[MEDIA] Official Media Gallery

[Feralidragon]

Nope, because it would be a mismatch of textures packages. And a server only stores the textures, a server doesn't use textures, only the clients, I think.
Because, only the clients have to render the textures, the server is just the center of trades between your send/receiving data and the other clients send/receiving data, where replication gets on business.
The rendering is all on client side

The problem here is that Bigger Quality Textures = Bigger File Size, and major textures are custom textures on today servers, so major clients haven't those textures on their HD, so they need to download them, and you know that Bigger File Size = Bigger Download Time.

Sorry if I am wrong about something.

[Creavion]

Sry Feralidragon, but are you wrong in this case. The Highres Textures should be installed only on clients and there are no versions mismatches. If anybody uses the normal packages he has the normal lowres textures. And S3TC user have the highres textures, thats it. Take a look in the readmes of the S3TC packages.

Wouldn't mappers (unless they're using custom-made textures) just use the lowest res textures possible for servers and the clients use either the S3TC or stock textures like they normally do?

Of course they use the lowres originaltextures, because it is not possible to load the S3TC packs into the ed.. well possibly ok it can be done, but you`ll see what happens. BTW: if you are mapping with the packages you have to use the normal packages (during mapping you can store the S3TC packs anywhere else)

[Feralidragon]

Well, I learned something today
Thank you Creavion for correct me

[Shadow]

So now stop talking about S3TC Textures in this Thread. It's purpose is to provide people with media concerning the SDK and it's discussion.

[[~]RUFX[~]RoninMastaFX]

//copied from BeyondUnreal Forums


Shadow, ma man...how's this mod coming along? I know you're busy with other projects (and trust me, I know since I'm working on 4 mods and 2 UTGOTY maps at once XD), and I know you're a lazy bastard (like myself...to a degree XD), but I'm sure everyone here, including myself, need some updates?

Other than that, I hope you are doing well. It's been a long time since I've heard and seen you on ut99.org and BuF. XD Hopefully everything is going good.


Alright man, tc.

«:MX:»RoninMastaFX

[Shadow]

The dancing shadows have come...




[youtube]snJ3Sm411yE[/youtube]

Description:

You see 3 glowing Light Sources flying through the air casting soft shadows on the wall behind the planet...
This was created using my ShadowProjector. The Shadow Projection Texture changes it's size depending on the distance between object and lightsource (as normally expected by a shadow). Tomorrow I'm going to try to implement fading shadows, as the light source gets too far away the shadows fade out (or fade in, as the light source approaches), and to publish a video with this scene, dynamic shadows look best when moving, don't they ? (note: Video already added today)

Just to show some new eyecandy

[Feralidragon]

Interesting. From what I understood then you have used the projector system to your dynamic shadows system, which means we have then to set the shadow texture (a decal type) matching somewhat the object from where we want to cast the shadows (correct me if I misunderstood something).
So if I understood it right, then this would be perfect for perfectly rounded objects (spheres), but in case we want a shadow from a more complex object? Is it going to be possible, or is it already possible?
Anyway, very good job so far

[Shadow]

Interesting. From what I understood then you have used the projector system to your dynamic shadows system, which means we have then to set the shadow texture (a decal type) matching somewhat the object from where we want to cast the shadows (correct me if I misunderstood something).
So if I understood it right, then this would be perfect for perfectly rounded objects (spheres), but in case we want a shadow from a more complex object? Is it going to be possible, or is it already possible?
Anyway, very good job so far

yes, righty right, you're mostly correct, for more complex objects one simply has to make a shadow texture from the front silhouhette.. as long as this fits the conditions (direction of the light source), I'm going to show another example tomorrow, unfortunatly the texture can't be U/V transformed in realtime, maybe I can do something via Canvas... oh I love this one, the Canvas helped me alot in the past ^^

but... as I'm already trying to add real projectors and real dynamic shadows this is just a small step forward
oh.. and it doesn't have to be a decal type texture like in the past, my projectors support all texture blend styles (normal, masked, translucent, modulated), using STY_Translucent one has the possiblity of adjusting the brightness of a projected texture.

[Feralidragon]

yes, righty right, you're mostly correct, for more complex objects one simply has to make a shadow texture from the front silhouhette.. as long as this fits the conditions (direction of the light source), I'm going to show another example tomorrow, unfortunatly the texture can't be U/V transformed in realtime, maybe I can do something via Canvas... oh I love this one, the Canvas helped me alot in the past ^^

but... as I'm already trying to add real projectors and real dynamic shadows this is just a small step forward
oh.. and it doesn't have to be a decal type texture like in the past, my projectors support all texture blend styles (normal, masked, translucent, modulated), using STY_Translucent one has the possiblity of adjusting the brightness of a projected texture.

Cool. But do your projectors still spawn decals to place on the BSP surfaces, or is it done now if a very different way?
I ask this because I tried to make a translucent decal for my weaps with no success, and also because the U/V transforming, I mean, if you use (which I highly doubt) a plane mesh, then it's possible to make U/V transformations in real time, but to a quite limited extent, but now if you used an UScript based decal system which supports other blending styles, then I guess I have to look further the current UT decals system.

And regarding real projectors and shadows, do you mean you're going to code them nativelly? (I ask this because I can't see how you could do that in UScript without performance loss or perfection, due to its own limits, but hey, maybe there's something hiding there in your pocket regarding this)

[Shadow]

I use Decals and Mesh Planes with my own Functions and Techniques. But as I said: I also want to implement real Projective Texture Mapping, projecting on anything: BSP, Sprites, Meshes (Fog?).

Other than that... it's just possible with these 2 Ways, without using Native Coding. Each system has it's advantages and disadvantages. U/V Transform is neither possible for Decals nor for Mesh Planes. Well as I said... maybe I can do something with the Canvas... as it would project naturally on everything, because it's like a painted window the player is looking through (rouhgly said).

Oh and really don't call Unreal Engine 1.5's shitty Decals a "Decal System".. they're a complete mess..

Regarding Real Projectos and Dynamic Shadows: Yes this has to be done with C++ Coding if to be implemented properly.
But regarding Projectors there might be just another way using the Canvas, but with a lot of calculation effort...

[Feralidragon]

Thanks for the explanation
So basically to make them translucent, you have to use mesh planes, right?
Btw, I guarantee you that it's possible to make U/V transformations if you're using mesh planes (of course, not with a regular mesh plane, but mesh planes with "animations" that stretch either the X or Y axis (U/V translated to texture coordinates), and believe me that I did some stuff like "stretching" effects and rotating parts of a mesh (rotation speeds controlled by UScript only in real time as well) without using rotation parameters at all, like rotating only the wheels in a an entire track mesh for a tank for instance).
Of course, the "rotating" parts of a mesh is only doable for a specific mod, but the "plane stretching" using animation parameters like the AnimFrame and AnimSequence really work out and are fast and easy to do, but like I said, it's a limited process (limited to the max stretching defined in the mesh itself), and so your methods might work much better and independent from this type, although they will require many more calculations like you said. But it's possible (it just takes a bit of imagination sometimes, which I bet you used many times to implement something using only the current "features" of the engine, like for instance: using the canvas for dynamic coronas and lensflares with color blending and brightness levels, which was cool ).

[zacman]

How much will this rip the crap out of those of us using older systems? It looks pretty demanding.

[Shadow]

Thanks for the explanation
So basically to make them translucent, you have to use mesh planes, right?
Btw, I guarantee you that it's possible to make U/V transformations if you're using mesh planes (of course, not with a regular mesh plane, but mesh planes with "animations" that stretch either the X or Y axis (U/V translated to texture coordinates), and believe me that I did some stuff like "stretching" effects and rotating parts of a mesh (rotation speeds controlled by UScript only in real time as well) without using rotation parameters at all, like rotating only the wheels in a an entire track mesh for a tank for instance).
Of course, the "rotating" parts of a mesh is only doable for a specific mod, but the "plane stretching" using animation parameters like the AnimFrame and AnimSequence really work out and are fast and easy to do, but like I said, it's a limited process (limited to the max stretching defined in the mesh itself), and so your methods might work much better and independent from this type, although they will require many more calculations like you said. But it's possible (it just takes a bit of imagination sometimes, which I bet you used many times to implement something using only the current "features" of the engine, like for instance: using the canvas for dynamic coronas and lensflares with color blending and brightness levels, which was cool ).

Yes, animations, but that's far from what I call dynamic. I won't use Animations.
that stuff with the rotation thingy I already know, I've implemented Quaternions and Simulated Quaternions

How much will this rip the crap out of those of us using older systems? It looks pretty demanding.

Welll I think not much at all, since it's still nothing totally new. I gonna test everything on my old Notebook (has only Geforce FX 5200 Go), has a week graphics card, but still DX9 Capability.

[Creavion]

Shadow I really hope you can make there something because of the "terrain" problems. Otherwise really promising, I hope I can implement (parts of) your SDK in future versions of my sp releases.


Older systems.. pah. For those its time to update their system. Pentium 2 is not enough anymore.

[Shadow]

Shadow I really hope you can make there something because of the "terrain" problems. Otherwise really promising, I hope I can implement (parts of) your SDK in future versions of my sp releases.


Older systems.. pah. For those its time to update their system. Pentium 2 is not enough anymore.

oh man crev.. I said it all so often: Decals are kinda decent to draw on multiple and angled Surfaces, but not the Plane Meshes... anyway, only real Hardware-accelerated Projective Texture Mapping is full capable.