SplashData gone?

#1 Yes, I removed all the splash code. I thought it took up a lot of code in a lot of places for an effect that few people seem to be using. I'm trying to trim and clean up things like that where possible - less code to maintain, less clutter, less stuff people have to learn.

If you need it, my recommendation is to take a look at how Torque does it. Most of it can be ported straight up and the rendering portion could be converted using the PrimBuild helper (gfx/primBuilder.*) (OpenGL like interface).

#2 Ok. I understand and agree. A clean and well working base that works is far better
than a cluttered one that almost works.

Keep on with the good job.

#3 Thanks for understanding!

#4 Can these be reimplemented as DebrisData in TSE?

#5 Just fyi we use it in Lore :)

#6 I'm guessing you can recreate splash with an animated dts if you were using it in a non-standard fashion?

Since our water is flat now, we should be able to add in fancy-looking wakes like all the other games have :)

#7 I am going to need a solution to replace this as well.

I do find it a bit concerning that established elements like this are being removed from the engine.

Why? Because I suck at programming compared to your average TSE developer...

Is that being greedy? hahah..

#8 I would like an answer on this from GG please...

We need it either put back in or a solution provided to replace the function.

#9 We're not planning on putting it back ourselves. If someone wants to write a resource and send it to us, we might add it back in.

If you really "need" water special effects then you should really do them yourself. How far should an engine go in putting in these types of special effects? Do we end at splashes? How about a full waterfall? Roostertails from vehicles? 10 different kinds of splashes depending on projectile?

Is this stuff nice to have? You bet! Is it critical for gameplay or technology? Hell no. Is it worth maintaining when it breaks? Nope. Wouldn't you rather I spend my time working on serious bug fixes, dynamic lighting, shadows, OpenGL, TSE 360, or... pretty much anything else? Especially if your game doesn't even have water? Wouldn't you rather spend the time to make your own good water effects so they don't look like stock TSE (or Tribes2)?

#10 You have 3 customers here asking for the feature. Was it broken with TSE?
If GG staff had already put time into getting it working in TGE and customers like me have TGE
projects using it and are trying to port to EA TSE.

I don't want to join the list of customers that have given up. You know I am physically disabled (while
serving my country) and I have 3 spinal diseases. Everyday I want to give up... Just spending 1 hour
or TSE programming is about the same as a full day for the average person. That is with pain so severe
you have a hard time breathing... must less crunching code..

So of course as a 3 year long customer and one of the first EA. ( I spent my disablity money on all
3 GG engines). I would like to see TSE more modular with as many features as possible.

Thanks for your time in the reply.

Have a nice day.

#11 TSE is in some ways modular because of the resources people create and release. It'd be nice if there were more of them, but that is another issue entirely.

If the reason so many things didn't get ported over was purely a work/time issue, it'd be simpler. It's more complex though. We're talking about old visual effects that may not even fit in well with a more realistic looking shader-heavy game.

If the Splash effect looked realistic, that'd be one thing, but it did not. With a huge change in how the water looks (and works), it seems totally reasonable to take a step back and look at the problem anew.

I suppose it is judgemental to say that the Splash wouldn't look good. If you really needed it, I suppose you need it. I just personally don't see why you need it.

To offer an art-based workaroud:
- make sure the projectile spawns an explosion along the normal of the water surface.
- make the explosion have some animated mesh. just make a ring that scales or something. animate the texture to fade it out.
- use lots of particles.

That's pretty much what every other game uses, if not better. The aircraft carrier cannon in BF2 makes fiery explosions on the water :P

If anyone wants to code a splash, just take the mesh object idea and turn it into a code-generated object, just to simplify it for content creation (resizing splashes would get old)

#12 I ported the splashes , took maybe an hour. If i get time i'll turn it into a resource.

- I just realised this has been dead for over a year. I really should look at dates :)

#13 I would like this Ashley. Thanks

#14 Add me to the list... :)

#15 Me too :)

#16 Ashley Leach is there any chance you post a resource?

#17 It sure would come in handy!

#18 I have e-mailed Ashley 2 times in the past month...no answer though.

#19 It took 4 months for people to get interested :)

it was an easy port, but i have been REALLLY busy lately.

ill see if i can knock something up this coming week.


-Ashley Leach
www.silhouette-studios.com.au

#20 Count me in as well