Hard Light Productions Forums

Modding, Mission Design, and Coding => FS2 Open Coding - The Source Code Project (SCP) => Topic started by: Solatar on August 10, 2003, 02:04:34 pm

Title: "Fog" nebulae
Post by: Solatar on August 10, 2003, 02:04:34 pm
In many recent FPS, when you launch things that create smoke when they blow up, they create some pretty cool looking clouds. Could we inpliment something like these into fs to replace the current nebulae? FS2 has aged remakably well, but I think the only thing that looks not too great right now are the nebula missions.

*cues flammage*
Title: "Fog" nebulae
Post by: Unknown Target on August 10, 2003, 02:23:51 pm
Actually, I agree. The FS nebulae still looks quite good, however, you can easily see the bitmap that [V] layered in the background. Maybe if you made the nebulae thicker?
Title: "Fog" nebulae
Post by: Bobboau on August 10, 2003, 03:48:55 pm
or maybe a better bitmap, if I recal it's like realy low res
Title: "Fog" nebulae
Post by: diamondgeezer on August 10, 2003, 03:54:31 pm
The nebulae still draw n the crowds, but they could stand some improvement, certainly.
Title: "Fog" nebulae
Post by: TrashMan on August 10, 2003, 04:50:57 pm
Now THIS is a good idea!:yes:
Title: "Fog" nebulae
Post by: Solatar on August 10, 2003, 04:52:23 pm
But it probably will never be implimented. :D :p
Title: "Fog" nebulae
Post by: Flipside on August 10, 2003, 06:31:15 pm
Oh, I dunno, if they manage to attach particle spews to ships to cure the vanishing thruster problem, it is all a matter of parameters ;)

Ok, theres been talk about nebula/cloud systems in here before, for use in various Mods. Theres also been talk of thrusters problems and how lovely it would be to have Particle system thrusters rather than the current FS2 'British Gas' thrusters :)

I know FS2 has a partiicle spew system, so I was wondering whether that system could either be refined, or , though this would be a much larger request, a system could be written which would create a modder-definable particle system (i.e. The modder defines the 'widget' bitmap and it's in-game size, the spew rate, velocity (For each axis, possibly with an option for random number?), lifetime etc). Not only could you use these for thrusters, you could also have something like a Waypoint object, which is the source of the particle emitter, set biggish 'cloudy' bitmaps, looooong life and random direction and hey presto, Nebula, Clouds, floating space Jelly, whatever! :)

You could possibly even set the emitter values in Fred ;)

Flipside
Title: "Fog" nebulae
Post by: Bobboau on August 10, 2003, 07:47:02 pm
yes this could be done,
no I don't feel like doing it
Title: "Fog" nebulae
Post by: Flipside on August 10, 2003, 07:58:26 pm
LOL Fair enough answer, I must admit, I'm in the position of not being able to write a line of C++, or any other language that is used these days, but I do have an inkling of the sort of work it would probably involve. Still, it would be lovely if someone could spare the time to have a shot at it (spoken like a true non-programmer ;) ).

Flipside :)
Title: "Fog" nebulae
Post by: Taristin on August 10, 2003, 08:46:38 pm
Quote
Originally posted by Bobboau
yes this could be done,
no I don't feel like doing it


Yet... [wait till we have our way...:devil:]
Title: "Fog" nebulae
Post by: Flipside on August 11, 2003, 06:50:25 am
ROFL!

Right plan 1 : The Bart and Lisa Simpson technique....

Bobboau, please can we have nebula.......
Bobboau, please can we have nebula.......
Bobboau, please can we have nebula.......
Bobboau, please can we have nebula.......
Bobboau, please can we have nebula.......
etc

;)

Flipside :)
Title: "Fog" nebulae
Post by: deep_eyes on August 11, 2003, 10:34:50 am
Well take a page out of freelancers nebula like space. the one venom was suggesting, the ability to enter and leave nebula.
Title: "Fog" nebulae
Post by: Taristin on August 11, 2003, 10:41:30 am
I still want particle engines! :p
Title: "Fog" nebulae
Post by: Flipside on August 11, 2003, 01:24:41 pm
LOL Them too! :D
Title: How about...
Post by: Support 1 on August 12, 2003, 03:38:57 am
How about being able to adjust how thick the nebula is? The default would be the current FS2 nebula thickness.

Of course the thicker it is, the less you can see through it.
Title: "Fog" nebulae
Post by: Solatar on August 12, 2003, 08:56:44 am
We can do that sort of stuff after we make the current nebula look better.:D
Title: "Fog" nebulae
Post by: TrashMan on August 12, 2003, 11:28:05 am
Nebula is one of the best parts of FS2 and it NEED to look better and to feel better.
Title: "Fog" nebulae
Post by: LAW ENFORCER on August 12, 2003, 11:34:28 am
yeah once everything looks better people will see a 'free' game that runs on most systems that is totaly fun and cool... and somehow we will make huge amounts of money... or was that that M$ FS2 MOD?

about the bebulae though, Freelancer (CrapLancer) has the best nebs in that you can enter them - they are however crap they are full of stuff you bang into (usually) and there dosen't seem to be any variation in thickness that was anyyoing. FS2 is old so its OK but we need exellent looking and MODable nebs to ahem... DESTROY any compition.... thank you.
Title: "Fog" nebulae
Post by: Lynx on August 12, 2003, 04:27:01 pm
I would also suggest particle missile trails. The ones we have now are just plain ugly. With better bitmaps this can be lessened up to a degree but I would live to see missile trails à la Freelancer.:)
Title: "Fog" nebulae
Post by: Fineus on August 12, 2003, 04:44:30 pm
Some kind of line or trail that follows a distance behind the missile (as definited by table) that spawns particles on an RGB base with another definition in table for cone, length etc. to make realistic smoke etc?
Title: "Fog" nebulae
Post by: LAW ENFORCER on August 12, 2003, 04:46:12 pm
yeah FreeCrapper did do missile trails quite well (not the missiles thought!) thats good thinking there... good man


'dispurtion' effect with decay time of 40 secs....:cool: :eek: :yes:
Title: "Fog" nebulae
Post by: LAW ENFORCER on August 12, 2003, 04:48:55 pm
Quote
Originally posted by Kalfireth
Some kind of line or trail that follows a distance behind the missile (as definited by table) that spawns particles on an RGB base with another definition in table for cone, length etc. to make realistic smoke etc?


why not just points? (notice the S)
Title: "Fog" nebulae
Post by: Flipside on August 12, 2003, 05:02:33 pm
You could just do it spewing one or two widgets per frame (The widget doesn't need to move, missiles leave stationary smoke behind, it is them that is doing all the moving). If that widget could be made to enlarge and fade simultaneously, it would probs look pretty good ;)

Flipside

P.S. I think Bobboau has abandoned thread ;o) hehehehe
Title: "Fog" nebulae
Post by: Anaz on August 12, 2003, 06:25:13 pm
flipside....that's just a particle spew...
Title: "Fog" nebulae
Post by: Flipside on August 12, 2003, 06:27:53 pm
Yes, that's exactly what we are saying :D We are asking for the Particle systems to be enhanced so that Missiles can spew particles more effectively, and the same engine can be used for thrusters on ships, Nebulae etc :) There are many ways of doing it, depending on what you want to do. Kalthireth's idea is a good one too, but I think it all boils down to needing more flexibility in the particle system :)

Flipside :D

Edit : Yes, i know there is a particle spew system already for weapons, I haven't used it, so I can't comment on it, but I think a more advanced system would make a lot of things easier/better for modders :)
Title: "Fog" nebulae
Post by: Thorn on August 12, 2003, 07:07:04 pm
Anyone here played Tachyon? Those are the nebulas I want to see...

Speaking of Tachyon, Shrike, you still have my CD :p
Title: "Fog" nebulae
Post by: Unknown Target on August 12, 2003, 07:28:47 pm
I'd like to see particle-spewing engines, rather than the blocks we have now.
Like, when you start the engine up from a velocity of zero, it gives a really big flare, then narrows down into a coherent flame.
Title: "Fog" nebulae
Post by: Woolie Wool on August 12, 2003, 08:03:20 pm
Now that would be nice.:nod: