Can Self Illumination be done in G3D?

[Ishmaru]

Would anyone know if there is a way to create Self Illumination( Its a 3DS Max term, don't know if there is a different name in Blender) in a G3D file, either through 3DS max or blender?? What i want to do is to create a g3g object that is always have 100% brightness, no matter what the lighting is, or a g3d object that is not rendered with any shadows or shading. Hope i'm making some sense.

 Thank you in advance!

[Omega]

I'm afraid that you can only light units at night by using the light XML tag.

http://glestguide.co.cc/xmls.php

It may also be possible to try and play around with GAE/MG's unit particle systems. This may or may not work, as I never tried it for that purpose, but might be able to replicate a glow effect, as particles are not affected by light itself, and you can control the transparency of particles.

https://docs.megaglest.org/MG/Unit_Particle_XML

[ultifd]

You mean like the Genies in the Persian faction? Well it would have to be as a XML like Omega said...

Code: (Genie-glow particles.xml) [Select]

<unit-particle-system>
<texture value="true" path="images/particle.bmp" luminance="true"/>
<primitive value="quad"/>
<offset x="0" y="0.4" z="0.0"/>
<direction x="0" y="0" z="0"/>
<color red="0.1" green="1.0" blue="0.0" alpha="0.2"/>
<color-no-energy red="0.1" green="1.0" blue="0.0" alpha="0.2"/>
<radius value="0.001"/>
<size value="5.6"/>
<size-no-energy value="5.6"/>
<speed value="0.0"/>
<gravity value="0"/>
<emission-rate value="5.01"/>
<energy-max value="2"/>
<energy-var value="0"/>
<fixed value="true"/>
<relative value="true"/>
<static-particle-count value="4"/>
<teamcolorNoEnergy value="true"/>
<teamcolorEnergy value="true"/>
−
<!--
trajectory type="spiral">
<speed value="14.0"/>
<scale value="1"/>
<frequency value="0.5"/>
</trajectory
-->
</unit-particle-system>Although, if you google "blender self Illumination" you'll find many links...  
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Trainz/Tutorial_for_Blender#Self_Illumination
http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Doc:Tutorials/Textures/Using_Textures#Luminositymap

[Ishmaru]

Thank you Omega And Ultlfd. The issue though is not to make the object look like its emitting light but negating the effect of being shaded by the light. I have a few uses of this, but the main issue is in the model i'm making for the main menu. The lighting in the main menu puts shadows (technically shading since there r no shadows in menu) on areas that reduces the overall quality of the model its self. When i was working on the image in 3DS MAX i had self illumination on max so there was no shading at all, and the image looks so much better. I mean its not horrendous as is, but it would defiantly improve the quality. I also wanted this to create poly based "particles" in the mesh, for things that cannot be done by Glest particles. things such as muzzle flashes, blood splatter, rocket fire, etc. Currently, i'm using a glitch i found on 3ds max to force that kinda effect, but it only works on rectangle splines extruded at 0% (so they are flat), and it doesn't have same effect on all graphic cards. Ive only tried on two computers at the moment so for all i know My graphics card may be the only one that it works on...

 

Although, if you google "blender self Illumination" you'll find many links... 
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Trainz/Tutorial_for_Blender#Self_Illumination
http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Doc:Tutorials/Textures/Using_Textures#Luminositymap

-Ill try these though i doubt it'll export over to g3d, but it might.

Thanks again!

[John.d.h]

In Blender:

Code: [Select]

[URL=http://img266.imageshack.us/i/84087427.png/][IMG]http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/1105/84087427.png[/img][/URL]
As you said, I don't think it will actually have an effect in Glest, though.

[ultifd]

things that cannot be done by Glest particles. things such as muzzle flashes, blood splatter, rocket fire, etc.

Well, I absolutely know that you can create muzzle flashes, and I believe someone used it for blood splatter too.

(click to show/hide)

Code: [Select]

[URL=http://img338.imageshack.us/i/gaeg3dviewer20101206001.jpg/][IMG]http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/1432/gaeg3dviewer20101206001.th.jpg[/img][/URL][URL=http://img338.imageshack.us/i/gaeg3dviewer20101206001s.jpg/][IMG]http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/7224/gaeg3dviewer20101206001s.th.jpg[/img][/URL]Fixed arquebuser's animation and muzzleflash!

Code: [Select]

[URL=http://img84.imageshack.us/i/glestadv201012060017020.jpg/][IMG]http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/7789/glestadv201012060017020.th.jpg[/img][/URL][URL=http://img812.imageshack.us/i/screen25.jpg/][IMG]http://img812.imageshack.us/img812/4788/screen25.th.jpg[/img][/URL]In-game screenshots

The muzzleflash i have added to my arquebusers doesn't looks so gorgeous,but hopefully It will add more realistic flavour on the game!

<unit-particle-system>
<texture value="true" path="images/particle.bmp" luminance="true"/>
<mode value="black"/>
<primitive value="quad"/>
<offset x="0" y="0" z="0.5"/>
<direction x="0.3" y="1" z="0"/>
<color red="0.6" green="0.6" blue="0.6" alpha="0.2"/>
<color-no-energy red="0.3" green="0.3" blue="0.3" alpha="0.8"/>
<radius value="0.6"/>
<size value="1"/>
<size-no-energy value="0.7"/>
<speed value="1"/>
<gravity value="0.001"/>
<emission-rate value="1"/>
<energy-max value="60"/>
<energy-var value="0"/>
<relative value="true"/>
<relativeDirection value="true"/>
<fixed value="false"/>
<teamcolorNoEnergy value="false"/>
<teamcolorEnergy value="false"/>
−
<!--
trajectory type="spiral">
      <speed value="14.0"/>
      <scale value="1"/>
      <frequency value="0.5"/>
   </trajectory
-->
</unit-particle-system>

[Hagekura]

things that cannot be done by Glest particles. things such as muzzle flashes, blood splatter, rocket fire, etc.

Well, I absolutely know that you can create muzzle flashes, and I believe someone used it for blood splatter too.

(click to show/hide)

Code: [Select]

[URL=http://img338.imageshack.us/i/gaeg3dviewer20101206001.jpg/][IMG]http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/1432/gaeg3dviewer20101206001.th.jpg[/img][/URL][URL=http://img338.imageshack.us/i/gaeg3dviewer20101206001s.jpg/][IMG]http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/7224/gaeg3dviewer20101206001s.th.jpg[/img][/URL]Fixed arquebuser's animation and muzzleflash!

Code: [Select]

[URL=http://img84.imageshack.us/i/glestadv201012060017020.jpg/][IMG]http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/7789/glestadv201012060017020.th.jpg[/img][/URL][URL=http://img812.imageshack.us/i/screen25.jpg/][IMG]http://img812.imageshack.us/img812/4788/screen25.th.jpg[/img][/URL]In-game screenshots

The muzzleflash i have added to my arquebusers doesn't looks so gorgeous,but hopefully It will add more realistic flavour on the game!

<unit-particle-system>
<texture value="true" path="images/particle.bmp" luminance="true"/>
<mode value="black"/>
<primitive value="quad"/>
<offset x="0" y="0" z="0.5"/>
<direction x="0.3" y="1" z="0"/>
<color red="0.6" green="0.6" blue="0.6" alpha="0.2"/>
<color-no-energy red="0.3" green="0.3" blue="0.3" alpha="0.8"/>
<radius value="0.6"/>
<size value="1"/>
<size-no-energy value="0.7"/>
<speed value="1"/>
<gravity value="0.001"/>
<emission-rate value="1"/>
<energy-max value="60"/>
<energy-var value="0"/>
<relative value="true"/>
<relativeDirection value="true"/>
<fixed value="false"/>
<teamcolorNoEnergy value="false"/>
<teamcolorEnergy value="false"/>
−
<!--
trajectory type="spiral">
      <speed value="14.0"/>
      <scale value="1"/>
      <frequency value="0.5"/>
   </trajectory
-->
</unit-particle-system>

Ah,sorry to tell,but the muzzleflash I have added to my gunners was not be able by perticle effects.
I just simply added mesh with flame texture to the unit model.
I hope it could be done by perticle though.

[ElimiNator]

Code: [Select]

http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/3562/screen3gw8.jpg

[Ishmaru]

Code: [Select]

http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/3562/screen3gw8.jpg

-There is no muzzle flashes here but there is blood fx. This id defiantly not particle based. I remember this mod came about long before MG even existed, maybe GAE was just starting, so no custom unit particles. Blood fx made in the mesh.

Well, I absolutely know that you can create muzzle flashes, and I believe someone used it for blood splatter too.

- Muzzle smoke yes, muzzle flash no. The muzzle flash must made in mesh.

Ah,sorry to tell,but the muzzleflash I have added to my gunners was not be able by perticle effects.
I just simply added mesh with flame texture to the unit model.
I hope it could be done by perticle though.

Yes I have made muzzle flashes in the same way. However as you see with them in Glest the fire looks dull and dark, and would even be darker at night cause its rendered with shading. If there was a way to make the mesh have self illumination the fire effect would be much greater at it would remain at maximum brightness in all directions at all times. Thats why i wanted to know if it could be exported into g3d.

As you said, I don't think it will actually have an effect in Glest, though.

Yea Don't think the export works that way. Would be nice if things self illumination, specular, and reflection maps all exported over into Glest. I'm sure its wishful thinking on my part.

Thanks to everyone though!

[ultifd]

Oh... sorry. Now I know.

[silnarm]

Yea Don't think the export works that way. Would be nice if things self illumination, specular, and reflection maps all exported over into Glest. I'm sure its wishful thinking on my part.

GAE 0.4 will support normal (aka 'bump') maps, specular maps, probably glow maps (which is what you were originally asking for here), and 'custom' maps (for which you would need to write a custom shader, which will only be available for certain situations, atm only on cloaked units, and is obviously for the more advanced user).

No idea if a new export script will be available any time soon though...

[Ishmaru]

GAE 0.4 will support normal (aka 'bump') maps, specular maps, probably glow maps (which is what you were originally asking for here), and 'custom' maps (for which you would need to write a custom shader, which will only be available for certain situations, atm only on cloaked units, and is obviously for the more advanced user).

Sounds like great stuff ahead! Looking forward to it! Though i'm no where near able to code my own shader. If i could i would try to make cell-shading using this. Is it even possible?

[hailstone]

If i could i would try to make cell-shading using this. Is it even possible?

Sure is but at the moment will only affect the units not tileset object or terrain surface. Here's a screenshot of toon shading before it got restricted to units.

[Ishmaru]

toon shading before it got restricted to units.

-Cool! Guess its not necessary to have the tile set be in cell shading.

 Looking forward to the upcoming release!