Afx For Tgea 1.7
by Jeff Faust · in Arcane FX (Public) · 03/19/2008 (10:04 am) · 20 replies
An open beta was just released for TGEA 1.7 so I thought I would comment on what this means to AFX here. For more info about the open beta, see Matt Fairfax's blog here:
www.garagegames.com/blogs/985/14469
I've been actively porting AFX for TGEA alongside the development of TGEA 1.7 since December, and here are some key points:
- Most of AFX is already ported and functioning well in TGEA 1.7.
- AFX zodiac effects appear to be fully functioning on the so-called mega-terrain. I've had a character stand on the seam between two terrain blocks and a selectron zodiac correctly rendered across the terrain seam with no visible seam in the zodiac.
- TGEA 1.7 currently contains a couple of lighting bugs that prevent final evaluation of the lighting in existing effects.
- There are problems with all of the AFX atlas terrain, but these may end up being remedied by re-generating the atlas terrain from source materials. I have not had time to try that yet.
- I have not yet attempted to support the fixed function rendering or the basic lighting option. These features may remain unsupported. (Synapse Gaming lighting is supported)
- Interactions between AFX and some new capabilities like the anti-aliasing and ground cover has not been tested yet.
- I just recently connected the dots mentally that the new polysoup capabilities mean that more users will be replacing their interiors with polysouped dts models. Since AFX zodiacs only render on interiors, legacy terrain, and atlas, this creates a problem. I'll be looking at solutions for rendering zodiacs on dts models but this may take a while to get working. Initial release of AFX for TGEA 1.7 will probably not support zodiacs on polysoup-dts meshes (or any other dts meshes). I'll also be looking at possible compromise solutions, such as rendering zodiacs onto a flat quadrangle in the manner of an ordinary decal.
www.garagegames.com/blogs/985/14469
I've been actively porting AFX for TGEA alongside the development of TGEA 1.7 since December, and here are some key points:
- Most of AFX is already ported and functioning well in TGEA 1.7.
- AFX zodiac effects appear to be fully functioning on the so-called mega-terrain. I've had a character stand on the seam between two terrain blocks and a selectron zodiac correctly rendered across the terrain seam with no visible seam in the zodiac.
- TGEA 1.7 currently contains a couple of lighting bugs that prevent final evaluation of the lighting in existing effects.
- There are problems with all of the AFX atlas terrain, but these may end up being remedied by re-generating the atlas terrain from source materials. I have not had time to try that yet.
- I have not yet attempted to support the fixed function rendering or the basic lighting option. These features may remain unsupported. (Synapse Gaming lighting is supported)
- Interactions between AFX and some new capabilities like the anti-aliasing and ground cover has not been tested yet.
- I just recently connected the dots mentally that the new polysoup capabilities mean that more users will be replacing their interiors with polysouped dts models. Since AFX zodiacs only render on interiors, legacy terrain, and atlas, this creates a problem. I'll be looking at solutions for rendering zodiacs on dts models but this may take a while to get working. Initial release of AFX for TGEA 1.7 will probably not support zodiacs on polysoup-dts meshes (or any other dts meshes). I'll also be looking at possible compromise solutions, such as rendering zodiacs onto a flat quadrangle in the manner of an ordinary decal.
About the author
Jeff Faust creates special effects indie middleware and games for Faust Logic. --- Blog: Effectronica.com --- Twitter: @FaustLogic
#2
Also, I second the request for zodiacs being projected on DTS objects. As you state most people are moving over to polysoup (myself included) and as such not having zodiacs on DTS is a large issue to us. Your compromise sounds like an acceptable one too.
03/20/2008 (8:31 am)
Sounds good Jeff. Finally got around to having a proper play around with AFX myself and I'm loving it! Its incredibly well designed and intuitive, looking forward to the 1.7 compatible release. Any ideas on a rough release date?Also, I second the request for zodiacs being projected on DTS objects. As you state most people are moving over to polysoup (myself included) and as such not having zodiacs on DTS is a large issue to us. Your compromise sounds like an acceptable one too.
#3
final release date of TGEA 1.7 + 1 month
Beta testing will probably open much sooner, but I'm currently waiting on a fix for at least one major lighting problem. When the lighting is broken it's very difficult to evaluate overall effect quality and make comparisons with previous releases.
03/20/2008 (9:02 am)
The soonest release date will probably be:final release date of TGEA 1.7 + 1 month
Beta testing will probably open much sooner, but I'm currently waiting on a fix for at least one major lighting problem. When the lighting is broken it's very difficult to evaluate overall effect quality and make comparisons with previous releases.
#4
03/20/2008 (9:05 am)
Thanks for the speedy reply Jeff. And yes, a sound conclusion regarding the ability to evaluate effect quality when lighting is broken etc. 
#5
03/20/2008 (6:54 pm)
Thank you very much for your effects.
#6
Ever since we got past a CustomMaterial lighting bug that was present in some of the earlier TGEA 1.7 betas, the AFX port to 1.7 has preceded a little more smoothly. After working with the official TGEA 1.7 release for a couple of days, my major concerns are as follows:
- A whole lot of changes to SFX happened between open-beta-2 and the final release and consistent with this I've been observing some SFX related errors, crashes, and stability problems.
- It's been my impression that atlas terrain has been under tested for TGEA 1.7.0 and I expect to see additional atlas bugs cropping up post release as more users work with it.
The AFX for TGEA 1.7 release will be a free update to anyone with an AFX for TGEA 1.0.3 license, and this makes it possible for us to conduct an open beta, much like what was done for TGEA 1.7.0. The beta should start within a week or two, largely depending on whether emerging issues in TGEA 1.7.0 trigger another update.
04/07/2008 (7:24 am)
With the official release of TGEA 1.7.0, I figured that I should update this thread:Ever since we got past a CustomMaterial lighting bug that was present in some of the earlier TGEA 1.7 betas, the AFX port to 1.7 has preceded a little more smoothly. After working with the official TGEA 1.7 release for a couple of days, my major concerns are as follows:
- A whole lot of changes to SFX happened between open-beta-2 and the final release and consistent with this I've been observing some SFX related errors, crashes, and stability problems.
- It's been my impression that atlas terrain has been under tested for TGEA 1.7.0 and I expect to see additional atlas bugs cropping up post release as more users work with it.
The AFX for TGEA 1.7 release will be a free update to anyone with an AFX for TGEA 1.0.3 license, and this makes it possible for us to conduct an open beta, much like what was done for TGEA 1.7.0. The beta should start within a week or two, largely depending on whether emerging issues in TGEA 1.7.0 trigger another update.
#7
Fredrik S
04/07/2008 (8:00 am)
Very excited about the 1.7 version, Jeff. Count us in on the beta test of it.Fredrik S
#8
04/07/2008 (8:29 am)
@Jeff - Please be sure to post those SFX issues you've come across.
#9
www.garagegames.com/mg/forums/result.thread.php?qt=73958
04/07/2008 (8:47 am)
@ Tom - I'm reviewing a couple of issues now and should get some posts up soon. This one here is already posted:www.garagegames.com/mg/forums/result.thread.php?qt=73958
#10
www.garagegames.com/mg/forums/result.thread.php?qt=73995
www.garagegames.com/mg/forums/result.thread.php?qt=73996
I should point out that none of these audio issues are extremely serious as far as AFX is concerned. My bigger concern is whether the fixes are complicated enough to trigger a follow-up distribution for TGEA 1.7.0. I would prefer not to startup the AFX beta and then immediately have to turn-around a new distribution.
04/07/2008 (9:51 am)
@ Tom - Here are the others...www.garagegames.com/mg/forums/result.thread.php?qt=73995
www.garagegames.com/mg/forums/result.thread.php?qt=73996
I should point out that none of these audio issues are extremely serious as far as AFX is concerned. My bigger concern is whether the fixes are complicated enough to trigger a follow-up distribution for TGEA 1.7.0. I would prefer not to startup the AFX beta and then immediately have to turn-around a new distribution.
#11
04/07/2008 (9:59 am)
@Jeff - Thanks. You'll have to talk to Matt about future releases, but they have stated that we'll be seeing more frequent updates to the engines now.
#12
www.garagegames.com/mg/forums/result.thread.php?qt=73858
The issues described are fairly easy to fix but the fact that they made it into the official release implies to me that multiplayer scenarios were under tested in 1.7.
04/08/2008 (7:47 am)
Added to my list of major concerns about TGEA 1.7.0 is issues related to separated client/server functionality. This thread highlights a couple of problems:www.garagegames.com/mg/forums/result.thread.php?qt=73858
The issues described are fairly easy to fix but the fact that they made it into the official release implies to me that multiplayer scenarios were under tested in 1.7.
#14
04/14/2008 (11:38 am)
Any word on how things are going there jeff?
#15
04/14/2008 (11:45 am)
I'm in process of generating installers for the open beta which will hopefully be available sometime this week.
#16
04/14/2008 (11:48 am)
Sweet, u are awesome jeff
#17
Edit: forgot to say, nice one regarding beta ;)
04/14/2008 (11:52 am)
Jeff responds so quickly I swear he is somehow hardwired into these forums... he is in fact the Jeffatron 5000 reply posting machine.Edit: forgot to say, nice one regarding beta ;)
#18
04/14/2008 (11:53 am)
Let me know when you need beta testers, I'm keen to upgrade to 1.7 but I need me some AFX to go with my polysoup ;)
#19
04/14/2008 (12:20 pm)
@ Gareth - Beta is open to anyone with TGEA and AFX for TGEA. Zodiac polysoup support is still cold, so I will be looking for some example DTS models for testing. Any DTS that makes sense to have polysoup enabled and that you'd want to have zodiacs on.
#20
See this link in the private AFX forums for more info:
www.garagegames.com/mg/forums/result.thread.php?qt=74306
Please do not post beta bug reports in the public AFX forum. Post them in this forum:
www.garagegames.com/mg/forums/result.forum.php?qf=186
04/16/2008 (7:23 am)
The Beta-1 version of AFX 1.1.2 for TGEA 1.7.0 is now available for download. This is an open-beta that is available to anyone with a license for AFX for TGEA 1.0.3 (CoreTech or ComboPack). Just visit your account page to download the Beta from your AFX for TGEA download page.See this link in the private AFX forums for more info:
www.garagegames.com/mg/forums/result.thread.php?qt=74306
Please do not post beta bug reports in the public AFX forum. Post them in this forum:
www.garagegames.com/mg/forums/result.forum.php?qf=186
Torque 3D Owner Gareth Fouche
And yeah, would like Zodiacs on dts. If the polysoup stuff gets the kinks sorted out I'd certainly want to jump to it fullscale.