Hard Light Productions Forums

Modding, Mission Design, and Coding => The Modding Workshop => Topic started by: redsniper on August 01, 2008, 01:22:20 pm

Title: Is there a way to make weapon trails opaque?
Post by: redsniper on August 01, 2008, 01:22:20 pm
I've been messing around with table editing trying to make a grappling hook-type weapon. I've got a primary with a negative mass, which does a pretty good job of sucking enemy ships towards the player, and I've given it a trail that looks sort of like a metal cable. The only problem is that even at full alpha, stars and such are visible through the trail. Do you fellows know any way to render a trail opaque? Or perhaps a better way to simulate a grappling hook?

While I'm at it, how customizable are countermeasures? I want to replace the default with flares or something a little more low tech, can countermeasures be given flags like fof or not?
Title: Re: Is there a way to make weapon trails opaque?
Post by: DaBrain on August 02, 2008, 04:14:26 am
Did you try using an alpha channel for the trail? (Compress as DXT5, or for testing, 32-Bit TGA)
Title: Re: Is there a way to make weapon trails opaque?
Post by: redsniper on August 02, 2008, 11:22:38 am
Well, no, but I think this has to do with how all trails are rendered. I know for some effects, black is the transparent color, but the stars are showing through all parts of the trail. The effect is already a tga for now, I'll check the alpha channel, but I'm pretty sure it's fully opaque.

EDIT: added an alpha channel, no effect.
Title: Re: Is there a way to make weapon trails opaque?
Post by: Gregster2k on August 02, 2008, 09:41:52 pm
I totally want to see a video of this... :lol:
Title: Re: Is there a way to make weapon trails opaque?
Post by: redsniper on August 02, 2008, 09:53:31 pm
I mean, I've considered modeling the whole harpoon and cable, but then it would disappear as soon as it hit the target, right? I want it to at least sort of look like the cable is retracting and pulling the fighter towards you. Perhaps something in the scripting system could help, but I haven't even begun to learn how to use that, so I wouldn't know.
Title: Re: Is there a way to make weapon trails opaque?
Post by: DaBrain on August 03, 2008, 06:26:39 am
Well, no, but I think this has to do with how all trails are rendered. I know for some effects, black is the transparent color, but the stars are showing through all parts of the trail. The effect is already a tga for now, I'll check the alpha channel, but I'm pretty sure it's fully opaque.

EDIT: added an alpha channel, no effect.

Well, glowpoints for example can be rendered additive or alpha blended. The method is defined by the map. (24-Bit -> Additive 32-Bit Alpha).

If adding an alpha channel didn't work, this might be yet another issue which could be solved with the material system...
Title: Re: Is there a way to make weapon trails opaque?
Post by: redsniper on August 04, 2008, 02:22:04 pm
Could someone please move this to Freespace Modding? I think it's a little more suited to that board and will get more views there. Thanks.
Title: Re: Is there a way to make weapon trails opaque?
Post by: redsniper on August 10, 2008, 09:26:01 pm
WRYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!
:bump:
Title: Re: Is there a way to make weapon trails opaque?
Post by: PL_Harpoon on August 14, 2008, 08:59:45 am
While I'm at it, how customizable are countermeasures? I want to replace the default with flares or something a little more low tech, can countermeasures be given flags like fof or not?
Well... create a flare model, texture it and replace the current one.
Title: Re: Is there a way to make weapon trails opaque?
Post by: redsniper on August 15, 2008, 10:49:23 pm
:blah: