The ai Frontier - My ups and downs

[ai]

I have started to pick this project up a bit. I'm currently going to make some glow and bump maps for the flag.
However, I would really love to have an animated texture for the lasers, just glow/gloss don't do it. If anyone has any information on how to do that with models it would be a great help. I've read this thread: http://forums.alientrap.local/viewtopic.php?t=3715 .. But this is for maps as far as I know. I have no idea how to create shaders (what's suppose to be in them) and I hear you would need a shader for that to work.
The thread above might help out but to me it's still a bit hard to understand how to make it work with models (if at all possible).

So a simple howto would be cool or if someone could re-direct me to that material.
I'm also going to see about that special bone and how/if that's possible. Cause, would I have to name that bone something specific and would the code take care of the rest if it were to be created?
I need to know the limitations as they stand right now and what's plausible to work and not work.

Thanks.

[[-z-]]

Awesome, glad to hear you're getting back into it. I love these flags and I hope they make it into SVN (with a smoke trail).

[tZork]

1. create a shader in nexuiz/data/scripts with something like:

Code: Select all

textures/mydir/myname
{
   surfaceparm nomarks
   surfaceparm trans
   surfaceparm pointlight
   surfaceparm nolightmap   
   nopicmip
   qer_editorimage textures/mydir/myname_edit.jpg

   {
      animmap 10 textures/mydir/myname_first.jpg textures/mydir/myname_second.jpg textures/mydir/myname_third.jpg
   }

}


you need one glowmap/gloww/norm... (if it uses them) for each of the textures in animap ...

if you want transparency add "blendfunc blend" to the animap section:

Code: Select all

   {
      blendfunc blend
      animmap 10 textures/mydir/myname_first.tga textures/mydir/myname_second.tga textures/mydir/myname_third.tga
   }


and use tga images with alpha channel insted.

alternatively, you can use "blendfunc add ", no alpha/tga needed and no _glow map needed. looks less good but are more memory friendly.

2. on your model, name the material for the animated part/s "textures/mydir/myname"

3. export, done.

[ai]

Hey guys. The competition at 3D Buzz is over for me. I didn't make it in time with my submission as my computer was too weak to what I had planned so I only got half way there. I'll still finish my piece but that will happen over time whenever I have time.
This means I now have freed up more time for Nexuiz and am dead set on finishing these flags. I'm really anxious on starting other Nexuiz projects and learn the process.

3. export, done.

So to start of, I got everything what you said there tZork, but what do you mean with this export? How do you export? You create a .shader file with the right stuff in it right? But do you compile it somehow into a .zym with the zmodel or is it something else.

Sorry for the lost time guys.

[[-z-]]

Sorry to hear you were able to complete your entry for the contest but glad to hear you're turning that energy into positive motivation for Nexuiz related projects. I still love your flags and I'm happy to see you working hard to improve them.

Thanks for keeping us posted. Keep up the good work.

[C.Brutail]

+1
Which one will you finish btw?The one or 4 sided variant?

[morfar]

3 sided I hope. It's more visible.

[ai]

Well, I would still love more votes from people of which they prefer. I think so far the 3-sided is leading, there was one more (or even two more guys) who told me they liked the 3-sided flag better.
However, I might even do both and release them, then people can download whichever they prefer. But if it is going to be included in a official Nexuiz release then we would have to decide which one, hence the voting

[[-z-]]

Please don't do the 3 sided. It's awkward and imho ugly. The 1 sided is slick as hell and IIRC the only problem was visibility... which can be fixed with a smoke trail and maybe some other effects.

[ai]

I will have to go with the majority, it really isn't up to me I just do what the people want. You would have to plead to the other peeps