Making DarkPlaces even MORE beautiful...

[Seven]

@ Jakub,

just in case you didnt know it.
Be sure to use this cvar in your final battle with "effectinfo.txt"
This will save your time and nerves.

Best regards,
Seven

[gdiddy62]

I understand the importance of family time Seven, but please down bow out too much as this forum needs your input!! You have been very helpful to me and I'm getting more confident all of the time, but...PLEASE HANG AROUND A LITTLE!

[Seven]

A command like that for models and their textures would be VERY useful lol

Dear OoPpEe,

maybe this is helpful for you.
LordHavoc says, that it does exactly what you asked for.

fs_rescan command (allows you to load a newly installed pak/pk3 archive without quitting the game)
fs_rescan rescans filesystem for new pack archives and any other changes

I didnt test it, just wanted to let you know about it.

Kind regards,
Seven

[Seven]

Dear all,

Last night I had a dream...

Thinking about the plasma gun issues, which OoPpEe and I discussed about, made me want to add custom effects via "effectinfo.txt" to its projectile impact.

Also the fact, that Jakub asked me several months ago, if it would be possible to create custom effects via "effectinfo.txt" for the multi-grenade-launcher, made me search really deep in the code to be able to give him a positive answer.


I made an interesting discovery:
It IS possible to create custom effects to all these things via "effectinfo.txt".
As Jakub said, that he is actually kneedeep in his round 2 fight with "effectinfo.txt", it is perfect timing, that this is now revealed.


Just to show you what is possible, I made some quick screens with random already existing effects used for mentioned effects:

Original / with custom "effectinfo.txt"

/

/

These are just already existing effects, used for a quick demonstration, that it works. Nothing tuned/final here.


Also the other open effects are possible:
- Laser gun projectile impact effect
- Multirocket launcher rockets with LESS smoke in their trail (= No FPS killer anmyore)

Kind regards,
Seven


I also want to take the opportunity to THANK everybody here in this thread,
who gave feedback and input to make this all possible. 160+ downloads is a sign,
that people like the result.
So expanding it, is a logical step, that will and has to be done.

[LambentHammerBurst]

Hmmm to you're saying I can remove the rocket trail flag from my multi-rocket and make a copied effect with less strength? Awesome I won't get that 5 FPS drop when I fire it lol

Another hope - adding a GLOW to the Lava Nails. I used the Hellknight projectile flag on the model as I figured they should give off a glow and maybe a little smoke. If that's possible - that would be great (glow and a very small smoke trail which only lingers for 1/4 a second)

[jakub1]

hi seven,
-
nice sshots. i hope you will share your solution with the rest of us :-). as i have told you before, i would like to have these extra effects:

- one extra effect for voreball explosion - i have an idea of blue/purple explosion that would fit the vore ball trail effect of mine

- extra effect for multi grenade explosion - again, my idea is to create smaller version of regular grenade/rocket explosion to prevent fps drops. however, since i have replaced the explosion sprite with the transparent one, there is no annoying sprite in the center of the multigrenade explosion. i am almost fine with this effect as it is now. on the other hand, it would be nice to have an possibility to edit an color of explosion light e.g.

- plasma explosion needs urgent care :-)

- enforcer's laser shots are boring. bright red light around the laser would be great.

jakub

[LambentHammerBurst]

As much as I hate Halo, the plasma grenade explosion would be the perfect concept for the plasma gun explosion:
http://images-mediawiki-sites.theful...8617855126.jpg

Obviously not as big, bright blast in the middle and the particles from the current leave a trail (similar to the knights projectile without using effectinfo.txt)

I agree with the Enforcer's laser. It needs to give off a orangy-red light. The Laser Cannon needs the same and as to the Lava nails.
All 3 could use the same to start off. The Laser Cannon and Enforcer just give same, just the Cannon's a bit more red. The Lava Nails more orange (maybe add a subtle flicker). A minor smoke trail for each. Laser/Lava is hot, so it would distort the air around it - heat distortion. Sadly that would be a huge FPS hit if it was possible to do. A weak smoke trail (highly transparent) can fake that effect and also give off the effect that they are hot enough to leave a trail.

Lava ball needs a bit more of a effect too. More lighting, and maybe a small smoke trail.

Others which I dont think are possible but maybe:
Prox Mine smoke trail - know the original didn't have it but IMO looks so much better with one. Maybe a short thick trail that quickly disappears. So it gives off the effect the Launcher gave off a lot of force to send it out, however by the time it hits the ground the smoke is gone.

Multi-Grenade, same as the current grenade just make it a fair amount weaker.

Multi-Rocket - see above.

[Seven]

Hello,

OK, now that I know that it is a Jakub / OoPpEe / Seven thing here, I want to give some more information.

First of all, I see that you are very creative and have many suggestions already.
Unfortunately most of them will not be possible (at least in my poor understanding)


What we have:
We have all the effect�s from original Quake QC. (TE_�s & TR_�s)
They can all be modified without any problem and without any change in QC via "effectinfo.txt".
That already has been done in the released custom effectinfo.txt in this thread.


What we need:
The Mission Pack developers have been very lazy.
They didnt create new effect in the DEFS.QC for the new weapons.
They mostly used the old ones, except "TE_EXPLOSIONS2", which brings another issue,
cause it is used for "hardware" effects.
So we have to edit the QC files to get new effects for the new weapons.


What issues we have:
1.) A VERY small QC change is only necessary to get the new effects for:
- multigrenade explosions
- plasma projectile explosion
These QC changes can be done by myself (cause we can use existing ID1 effects and spawn them)

2.) A bigger QC change is necessary to get the new effects for:
- multirocket explosion
- voreball explosion
- Laser/LavaNail/LavaBall glow
These QC changes cannot be done by myself; maybe OoPpEe can handle them.

3.) Not possible effects would be (but I might be wrong of course):
- multirocket trail new effect (multiple reasons)
- Prox Mine smoke trail (multiple reasons)
- LavaNail trail (multiple reasons)


As all of you know, a QC change leads always to a new progs.dat. (which is basically not good)
But, we have the advantage, that we could use the already existing custom progs.dat�s for the mission packs from here.
People who use these mods will maybe be happy to gain new/better effects as well.

Regards,
Seven

[jakub1]

hi seven,
-
some months ago i tried to modify progs.dat to incorporate new te_* entities, but i failed. i guess you remember that unsuccessful experiment of mine; i sent you one long pm about it some time ago. when i comes to qc, i'm absolutely useless. i can read the code to some extent and i know e.g. what to change to alter the missile speed, but that's pretty much everything.
-
as for the voreball explosion - lord havoc once mailed me that new voreball explosion would be possible even without new progs.dat, but it would require some serious hack in dp code. quote from that mail:

"Unfortunately the network protocol does not have a separate effect for vore missiles, so QuakeC code is required to differentiate the two if desired - by triggering a different effect name instead. OR the engine could try to guess based on the presence of vore missile effects in the previous frame, but as a matter of policy I don't use such guesses in the engine."

so... unless the new progs.dat is necessary, i agree with your idea to incorporate this modification into your modpack. and an usual, there will be people who won't be happy that the custom progs.dat will be mandatory, but you can't please everyone :-)
-
jakub


edit - if i remember it correctly; telejano use a special lava nail trail... you should try, it looks beautiful, but i causes q1 to crash from time to time. telejano has really good particle effects.

[LambentHammerBurst]

Would of been nice if the effect info supported "if statements" that way we could simply tag them with a existing effect but then the "if" statement would apply different effect.

Example would be the:
TE_KNIGHTSPIKE

I'd go into the whole qc code but I'll go into lamens terms:
TE_KNIGHTSPIKE
if classname = lavaspike
(apply this effect)
if classname = laser
(apply this effect)
else
(apply the current knight effect)

Then this could all be done without modifying the progs.dat for the effects relating the models.

[seanstar]

Dear all,

Last night I had a dream...

Thinking about the plasma gun issues, which OoPpEe and I discussed about, made me want to add custom effects via "effectinfo.txt" to its projectile impact.

Also the fact, that Jakub asked me several months ago, if it would be possible to create custom effects via "effectinfo.txt" for the multi-grenade-launcher, made me search really deep in the code to be able to give him a positive answer.


I made an interesting discovery:
It IS possible to create custom effects to all these things via "effectinfo.txt".
As Jakub said, that he is actually kneedeep in his round 2 fight with "effectinfo.txt", it is perfect timing, that this is now revealed.


Just to show you what is possible, I made some quick screens with random already existing effects used for mentioned effects:

Original / with custom "effectinfo.txt"

/

/

These are just already existing effects, used for a quick demonstration, that it works. Nothing tuned/final here.


Also the other open effects are possible:
- Laser gun projectile impact effect
- Multirocket launcher rockets with LESS smoke in their trail (= No FPS killer anmyore)

Kind regards,
Seven


I also want to take the opportunity to THANK everybody here in this thread,
who gave feedback and input to make this all possible. 160+ downloads is a sign,
that people like the result.
So expanding it, is a logical step, that will and has to be done.

really nice looking effects seven and jakub1...i cant wait to try these out.

yeah ooppee that halo plasma blast looks sick

[LambentHammerBurst]

lol that's a screen from Halo, just how one should aim to emulate for the plasma gun explosion.

[Seven]

Hello,

I just stumbled upon this explosion.



As I saw it, I had to think about the beautiful explosion, that Seanstar gave us here
Seanstar said, that the sprite frames are limited and therefore it is not possible to have a fluent explosion in Quake.
I just looked into QC (sprites.qc) and found that it is correct. There are only 6 frames hardcoded.
This can be raised by editing the QC file i guess...

This explosion (above) has 16 frames, but I guess every second can be skipped without a visable notice.
So it would be necessary to have 8 in the code.

Just wanted to post this new information.
Maybe it is interesting for someone.

Regards,
Seven

[thechadisgr8]

well, tried this out today and i love it, only problem is whenever i get hit in the face with a grenade shot by an ogre my game hickups (freezes) for a split second, what would i have to edit to remove new up close explosions so i could keep the rest of the effects love the new trails and the smoke effects after the explosions keep up the good work

[Seven]

Hello thechadisgr8

Effects are effects. Independent if they are near or far.
You cannot change them depending on their distance.

If they are near, they will take much more CPU + GPU usage.
Thats why you have fps issues then.

There is nothing you can do, except deleting all the "effect TE_EXPLOSION" effects.
But this effect is the most beautiful in the complete effectinfo.txt.

This master piece is done by Jorix.
I cannot thank him enough for this !

Seven