world it won't matter that much.

Note: Even though you can see thru the surface of the water, you will not be able to see players, ammo, armor, packs etc., as the server does not transmit that info to you. Because the server doesn't think you can see it. Just a few servers are currently running with the information beings sent to the player so you can see the players below the surface when your above the surface. However in Monster play all the info is send to you.

r_novis 1 (you need this to see transparent water until you vis your maps)

Note: It will run amazingly slow with the "r_novis 1" command  (1/2 speed or less), this is just a workaround so you can see the effect. To actually run a map with transparent water, you need a map which has been VIS'd with the new VIS utility.

TO INSTALL THE WATER VIS ( Water Surface Transparency) PATCH:

BEFORE STARTING, MAKE BACK UP COPIES OF YOUR PAK FILES.

Go download the Vis Patch file "ID1.Zip". The "ID1.Zip" contains the utility & the patch to Vis all your ID1 maps that came with your Quake game. Get any other vis patches for the maps you have.  Then unzip the "ID1.zip"  into a new empty folder named "water". Then double click on the file named **"install.bat" in the "water" folder.  It will ask you if you want to make backup copies of your Pak files or overwrite your pak files.  Say "y" to overwriting your existing maps.

DO NOT LET IT MAKE backup copies. If you let it make backup copies, it will leave your orignal Pak files unaltered and make new pak files that have been vised. If you let it make backups, you will need to remove the Pak files and rename the new vised ones. Pak files must start with "0" (zero) and go up from there. (0,1,2,3 etc.) After saying "y" to overwriting your maps, it will ask your Quake directory. It will then detect all the pak files that you have vis patch files for in the "water" folder, and ask the directory of the "ID1" Just follow the on screen instructions. Its very easy. The whole vis process only take 5 minutes or less.

*Then use the "r_wateralpha 0-1" (in .1 increments) to adjust the transparency of the water surface.  I like ".3"