Terrain texture idea...
by Thomas Shaw · in Torque Game Engine · 01/09/2007 (1:24 pm) · 6 replies
It would be cool if you could have a texture for the terrain that could be laid over another using the top texture's alpha channel.
What this would be useful for is -
I would texture my terrain with grass and whatnot like normal. In addition to my regular terrain texture I would have, say, a texture of some sticks or some flowers or pebbles etc., that had an alpha channel to cut out those shapes.
I would then be able to go in and dab those textures around on the terrain.
That would be very handy for making the tiling textures less obvious.
How hard would that be?
What this would be useful for is -
I would texture my terrain with grass and whatnot like normal. In addition to my regular terrain texture I would have, say, a texture of some sticks or some flowers or pebbles etc., that had an alpha channel to cut out those shapes.
I would then be able to go in and dab those textures around on the terrain.
That would be very handy for making the tiling textures less obvious.
How hard would that be?
#2
Here's some pics as an example:
What I am looking for, is what is shown in image 3.
01/09/2007 (7:17 pm)
Hmmm....Here's some pics as an example:
What I am looking for, is what is shown in image 3.
#3
This image shows what happens when you try to paint a texture that has an alpha channel:
doesn't work so well.
01/09/2007 (7:19 pm)
Woops first images didnt show up. I'll just show the one.This image shows what happens when you try to paint a texture that has an alpha channel:
doesn't work so well.
#4
To achieve the affect your going for i use Decal projectors. Or a small 4 poly shape. Doing it the way your thinking would limit your placement, as everything on a grid and tiles, your just kinda "Painting" Knock threw areas to show he texture just underneath...i think.
01/09/2007 (7:25 pm)
Oooooohhhhh, ok i understand now. But technical, Torque uses Texture splatting. So its not far off already.To achieve the affect your going for i use Decal projectors. Or a small 4 poly shape. Doing it the way your thinking would limit your placement, as everything on a grid and tiles, your just kinda "Painting" Knock threw areas to show he texture just underneath...i think.
#5
01/09/2007 (7:52 pm)
Yah, I was just remembering the decal projectors... might have to go with those. Still I bet a person could get some interesting effects if you could do what I described above. :P 
#6
I was very excited to see Decal Projectors near a year ago, thinking they would be like the projectors in UNREAL, and i used then like the Unreal Engine projectors. I had several missions useing LOTS of Decal Projectors for all type of diffrent cool effects.
Then when i was cleaning up, and optimizing the missions, for a more consistent FPS, i changed the view fog and noticed the Decal Projectors showed up bright and ugly, beyond the fog. Decal Projectors do not occlude, they do not fade with the fog. The only real use for Decal Projectors is if you give them a short lifetime to get rid of them, or use then INSIDE a .DIF building.
It would have been nice if the Decal Projectors short comings were mentioned in the TLK documentation before i wasted many many hours designing missions with them, then many hours trying to get then to fog and occlude correctly, then many many hours removing them from my missions. Guess im just ranting now....
Any how, I replaced all my Decal Projectors with Generic Render Object It was quick and easy to get the Render Object to fog and occlude.
01/10/2007 (11:08 am)
Do not use decal projectors.I was very excited to see Decal Projectors near a year ago, thinking they would be like the projectors in UNREAL, and i used then like the Unreal Engine projectors. I had several missions useing LOTS of Decal Projectors for all type of diffrent cool effects.
Then when i was cleaning up, and optimizing the missions, for a more consistent FPS, i changed the view fog and noticed the Decal Projectors showed up bright and ugly, beyond the fog. Decal Projectors do not occlude, they do not fade with the fog. The only real use for Decal Projectors is if you give them a short lifetime to get rid of them, or use then INSIDE a .DIF building.
It would have been nice if the Decal Projectors short comings were mentioned in the TLK documentation before i wasted many many hours designing missions with them, then many hours trying to get then to fog and occlude correctly, then many many hours removing them from my missions. Guess im just ranting now....
Any how, I replaced all my Decal Projectors with Generic Render Object It was quick and easy to get the Render Object to fog and occlude.
Torque Owner AllynMcelrath