This request is carried over from a thread I started in The Future. Jcl says it can already be done without any additional new features; however this one moves into territory beyond my means.
Here's my original request thread:
http://www.coniserver.net/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/741148/Here's jcl's comment:
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.
That quote came from this thread:
http://www.coniserver.net/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/747240/
It's an entirely different subject involving a request to place panels behind the view and has since been implemented into the newest private beta (thanks jcl); however these two features are related.
In a 2.5D game, the backgrounds are either prerendered or made by hand (drawn, painted, etc). The player and NPCs; however are realtime. In order to interact with these 2D backgrounds, an invisible, 3D collision hull has to be constructed and has to match the background. If there are two wooden crates in the middle of the screen, you have to place a collision block there so the player won't walk through the crates. There is also some layer_sorting effects that have to be done, but that's beyond the scope of this thread.
Anyway, using that crate example above, let's say the player's stencil shadow covered the crates. Since 3DGS won't allow the shadow to appear on my invisible collision geometry, it's not going to look right. If the feature were implemented, the shadow would wrap itself around the crates just like they would in a full realtime game. It's a fancy pants illusion, and according to jcl (see above), it can already be accomplished.
Here's a screenshot from the Resident Evil remake on Gamecube. You can see the player/zombie shadows going up the wall on the left. This is a prerendered background, so there is invisible collision geometry in place and the shadow is contouring to that and when combined with the 2D plate, the illusion is complete:
This is where I need help. Using jcl's comment or using a different method (if you know of one), I'm requesting that someone help me out with writing this particular effect. Thanks.
