Baldur's Gate PS2 interactive water
by Thomas Shaw · in Torque Game Engine Advanced · 02/09/2007 (10:24 am) · 14 replies
Has anyone played that game? In the dungeons there are pools of water that react to the player when he runs through them. They wiggle and jiggle and reflect and basically look shiny and pretty.
I assume it was some sort of shader thing. Has anyone tried that with TGEA? I googled around the interwebz last night for some info on shadery, interactive, cg water for games but didn't really find anything...
It seems like if someone could do it years ago on an old PS2 game (not to mention those goofy Java applets that make ripples when you move your cursor through them), that we could do it for our TGEA games.
I assume it was some sort of shader thing. Has anyone tried that with TGEA? I googled around the interwebz last night for some info on shadery, interactive, cg water for games but didn't really find anything...
It seems like if someone could do it years ago on an old PS2 game (not to mention those goofy Java applets that make ripples when you move your cursor through them), that we could do it for our TGEA games.
#2
02/09/2007 (11:08 am)
It is not too advanced, really. Just project an advanced decal on the waters surface, and fade it out as it animates. Add a particle emitter on top of that, and you should be set. Works for us, anyway. 
#3
02/12/2007 (1:12 am)
The water they are talking about has to do with physics, Ive seen it unless it an good trick. Although I haven't seen it in a while and could have a faulty memory due to seeing so many visual effects over the years, dig up any screen shots?, I may be able to help:) 
#4
02/12/2007 (6:42 am)
Actually, on limited hardware or texture memory, it is usually done via pixel manipulation and a wave algorithm. Today it would usually be done with a similar algorithm and fancy shaders.
#5
www.3drogue.com/images/movies/bgwater.wmv
02/12/2007 (10:11 am)
Here is a short video i shot of the water. It's not the greatest quality, but you can see it in action:www.3drogue.com/images/movies/bgwater.wmv
#6
02/12/2007 (10:15 am)
Heh, you can also see, for a split second -if you look closely, the nice heat blur on the torches. They had some nice effects going on in that engine. I believe that engine was also used in the 2 PS2 "Champions of Noorath" Everquest games.
#7
edit: Like EQ2 sewer pipe water.. that's a slick effect...
02/13/2007 (12:53 pm)
It could be done. We do need more types of water effects. For waterfalls, ponds, pools. I mean other than the larger terrain waterblocks. For the future roadmap of course.edit: Like EQ2 sewer pipe water.. that's a slick effect...
#8
I would bet that they are using some implementation of Jos Stam's Visualization of Smoke (If you haven't, google it, its a great paper).
Todd
02/13/2007 (10:31 pm)
Thomas, that is a great clip. That water effect rocks.I would bet that they are using some implementation of Jos Stam's Visualization of Smoke (If you haven't, google it, its a great paper).
Todd
#9
We should start a thread for effects (with screenshots if possible) we'd like to see in the engine...
@WTS - Googling Jos Stam's Visualization of Smoke now. I love stuff like that.
02/14/2007 (9:14 am)
@vashner - EQ2 water is great. I have personally spent some time in the sewers looking at the pipe water from all angles. Lol. I also love the ocean underwater effect - that oily, shifting blur they do to the screen.We should start a thread for effects (with screenshots if possible) we'd like to see in the engine...
@WTS - Googling Jos Stam's Visualization of Smoke now. I love stuff like that.
#10
02/14/2007 (9:40 am)
Nice vid, Thomas.
#11
Its a *really* simple effect to write, so I would expect you should be able to find a simple example shader somewhere.
02/17/2007 (3:49 pm)
Guys, thats old news.. Have a look at nvidia's developer site about effects and look for the water effect. They have one where it has a single quad that does what you see in that video.Its a *really* simple effect to write, so I would expect you should be able to find a simple example shader somewhere.
#12
While the actual water effect is straight-forward, the interaction of the water with the character is what I found interesting.
I have seen an effect that is VERY similar to the one in the video, that used a 2D implementation of Jos Stam's paper. A 2D implementation of his work is also very straightforward.
Are you referencing another water effect that interacts with the environment on the nVidia site? I didn't see one, but I may be missing it...
Thanks
Todd
02/18/2007 (8:04 am)
Hey Phil,While the actual water effect is straight-forward, the interaction of the water with the character is what I found interesting.
I have seen an effect that is VERY similar to the one in the video, that used a 2D implementation of Jos Stam's paper. A 2D implementation of his work is also very straightforward.
Are you referencing another water effect that interacts with the environment on the nVidia site? I didn't see one, but I may be missing it...
Thanks
Todd
#13
download.developer.nvidia.com/developer/SDK/Individual_Samples/DEMOS/Direct3D9/s...
download.developer.nvidia.com/developer/SDK/Individual_Samples/DEMOS/Direct3D9/s...
02/18/2007 (8:12 am)
I kept looking on the nVidia site and found this:download.developer.nvidia.com/developer/SDK/Individual_Samples/DEMOS/Direct3D9/s...
download.developer.nvidia.com/developer/SDK/Individual_Samples/DEMOS/Direct3D9/s...
#14
03/03/2007 (3:11 pm)
This technique was not very useful for larger waterblocks since you either have to use multiple ones or stretch the heightmap, but it sure does look cool for smaller blocks of water.
Torque Owner Chris "C2" Byars
Ion Productions