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AFX Presents: A Little Night Magic...

Name:	Jeff Faust
Date Posted:	Oct 23, 2006
Rating:	5.0 out of 5
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Blog post

While we await the final release of TGE 1.5, I thought I would share some of the latest lighting enhancements we've made to the soon-to-be-published, Arcane-FX.

As we were developing AFX, we deliberately avoided using TLK for a long time. This wasn't because we didn't think TLK had anything to add, quite the opposite. We just wanted to make the best special effects possible using TGE plus AFX and nothing else. To avoid confusion, we refrained from using TLK or any other content packs when creating sample images and movies.

Eventually, we did add a few features that took some advantage of TLK when it was available, but these really just scratched the surface of what was possible. Then we learned that the AFX product was going to be built on the upcoming TGE 1.5 and that 1.5 would also incorporate integrated TLK lighting. Now that TLK would be the standard lighting system for Torque, we realized that we needed to go a little further with the lighting features in AFX.

First we made a number of enhancements to the AFX sample spell effects to improve their appearance under the starker TLK lighting. Then we implemented support for using TLK's sgUniversalStaticLights (called sgLightObjects in 1.5) and VolumeLights as AFX component effects. Finally, we created an alternative nighttime mission and added advanced lighting effects to most of the AFX sample spells to make them look great in day or night settings. The results can be seen in the images posted with this blog entry.

In the end we've found that AFX and TLK are a powerful combination. The TLK lighting adds many deep and flexible controls for incorporating advanced lighting in AFX special effects, and AFX offers powerful new ways to dynamically manage animated and mounted TLK lights.

To see a new movie showing AFX special effects using TLK lighting in a nighttime setting, visit here.

For more, visit arcane-FX.com.

Recent Blog Posts

List:	06/30/08 - AFX 1.1.2 for TGEA 1.7.1 (Limited) Open Beta 2 04/17/08 - AFX 1.1.2 for TGEA 1.7.0 Open Beta 12/13/07 - Preview Pics from AFX for TGEA 07/04/07 - AFX and Bottle Rocket Science 12/18/06 - AFX: Off to a Great Start 10/23/06 - AFX Presents: A Little Night Magic... 07/28/06 - AFX Selectrons and Other Goodies 02/20/06 - Arcane-FX: spellcasting effects for TGE (Update)

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David \"Fulcrum\" Wyand (Oct 23, 2006 at 21:57 GMT)

Very dramatic! Looks like a great combination.

James Bond (Oct 23, 2006 at 22:03 GMT)

Awesome as ever!

Tom Eastman (Eastbeast314) (Oct 23, 2006 at 22:07 GMT)

Wow. More proof that lighting is a HUGE factor in how a game looks.

Timothy Aste (Oct 23, 2006 at 22:17 GMT)

*WOW* Those are gorgeous!!

Tom Bentz (Oct 23, 2006 at 22:35 GMT)

Those are some seriously cool effects!

Chris French (Oct 23, 2006 at 22:43 GMT)

That 3rd image is awsome. The ground effects wrap all the way down the steps(interior) and onto the terrain. Wowzers.

Tony Richards (Oct 23, 2006 at 22:45 GMT)

Wow, very nice! Makes me wish I was working on something that required special effects like this...

Josh Williams (Oct 23, 2006 at 23:23 GMT)

Freaking awesome Jeff! Holy cow!

Jeppie (Oct 23, 2006 at 23:40 GMT) Resource Rating: 5

Wow, I'm very impressed. If I were doing a fantasy-style project, getting AFX would be a no-brainer.

Edward Smith (Oct 23, 2006 at 23:47 GMT) Resource Rating: 5

That looks amazing! very beautiful effects!

Gary Preston (Oct 23, 2006 at 23:48 GMT)

Very nice looking :)

Hans (Oct 24, 2006 at 00:00 GMT)

do the effects work inside a buliding/ cave ?

Prairie Games (Oct 24, 2006 at 00:02 GMT)

Great work Jeff, Arcane-FX rules!

Rubes (Oct 24, 2006 at 00:07 GMT)

Sweet!

Benjamin Graner (Oct 24, 2006 at 01:05 GMT)

Wow, great work.

BigPapa (Oct 24, 2006 at 02:27 GMT)

Selectrons ROCK!!!

Jeff Faust (Oct 24, 2006 at 02:35 GMT) Resource Rating: 5

@ Hans -- here's a couple of interior shots...

Mark (Oct 24, 2006 at 02:37 GMT)

I was watching the videos on your website a few days ago, I was blown away! I sure can't wait for this pack!

bank (Oct 24, 2006 at 02:42 GMT)

wow! This is from the category named "must-have" for any Torque owner! :)

Jesse (Midhir) Liles (Oct 24, 2006 at 04:41 GMT)

Holy flippin hell, the video is FANTASTIC. I must have AFX.

Joshua Dallman (Oct 24, 2006 at 05:48 GMT)

Fantastic work. I've been on the edge of my seat since day 1 when you blogged Arcane. Very excited about its upcoming release.

Juha Eerola (Oct 24, 2006 at 06:49 GMT)

Awesomeness!
Truly beautiful work! Good job!

Btw, is there going to be TSE version of AFX?

Unsung Zero (Oct 24, 2006 at 12:56 GMT)

OOooohhh Shiney!

Jeff Faust (Oct 24, 2006 at 13:52 GMT) Resource Rating: 5

@ Juha Eerola -- TSE version is in the works. No details on release timing, cost, or product structure yet, but once the TGE 1.5 AFX gets settled, the TSE version will become a high priority.

Allyn "Mr_Bloodworth" Mcelrath (Oct 24, 2006 at 15:23 GMT)

Im wondering what is required to set up new spells and effects.

What is the pipeline for this FX set?

Christian S (Oct 24, 2006 at 16:57 GMT)

Wow!

Ive been exited about what it would end with since way back where we discussed us stepping in to beta -sadly we was not ready to be of any sparring use back then. Sadly, cause I have been wanting so bad to use it since day 1, and sneak peaking at every info about ArcaneFX I could lay my eye on havent been the same as tampering with the code....

You done a great job and I wish to congratulate you (and the team behind) with the end result Jeff!

Jeff Faust (Oct 24, 2006 at 17:16 GMT) Resource Rating: 5

@ Allyn "Mr_Bloodworth" Mcelrath -- First, here's a cryptic one sentence answer...

A high-level effect is represented by a choreographer, which organizes and times the whole into one or more phrases, arrays of structures called effect wrappers that enclose and provide timing for the actual, low-level component effects that are visualized.

Also, pay a visit to this page over at arcane-fx.com. The User Guide is stale, but the sample spell script is up-to-date. Looking at the script will tell you much more than I can convey in a few sentences. This is the script that creates the ring-of-fire fireball spell.

Jonathon Stevens (Oct 24, 2006 at 17:58 GMT)

Incredilicous as usual Jeff, great, GREAT work!

T Squared (Thanhda Tie) (Oct 29, 2006 at 06:53 GMT)

Wow. looks awesome. when will this product be available?

Jeff Faust (Oct 29, 2006 at 13:41 GMT) Resource Rating: 5

@ T Squared -- Now that TGE 1.5 is released, we begin final beta testing this week. We're not expecting this to be a long extended beta, but the exact timeline depends on how testing goes. If testers scare up some showstopper bugs, the beta will take longer. I'd say we've got at least several weeks left before release.

bank (Oct 29, 2006 at 14:26 GMT)

good news Jeff.
Let the bugs amount be as small as possible (or even no bugs at all!)! :)

Chris Nehme (Nov 05, 2006 at 11:00 GMT) Resource Rating: 5

Absolutely beautiful screenshots, man! *applauds*

HOOK ME UP with AFX.

Hong Jin Park (Nov 17, 2006 at 01:24 GMT)

wonderful!
Makes me speechless. Hope your beta will be successful and release it ASAP.

edit :As we're already in November, could you please let us know how your beta goes, any news about release?
Edited on Nov 17, 2006 01:41 GMT

xGamer (May 07, 2008 at 18:56 GMT)

Nevermind. I just found the .plan for tgea 1.7
Edited on May 07, 2008 18:59 GMT

Jonathon Stevens (May 07, 2008 at 20:00 GMT)

holy old postings batman! btw xgamer, you don't have to use the included effects, they are to show off the AFX engine, not specifically to be used in an MMOG. Any developer must take into account the various aspects of an MMOG before deciding what can stay and go.

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