Original message
| Disorder
enter@softhome.net
27436321
|  "A question for the tech-boys..."
, posted Sun 1 Apr 08:43  
This is a little confusing.
There are (at least) 3 members who have "999" in their usernames... I just couldn't help telling you this...
Anyway, let's get to the topic > In games like Half-life and Unreal explosions often look weird. When you throw a grenade in a corner the explosion looks really messed up... Why is this? And will Doom3 have this problem too ????????
-someday I'll cut you just like they cut me-
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Replies:
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| Zaldron
avengerz66@hotmail.com
18477495
|  "Re(1):A question for the tech-boys..."
, posted Sun 1 Apr 14:41
OK, here´s the thing.
Explosions in todays games are made in 2D using a technique called "decal". While in old games like DooM you could just blit (paste pics for programmers) the scaled image based on distance, modern shooters need to work with polys. The solution´s pretty simple, 2 triangles shaping a square, wich is texturized with the explosion effect. This plane or "decal" always facing you, so it behaves like a sprite (note : this is client-side, every user has the decal pointing HIM). To finish the effect, people use some dynamic light, a few particles and some debris popping out.
But the real problem is the decal. Since the decal rotates so always face you, that means it´s corners can clip trough other brushes unnoticed. This was highly noticeable on Hexen II.
There are 2 solutions :
Make a cool particle projector that resembles fire and smoke (each particle´s a decal with a fire/smoke sprite). Done properly it can kick ass cause the explosion would adapt to the enviroment. Anyone remembers that tunnel in Half-Life? Where there was an exit at the end and suddenly, a marine cries "Fire on the hole" and throws a detonator?
This scripted sequence could be done easily with a particle generator.
The other solution would be 3D. 3D fixed explosions don´t look arse like decals, but that´s the limit. Fluid envelopes of fire that shapes like the enviroment are a tad hard to code just for explosives. The day we´ll get fluidic water will have this kind of fires...
Anyway, most games have the explosion wrong. The other day I watched a car-bomb detonate, and I can tell you that the explosion lasted 1/10 of second. The only game that make it right was SoF. A brief flash of light, a really fast shockwave and plenty of smoke. This doens´t look as cool as slo-mo fire figures, but I won´t mind some reality on this subject. After all, if they´re gonna pull off a realistic rocket launcher as deadnail wants, they´re not going to use one of those half meter wide explosion sprites.
__________________________ _ _ _
"There are three kinds of death in this world. There's heart death there's brain death and there's being off the network."
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| danarchist
danarchy84@hotmail.com
55619497
| "Re(1):A question for the tech-boys..." , posted Sun 1 Apr 14:14
Sprite explosions are good because they look real straight on, but are bad because they clip through walls and look silly next to a wall.
3d explosions look sort of silly (on Q2 they were always roundish), but they flatten against walls.
The solution would be to have a complex 3d explosion that flattns agains walls and 'billows' out so it wo't be as round.
In response to what reaper said about Goldeneye, from what I remember the explosions can go through walls and kill people on the other side, which is pretty dumb (unless the wall explodes too).
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Everything's blue in this world
The deepest shade of mushroom blue
All fuzzy
Spilling out of my head.
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| | ReaperMan
lrdmecha@yahoo.com
| "Re(2):A question for the tech-boys..." , posted Sun 1 Apr 15:23
Now that you mention it, I think you're right. The explosions spawned probably didn't have a blocking bit on them to keep them from going through walls.
What I'd love to see explosions do is react differently depending on where they are. For example, an explosion in a corridor will last longer and actualy "travel" down the hallway, much like a real explosion would. And then, out in the open, the same explosion would not last as long.
--ReaperMan
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| Matt PmRd
daniel.dalpe@sympatico.ca
| "Re(1):A question for the tech-boys..." , posted Sun 1 Apr 10:31
The explosion in those games are a flat image(s) thats always facing you so it can screw up sometimes like go threw walls and stuff
Id will probably try to do sometime better this time. Probably a 3d explosion model (eeek) like in quake 2 or something something
______ __ __ ___ _
Matt tried to put the pin back in!
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| | Speshul Eddy
tarbaby99@earthlink.net
| "Re(2):A question for the tech-boys..." , posted Sun 1 Apr 14:01
actually, the sprites in modern games are displayed as polygons that face the screen, which is why they clip through walls. In the older, non 3D accelerated games, like, well, DOOM, the sprites really were sprites and they didn't clip through things, but if you run a DOOM source port in Open GL, you'll see a monster's head clip through the ceiling.
As far as 3D explosions go, Alien Vs Predator for the PC has some pretty nifty explosions that actually deform and funnel down hallways and such. Only problem is you hardly ever get the rocket launcher.
I'm only paranoid cuz they're out to get me dammit!
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| | ReaperMan
lrdmecha@yahoo.com
| "Re(2):A question for the tech-boys..." , posted Sun 1 Apr 12:03:
The explosions in most games are flat, 2D images(they're called sprites - not trying to be a dick, just expanding your vocabulary). Sprites are inferior because they face the player at all times. Depending on where the player is in relation to the sprite, this can lead to bad things, such as explosions going inside walls, ceilings, and floors.
I think an explosion like from Goldeneye would be better. Their explosions are 3D, but they're dynamic, they're not a set model(well, it's 1 model thats spawned multiple times).
This is only speculation and some wishful thinking, but from what I can tell, the "explosion" has a certain set amount of "life" or damage which is used as a counter to determine how long the explosion should continue to grow. Each of the different types of explosions has a different amount, which is why some are stronger and last longer. Test this by starting a multiplayer game and throwing a grenade and time the explosion. Shoot a rocket and time it, and see which one is longer.
--ReaperMan
[this message was edited by ReaperMan on Sun 1 Apr 12:26] |
| | Matt PmRd
daniel.dalpe@sympatico.ca
| "Re(3):A question for the tech-boys..." , posted Sun 1 Apr 12:46
1) i know what a fuckin sprite is
2) you just said the EXACT SAME FUCKIN THING I JUST SAID
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Matt tried to put the pin back in!
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| | JesusMk2
|  "Re(4):A question for the tech-boys..."
, posted Mon 2 Apr 12:28
quote:
Spam is good because other people dont like it).
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Hee hee, you guys krack me up! He only needs one answer!
I dont need a STUPID signature!
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