Added fxSunLight engine into [HEAD]

#1 Yah. Go to the pub. Slow down...I had just fixed the merge conflicts with the fluid rendering when the fxSunlight stuff showed up...

Give me a few hours to catch my breath. ;-)

-David

#2 Melv, are there changes in the files ????

I have already the resource version in my build.

PS: your stuff kicks a** ;)

#3 Bah pub schmub!

Did you manage to catch the launch video from the Gforce FX yet?

ooooh.. I want one. Wonder who I can start schmoozing...


Phil.

In Schmooze mode.

#4 Melv, I was wondering if the fxsun code could be modified to place the sun behind the cloud clayer. If not do you think it's possible to add a new cloud layer (clouds as objects - fxcloud) which would be displayed in front of the sun?

Thanks

#5 Mike,

The fxSunlight uses the SceneGraph sorting system where the 'first' objects are rendered directly after the skybox. You cannot draw behind the skybox with this method and you wouldn't really want to.

The problem then becomes that the clouds are rendered as part of the skybox object itself so you cannot separate them.

With that said, it wouldn't be too difficult to separate the rendering of the skybox/clouds and still keep them within the same object. The only problem is that the skybox is handled as a special case but that can easily be amended.

In-fact, the fxSunLight does this already. It actually inserts to SceneRenderImages into the scene and is therefore called twice to render. The first is for the remote sun (far plane) and the second is for the local sun (near plane).

I can't see me doing this anytime soon but I don't mind giving anyone else pointers to it.

After all this, I'm not sure it will give you the effect you are looking for e.g. light dispersion within cloud layers. It would be interesting to see though. :)

- Melv.

#6 I am currently trying to play with the fxsunlight settings and cannot seem to locate any docs on what the properties do and what the min and max values are for each property and how they relate to the changes they affect.

Does anything like this exist or do I have to just test each one over and over? Is there maybe a gui that you can change the settings on the fly and see the results?

Thanks.

#7 Patrick,

I merged this piece of code into the codebase after numerous requests from the community. It was originally as a downloadable resource which contained all the details you require to configure it. I didn't want to stuff in lots of instructions into the codebase. Thinking back, I could've transferred the information into the code files themselves.

You can find it at fxSunLight Resource. Download the .zip file and you'll find the instructions in there. Note: Just ignore the code here and simply use the instructions, the code is the same as the one embedded within the engine.

You can use the standard 'World Editor' to configure the fxSunLight live and see the results. All of my FX objects can do this.

Hope this helps,

- Melv.

#8 Thank you Melv...this is indeed what I was looking for.
I found the settings in the editor. That is perfect.

Thanks for a great resource.