Cheep Particle Tricks

#1 Interesting. I would like to see what you did, but the link seems to be down.

#2 Link down for me also.
caylo if you like i can host the file for you; or just submit it as a resource.

#3 Seems I deleted it when cleaning my file depo. Back now...

Let me know what you think of the Particle Tricks. And i am expecting to make a resource, wishing first to have the thing tested a bit more. It works great for my single player project. My fear is i could have done better with the pack/unpack stuff, i dont truly understand it...

#4 Hey caylo - awesome, thanks.
going thru the code now.

Couple possible optimizations:

you know that mPow is pretty slow yeah ?
why not just use good old * instead ?

S32 distFromCam = mPow(particle->pos.x - cameraPos.x,2) 
		  + mPow(particle->pos.y - cameraPos.y,2) 
		  + mPow(particle->pos.z - cameraPos.z,2);

random numbers are also very slow.
you may want to move this line out of updateSingleParticle():

S32 DOparticle= (S32)(sgRandom.randI(1, 100));

and just create the random number once when the particle is created.

very nice tho !

#5 That +mPow chunk of code came that way. (I often cut and past my functions from other places i already see them working. Im not a brilliant programmer, but i understand brilliant code...)

That one DOparticle; I actually did use a predefined system (check the particle Distance Reduction section of code found in void ParticleEmitter::addParticle you see i already DO give them each a #) for that at first, but it seemed to be spitting them out in a orderly fashion and looked to systematic.

Still, much thanks Orion, I sort of expected a long list of problems to be found...



PS: I put

S32 distFromCam = mPow(particle->pos.x - cameraPos.x,2) 
		  * (particle->pos.y - cameraPos.y,2) 
		  * (particle->pos.z - cameraPos.z,2);

but from some angles the particles do not get distance reduction. I actually dont even know what mPow is.

#6 Heh.
mPow is the power function. mPow(a, b) = a^b, so mPow(a, 2) = a^2 = a*a.

also, you *do* need to square each element individually;

actually i don't even see how that last line would compile. anyhow, here's the code i would use:

VectorF vecCamParticle = particle->pos - cameraPos;
F32 distFromCamSquared = vecCamParticle.lenSquared();

and change the subsequent references to "distFromCam" to "distFromCamSquared".

#7 Cool thanks. I would have looked into it deeper, but had a hangover. Getting the distance from the cam is all over the place in the code.

#8 Hey Caylo do you still have this code available?

If so please send it to me at RJNelson68@cox.net

#9 I was wanting to do something like this with particles, I mainly wanted to do collision for like sparks from a power cable of some sort.

Great Idea, keep us updated!

#10 Do you know if this is compatable with AFX? I'd try, but it's late, and I'm not able to get to the computer with Torque on it. =P

Also, what exactly was changed, I understand the collisions, but what do you mean by simple physics?

#11 Hello Caylo, Id love to see this code / particle tricks

please send to racs333@hotmail.com

Thanks in advance.

#12 Here is the download. If i recall correctly its hell to get working with 1.5x code.
Cheap Particle Tricks Download

#13 Thanks Caylo, and I plan to make it work with TGEA.

#14 Well I got the collision system for this to work great in TGEA but the particle reduction code is so drastically different that I didn't get it done.

#15 I expect it is on count of TGEA particles use batch rendering...?

#16 Yup, not really worried about it though. The biggest part I wanted was the collision which works perfectly. Thanks.

#17 I have it working in AFX, the only thing is the textures arent showing properly.. they are simply rendered squares. Any idea what i need todo tosmooth them out. The actual motions and effects work though ie, bouncing and splashing.. the steam looks like its a bunch of boxes spewing forth. i added a normal steam emmiter i have. just tocompare the 2


Other then that it works

#18 The example emitters do not use any datablock defined texture. Texture should work once defined in datablock.

#19 Link doesn't work anymore

#20 It should, but if problem persist send me an email for file by attachment...