execution of DI
Deadzone
Join Date: 2003-07-03 Member: 17911Members, Reinforced - Shadow
Join Date: 2003-07-03 Member: 17911Members, Reinforced - Shadow
Saw someone comment on why DI shown in a previous tech demo would/wouldn't work. Assuming the devs haven't found a secret awesome method to make a truly dynamic infestation, how about this? I'd like to know if this is/isn't possible, and why, just out of curiosity.
I'm not a mapper, but I am a graphic artist. I'm used to the concepts of masks and layers covering "hidden" art underneath the mask/layer.
Is there a reason a mapper couldn't make a clean "marine" room, make a crazy cool infested room in the same location, and have the engine mask over the infestation? Basically, provide the tools to the mapper to slather Infestation over finished geometry. It would get put on as a mix of 3-D globby shapes and texture. The clean rooms are the base map, with the prepared infestation being a second "layer" painted over the map.
When marines control a room, the engine does not display the painted textures or modeled infestation. As it spreads, the mask is gradually removed, and all the infestation becomes visible. Maybe with little animations along the edges as the infestation creeps along the walls. The lighting can change at set points in the process - I believe that's already possible.
It wouldn't be procedural, the DI would look the same each time, and it would all be up to the mapper. However, the bits of mask getting removed could be random, growing differently each time. I'd also imagine this method would be less demanding on the PC.
Would it never work? Is it just impractical? Would mappers hate the extra layer of work? Maybe UWE has something cooler functioning hidden away already? I have no idea. Tell me what'cha got, people~
I'm not a mapper, but I am a graphic artist. I'm used to the concepts of masks and layers covering "hidden" art underneath the mask/layer.
Is there a reason a mapper couldn't make a clean "marine" room, make a crazy cool infested room in the same location, and have the engine mask over the infestation? Basically, provide the tools to the mapper to slather Infestation over finished geometry. It would get put on as a mix of 3-D globby shapes and texture. The clean rooms are the base map, with the prepared infestation being a second "layer" painted over the map.
When marines control a room, the engine does not display the painted textures or modeled infestation. As it spreads, the mask is gradually removed, and all the infestation becomes visible. Maybe with little animations along the edges as the infestation creeps along the walls. The lighting can change at set points in the process - I believe that's already possible.
It wouldn't be procedural, the DI would look the same each time, and it would all be up to the mapper. However, the bits of mask getting removed could be random, growing differently each time. I'd also imagine this method would be less demanding on the PC.
Would it never work? Is it just impractical? Would mappers hate the extra layer of work? Maybe UWE has something cooler functioning hidden away already? I have no idea. Tell me what'cha got, people~
Comments
E.g.:
The mapper places nodes to which tendrils will spread. These nodes would be related in a tree-like structure. The tech-point acts as root node where all tendrils start from; it has a number of child nodes, and these child nodes have further children. This gives the mapper the control necessary to generate clever pathing of the infestation and limited artistic control over how the infestation should look.
To get a degree of randomness you can have the mapper place more branches than will actually be used and select which ones will be used at run time. You could also assign each branch a random growth rate at run time, perhaps between 10 and 20 cm/s, so that it looks similar but not exactly the same every time. There is also opportunity for the mapper to place special infestation effects(this infestation node is on the ceiling and should generate some hanging infestation that slowly releases small particles of spores/dust motes; this infestation node is on the floor and should produce gloopy sprawling infestation that spreads in a small radius from the tendril on the floor around it).
E.g.:
The mapper places nodes to which tendrils will spread. These nodes would be related in a tree-like structure. The tech-point acts as root node where all tendrils start from; it has a number of child nodes, and these child nodes have further children. This gives the mapper the control necessary to generate clever pathing of the infestation and limited artistic control over how the infestation should look.
To get a degree of randomness you can have the mapper place more branches than will actually be used and select which ones will be used at run time. You could also assign each branch a random growth rate at run time, perhaps between 10 and 20 cm/s, so that it looks similar but not exactly the same every time. There is also opportunity for the mapper to place special infestation effects(this infestation node is on the ceiling and should generate some hanging infestation that slowly releases small particles of spores/dust motes; this infestation node is on the floor and should produce gloopy sprawling infestation that spreads in a small radius from the tendril on the floor around it).<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
+1
Definently liking the idea of these nodes, creeping vines, tentacles/tendrils, bulging glowing sacks, particle effects all being assigned to nodes placable by the mapper. Then having the engine do the dynamic infestation that fills in the gaps between the nodes. When the dynamic infestation reaches a node that node will become visable and start growing slowly til it reaches full size (emittance for particles).
UWE definently should take some heed on this suggestion.