foliage issues, what could be the issue?

#1 Your Transparency checkbox isn't checked.
But I think the threshold is used for determining when a pixel will be invisible, when it is above or below the number you choose.

Did you try clicking the Transparency checkbox and then set the threshold to 50?
The reason for 50 is that any pixel that is below 50 is invisible, any pixel that is above 50 is visible. (Not awake yet, still drinking first tea, so that might be reversed).

#2 Andy,

From what I can tell by your post, you are experiencing the dreaded 'cross hatch' fade effect. Bit of background is in order...

Now, the video that you watched is from the Pacific demo that is still available for download on the front page of this web site. If you check the demo out, you will note that the landmass is actually very small for that map. This is key because the issue you are running into deals with two settings within the ground cover object: radius and dissolve radius.

That 'cross hatch' effect is an attempt to 'fade out' the ground cover objects at a distance so as not to tax the system as far as poly count goes. It's a horrible effect and I need to add a note to myself to 'fix' this for the next release.

You are seeing this effect because you have a large land mass and nothing to block the distance view.

There is a 'semi-fix' I have seen around somewhere, and you can probably do a search for it. What it does is change the "cross hatch" fade to either a horizontal or vertical fade.

Hope that helps explain it a bit.

Ron

#3 Hi Scott, thanks for your reply. Ok So clicking the transparencymakes it look much nicer and im sure if i now play arund with textures i can get the look im after.

BUT when transparency is checked, i get really bad effects going on?

Such as this one:

http://img838.imageshack.us/img838/1069/foilageprob2.png

Thanks
Andy

#4 Sorry, ive only just realised you Post Ron. That explains it alot as i did play about with them settings and since delete and created a new ground cover that looks better, but stillthe issue above still remains.

If i have transparency on, water and other models are rendered infron of the grass?

So one idea is i guess down to level design and that is to have things blocking the distance, which kind of defeats the object of my initial game design.

Thanks
Andy

#5 If Transparency is checked, uncheck Alpha Threshold. If You want to use the Alpha Threshold, uncheck Transparency. They are two different methods of tuning the alpha.

My thoughts (which may be wrong) are that Transparency adds transparency to images with 100% opacity, while Alpha Threshold deals with images that have less than 100% opacity.

#6 @Dan, I use it that way also.

The way I understand, transparency is where objects range from opaque to semi-transparent, to fully transparent.

Alpha threshold is either fully opaque or fully transparent based on the value configured and the value in the alpha channel.

#7 Hi, using the above option im still have rendering order issues:

example.
http://img688.imageshack.us/img688/3214/foilageprob3.png

Thanks
Andy

#8 See if this fixes it for you:

Unclick transparency, click alpha threshold, slider to 128.

What you're seeing is draw order laying water over top your grass. I'm not sure why.

#9 Hi Kenneth, yes it does but as discussed this then results in "not as nice" effect, the blending isnt great, with sharp looking edges.

This is why i asked, is there some sort of rule of thumb towards this.

Or how are others getting nice grass. Im aware its not typically an easy task to get good looking foliage, but it feels it would be if the draw order wasnt causing issues.

Thanks
Andy

#10 Hmm maybe alot is down to the creation of the texture itsself. Ive tried one of the grass textures from pacific and despite it only being 256x256 (lower res than the ones i had made in PS) they look far better!

http://img856.imageshack.us/img856/306/foilage.png

Will have to play more.

Thanks
Andy

#11 Agreed. That's looking good.