[Nico]

there's ways to have very cool "3D" beams using particles, like they did in Darklight Conflict ( that game was full of effects of that kind ). I have to find pics...

Edit: seems there was a psx version out, and as a result, the old PC version, well, can't find anything interesting about it. It's quite old, tho ( out in 1997 )

[.::Tin Can::.]

So then the verdict on a 3D beam or a more 3D-looking beam would be:

[Liberator]

maybe? zako

[.::Tin Can::.]

The beams look great and all, but if it hits the ship then you can clearly see that its 2D, just like the fire effects from Doom when you would run around a fire it would rotate with you.

[Liberator]

Actually, zako, your supposed to be too busy to make that kind of observation.  zako

[Carl]

no. no no no no. no 3D beams. it'll be a preformance drain and it'll look worse. it's no worth solving the straight line hit problem, especially sinse that can easily be solved by covering it up with beam glows and explosions.

[ChronoReverse]

Well, a 3D beam wouldn't actually kill performance (since a cylinder doesn't actually require _that_ many polies).

It just won't look as good.

[Bobboau]

show me a pic of the 'strait line' problem.

[Nico]

a 3D (  cylinder mesh ) beam looks crap, period. I know, I've tried many ways in max to render beams and, guess what? The cylinder thing is the worst looking of the lot.
The best way can't be replicated in FS ( well, it could with some tweakage of the overexposure code, I guess ).

[Grug]

Personally... I don't think its a 'major issure'.

But I still wouldn't mind to see it perfected. Maybe once Lightspeed gets around to beams...

-Grug

[Sandwich]

Seems to me that FS beams are more or less fine as-is, especially with the advanced tiling and animation code in there. But adding some real HTL glows would be REEEAAALL nice, too.

[Nico]

well, I just pointed out tech facts. I like the beams as they ar now as well.

[ryuune75]

3D beam meshes are the ugliest thing you could do to freespace engine... i mean, how can you make a cilindric mesh looks like it's made of energy???

Originally posted by .::Tin Can::.
The beams look great and all, but if it hits the ship then you can clearly see that its 2D, just like the fire effects from Doom when you would run around a fire it would rotate with you.

see:

Originally posted by Bobboau
there is a method for makeing sure it doesn't look like it's getting hit by a line, an impact explosion, big enough to engulf the end of the beam

yes, simple as that...

[Fineus]

The graphics do need addressing though, as it is the beams don't look like they're glowing so much as they're just colored that way with a gradient. Give me a bit and I'll see if I can mock up what would be better. It has a lot to do with impact explosions and beam glows.

[Fineus]

Uh, so yeah... this at least shows part of what I mean. The pure circular glows at the source of the beam look rather wrong if you ask me. They should look like they're shunting power at the target in a beam like fashion...

There are other changes, but it's a thought.

[Bobboau]

well that's just a art problem

[Grug]

I think Kalfireth means it should look like a cone angled towards the point its firing?

Personally I think beams should be animated or have the choice to do so. Unless they already can be, in which I'll be greatly surprised and happy...

ie, so you could have it look like pulses heading towards the target etc. Something more like Homeworld...

-Grug

[Zarax]

I remember one of the very first SCP releases, where the beams were jagged... Effects like that one would be something fresh and new...

[Bobboau]

beams have been able to have there textures move twards there target for years

[Fineus]

My main point was that someone needed to redo the graphics for it, but overall the beams could do with having a bit more "power" behind them. I'm not entirely sure how though. But they just don't feel - to me at least - like particularly dangerous weapons. More "oh look, another beam cannon firing".

Heck, what would be really nice was if beams were reworked as some kind of a particle cannon.. that is to say you see energy "spawn" at the source of the beam and hurtle through space to slam into their target. Not smooth as the beams are now, but... perhaps like almost liqued like in movement. As if energy was actually moving rapidly rather than there just being a straight line. It's hard to describe, I'll see if anything on the net looks similar.