Target/Selection rings
by Richard Preziosi · in Torque Game Engine · 10/01/2010 (6:52 pm) · 8 replies
Looking for some advice on this, if anyone has any experience/ideas.
So I was coming upon the need in my project for a way to identify which player/ai is selected by the player. So target rings come to mind, you know the little circle at the target's feet to signify that it is your current target.
I immediately thought of the RTS kit and ArcaneFX, two problems though, the one in the RTS kit does not go on interiors from what I have reasearched, and ArcaneFX is not necessarily a mergeable component from what I have researched.
I found info on GLUdisks, however I have read that they do not conform to the terrain, and often look hackish when they appear to be cutting into the ground.
So my two best ideas are currently:
1. Copy the shadow.cc and shadow.h and "rewrite" them as a selection ring, not sure how well or if this could even work.
2. Add an extra node to each model to attatch a particle effect to. I'm not sure if particle effects can be set to an indefinite time though, or how much overhead this could cause.
If anyone has any ideas/criticisms on this, or has accomplished a target ring and would like to explain their method, it would be greatly appreciated.
So I was coming upon the need in my project for a way to identify which player/ai is selected by the player. So target rings come to mind, you know the little circle at the target's feet to signify that it is your current target.
I immediately thought of the RTS kit and ArcaneFX, two problems though, the one in the RTS kit does not go on interiors from what I have reasearched, and ArcaneFX is not necessarily a mergeable component from what I have researched.
I found info on GLUdisks, however I have read that they do not conform to the terrain, and often look hackish when they appear to be cutting into the ground.
So my two best ideas are currently:
1. Copy the shadow.cc and shadow.h and "rewrite" them as a selection ring, not sure how well or if this could even work.
2. Add an extra node to each model to attatch a particle effect to. I'm not sure if particle effects can be set to an indefinite time though, or how much overhead this could cause.
If anyone has any ideas/criticisms on this, or has accomplished a target ring and would like to explain their method, it would be greatly appreciated.
#2
You can enable and disable individual particle emitters. To see how to set up particles at a player's feet you could look at the footprint / footpuff code? I personally wouldn't go the particle route however.
10/04/2010 (1:37 am)
Does the targetting ring need to be at the player's feet? If not, you could have an object (like a 2d billboarded arrow) constantly offset above the target's position?You can enable and disable individual particle emitters. To see how to set up particles at a player's feet you could look at the footprint / footpuff code? I personally wouldn't go the particle route however.
#3
10/04/2010 (2:52 am)
How about decal projection?
#4
Why would you not go that route? If due to it causing overhead, do you think it would be much of an issue still with current computers?
@Michael
I didn't even think of that, and it honestly seems like the best method.
10/04/2010 (3:52 pm)
@MorrowWhy would you not go that route? If due to it causing overhead, do you think it would be much of an issue still with current computers?
@Michael
I didn't even think of that, and it honestly seems like the best method.
#5
The decal projection is the standard way of doing it, and I believe it's similar to how ArcaneFX handles it (though I do not own it and do not know). Just I know Torque can have some problems with dynamically moving decals.
10/05/2010 (3:36 am)
Because particle emitting just seems like it would look bad. It would spawn particles on a player (I'm assuming their feet?) which would stay relatively in the same spot and fall through the ground (or float with gravity disabled). It would look a lot like foot puffs or splash effects, just while being targetted.The decal projection is the standard way of doing it, and I believe it's similar to how ArcaneFX handles it (though I do not own it and do not know). Just I know Torque can have some problems with dynamically moving decals.
#6
10/05/2010 (9:14 am)
You can make particles non-dimensional. Or at least I believe you can, I may be dellusional though. 
#7
Arcane FX does use something similar to its Zodiacs to do selection/feedback rings. (They call them Selectroncs) And from what I gather, Zodiacs are a decal that is rendered on the terrain. Because its a decal they can get a lot more pretty than just a colored gludisk, and they conform to the terrain and work on interiors.
The only quirk with that system I've noticed came while I watched a demo in action of a build that included the AFX (though I can't say for certain if this was default behavior or a change the programmers incorporated): but the 'selectrons' conformed to the terrain perfectly, even when say climbing steps into a hovel in orc town, so the targeting circle essentially conformed to the staircase, which was a little odd in my opinion.
10/07/2010 (7:12 pm)
(Note: I don't own AFX, so what I'm saying is based purely off what I've seen/read)Arcane FX does use something similar to its Zodiacs to do selection/feedback rings. (They call them Selectroncs) And from what I gather, Zodiacs are a decal that is rendered on the terrain. Because its a decal they can get a lot more pretty than just a colored gludisk, and they conform to the terrain and work on interiors.
The only quirk with that system I've noticed came while I watched a demo in action of a build that included the AFX (though I can't say for certain if this was default behavior or a change the programmers incorporated): but the 'selectrons' conformed to the terrain perfectly, even when say climbing steps into a hovel in orc town, so the targeting circle essentially conformed to the staircase, which was a little odd in my opinion.
#8
10/07/2010 (10:46 pm)
Meredith, that is stock behavior, and not really a problem with AFX implementation. That could be solved easily, by what I would consider proper dif/dts modeling. Using invisible wedges for the player to walk on instead of the actual stairs themselves. But that is just my opinion because I don't tend to like bouncing up the stairs and occassionally getting stuck. If my method is used then the selectron should conform to the invisible wedge instead of the stairs. 
Torque Owner Richard Preziosi
WinterLeaf Entertainment
Still trying to figure out how to only create particles for a certain player, or create client side particles, just not clicking at the moment.