Hard Light Productions Forums

General FreeSpace => FreeSpace & FreeSpace Open Support => Topic started by: Fistleaf on January 09, 2010, 01:46:41 am

Title: Bloom effect for the Stars
Post by: Fistleaf on January 09, 2010, 01:46:41 am
For Freespace 2 main campaign using FSO 3.6.10 mediavps, on many maps there is always one particular star that is so bright that the entire screen turns white completely when my ship is directly facing the star (I think this is called bloom).  This is making it hard to target enemy ships in the direction of that star.  Is this intended or a result of some graphics settings?
Title: Re: Bloom effect for the Stars
Post by: portej05 on January 09, 2010, 01:51:56 am
It's intended :)
Title: Re: Bloom effect for the Stars
Post by: Fistleaf on January 09, 2010, 02:50:11 am
Ok, thanks.  I assume the non-FSO FS2 does not have this effect.  At least the original FS1 does not have this.
Title: Re: Bloom effect for the Stars
Post by: portej05 on January 09, 2010, 02:55:09 am
(Disclaimer: I can't run retail FS2 on the machine I'm on :P)

I believe it was there in the original :)
Makes things a little harder, and is a very low cost effect.

Can someone confirm?
Title: Re: Bloom effect for the Stars
Post by: Commander Zane on January 09, 2010, 04:45:52 am
Usually all the stars that do that are two stars close by or a star with a subliminal star inside it.
Title: Re: Bloom effect for the Stars
Post by: The E on January 09, 2010, 06:02:46 am
Quote from: portej05 on January 09, 2010, 02:55:09 am
(Disclaimer: I can't run retail FS2 on the machine I'm on :P)

I believe it was there in the original :)
Makes things a little harder, and is a very low cost effect.

Can someone confirm?

It was indeed. The main sun in the mission always causes a whiteout.
Title: Re: Bloom effect for the Stars
Post by: Fistleaf on January 09, 2010, 08:24:28 am
But is this effect realistic?   :confused: We do have technology to make sunglasses change their shading depending on the outdoor light conditions, so it is not far-fetched to assume that 24th century spacecraft can implement cockpit screen shading to block out the glare.
Title: Re: Bloom effect for the Stars
Post by: The E on January 09, 2010, 08:35:09 am
Whether or not that would be realistic is beside the point; the effect was there in retail, so it's been carried over and refined in FSO.

Besides, most suns are enormous light sources, not getting blinded by looking at them takes a certain amount of shielding already.
Title: Re: Bloom effect for the Stars
Post by: Jeff Vader on January 09, 2010, 08:43:40 am
And since this is not a general FreeSpace discussion, the Forbidden ArgumentTM can be used: it's a game. Back in '99, the sun glare was a totally cool thing and having a sun blind you in a space game was far more mediasexier than what a dull coloured sphere could have ever been.
Title: Re: Bloom effect for the Stars
Post by: Commander Zane on January 09, 2010, 08:48:53 am
I-War 2 suns are much cooler. :P

Especially flying just outside of the danger zones.
Title: Re: Bloom effect for the Stars
Post by: portej05 on January 09, 2010, 09:02:28 am
It's also a tactical thing. Although I'm not sure whether the AI makes any use of it.
Title: Re: Bloom effect for the Stars
Post by: Sushi on January 09, 2010, 09:05:37 am
It would be nice if there was a way to control the "Brightness" of a sun, and the resulting degree of whiteout. It's fine for normal-sized suns, but tiny ones far away have the exact same effect.
Title: Re: Bloom effect for the Stars
Post by: Commander Zane on January 09, 2010, 09:07:10 am
And the deal with the small stars is as I mentioned before there always seems to be two of them right next to each other.
Title: Re: Bloom effect for the Stars
Post by: Dilmah G on January 09, 2010, 10:10:56 am
Quote from: portej05 on January 09, 2010, 09:02:28 am
It's also a tactical thing. Although I'm not sure whether the AI makes any use of it.
No, however, you've given me a brilliant idea for the next mission I'm FREDing.  :D
Title: Re: Bloom effect for the Stars
Post by: General Battuta on January 09, 2010, 10:57:36 am
Confirm that this effect was present in retail.

It's not actually bloom.
Title: Re: Bloom effect for the Stars
Post by: portej05 on January 09, 2010, 05:05:52 pm
In code it appears to be done exactly the same way that the fade out effect is done (a single quad drawn across the screen) and then whited out depending on how close to the sun you turn.
Title: Re: Bloom effect for the Stars
Post by: Aardwolf on January 12, 2010, 12:45:44 am
Quote from: Dilmah G on January 09, 2010, 10:10:56 am
Quote from: portej05 on January 09, 2010, 09:02:28 am
It's also a tactical thing. Although I'm not sure whether the AI makes any use of it.
No, however, you've given me a brilliant idea for the next mission I'm FREDing.  :D

You've never played JAD, have you?
Title: Re: Bloom effect for the Stars
Post by: Dilmah G on January 12, 2010, 01:02:54 am
It's been years, dude.
Title: Re: Bloom effect for the Stars
Post by: Aardwolf on January 16, 2010, 01:39:12 am
Quote from: Dilmah G on January 12, 2010, 01:02:54 am
It's been years, dude.

In every mission of the original JAD campaign,
Spoiler:
you start out with the sun right in your eyes
Title: Re: Bloom effect for the Stars
Post by: Dilmah G on January 16, 2010, 08:32:38 am
Ohhhhhhhh yeah, I remember now.  :D Forgive me.
Title: Re: Bloom effect for the Stars
Post by: Nicknick on January 22, 2010, 11:02:50 pm
Hehe. interesting question
On one hand its completely unrealistic. Light dispersion only occurs because of the atmosphere. Space = no atm. = no flares, flashes no nothing. The Sun would be just a really bright spot, like any other star we see on a night sky.

On the other hand its totally realistic. The light source of such intensity would blind the viewer, burning through his eyes, indeed resulting in a loss of vision effect. Permanent though.

Then again the solution to such a problem would be a top priority to find, so it is to assume that future pilots dont suffer from that.