Ns_particlezoo

HanzGrub3r · March 2004

<div class="IPBDescription">If you want an exhibit let me know!</div> Ok..

back when the NSTR was released I made a map to show off the brilliant particle system. Flayra incorporated it into NSTR2 from memory.. it was of a couple of thousand particles bouncing down some steps.. was a very good stress test actually..

Now, it seems to me anyway, that not many people really know the benefits or the possibilities with the particle system entity.. Well, if you'll let me, I'll show you..

I'm making a map called ns_particlezoo... basically it's just a techdemo map to show off different particle systems - hence the name. I will release both the bsp and the rmf/map files and hopefully a tutorial on each individual particle system and how the effect was achieved..

Now the question to you guys - what do you want to see in this zoo? is there anything you've attempted that you've just ended up thinking "screw it" ?

Let me know and I'll include it in my zoo. I have room for about 16 exhibits..so, the most difficult and most creative ones I will add...

Windelkron · March 2004

Have a room with:
- a series of pegs on the wall. Particles come out of a slot at the top and tumble through the pegs...

- alternating forces on particles. Imagine two fans facing each other; they turn on and off in tandem with each other, blowing the particles left, then right, the left again. Even better if you can make them turn on/off at different frequencies, so that you get constructive/destructive interference!

- an "atmospheric hallway" that features a lot of staticmeshes and cascading sparks.

- a waterfall - you can disguise this by making a specimen tank with a crack in it (would be awesome)

yay!

KungFuDiscoMonkey · March 2004

Great idea! I'm all for it.

HanzGrub3r · March 2004

<b>Windelkron</b>

- The peg is definitely do-able.
- The alternating forces unfortunately is not (I don't think) unless I can pull something off ...hrmm...I have an idea or two..
- The atmospheric hallway is fine, sparks all good, but staticmeshes are something out of UT..lol...
- Playing with water is always fun so a waterfall would be cool..

Windelkron · March 2004

static meshes - like in some of Tanith's hallways, a illusionary (?) model is used to describe details that would be impossible to make with brushes.

HanzGrub3r · March 2004

<b>Wind</b> - Oh ok, now I am on the same page as you...well, it's not something really to do with particle systems...that could be a whole other thing altogether...

Naigel · March 2004

Now the question to you guys - what do you want to see in this zoo?

What would I love to see concerning the PS? Hmm, I think... everything that a PS can do... wind, steam, rain, waterfalls, smoke, fog, sparks, more more more more.

Thaldarin · March 2004

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Windelkron @ Mar 13 2004, 04:56 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> static meshes - like in some of Tanith's hallways, a illusionary (?) model is used to describe details that would be impossible to make with brushes.  </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> 
Its not impossible to brush out those walls in hammer, it would just give damn high r_speeds with everything else going on.

Papercut · March 2004

I want see an elephant and a tiger!

JK, good idea Gruber.

Here what id like to see, some kind of piston smashing against the floor and sparks flying when it hits the floor, kinda.

-____-

HanzGrub3r · March 2004

<b>All</b> - almost finished working on the "water room" - main exhibits include:

- Basic Fountain
- Waterfall
- Shower or Tap (haven't decided cause fountain is similar to shower)
- Water Drip w/ Splash on ground
- and (of course) Rain

<b>Papercut</b> very doable - just a matter of timing it right.. <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' />

dPP · March 2004

Snow
Snow blowing in Wind
A nice dark halway with mist
Basic Steam comeing from a grate

And great idea mate <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' />

Papercut · March 2004

ARGH!

Dark_Plauge was faster. >_<

Supernorn · March 2004

0- A marine model in an idle position, with him breathing out cold air. I wanted to see if this could be done.

0- Something on fire, burning.

0- Misty fog floating around the floor of a room.

HanzGrub3r · March 2004

holy moly...*gets pen and paper and writes everything down* ...you guys don't ask much of me do you? lol..just kidding...it's great that you guys are helping me help out..

Afr · March 2004

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (supernorn2000 @ Mar 13 2004, 09:37 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> 0- A marine model in an idle position, with him breathing out cold air. I wanted to see if this could be done.
</td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'>
How about an onos breathing ? with some custom breathing sounds..

RAAAWR!

uffo · March 2004

some water which fells on the ledge, bursts to drips and finally drops on a hot metal and vanish as smoke in the air

Xyth · March 2004

Have a room where at one end a hug container full of water has a big crack in it, then have the water coming out of it flood onto the ground. On the other end of the room have fire spewing put of a gratting or somthing. The water falls onto the grating creating large amount of smoke/steam. Make it look really dramatic with broken stuff everywhere.

BigD · March 2004

Some things I've been meaning to try but probably never will.

-Dust floating in the air. (Not fog!)

-A scene which off in the distance you can see a flock of birds flying away...
(Using a sprite that alternates between a M and a W type shape. Nothing fancier than that.)

-A large particle gun being fired.

-An area that you walk through and kick up dust.

-A swarm of bugs.

Fantastic idea Hanz! I can't wait to see the final result!

HanzGrub3r · March 2004

<b>All</b> - Lol, some of you guys are confusing this humble particle system with that of 3dsmax or Maya which can use atmospheric apparatus, forces and deflectors... Unfortunately you can't alter particles once they are in the air in NS. But we can fudge a few things. Most of these can be done with a little bit of messing around... alright, back to work..

Some_tall_guy1 · March 2004

I really like the idea of having puffs of mist coming from the marines mouths, that would fit really well into the map I have planned once I finish papillon.

Maveric · March 2004

Something burning with the particles changing colors would be nice.

Tequila · March 2004

Yeah, I second a raging particle fire. If you could handle that, sir, then I'd salute you. I really need it for my map <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' />

Kouji_San · March 2004

I always wanted to know what is possible with the PS. Great idea<b> HanzGrub3r</b>

btw is mist possible with the PS? I mean using a PS + spawn entity in stead of a few sprites in a row, it would cut down the entity count dramaticly this way, because I need steam in me map <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' />

BigD · March 2004

In case mine seemed to complicated:

-Dust floating in the air. (Not fog!)
Would require a lot of particles to look good. Probably a system killer. But, just having some slow moving particles fashioned much like fog just floating along slowly.

-A scene which off in the distance you can see a flock of birds flying away...
(Using a sprite that alternates between a M and a W type shape. Nothing fancier than that.)
Would require a bit of distance from the player. But imagine maybe a dozen "w" particles floating off into the distance. Simply give them a set trajectory. Purely atmospheric (and not useful in ns)
Alternative: spaceships flying outside a window. Using small sprites, the visual effect of them being far off objects could be possible. Giving them movement would making "judging the distance" all the harder.

-A large particle gun being fired.
I'm thinking along the lines of the lazer in ns_origin. But with various sized particles "shooting" out instead of the beam.

-An area that you walk through and kick up dust.
Particle system that is triggered by a trigger_presence or something perhaps? (Might be tricky...)

-A swarm of bugs.
Hmm... This might not be doable as the PS can't just go in any direction it pleases. I was originally thinking of the swarms of bugs found floating around (harmlessly buzzing) in Metroid Prime. Random movement is would be quite a hack at best in NS!

Just trying some different ideas than "steam, water, fire" A bit unrealistic perhaps, but if done they'd sure be neato! <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' />

dPP · March 2004

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>- A marine model in an idle position, with him breathing out cold air. I wanted to see if this could be done.
</td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'>

How could this be done, while playin g :O

brute_force · March 2004

Not while playing, that'd be impossible. But if you had a marine model somewhere in your map you could add that.

I don't have any suggestions, since everyone has already said everything. <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' />

HanzGrub3r · March 2004

<b>All:</b> so frustrating! was gonna take pics of the ones already done so you guys could see - but, you know how NS screenshots look notoriously unlike the real map? well particle systems look even worse! lol..I'm gonna have to just wait till it's done and then just post the map

prsearle · March 2004

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (ShdwStal @ Mar 14 2004, 11:35 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>Not while playing, that'd be impossible. But if you had a marine model somewhere in your map you could add that.

I don't have any suggestions, since everyone has already said everything. <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'>
Actually it might be possible, but it would require altering the marine model. Models in Half-Life can fire off "events" at certain frames. For example, the LMG view model fires event 5004 ("play sound") at frames 13 and 38 of the reload sequence to create the "click-out, click-in" effect. It also uses event 5001 ("draw sprite") to create the muzzleflash at frame 0 of the fire sequence. These are standard Half-Life events. Natural-Selection adds a new event 7000 ("Create particle system"). This creates a particle system at the specified attachment (I think). Currently, it's only used on the phasegate, but it might be possible to use it to create a cold-breath effect.

KungFuSquirrel · March 2004

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Windelkron @ Mar 12 2004, 09:11 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> alternating forces on particles. Imagine two fans facing each other; they turn on and off in tandem with each other, blowing the particles left, then right, the left again. Even better if you can make them turn on/off at different frequencies, so that you get constructive/destructive interference!  </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> 
mmm... Nightwatch... trigger_particle_push... <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif' /> teehee

Sorry. I'll run away now.

Supernorn · March 2004

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (prsearle @ Mar 14 2004, 07:46 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>
Actually it might be possible, but it would require altering the marine model. Models in Half-Life can fire off "events" at certain frames. For example, the LMG view model fires event 5004 ("play sound") at frames 13 and 38 of the reload sequence to create the "click-out, click-in" effect. It also uses event 5001 ("draw sprite") to create the muzzleflash at frame 0 of the fire sequence. These are standard Half-Life events. Natural-Selection adds a new event 7000 ("Create particle system"). This creates a particle system at the specified attachment (I think). Currently, it's only used on the phasegate, but it might be possible to use it to create a cold-breath effect.  </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> 
You mean kind of like how the turrets smoke after firing?

brute_force · March 2004

That'd pretty much require hard-coding, and I don't think they'd make that for just one map.

Ns_particlezoo

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