Well if you want more info you can always ask here. I'll answer questions I feel I am qualified to answer, although I won't promise to answer everything or give away all my secrets.

Yes, those are Grim Fandango concept art pictures. You can find more at:

http://www.grimfandango.net/
http://www.ninthworld.com/ - click on the "Where did it go?" image

Humm to achieve that kind of effect you would need global illumination pre calculated and a nose shader doing to crispiness effect. Though a shader and shadow mapping might be enough to produce acceptable results.

I already have the noise thing down, although it's not a shader. It looks every bit as good as what a shader would do plus it's faster and a very small mem footprint given it's a dds texture. Here's the code (as used in the game, there's a shortened version somewhere on this forum I posted recently). The code involving the local vars is not being used because I can't get it to work right. It's supposed to reposition the noise entity when the camera's arc is adjusted, so the grain appears consistent, but I've never gotten it to do what it's supposed to to right (compliments to HeelX for this code). It certainly adjusts it, but the entity is never the appropriate distance from the camera, so depending on the arc, the entity is too close or too far (thus you can see the edges of the sprite) from the camera.

Code:

---

function filmgrainRefresh ()
{
	var camPercentage;
	var arcMax = 80;
	var arcMin = 40;
	var maxX = 600;
	var minX = 450;
	
	while (grainToggle == 1) 
	{
	    if(blackpanel_pan.visible == off)
   	    {
   		filmGrain.visible = on;
		filmGrain.u += random(512) * time_step;
		filmGrain.v += random(512) * time_step;
		filmGrain.alpha = 12 + random(5) * time_step;
		//camPercentage = (camera.arc / (arcMax - arcMin)); 
		//filmGrain.x = maxX - (camPercentage * (maxX - minX));
		wait(-0.09);
	    }
	    else
	    {
	 	filmGrain.visible = off;
		wait(1);
	    }
	  
       }
}

---

If for some reason I end up sticking will all 3D levels, I'll consider a 2.0 softshadow/per pixel light shader at some point. It'd definitely be an A7 project if I did that given the blocks are treated differently, so I don't have to construct everything from actual models (from what I understand)(I like/love WED).

@OrangeBrat: As far as I can see you can achieve this effect since V6.60 also with panels which would be unaffected by the camera.arc. If you are interested, call me.

The film grain effect is fine (and I don't use that arc code anymore) but if there's a camera.arc independent way to do it with the new version then I'll experiment with it. I used to use panels for this effect, but shifting the .u and .v of a dds sprite is a HUGE memory saver and achieves the same effect.

I have house inspectors to deal with in the next hours, but if you see this before hearing from me via PM, let me know what you have in mind; otherwise I'll PM you when I have time to do so.

Implemented in V6.60, panels are repeating themselves, if the size_x and size_y variables are exceeding the real size of the bmap.

So, the trick would be that you use,.. let us say, a 1024x1024 bitmap (you could also use a 1024x786 image, but I did'nt tested if tiling is also applied on arbitrary panel bitmaps, I guess not). I would double the size_x and size_y values so that it is de facto 2048 in width and height (but tiled!).

When you adjust the pos_x and pos_y variable between -1024 and 0, the panel would'nt leave out of the screen (assumed that you use a 1024x786 resolution) but it looks like you would do an UV shifting (indeed, if you place it on -1024/-1024 it would look like it has'nt been shifted). If you now apply the resolution independent scaling stuff I told you once before, it would be the same solution as the previous one - without the use of entity panels.

You can achieve this effect also with lower sized bitmaps, but this would require a bit more coding (if it isn't fixed coded; I love generic coding).

regards, Christian

I forgot about the new tiling panel feature. I'll have to investigate that, now and see what I can come up with.

I'm going to search Youtube for some video influences next. Image based influence can only show so much, but if I can find the right clips, I'll post them soon.

I'm trying to get a Wacom Intuos3 6x8 graphics tablet right now off eBay. That'll help me out with the painting side of things. I also picked up a copy of ArtRage 2 for $20. It's kind of like Dogwaffle without the huge number of features or animation support. I'll probably get DW sometime, too but it costs $119 for PD Pro 4.1 which is what I'll get. Plus, I've got to upgrade from A6 Pro to A7 Pro here before too long...another $299.

Money to spend or money to burn....which is it really?

Intuos3: http://www.wacom.com/intuos/6x8.cfm
ArtRage 2: http://www.ambientdesign.com/artrage.html
PD Pro 4.1: http://www.thebest3d.com/pdpro/index.html

Video influences:

The Third Man

This is one of the more influencial sources in regards to visual style. It's considered one of the great Films Noir ever, and many consider it the best British film ever made. It's one of my top 5 favorite movies. Here are three of the best scenes...the first shows why I want big shadows. Also, the lighting in the entire movie is exactly the same as what I've been showcasing for years. This scene is considered one of the greatest reveals ever in any movie. The 2nd is more for the performance (both spoken and unspoken) and the brilliant writing. This entire scene is also considered one of the great movie scenes, and you'll find it at the very top of a lot of lists. The cuckoo clock speech at the end is definitely at the top of most. The 3rd and final clip is the very end of the movie, and the use of the long shot and the tone fits in pretty nicely with my game. This is all pretty major spoiler territory, so if you've never seen it and plan on it, I would stay away. These clips will ruin the entire movie:

The Big Shadow: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOm4i7o3SeI
The Ferris Wheel and the Cuckoo Clock: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0N1mib5_JU
The Long Goodbye: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVFNFHLMNBk

The Lady from Shanghai

Here's another Orson Welles movie both as star and director. A remake is currently being made, but it'll never touch this classic. This is the famous funhouse/hall of mirrors ending and Hollywood legend says the crazy funhouse part was originally 3 or 4 times longer before the studio stepped in and trimmed it to what it is here. It's ashame that footage probably got destroyed 60 years ago. This clip gives it all away, so stay away if you don't want it all spoiled.

Mirror, mirror, on the wall: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_p66HjTweo

The Man Who Wasn't There

This is definite the main influence for both visuals and the way people talk. Here's the trailer:

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-5iIDzGpOw

The Big Sleep

Bogey is my favorite actor, and this is probably my favorite Bogart movie and Film Noir for that matter. Here's an 8-minute montage of the "babes" of The Big Sleep that all find him irresistible. The dialogue in this film is the other major influence on The Disenfranchised (the jargon coupled with the snappy delivery and tone).

"A Suitable Ending I Think:" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIaS2J5ZoSQ

P.S. Here's a whole crapload of Bogey clips...some Noir some not: http://home.mchsi.com/~filmclips/
The one I isolated below reminds me of the back and forth banter of my main character and the main female character from The Disenfranchised (the humor, innuendo, banter, fast paced speaking, etc...and that's Bogie's real life wife Lauren Bacall playing Vivian)
...sorry a RealPlayer codec will be needed to see it and it's from The Big Sleep: http://www.bremenonline.org/bogart/vivian-broadband.htm

I just purchased a Wacom Intuos3 6x8 graphics tablet, and I anxiously await it's arrival sometime this week. I should be here by Thursday or Friday. I also purchased ArtRage 2 which is compatible with the tablet, and it's basically the "poor man's" Project Dogwaffle." I'll eventually get PD Pro 4.1, too but me Grimlock will upgrade to A7 Pro before I do that. I just about have all that I need to begin creating the physical backgrounds and layers for my 2.75D levels.

I've gained an interest in shaders here lately, but I'm more interested in 2.0 only since there is more standardization than with the old 1.x versions. I'm not quite sure how I'd apply these to this 2.75D style, but I'm interested in:

01. A toon shader so that my characters have a certain look about them. I'm not sure if I still want to stick with this look or keep it the way it is without it.

02. A projection shader for cool shadows effects

03. Per pixel lighting and dynamic shadowmapping for an environment with full dynamic shadows and proper cool, Noir lighting effects.

Take a look at this Alan Wake tech demo clip. The interior part with the cool lighting with the fan and ceiling lights is what I'm interested in. There's also an Unreal3 lighting demo (I think it's Unreal3) that showcases the kind of atmospheric lighting effects I'm interested in. I'll post it when I find it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piMrNvdwYRU

I'm also in need of a way to place shadows on either invisible surfaces or none flaged ones (preferably invisible). jcl says it's possible. Here's my request thread and jcl's "how-to" quote from another thread:

http://www.coniserver.net/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/741148/

Quote:

---

- Shadows on invisible models should be possible by using nontransparent models with an FFP effect that renders only into the z buffer, but nothing to the screen buffer. I haven't tried it, though.

---

Lastly, I'm toying with the idea of throwing out full realtime 3D characters all together and featuring ALL 2D sprite based characters. They would still be based on my 3D characters I've been paying for, of course. I'd have to render out ALOT of different variants of the main character so he will look right under certain lighting conditions. If he's near a dynamic light, then he has to be lit right. If he's not standing near near light, he can just be "normal" with no highlighting. I'd stick with engine ambient methods to take care of his global shading. This kind of technique would be best served for a point and click gameplay style, so LarryLaffer, if you're reading this, you'd better get to work on those enhancements to Intense Pathfinding........or else. LOL. j/k