Posted: Thu Aug 06, 2015 11:39 pm Post subject:
Non Map Based Weather Effects
Hey hey,
I eagerly search for ways to depict weather to create more atmosphere or even playstile differences.
I have seen images of modders using alpha aimages such as clouds (respectively their shadows on top of buildigs and the ground) which looked extremely beautiful - others implemente some sort of rain.
Do you got some experience with it, different better techniques? And do you got some sources for alpha images - because to this date i am lacking photoshop knowledge and the skill to create this on my own.
Love to see your ideas or help,
PS: Sorry for missing out on links on this one... this is a rather bad example and contains no ideas
You can use Gimp and create very quick a simple cloud alphaimage using the Gimp Clouds Filter.
Play with the values to get a nice result. (see attached image)
You can check some of my tests for TI.
Some like this used a combination of particlesystem with a big rain animation.
This dirtdevil is using a particelsystem like the gas clouds and a rendered animation done in 3dsmax
Other things like tornadoes could be made this way too. The hardest part here is to create the animation. Coding it in the game is easy.
Beware: Weather effects can be added, but they can cause heavy lag when used on a map wide basis. Huge alphaimages to cover a big area are also very big (10MB for a single image is not uncommon) and can increase drastically map loading times.
I wouldn't suggest adding such things map wide, due to highly possible lag.
As an alternative to an alphaimage, you can also experiment with a normal transparent animation.
An invisible building using an activeanim with Translucency=75 could work too.
Then a mapper can place these invisible dummy buildings like light posts to add the desired cloud, rain, snow etc effect.
Randomness is problematic, since some keys cause sync-losses in online games. So it's best to stick to a simple looping anim.
Also note that some things like gas clouds and smoke can be affected by the rules.ini WindDirection key. Clouds moving in opposite directions than other anims can look bad.
For the conversion use SHP Builder and follow these steps
-create a new SHP with the correct size (importing images doesn't work for alphaimages, thus this step)
-load the alphapalette (see attachment) (only this JASC palette provides a true 8bit greyscale from 0,0,0 to 255,255,255 palette. the games palette format only provides it in 6bit thus in steps of 4,4,4 and SHP Builder can't load JASC palettes for image import)
-now copy paste the alpha image into SHP builder in the open empty SHP.
Is there a color in the palette that the game won't display, so the clouds aren't surrounded by alphaimage lightning (or that my several cloud holes show the battlefield uncovered)?
I'll attach a little ingame pic when I am done, looks beautiful (man thanks) QUICK_EDIT
I made it so that overlapping alpha images wouldn't cause unnatural spots - my first attempt at clouds and i am pretty satisfied. i like how it is not above the shroud and how it enlights certain parts of neighbor buildings!!
You can use Gimp and create very quick a simple cloud alphaimage using the Gimp Clouds Filter.
Play with the values to get a nice result. (see attached image)
You can check some of my tests for TI.
Some like this used a combination of particlesystem with a big rain animation.
This dirtdevil is using a particelsystem like the gas clouds and a rendered animation done in 3dsmax
Other things like tornadoes could be made this way too. The hardest part here is to create the animation. Coding it in the game is easy.
Beware: Weather effects can be added, but they can cause heavy lag when used on a map wide basis. Huge alphaimages to cover a big area are also very big (10MB for a single image is not uncommon) and can increase drastically map loading times.
I wouldn't suggest adding such things map wide, due to highly possible lag.
As an alternative to an alphaimage, you can also experiment with a normal transparent animation.
An invisible building using an activeanim with Translucency=75 could work too.
Then a mapper can place these invisible dummy buildings like light posts to add the desired cloud, rain, snow etc effect.
Randomness is problematic, since some keys cause sync-losses in online games. So it's best to stick to a simple looping anim.
Also note that some things like gas clouds and smoke can be affected by the rules.ini WindDirection key. Clouds moving in opposite directions than other anims can look bad.
For the conversion use SHP Builder and follow these steps
-create a new SHP with the correct size (importing images doesn't work for alphaimages, thus this step)
-load the alphapalette (see attachment) (only this JASC palette provides a true 8bit greyscale from 0,0,0 to 255,255,255 palette. the games palette format only provides it in 6bit thus in steps of 4,4,4 and SHP Builder can't load JASC palettes for image import)
-now copy paste the alpha image into SHP builder in the open empty SHP.
save and done.
Hey ... got some little questions - yesterday you taught me how to convert a shp onto a new palette. This however doesnt seem to go so easy with my alpha.pal cloud image, when i want to use it for an animational approach.
Is this a moment for using custom palettes?
Randomness is problematic, since some keys cause sync-losses in online games. So it's best to stick to a simple looping anim.
Randomizing weather effects is possible with triggers. Just complicated. And should have no issues with desyncs. As for traditional weather effects, a common practice is a modification of global weather storms, using home made animations. Of course this won't give you as finite a control on a map as way points with effects attached to them will. As for the fine art of animation, don't ask me advice on it, cause I'm not so good with art. _________________ Grab my Map Logic Expansion Pack 5.2 here!
Adds random weather patterns into maps.
More disabled navalyards.
Preplaced Neutral buildings.
Additional new features.
^^ah, right. forgot about that.
Trigger can be of course used as well to play animations on certain waypoints.
Ich-Henker wrote:
This however doesnt seem to go so easy with my alpha.pal cloud image, when i want to use it for an animational approach.
Is this a moment for using custom palettes?
I don't think a new palette for the game is necessary. The greyscale range of unittem.pal should be sufficient for some simple cloud anim (especially when you use a high transparency, the lack of colors shouldn't be noticeable)
A special palette for the conversion only can be indeed created, so SHP builder can't mix up the colors.
e.g. create a palette where you make all colors green, except the greyscale range.
Then use this palette when you import the images into SHP Builder.
This way SHP Builder can't use for example the glowing colors from index 240 to 255. _________________ SHP Artist of Twisted Insurrection: Nod buildings
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum You cannot attach files in this forum You can download files in this forum