Pack Updates, Site Change
by Robert Fritzen · 03/18/2013 (6:47 pm) · 6 comments
It's that time again folks, and this time around I have some news to share regarding both of my packs, the currently released Multiplayer Assembly Package, and the in-development Dynamic Weather Pack. We'll start with the MAP news as it has some importance to me and you.
For those of you unaware, the MAP page has been moved from it's original URL and I had someone ask me to update the link. The new map page is found here, and that entire portion of the site has had a "make-over" per say to link it with the main site.
Pack wise, the newest update went out yesterday which added three new tutorials to the pack as suggested by the owners of the pack. As an added incentive for buying the pack, I have now also included the source code to all of the systems within my PGD Survival game (the one I released on December 27 of last year) to see how I used the pack to create the many features in my game including stats recording and AES file storage.
With that out of the way, we can now discuss my other pack that is in development, the Dynamic Weather Pack. And as I figured it would, my new Hazard Precipitation idea is going to cause much more problems to code than I originally thought. The current method handles most of, if not all of the precipitation on the client side, which in my opinion, isn't really the best of ideas anyways for consistency purposes. At some point, I will be attempting to re-create the "kill-cam" system found within halo 4 and call of duty, and the precipitation being inconsistent between the clients could cause issues with the hazard damage effects. So, I had to scrap the idea of simply modifying the existing precipitation in the form of a new class for a different idea.
Instead, I'm taking the concept of the non camera wrapped precipitation object. I will be doing some tests for performance by using a "projectile field" where the raindrops are created as "projectiles" and let go that way. If the testing works nicely I might use that instead to handle the HazardPrecipiation, time will tell!
On the other side of the pack, I have been experimenting with the cloud layer class to try to devise some interesting new effects, and I am now trying to set up a way to create a stationary layer that is rotating about the vertical axis, to create the effect of some of the more severe thunderstorms. I'm still trying to crack the mystery of how exactly the WindEmitter class works, but when I figure out how it handles modifying the world emitters with wind, I'll start adding in my Rankine Vortex code, and whip up a vortex field to demonstrate.
It's all starting to come together, piece by piece. I hope to have something more visual to show off next time, but for now, it's hopefully a good read!
For those of you unaware, the MAP page has been moved from it's original URL and I had someone ask me to update the link. The new map page is found here, and that entire portion of the site has had a "make-over" per say to link it with the main site.
Pack wise, the newest update went out yesterday which added three new tutorials to the pack as suggested by the owners of the pack. As an added incentive for buying the pack, I have now also included the source code to all of the systems within my PGD Survival game (the one I released on December 27 of last year) to see how I used the pack to create the many features in my game including stats recording and AES file storage.
With that out of the way, we can now discuss my other pack that is in development, the Dynamic Weather Pack. And as I figured it would, my new Hazard Precipitation idea is going to cause much more problems to code than I originally thought. The current method handles most of, if not all of the precipitation on the client side, which in my opinion, isn't really the best of ideas anyways for consistency purposes. At some point, I will be attempting to re-create the "kill-cam" system found within halo 4 and call of duty, and the precipitation being inconsistent between the clients could cause issues with the hazard damage effects. So, I had to scrap the idea of simply modifying the existing precipitation in the form of a new class for a different idea.
Instead, I'm taking the concept of the non camera wrapped precipitation object. I will be doing some tests for performance by using a "projectile field" where the raindrops are created as "projectiles" and let go that way. If the testing works nicely I might use that instead to handle the HazardPrecipiation, time will tell!
On the other side of the pack, I have been experimenting with the cloud layer class to try to devise some interesting new effects, and I am now trying to set up a way to create a stationary layer that is rotating about the vertical axis, to create the effect of some of the more severe thunderstorms. I'm still trying to crack the mystery of how exactly the WindEmitter class works, but when I figure out how it handles modifying the world emitters with wind, I'll start adding in my Rankine Vortex code, and whip up a vortex field to demonstrate.
It's all starting to come together, piece by piece. I hope to have something more visual to show off next time, but for now, it's hopefully a good read!
About the author
Illinois Grad. Retired T3D Developer / Pack Dev.
#2
At that point you could on the server perform anything you want, from disabling shields, to damaging the player, ect. The effect would continue until the player is no longer being hit by droplets for 'x' seconds, again defined by the block.
The trouble with simply using a raycast from the cloud is it exists infinitely high up in the sky object, and at some point you have to define a "center" point from the cloud to the object being tested (this effect could also work on vehicles too), and to have a single reference point introduces some angle problems when dealing with distances that go far away from the central location.
All great ideas, but there is still some work to be done on this concept, I'll definitely keep trying different things until I find something that works well, and doesn't have a major performance hit on the server or client.
03/19/2013 (7:57 am)
I was originally thinking of something like that, but for application purposes, I was intending to re-write the original precipitation class to do a collision test, and if you've been hit by a droplet it would initiate a callback to tell an object it is inside the rain zone.At that point you could on the server perform anything you want, from disabling shields, to damaging the player, ect. The effect would continue until the player is no longer being hit by droplets for 'x' seconds, again defined by the block.
The trouble with simply using a raycast from the cloud is it exists infinitely high up in the sky object, and at some point you have to define a "center" point from the cloud to the object being tested (this effect could also work on vehicles too), and to have a single reference point introduces some angle problems when dealing with distances that go far away from the central location.
All great ideas, but there is still some work to be done on this concept, I'll definitely keep trying different things until I find something that works well, and doesn't have a major performance hit on the server or client.
#3
this might give u a idea
however am sure there is something similar in the ressources
and robert a question about MAP in general
would you be interested on vs2012 and linux solution files in lets say exchange for the right to distribute MAP within a Project/ package of its own (where obviously map wouldnt be the major part)?
We/ that stays for Dushan & My person would be updating and maintaing the Linux and vs2012 solutions of map and keep u updated with em.
03/19/2013 (11:28 am)
Dave Wyands book covers something about percipitation/ getting hit by a lightning strikethis might give u a idea
however am sure there is something similar in the ressources
and robert a question about MAP in general
would you be interested on vs2012 and linux solution files in lets say exchange for the right to distribute MAP within a Project/ package of its own (where obviously map wouldnt be the major part)?
We/ that stays for Dushan & My person would be updating and maintaing the Linux and vs2012 solutions of map and keep u updated with em.
#4
EDIT: Actually, That's exactly what I needed right there! Thanks for pointing me to that.
As for the MAP update, I'd need to discuss this with you in more detail via email or something, but that does seem like a reasonable idea seeing as a linux port doesn't seem to be that far out.
03/19/2013 (12:03 pm)
@J0linar: I'll do some digging, see if I can find something about that. I never thought of looking at the Lightning class, maybe that is a good idea.EDIT: Actually, That's exactly what I needed right there! Thanks for pointing me to that.
As for the MAP update, I'd need to discuss this with you in more detail via email or something, but that does seem like a reasonable idea seeing as a linux port doesn't seem to be that far out.
#5
regarding the map thing/ i will drop you my contact details via the phantom forum/ skype? - might be a way to talk this thru
done.
03/19/2013 (12:32 pm)
am glad that i could helpregarding the map thing/ i will drop you my contact details via the phantom forum/ skype? - might be a way to talk this thru
done.
#6
I'll fix the forums, that was never brought to my attention, sorry about that.
EDIT: If you want to send a PM to me on my forums, you should now be able to do that as long as you have a registered account, regardless of PHPBB's silly newly registered user time limit thing.
03/19/2013 (1:41 pm)
You can remove that, I'll add you tomorrow (kind of busy today), we can talk then.I'll fix the forums, that was never brought to my attention, sorry about that.
EDIT: If you want to send a PM to me on my forums, you should now be able to do that as long as you have a registered account, regardless of PHPBB's silly newly registered user time limit thing.
Torque Owner David Robert Pemberton
www.deadlyassets.com
On your precipitation idea, can't you just raycast when your within the Hazard cloud to see if your not in cover of the cloud? ie. if your within the cloud, raycast from the player up to the cloud (or the other way around) and if it hits a static object your in cover? or maybe I'm not quite getting it?