Posted By: exile
Multiple alpha levels - 09/20/06 09:28
I have limited my ideas for future improvements to just one thing.....Multiple alpha levels for model .TGA skins. I dont know what this is called but I need it BADLY. This is becoming a standard in game engines and even model editors. I already know you can use shaders for this, but it is a hastle. I would finally be able to add things like visors, hair, and even some clothing without having to model them seperately and apply shaders to them. Please make this soon!
P.S. While Im on the subject, there should be a seperate shader creation tool that comes with say... the Pro and Comm version of GStudio. This tool could have limitless possibilities, and could import models straight into the editor to apply shaders to. Much like Easy particles 3. Just had to get that off my chest.
Posted By: TheExpert
Re: Multiple alpha levels - 09/20/06 09:53
You mean multitexturing like on terrain with alpha for each texture.
it's planned , when ?? some onths , perhaps end of year !
Shader deitor is already planned i think , read forecast page.
Posted By: exile
Re: Multiple alpha levels - 09/20/06 19:25
I really dont know what its called. I used to know the name of this problem, but I forgot it. I will try to describe it as best as I can. Like say for example I had a character who had long hair and a face visor of some sort. I would want to make the ends of the hair go from a gradient from solid to transparent. Then, i would want the visor to be transparent as well. But then if I run the game, the model looks ass-backwards where there are some parts that look really weird. I know I really dont know that much about this sort of thing, But I think you guys all know what im talking about.
[edit] Z SORTING!!!!! Thats what its called. I remember now. Can you guys fix this in the future?
Posted By: FeiHongJr
Re: Multiple alpha levels - 09/20/06 19:36
Theres a shader in the wiki that fixes the z-sorting errors.
Here
Posted By: exile
Re: Multiple alpha levels - 09/20/06 20:17
I know that already, but thanks for the help. I am just saying that this is somthing that the acknex engine sould be automaticly capable of handeling.
Posted By: Grimber
Re: Multiple alpha levels - 09/20/06 23:22
thank microsoft for the problem, not conitec
Posted By: jcl
Re: Multiple alpha levels - 09/21/06 11:43
In fact this time Microsoft is not to blame, and a shader won't help either; it's ATI and nVidia who you should ask for a fix.
Posted By: JetpackMonkey
Re: Multiple alpha levels - 09/21/06 20:35
Um doesn't his question just ask about how he can use skins with alpha channels? If that's all, it's totally simple. Just create 32 bit textures and apply them to your models.
Posted By: Grimber
Re: Multiple alpha levels - 09/21/06 20:53
the 'fix' just forces a threshhold level to the alpha transparency. anything below a certain alpha level doesn't get rendered. its realy not a fix.
his question is about mixing various transparent levels togeather into one mesh
this can only be done by seperating your semi transparent skin areas to seperate skins
second you cannot mix a semi transparent and full opaque on the same polygon ( causes your poly Z-buffer sort problem ) the engine can see them both but the video rendering cannot tell which poly is in front of which so renders them both togeather.
Posted By: FeiHongJr
Re: Multiple alpha levels - 09/21/06 21:07
Ah ok, Hence why it works ok for plants and such just wont really work for his example.
now I get it.
Posted By: Grimber
Re: Multiple alpha levels - 09/21/06 21:12
I pointed at micro crust because it was first realy known to be an OpenGL problem and DirectDraw (part of DX) is a decendant of OpenGL, I didn't know that it is hardware now. ( must still be on OpenGL arcitecture?)
