I know this is a bit of a teaser, but I'm at work right now and will post the script as well as a link to a zip file with a single room demo level with all (hehe... all 3...) resources when I get home. Posting this now because I've been meaning to do so for a while, and never got a round to it.

A little background: For a while, I've been working on a kind of Ultima virtues tutorial... something for my kids to walk through and learn about the Ultima system of virtues as they go. One of the rooms was to be an Ethereal realm type of thing from the later Ultimas... with twinkling stars and such.

I tried to dig up a simple star cube that fit what I was looking for, to no avail. So I created a simple starfield texture with Photoshop and tried applying that to first a block cube in WED, then to a model cube in MED. The only problem with these solution, is that it all looked so flat, and the black just didn't seem black enough.

So, I created a few small, simple star textures, and then a script that randomly placed them in a specific area. The result was something that seemed to have a bit more depth than either of the previous static attempts. The drawback is that it's particle based, and would probably need a trigger to activate it when it is about to come in sight, and shut it down when the player couldn't possible view it to keep it from hogging system resources.

Like I said, I'll upload this later on tonight, but I am posting this to (a.) prompt me to overcome my procrastinating tendency, (b.) gauge the desire/need/etc for something like this and get tips/critiques on it, and (c.) just share something on the off chance that someone was floundering around like me and save them some time.

Some other ideas that came to mind would be to widen the random number range a bit and make it so that it placed a much greater proportion of very small stars, followed by a small percentage (~10% maybe) of medium stars, and then a much smaller percentage of starbursts (~3%) and possibly animate them so they grew in size, spun, and shrunk and faded out, and then a very small percentage of the time (~ .5-1%), generate a shooting star.

Feel free to post on this idea and I'll put it up later.

I'm very interested to see it.
Seems to be a nice effect!

i cant download it. the link isnt working.

He hasn't posted a link and you're already complaining about it not working. That's what I am calling fast...

The effect could be interesting. Maybe creating some static and larger objects like galaxies could even be well looking...

He's using download bot and complains for it isn't working? o_O

Feels like great effect, upload it already!

***grins*** sorry for the delay.... just a huge comedy of errors last night. I'll post it up later today, promise!

I'll edit the original post to put the links there!
Edit: weird.. will only let me edit this post...

Anyway, here is the script for the effect, along with links to the images I made for it.

The script is designed for a 3k x 3k quant area in A6, using A5 template scripts, and is made up of three actions, back, left and bottom. Just create an invisible dummy map entity and place it appropriately (2 left (left and right sides), 2 back (front and back sides) and 2 bottom (top and bottoms sides), 6 total) and assign it the correct action. Like I said, for right now, it only places the three different types of stars randomly (they also decay, so it gives it a twinkle effect)

Script:
/***************************************************
torch.wdl, created with EasyParticle 3.1.
This script can be used free and without credits.
How to use:
Implement the script via include <torch.wdl>; in your main WDL file.
The action name is: torch_action
If you recognize any mistakes in the script, please contact the support ( Support@EasyParticle.de ).
Have fun with the script
TripleX --- Hawkgames
*****************************************************/
bmap starBmap1 = <sstar.bmp>;
bmap starBmap2 = <mstar.bmp>;
bmap starBmap3 = <sburst.bmp>;
bmap starBmap4 = <sstar.bmp>;
bmap starBmap5 = <sstar.bmp>;
VAR torchAnzahlPartikel = 8.804; //number of particles used for this effect
VAR starmap = 0; //number of particles used for this effect


Function torch_spec_fun()
{
my.skill_b += 0.02;
my.skill_c = 15 - my.skill_b;
if(my.skill_c < 0) { my.lifespan = 0; }
}

Function torchspezial_back()
{
starmap=int(random(5)+1);
my.x -= int(random(2915)+1) ;
my.y += int(random(64)+1) ;
my.z += int(random(2915)+1) ;
my.blue = 128 ;
my.green = 128 ;
my.red = 128 ;
my.skill_c = 0; my.skill_b = 0;
if (starmap != 1)
{
if (starmap != 2)
{
if (starmap != 3)
{
if (starmap != 4)
{
my.bmap = starBmap5; //the effect bitmap
my.size = random(4);
}
else
{
my.bmap = starBmap4; //the effect bitmap
my.size = random(4);
}
}
else
{
my.bmap = starBmap3; //the effect bitmap
my.size = random(48);
}
}
else
{
my.bmap = starBmap2; //the effect bitmap
my.size = random(16);
}
}
else
{
my.bmap = starBmap1; //the effect bitmap
my.size = random(4);
}


my.gravity = 0 ;
my.streak = off;
my.flare = off;
my.bright = off;
my.beam = off;
my.move = on;
my.transparent = off;
my.function = torch_spec_fun;
}


Function torch_back()
{
while(1)
{
torchAnzahlPartikel = max(1,random(1));
effect(torchspezial_back,max(1,torchAnzahlPartikel*time),my.x,nullvector);
wait(1);
}
}

Function torchspezial_left()
{
starmap=int(random(5)+1);
my.x += int(random(64)+1) ;
my.y += int(random(2785)+1) ;
my.z += int(random(2915)+1) ;
my.blue = 128 ;
my.green = 128 ;
my.red = 128 ;
my.skill_c = 0; my.skill_b = 0;
if (starmap != 1)
{
if (starmap != 2)
{
if (starmap != 3)
{
if (starmap != 4)
{
my.bmap = starBmap5; //the effect bitmap
my.size = random(4);
}
else
{
my.bmap = starBmap4; //the effect bitmap
my.size = random(4);
}
}
else
{
my.bmap = starBmap3; //the effect bitmap
my.size = random(48);
}
}
else
{
my.bmap = starBmap2; //the effect bitmap
my.size = random(16);
}
}
else
{
my.bmap = starBmap1; //the effect bitmap
my.size = random(4);
}


my.gravity = 0 ;
my.streak = off;
my.flare = off;
my.bright = off;
my.beam = off;
my.move = on;
my.transparent = off;
my.function = torch_spec_fun;
}


Function torch_left()
{
while(1)
{
torchAnzahlPartikel = max(1,random(1));
effect(torchspezial_left,max(1,torchAnzahlPartikel*time),my.x,nullvector);
wait(1);
}
}

Function torchspezial_bottom()
{
starmap=int(random(5)+1);
my.x -= int(random(2785)+1) ;
my.y += int(random(2785)+1) ;
my.z += int(random(64)+1) ;
my.blue = 128 ;
my.green = 128 ;
my.red = 128 ;
my.skill_c = 0; my.skill_b = 0;
if (starmap != 1)
{
if (starmap != 2)
{
if (starmap != 3)
{
if (starmap != 4)
{
my.bmap = starBmap5; //the effect bitmap
my.size = random(4);
}
else
{
my.bmap = starBmap4; //the effect bitmap
my.size = random(4);
}
}
else
{
my.bmap = starBmap3; //the effect bitmap
my.size = random(48);
}
}
else
{
my.bmap = starBmap2; //the effect bitmap
my.size = random(16);
}
}
else
{
my.bmap = starBmap1; //the effect bitmap
my.size = random(4);
}


my.gravity = 0 ;
my.streak = off;
my.flare = off;
my.bright = off;
my.beam = off;
my.move = on;
my.transparent = off;
my.function = torch_spec_fun;
}


Function torch_bottom()
{
while(1)
{
torchAnzahlPartikel = max(1,random(1));
effect(torchspezial_bottom,max(1,torchAnzahlPartikel*time),my.x,nullvector);
wait(1);
}
}

material mat_torch
{
diffuse_red=255;
diffuse_blue=255;
diffuse_green=255;
specular_red=100;
specular_blue=25;
specular_green=150;
emissive_red=0;
emissive_blue=0;
emissive_green=0;
ambient_red = 25;
ambient_green = 25;
ambient_blue = 25;
power = 10;
}

action staraction_back
{
my.material = mat_torch;
torch_back();
}


action staraction_left
{
my.material = mat_torch;
torch_left();
}


action staraction_bottom
{
my.material = mat_torch;
torch_bottom();
}



Images:

Small star:



Medium star:



Starburst:




Yes, I know it could probably be cleaned up a bit and optimized, but it was originally a quick and dirty hack of an older script I used easy particle to generate (obviously ), and, being pleased with the results, I felt like sharing. If you have ways it can be improved upon, feel free to comment, since coding is the direction I'm headed as a second career, and I'd like to improve where and when I can in the mean time.


Here's a shot of it working in it's intended environment:



I'll finish a quick demo level later and upload it... have fun with this for the time being.

Anyone messed around with this?

If so, please let me know how useful/interesting it was, and where I could improve, both the script and my scripting.

Also, for anyone that chooses to use it and the simple star pics, feel free, credit would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Tachys

Still waiting for the quick demo, because I have no time to test it on my own!

Quote:

---

I'll finish a quick demo level later and upload it

---

lol... k... maybe I need to redefine 'quick'...

***grins***