Lately, I've been discussing this with a friend of mine who is a skillful q3 programmer. He wants a challenge and has been trying to figure out a way to effectively implement this into real-time game play. his plan so far, is to have 4 sky box stages; day, sunset, night, sunrise and use realistic algorithms to control moon, stars and sun shader s across the sky.
My concerns, knowing that q3 is an engine based on light map's and non-dynamic real-time shadow / lighting, is that in the end, he might be walking down a dead end street.
I've suggested that it could be possible to compile a map with each sky stage, export the light map's into a static syntax system and call the game to switch between them, taking into account, without causing a reloading of the map itself. As for the light grid, I'm stumped because I hadn't the slightest clue as to how Q3 manages these, but only that they are usually static per map as well.
Creating the necessary shader ingredients isn't much the problem as to if it will even work correctly, even if it remained just a visual effect without changing lighting or shadows, it might still be a neat feature to control in a map.
It'd be great to hear from some of the members here concerning this, because I'm sure you will be able to give more solid advise. Much Appreciated.
Q3 night / day skybox cycle
Is he trying to make a mod that will give the maps the ability to read what time of day it is..in order for the map to have skies that change from morning til' night?
I'm very much an idiot with this stuff to begin with(realistically), but to make a map do this without being in a mod which would triggering the sky to change would be impossible.
You'd definitely be creating something that has never be done so far. I dunno if anyone could help around here. Sounds more like a programming question..
I'm very much an idiot with this stuff to begin with(realistically), but to make a map do this without being in a mod which would triggering the sky to change would be impossible.
You'd definitely be creating something that has never be done so far. I dunno if anyone could help around here. Sounds more like a programming question..
It's possible without heavy modding, but will likely run at 2FPS. Would be neat as a small proof of concept map, but not anything really playable. A few tips:
I would advise against creating some multilayered shader sky since you will likely run into the "Shader_max_vertexes hit in FillCloudy Sky Side" error. Instead, the skyportal entity with separate objects will be a better solution, something along the lines of what Foo is suggesting.
You can use lightstyles to simulate the changing light. It will allow you to create changes in brightness but not angle of lighting since we are after all talking about static lightmaps.
If your friend is really bonkers, he can maybe try to implement some sort of dynamic lighting system similar to D3/Q4. Initially, Quake Wars was supposed to have a real-time lighting system that changed depending on latitude, season and time of day. Apparently, the art team hated working with it since it made it harder to set the mood (no, I'm not talking about candle lit dinner and Barry White on the stereo), so its been cut from the game.
I would advise against creating some multilayered shader sky since you will likely run into the "Shader_max_vertexes hit in FillCloudy Sky Side" error. Instead, the skyportal entity with separate objects will be a better solution, something along the lines of what Foo is suggesting.
You can use lightstyles to simulate the changing light. It will allow you to create changes in brightness but not angle of lighting since we are after all talking about static lightmaps.
If your friend is really bonkers, he can maybe try to implement some sort of dynamic lighting system similar to D3/Q4. Initially, Quake Wars was supposed to have a real-time lighting system that changed depending on latitude, season and time of day. Apparently, the art team hated working with it since it made it harder to set the mood (no, I'm not talking about candle lit dinner and Barry White on the stereo), so its been cut from the game.
[size=85][url=http://gtkradiant.com]GtkRadiant[/url] | [url=http://q3map2.robotrenegade.com]Q3Map2[/url] | [url=http://q3map2.robotrenegade.com/docs/shader_manual/]Shader Manual[/url][/size]
Great advise everyone ! really really helpful .
Foo - I'll have to do some tests with this, is a great idea...I wonder tho, how well can a person [uv] map a sphere to texture without distortions and seams. Might even be able to use an inverted cylinder brush with a sky texture set to scroll at .1 horizontally in the shader.
v1l3 - Apparently, there is code in Q3 already for a night / day cycle, though it was, like other hidden features...incomplete. What were aiming for is an engine based clock that will go from night to day within 20 min's and light styles that change depending on that time. The map itself is just the visual magic, it would be totally awesome tho, to warp through skies triggered from within it. I assume after it's finalized, or during, a clock meter will most likely be added and could mingle it into the game play some how.
Obsidian - I'll try not to go the route of multi layered shader's when creating the sky theme's and what you say about light styles, being able to increase or decrease brightness is definitely A-OK by my standards, tho true it would be great to get real time shadow shifting and such. Evolution Q3 has incorporated a real-time lighting system per light entitie's, and an older RPG I loved "Gothic", though at the time I wasn't aware of much graphical effects.
here is what he's talking about..
Foo - I'll have to do some tests with this, is a great idea...I wonder tho, how well can a person [uv] map a sphere to texture without distortions and seams. Might even be able to use an inverted cylinder brush with a sky texture set to scroll at .1 horizontally in the shader.
v1l3 - Apparently, there is code in Q3 already for a night / day cycle, though it was, like other hidden features...incomplete. What were aiming for is an engine based clock that will go from night to day within 20 min's and light styles that change depending on that time. The map itself is just the visual magic, it would be totally awesome tho, to warp through skies triggered from within it. I assume after it's finalized, or during, a clock meter will most likely be added and could mingle it into the game play some how.
Obsidian - I'll try not to go the route of multi layered shader's when creating the sky theme's and what you say about light styles, being able to increase or decrease brightness is definitely A-OK by my standards, tho true it would be great to get real time shadow shifting and such. Evolution Q3 has incorporated a real-time lighting system per light entitie's, and an older RPG I loved "Gothic", though at the time I wasn't aware of much graphical effects.
here is what he's talking about..
** Correction, the night/day system wasn't already in the q3 source, it is a freelance feature imported from his qfusion game.Well in qfusion i had lightstyles, which were contrable lights, so i had the server adjust the lights ever game hour, only problem is it affected all lights, which now i figured out a solution too, just have the skylights flagged , and just controll the flagged ones. I been trying to convert the lightstyle code to q3