How do you show shiney objects?

#1 You'll have to dig into the rendering process to expose the specular component. Then you can get some shininess. If you're looking for reflective (ie: environment mapping) then you'll have to check how TSStatic performs that and implement for StaticShapes.

- Brett

#2 Perhaps it's reflective then. The TStatics seem to project the sky onto the image. I can see clouds when I'm looking at one from below.

#3 That is environmental mapping.

#4 @Paul: Any object can have environmental mapping, check the metal in the orc.

#5 Thanks for the info. I would've responded earlier, but more important bugs came up.
I did a little research on the forums, and most of them say that environmental mapping should work if the model has been exported to allow environmental mapping, and emap=true in the object's datablock. I have not had this happen. I know the model is correct becasue it emaps as a TSStatic. Why thin does emap=true not fix it?

#6 Also, I'm about to search the forums for transparancy. It's behavior is identical to my environmental map issue. Anyone know off the top of their heads how to get transparancy working for Items and StaticShapes?

#7 You already know emap=true in the datablock
heres the other half of it

you use a png for your texture, pngs support an alpha channel

alpha channels are used for transparecy usually, but are used for environment mapping if emap=true

so you basicly set only the areas of the static that you want to reflect to have a value in the alpha, and you have the areas you dont want to reflect to have 0 in the alpha

one way to do this is to get .. SuperPNG plugin for photoshop
there was an older "alpha matte" version on the main site (fnord something) but they dont have it anymore

but fenrirwolf is hosting a link of it here:
www.gapingwolf.com/SuperPNG.zip

it is supposedly the older version that has the support you need to make environment maps for torque models! :)

you should remove your old PNG photoshop plugin

also youll notice in photoshop that instead of the alphaed out areas being invisible, they are still visible! (this is what we want) and it has a seperate channel named "Alpha 1" or something

hope that helps ;)

#8 Had a bit of trouble trying to implement that. I showed my artist your recommendation, and he wasn't able to get it to work. Here's his reply:

Quote:I have tried setting the alpha channel to "black" for the entire texture,
making it completely transparent. This results in no emapping or
transparency, as far as I can tell. (I'm using GIMP for PNG tweaking and
such, as it has better alpha support than Photoshop, and produces smaller
PNGs too.)

Alpha isn't a problem for textures used for particles, though, so I'm
wondering why this isn't working.

I'm also confused why Items and StaticShapes require jumping through this extra hoop while TSStatics simply work. I can understand emap=true, but why are these alpha channels required?

#9 Cuz we hate the consumer!

No wait, that's not right...

They're just different components implemented at different times, and thus with slightly different behavior. They seem to be consistent and reliable enough that people are able to get work done, so we spend our time on more important areas (like getting TSE going).

But reading your artist's comments, it sounds like everything is working great - no alpha is set, no emap is rendered.

#10 He's lieing Paul... It really is because they hate us consumers... :P

#11 Grrrr....

;)