TGEA for stealth?
by Maddermadcat · in Torque Game Engine Advanced · 06/03/2008 (3:28 pm) · 7 replies
Hey guys,
The project I'm planning will pay plenty of attention to stealth, meaning realistic light/object interaction is very important - I've gotten used to TGE, and love it, but know I now have to upgrade to a more modern engine. So with that said, I'd like to go with TGEA but I'm not certain as to whether it'll be appropriate for my purposes. Should I upgrade to TGEA or find another engine to use, and if so, which?
The project I'm planning will pay plenty of attention to stealth, meaning realistic light/object interaction is very important - I've gotten used to TGE, and love it, but know I now have to upgrade to a more modern engine. So with that said, I'd like to go with TGEA but I'm not certain as to whether it'll be appropriate for my purposes. Should I upgrade to TGEA or find another engine to use, and if so, which?
About the author
#2
06/04/2008 (2:03 pm)
What do you mean exactly? 
#3
06/04/2008 (2:11 pm)
If you want something complex for your stealth that involves figuring out things like shadow coverage or the like, you're going to need to make C++ engine source changes and possibly even implement different/new shadows/lights. Jeremiah is saying that essentially, if you're not going to be able to do that (or compromise with a less complex system of determining stealth) TGEA probably won't be the right choice for you (that is to say, if you go and grab it now, you're not *easily* going to be able to do things like figuring out easily how much shadow coverage a given object has, especially without core engine changes).
#4
06/04/2008 (5:38 pm)
Not necessarily. Most, if not all, of the work can be done in script. It can be handled by distance to light objects, or bitmap masking.
#5
06/07/2008 (7:31 pm)
Hm. Yeah, I think I'll simplify my stealth system and probably make more use of dynamic lights - if I remember correctly, they can be limited to portal zones? That should solve some of those weird lighting issues with light going through walls.
#6
Just remember that to properly portal an Interior, every window, doorway, and skylight should have a portal on it.
never seen light come through a wall unless it was concaved somehow, or unless the the interior vertices weren't welded together and leaving tiny cracks.
Good luck in your project. It sounds like something I could get addicted to.. all that stealth in shadows =)
06/07/2008 (9:01 pm)
If you mean Interior area with doorways and windows or holes in the roof or even a skylight then those should be a portal. essentially an invisible, non-obstructing sheet that keeps Rain out, and Lights In. =)Just remember that to properly portal an Interior, every window, doorway, and skylight should have a portal on it.
never seen light come through a wall unless it was concaved somehow, or unless the the interior vertices weren't welded together and leaving tiny cracks.
Good luck in your project. It sounds like something I could get addicted to.. all that stealth in shadows =)
#7
Dynamic lights have a tendency to leak through walls from what I've seen in my various tests, it's kind of irritating. But portals can be used within large interiors to break them up into smaller sections, speeds things up. So they're not just to separate interior from exterior - they can be used inside too.
As I said, I think I saw an option in the light editor to have the light's effect limited to the portal zone it's in. Would help a lot, not particularly nice-looking when you can see a light in the hallway outside the room it's actually in.
06/07/2008 (11:49 pm)
Haha, stealth's just one of many options. :]Dynamic lights have a tendency to leak through walls from what I've seen in my various tests, it's kind of irritating. But portals can be used within large interiors to break them up into smaller sections, speeds things up. So they're not just to separate interior from exterior - they can be used inside too.
As I said, I think I saw an option in the light editor to have the light's effect limited to the portal zone it's in. Would help a lot, not particularly nice-looking when you can see a light in the hallway outside the room it's actually in.
Torque Owner Jeremiah Fulbright
Although it may all get resolved in a future update..