Arcane-FX 2 : Coming Soon
by Jeff Faust · 08/02/2009 (10:31 am) · 23 comments
Very soon we'll be releasing some major new upgrades and additions to the Arcane-FX product-line, so it's long overdue that I do some blogging on this topic outside of the private forums. I've collected a bunch of screen-shots lately while doing software testing, so to kick off a new series of development blogs, I've created a montage of my favorites.
But before I get to the images, here is a brief outline of what's ahead for Arcane-FX. First we have a major software upgrade to AFX 2. Version 2 is loaded with new features including new effect types plus powerful new ways of controlling effects and varying effect parameters. AFX 2 will be available in variants for TGEA, TGE, as well as GarageGames' new flagship engine, Torque 3D.
To go along with the new software, we are releasing AFX SpellPack 2, a brand new effects pack brimming with customizable magic spells, selection and targeting effects, multipurpose effect elements, and some seriously deadly props. Images in this blog should give you some idea of the range of what's possible with this pack.
More details about these products regarding time-line and cost will be forthcoming in future blogs. Right now, both AFX 2 and SpellPack 2 are complete and undergoing testing. A final Release Candidate for TGEA will be ready in a matter of days with a TGE Release Candidate to quickly follow. AFX 2 for Torque 3D will begin Beta testing with the Release Candidate version of T3D.
Now, back to the images... all images in this montage were created using AFX 2 and SpellPack 2 and include representatives of all three engines. Some of the TGEA images include assets from the Barricade demo. More details are listed below each image.
Details regarding above image from left to right, top to bottom:- Bolt from the Blue -- AFX2 + SP2 + TGEA 1.8.1 + Barricade
- Mark of Kork -- AFX2 + SP2 + TGEA 1.8.1 + Barricade
- Soul Sucking Jerk -- AFX2 + SP2 + TGEA 1.8.1
- Soul Sucking Jerk -- AFX2 + SP2 + TGEA 1.8.1
- Fire Tower Prop -- AFX2 + SP2 2 + TGEA 1.8.1
- Soul Nuke -- AFX2 + SP2 + TGEA 1.8.1 + Barricade
- Mark of Kork, Light My Fire -- AFX2 + SP2 + TGEA 1.8.1
- Bron-Y-Orc Stomp -- AFX2 + SP2 + TGEA 1.8.1
- Fire Tower Prop, Up In Flames -- AFX2 + SP2 + TGEA 1.8.1
- Mark of Kork -- AFX2 + SP2 + TGE 1.5.2
- Fire Tower Prop, Up In Flames -- AFX2 + SP2 + TGEA 1.8.1
- Fire in the Sky -- AFX2 + SP2 + TGEA 1.8.1
- Soul Sucking Jerk -- AFX2 + SP2 + Torque 3D b3
- Ring of Fire -- AFX2 + SP2 + Torque 3D b3
- Bolt from the Blue -- AFX2 + SP2 + Torque 3D b3
- Bolt from the Blue -- AFX2 + SP2 + TGE 1.5.2
- Soul Nuke -- AFX2 + SP2 + TGEA 1.8.1
- Soul Miner's Slaughter -- AFX2 + SP2 + TGE 1.5.2
- Mark of Kork -- AFX2 + SP2 + TGEA 1.8.1
About the author
Jeff Faust creates special effects indie middleware and games for Faust Logic. --- Blog: Effectronica.com --- Twitter: @FaustLogic
#2
08/02/2009 (10:58 am)
That looks great Jeff, I especially love the TGEA version of FireTower, it looks sweet! 
#3
08/02/2009 (12:14 pm)
you are the masters of torque magic!!!... 
#6
08/02/2009 (1:14 pm)
Awesomeness Jeff ... just in time for the next internal release of Soul Wars. :) yeah yeah yeah 
#7
T3D, gogogo!
Got my $ ready...
Will the T3D version be separate from the TGEA version or will I have to purchase both?
08/02/2009 (1:43 pm)
So sexay!T3D, gogogo!
Got my $ ready...
Will the T3D version be separate from the TGEA version or will I have to purchase both?
#8
08/02/2009 (2:12 pm)
Looks awesome Jeff can't wait to see and more of the new version, especially for Torque 3D :) 
#9
08/02/2009 (4:18 pm)
Very cool thing :)
#11
08/02/2009 (6:08 pm)
Awesome man! I'm really excited about about this! 
#12
08/03/2009 (12:50 am)
Simply amazingly awesome. 
#13
08/03/2009 (6:46 am)
As always, great work! 
#14
08/03/2009 (4:50 pm)
AFX + T3D -- incredible. 
#16
08/10/2009 (6:44 am)
I see in the forum posts over the years, people saying things about other things that are much easier to implement once they have AFX installed, that seem to have nothing to do with spell effects. Since I don't own AFX and can't access the private forum, I never really understood what exactly they were talking about. Time permitting, could you elaborate on what some of those things might be? (assuming this post makes sense and I'm not way off in left field).
#17
I think the main thing users like about AFX are the following:
AFX currently provides three kinds of effects choreographers:
Before I finish up here, I should mention that AFX is primarily script-driven. For Torque 3D, we will be exploring the use of gui editors to ease the task of effects design, but for now, the users who get the most out of AFX are those who are comfortable with advanced scripting with TorqueScript.
Feel free to ask more questions in the public AFX forums:
www.garagegames.com/community/forums/13
Also, for AFX 2, I am putting together a public readable AFX Wiki that will include official documentation and will hopefully grow into a community-driven knowledge-base.
08/10/2009 (8:33 am)
@ Steve Damsky -- I confess, I've always had trouble describing AFX in a few concise sentences, but I'll attempt to shed some light on the subject here for you and others...I think the main thing users like about AFX are the following:
- Special Effects Choreography
- Custom Special Effects
- Limited RPG Genre Features
- Example Effects
AFX currently provides three kinds of effects choreographers:
- afxMagicSpell -- A multi-stage choreographer that is useful for magic spells and incorporates some special handing of magic-missile projectiles.
- afxEffectron -- A simple one stage choreographer that is useful for many kinds of effects.
- afxSelectron -- A special-purpose client-specific choreographer that is most useful for selection effects.
- afxZodiac -- shape-conforming decals that work on terrain, interiors, and polysoups and are useful for spellcasting rings, selection effects, shockwaves, and scorched earth stains.
- afxModel -- light-weight client-only mesh models.
- custom ParticleEmitters -- for cone, disc, and path-based particle effects.
- afxAnimClip -- Player animation sequence triggering.
- RPG-style selection system (including free targeting).
- Demo gui controls for spellbank, spell-buttons, and status-bars.
- Demo classes for representing spellbook and magic spell game logic.
- RPG-style third-person camera
Before I finish up here, I should mention that AFX is primarily script-driven. For Torque 3D, we will be exploring the use of gui editors to ease the task of effects design, but for now, the users who get the most out of AFX are those who are comfortable with advanced scripting with TorqueScript.
Feel free to ask more questions in the public AFX forums:
www.garagegames.com/community/forums/13
Also, for AFX 2, I am putting together a public readable AFX Wiki that will include official documentation and will hopefully grow into a community-driven knowledge-base.
#18
The only reason i never purchased AFX in the past is that I was never truly serious about game development. Now that I find myself with T3D and a lot more time on my hands, I am certain I will buy AFX2. Thanks so much for providing this updated add-on for us.
while I am comfortable with TorqueScript, I would not say I am comfortable with "advanced" torquescript. Any examples or other tutorials you could put in the docs (which also sound great) would be most appreciated.
08/10/2009 (11:05 am)
Wow! That is one comprehensive answer, and did indeed address exactly what was on my mind. I do appreciate you taking the time to post such a response. The only reason i never purchased AFX in the past is that I was never truly serious about game development. Now that I find myself with T3D and a lot more time on my hands, I am certain I will buy AFX2. Thanks so much for providing this updated add-on for us.
while I am comfortable with TorqueScript, I would not say I am comfortable with "advanced" torquescript. Any examples or other tutorials you could put in the docs (which also sound great) would be most appreciated.
#19
@Jeff Faust: do you guys plan to make it a bit easier to develop new "spells"/effects? You mentioned that AFX2 will have some interface in T3D for existing effects, what will be the pipeline for new ones?
The AFX1 is a bit challenging to add new stuff or to edit the existing spells assets wise (scripts are not the issue)
08/18/2009 (5:54 pm)
The AFX2 in T3D looks the best. I'm curious about the performance on low end machines and ways of making something like levels of detail for those spells/effects for various video card settings (low, medium, high).@Jeff Faust: do you guys plan to make it a bit easier to develop new "spells"/effects? You mentioned that AFX2 will have some interface in T3D for existing effects, what will be the pipeline for new ones?
The AFX1 is a bit challenging to add new stuff or to edit the existing spells assets wise (scripts are not the issue)
#20
re: level-of-detail
Most existing effects are not pre-instrumented with multiple levels-of-detail for downgrading effect complexity, but there are mechanisms for doing this. AFX2 still includes the AFX1 level-of-detail mechanisms that worked at the datablock granularity, but the addition of launch-time effect parametrization gives you very flexible control over how to downgrade effects based on different conditions. You can, for instance, set ejectionPeriodMS of a particle-emitter based on hardware conditions.
re: making things easier
The first version of AFX2 for T3D will be primarily the same feature set found in the TGE and TGEA versions but with replaced lighting and some new missions. It will still be primarily script-driven and there won't be a bunch of new editors. However, ease-of-use will probably be the main topic of further development on T3D.
08/18/2009 (6:37 pm)
@ Funky Diver:re: level-of-detail
Most existing effects are not pre-instrumented with multiple levels-of-detail for downgrading effect complexity, but there are mechanisms for doing this. AFX2 still includes the AFX1 level-of-detail mechanisms that worked at the datablock granularity, but the addition of launch-time effect parametrization gives you very flexible control over how to downgrade effects based on different conditions. You can, for instance, set ejectionPeriodMS of a particle-emitter based on hardware conditions.
re: making things easier
The first version of AFX2 for T3D will be primarily the same feature set found in the TGE and TGEA versions but with replaced lighting and some new missions. It will still be primarily script-driven and there won't be a bunch of new editors. However, ease-of-use will probably be the main topic of further development on T3D.
Torque 3D Owner Eric Clausing