Ask the bum [shader development thread]

[Kornman00]

Is there a shader development thread? If not, maybe we should make one. I would gladly help out where I can.


*plop*. I know some of you are wondering about water. I released (http://www.h2vista.net/forums/showthread.php?t=3879) all the bitmaps that are in the game, so if you're wondering how to get your water to look like delta halo or zanzibar's try asking 'bum has 'knife' (a h2v developer) how you would create the shader tag for your water using the supplied shade_ template tags and the available bitmap tags I'm hosting.

Or maybe he can help you figure out how to make some killer environmental shader effect, who knows?! I don't, thats why you should ask him :downs:.

I'll try to keep this thread clean when I can and post the Q&A in this post right *here* when they are answered by the bum with the knife.

[MithosK]

I could use some help for making:
Very shiny metal
Dull metal
Covenant light
Thick, slow moving liquid

Im pretty sure I can figure out the first two, its the second two I really need help with

[bum has knife]

Well, since it was bound to be the first question anyways, here are some water shader tips:

basic water pool shader:

-create a new shader and use the "water_pool" shader template.
-apply the liquid_thin_water material in the material_name field
-make sure the water flag is checked
-use the default dynamic_light_specular_type and set your lightmap_specular_brightness to 1
-attach your favorite animated water bitmap, experiment with the scale and translation values (they should be constant functions so you just tweak the numbers)
-bump_map_index, this should be an identity function, and you want it to cycle through all the bitmaps in your bump map plate, so if you have 15 total images it should be set to go from 0 to 14, a time period of .5 seconds works well.
-reflection map: get yourself a cubemap of your level; around where your water is located
-don't worry about the refraction map, you can leave it blank
-apply a fresnel bitmap, the alpha of this map will determine how transparent the water is
-i'm not very knowledgeable about the lightmap translucency section so you can experiment with this and post what results you're seeing, in general, you want to use a color white, with a black alpha bitmap, set the color to the color you want the ground beneath the water to kinda look like and set the translucent_alpha to 0


Party on that and lets see some water.

[Skyline]

^ I did all that it says there but for some reason no bumpmap seems to show up and its just a plane with a cubemap on it.

[Lightning]

To be honest, I think the easiest way would be to release a pre-setup shader where we could just swap in an alpha map.

Something like that :P

[[EJ] Bean]

Could you please tell us how to make flowing water? I can't think of any instances where this happens In game...I need rivers and water falls for my map Tributaries.

http://www.h2vista.net/forums/showthread.php?t=2263&page=3

[Phopojijo]

Metropolis, etc.

Shouldn't running water just be a looping, seemless animation? (Which I guess I should ask how to do before I try figuring it out myself.)

[MithosK]

Maybe you can help me with this, I'm having trouble getting the textures to appear/be lit on some of my shaders, example:
http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/1898/cubesel5.th.jpg (http://img225.imageshack.us/my.php?image=cubesel5.jpg)

Cube 1 setup:
name: cov_blue
template: tex_bump_terrain
material name: hard_metal_thick_cov
bump_mapping: plate_bump
base map: cov_blue
(light response)
specular color: h135 s12 l73 r74 g79 b82
specular glancing color: h160 s35 l81 r74 g74 b99

Anything unlisted is default


Cube 2 setup:
name: glass
template: one_alpha_env
environment map: hazard_light
specular map:glass_etched_a_specular
alpha blend map: glass_etched_a_alpha
alpha blend color: h197 s66 l214 r234 g220 b235
alpha blend opacity: 1
tint color: h197 s66 l214 r234 g220 b235
glancing tint color: h197 s63 l135 r169 g114 b173
lightmap translucent alpha: 0.5

Anything unlisted is default

Cube 3 setup:
name: strip_light_a
template: tex_bump_env_illum_combined
material name: energy_sheild_invincable
dynamic light specular type: shiney
lightmap type: shiney specular
lightmap specular brightness: 0.8
base map: strip_light_a_illum
enviroment map: strip_light_a_illum
env tint color: h200 s240 l60 r128 g0 b128
env glancing tint color: h200 s240 l60 r128 g0 b128
env midrange tint color: h200 s240 l60 r128 g0 b128
self illum map: strip_light_a_illum
emissive color: h200 s240 l60 r128 g0 b128
emissive power: 0.2
specular color: h200 s240 l60 r128 g0 b128
specular glancing color: h200 s240 l241 r87 g0 b87

Anything unlisted is default, this texture is meant to, and does, emit light

the fourth cube works perfectly

[jahrain]

I need a good example of how to get a transparent shader to have some ripple like refraction for a waterfall. Even just something that looks somewhat like the gravity lift refraction effect would be good.

[Skyline]

^ The gravity lift effect is in the tag set, its an effect and particle tag though.

[bum has knife]

I did all that it says there but for some reason no bumpmap seems to show up and its just a plane with a cubemap on it.

Which bump map did you use?


Shouldn't running water just be a looping, seemless animation? (Which I guess I should ask how to do before I try figuring it out myself.)

yes, it should. They are pretty tricky to make but i'm working on one and hoping that it'll turns out well enough that I can post a tutorial for you. The water bump maps are unlike any bumps i've ever seen before so I'm not sure how else to make one other than by hand.

[Skyline]

I tried alot of them none seemed to work, but for some reason it started working now and I didn't change a thing.

[et_cg]

I tried alot of them none seemed to work, but for some reason it started working now and I didn't change a thing.

Did you relight your level, perhaps?

[Phopojijo]

yes, it should. They are pretty tricky to make but i'm working on one and hoping that it'll turns out well enough that I can post a tutorial for you. The water bump maps are unlike any bumps i've ever seen before so I'm not sure how else to make one other than by hand.Well in UnrealEngine3 you'd just attach a panner node to your materials to make it shift in coordinates (which is procedural and fairly cheap on vRAM, replacing it for a tiny-bit extra shader work). In Halo you could probably just pre-photoshop (or GIMP) all the frames to move by a certain number of pixels each frame.

The problem is how you put a multi-frame texture in Halo2. Seem to have not found it in the docs.

[Skyline]

Many times but its fixed now.

[bum has knife]

Simple waterfall (like the one in ivory tower):

-template: two_alpha_clouds
-material: liquid_thin_water_deep
-set dynamic light spec to default and lightmap specular to 1
-cloud map: this should look like a waterfall ;) just make sure it tiles vertically and has a good alpha
-cloud map translation y: as you might expect this is just a linear function going from 0 to 1 and the time period changes the speed of the waterfall.
-cloud mask: just like any other mask, this is going to define the overall shape of your waterfall (in the case of the ivory tower waterfall, the mask defines the cutouts for the grate)


There are some more complex examples that i'll try to show later, this should get you started though.


I need a good example of how to get a transparent shader to have some ripple like refraction for a waterfall.

That is an effect, maybe you could combine something like that with the above shader and get a cool effect?

[teh lag]

That is an effect, maybe you could combine something like that with the above shader and get a cool effect?

Thanks much for the waterfall tut. Though, what do you mean by effect? Do you mean we should experiment with shaders, or look for a .effect tag in our tagset?


Edit : It seems that effects\scenarios\objects\multi\marathon\gemini\ju mp_pad\jump_pad_shimmer.scenery would give a fairly nice, albiet limited refraction effect suitable for a waterfall if angled properly. It's a streight tube, so you're a bit restricted, but it's better than nothing.

[jahrain]

That is an effect, maybe you could combine something like that with the above shader and get a cool effect?Thanks, but the editing kit doesn't allow you to open or edit effect tags. :/

[bum has knife]

Thanks, but the editing kit doesn't allow you to open or edit effect tags. :/


ugh, I forgot. :(
I have some ideas about how to do it with a shader though, so i'll test that out and see if i get anywhere.


The problem is how you put a multi-frame texture in Halo2
If you're talking about how to cycle through all the images in a bitmap tag, then its outlined in my water shader post. You use an identity function.

MithosK: What did you mean by covenant light? I think i'll probably just make a self illum example unless you have something specific you're looking for. Once you understand the basics of how that works then you'll be able to use tons of the shader templates (any that have _illum in them).

[Kornman00]

Heres the tag dependency graph (not complete, just grabbed the highlights) for the distortion effect:


effects\scenarios\objects\multi\marathon\gemini\ju mp_pad\shimmer.effect
effects\generic\distortion\distortion_ripple.parti cle
effects\bitmaps\distortion\distortion_ripple.bitma p
shaders\shader_templates\particle\particle_alpha_b lend_distortion.shader_template
Guerilla crashed on me while I was closing that bitmap tag so excuse me if i missed one of the tag reference highlights

[jahrain]

hmm... I'l see what I can do with this:
"shaders\shader_templates\particle\particle_alpha_b lend_distortion.shader_template"

Thanks

[MithosK]

I found out what the problem was, the bitmap tags had the UNUSED flag checked, now they all show up in sapien. Unfortunetly when I go to compile the level, I get the "Halo 2 Asset Compiler has stopped working and needs to close" error during the 'adding bitmaps' stage

[dcemuser]

Use the Bitmap Extractor (its in the release forums) to extract the bitmaps you are going to use and then recompile them into tag format.

[Lightning]

ugh, I forgot. :(

Just a question, if I may.

Why is that? Why can it not open any of the other tags? D:

[Kornman00]

Lightning, it isn't polite to ask the monkeys why the zoo keeper makes them pat their head and rub their tummy >:|

[Lightning]

K. D:

[Veegie]

http://www.geocities.com/skettyo1/guitar.jpg

[Phopojijo]

Lightning, it isn't polite to ask the monkeys why the zoo keeper makes them pat their head and rub their tummy >:|Yea its obviously not Bum's fault... it just doesn't make sense to me why they spent so much time and effort breaking community tools. The official reason of course is to focus on stability and security... which is obvious bunk since you can't compile a map without getting about a couple dozen lines of errors from tool and the game doesn't even have a working key binder because development time was spent locking down the editor.

Mike Capps of Epic Games also went on the record stating how much "scary shit" was being implemented into Games for Windows Live, including cert for all content, including mods... which mods obviously cannot afford to be Microsoft certified, and thus cannot exist.

I of course am not complaining, Halo 2 could have had absolutely no editing kit (though it wouldn't have had my money had that occurred since to me it was mostly a platform to launch a couple of maps, getting known in the community before jumping off to Chimpire in UnrealTournament3)

But to the point, are normalmap-driven refraction in Halo2? How complex of shaders are we allowed to create? I would much prefer to know my limits before I get too far in my mesh making.

[jahrain]

But to the point, are normalmap-driven refraction in Halo2? How complex of shaders are we allowed to create? I would much prefer to know my limits before I get too far in my mesh making.Well the active camo shaders use normal maps. And I think the shader editor doesn't allow for some advanced multilayered/multishader shader creation, i think. You can still basically do most basic shaders, such as bumped textures, shiny bumped textures, transparent shaders etc...

[Kornman00]

AFAIK, you have to be able to edit the shader_template in order to mess with the various layers.

[jahrain]

AFAIK, you have to be able to edit the shader_template in order to mess with the various layers.Yes I have tried this, but I could never get any multiple layers to show up ingame. I tried creating a transparent water fall like shader, that shows up perfect in game, I then tried to create just a bump moving refraction active camo like shader, that also shows up by its self. But when I tried assigning them to different layers in the template shader, but they would never show up ingame for some reason. Perhaps I was doing something wrong, but I tried messing with many different things.

[Kornman00]

You weren't layering your shaders right. Each layer has a shader_pass reference and a layer type (transparent, specular, etc).

Then there is the recursive rendering stuff...

[Skyline]

Do any type of plasma work on the bsp? I just used the shield's shader and it didn't show up, so I used the plasma that was in the example map which was used by the gravity lift pad as a .machine, but it didn't show up in sapein or in game either.

[teh lag]

Plasma does work - you just need to make your own shader for it. The templates aren't too hard to figure out once you look at existing ones, like the Spartan/Elite shield.

[Lightning]

Here is my Bloodgulch-style plasma sheild:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v370/-Lightning/h2v/bg2.jpg

http://xcustomedition.com/shaders/teleporter_shield.shader
(Blooms and emits light)

Feel free to use as you wish. Adjust the light power as you see fit.

[Kornman00]

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o262/Upsetspy/Waterfallfun-4.jpg

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o262/Upsetspy/Waterfallfun-3.jpg

Source (http://forums.halomods.com/viewtopic.php?t=62310)

You think we can do that with the resources we have?

[spookers622]

Lightning, I couldn't open that shader in Guerilla. It said: Guerilla could not load the selected file. And Kornman, I think that's for Halo 2 for xbox.

[spookers622]

Bum, i tried your water shader in a map i got water to work in using media (but it looked like crap) and when i edited the structure_bsp for your shader everytime it would cause sapien to stop working as soon as it was done loading. Every other map works though. Could it be too detailed or something? Plz tell me how to fix, I really want water!

[Skyline]

And Kornman, I think that's for Halo 2 for xbox.
It is for xbox thats why he posted it because it's better then what we can make now and its just a mod.

[spookers622]

ya but right now we're restricted to certain tools and we're playing on live. People with xbox can you whatever they want because they don't care what they use when there not gonna go on live anyway since they have a modded xbox.

[Kornman00]

Umm, I was asking if it would be possible to do it with the resources in the HEK, like skyline said. And,

Halo 2 Xbox: Xbox Live, Network
Halo 2 Vista: Windows Live, Network

We can do whatever we want too. Same environment. And the tools xboxers have are pretty much as badly as constrained as you guys have since they had to do it all on their own. Each platform has its pros and cons

[spookers622]

i'm reposting this in case it gets lost in the middle of this thread:

Bum, i tried your water shader in a map i got water to work in using media (but it looked like crap) and when i edited the structure_bsp for your shader everytime it would cause sapien to stop working as soon as it was done loading. Every other map works though. Could it be too detailed or something? Plz tell me how to fix, I really want water!

[Roostervier]

I also tried bums water shader technique. The results weren't the best. I used the water bitmap, and set the bump map index on range from 0 to 16, with 0.5 seconds. I also tried downscaling how much it tiled, but that made no difference in how much it was tiled. My point is though, it's not animating :X. Any idea as to why?

[Skyline]

How would it get lost if bum wasn't even here? I tried it, animation worked, transparent didnt work, and it wasn't at all like in uplift, the bump map pretty much fades away into a cubemap in a short distance.

[spookers622]

you guys used a +media plane right?

[bum has knife]

I tried it, animation worked, transparent didnt work, and it wasn't at all like in uplift, the bump map pretty much fades away into a cubemap in a short distance.

I'm assuming you want ocean water. Uplift and Zanzibar both use the same shader with some slightly tweaked values so without futher ado...

Ocean shader:

-template: water_static
-material_name: you can actually leave this blank
-water flag checked
-you can leave the dynamic_light_specular set to none and specular brightness at 0
-all of the other settings are the same as the water pool (they have a refraction map set to gradients.bitmap but i don't think this is actually used)


My point is though, it's not animating :X. Any idea as to why?

you're using an identity function right? A constant function won't work.


...which is obvious bunk since you can't compile a map without getting about a couple dozen lines of errors from tool and the game doesn't even have a working key binder because development time was spent locking down the editor.

if you're talking about the errors you get from not having all the shaders, that is a seperate issue from overall stability and security work. I can assure you (as i'm sure Pi Studios would as well) that stability and security took a ton of work to get to microsoft standard. The editor was developed by Pi not by Hired Gun, so the key binding issue is also unrelated.

[Skyline]

With the water_static template I get a very visible colour change, where there is pretty much a straight line dividing the 2 colours.

[bum has knife]

^would it be possible to see some screen grabs, it would also help to see the bitmaps that you're using, especially the cube map and bump map. You can PM me with them if thats more appropriate.

[Veegie]

Kornman, doesn't the water in H2V already refract?
If so, then you can achieve that effect. What is in those pictures isn't actually a reflection.

[Skyline]

http://img523.imageshack.us/img523/5269/watererrorskg5.jpg

I used the earthsky cubemap and if I just made a plane and put this shader on it, it wouldn't show up at all so I have it set up in the bsp tag.

[jahrain]

Looks like the ocean from sonic the hedgehog for sega genesis.

[Roostervier]

Thanks so much bum, that fixed it! Some +rep for your advice mb mb.

[edit]
Boo.
http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/1481/norepbumpv7.jpg

[jngrow]

Um, sorry if this is a dumb question, but where can I find all the regular Halo 2 bitmaps? I mean come on, the lil shader tutorial mentioned zanzibar stuff that i didnt even have... I just want to be able to find some damn grass :'(.

[Phopojijo]

if you're talking about the errors you get from not having all the shaders, that is a seperate issue from overall stability and security work. I can assure you (as i'm sure Pi Studios would as well) that stability and security took a ton of work to get to microsoft standard. The editor was developed by Pi not by Hired Gun, so the key binding issue is also unrelated.Definitely not trying to be a jerk if that impression seems implied by my post. If it is, I'm sorry.

I was mostly just trying to illustrate how the inability to create effects that the official maps could easily create is quite ridiculous given that the reasoning behind it, stability and security, isn't coherent throughout the rest of the game.

I realize Microsoft is pushing for certification of just about everything on the PC, and its being talked about everywhere (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spzTbkXJZh4) (see 3:11, "Will mod communities be built for consoles like we see on the PC?" -- "... Microsoft is pushing for cert on everything in the PC platform, and that's scary shit... it pushes innovation off to the independents and elsewhere...")

That being all said -- its obviously not HiredGun nor Pi's decision nor jurisdiction; but it is very frustrating that innovation is being contained like a plague in spite of, hell, Nitro and Doublefire wouldn't even be working at Bungie/HiredGun if they hadn't made a mod.

Anywho, I hope that clarifies my stance. I'm not trying to be a jerk, I'm just trying to rationalize the situation and point out the obvious flaws in hopes that errors get corrected and issues get mended.

[Kornman00]

*ahem* Neither of them work for them anymore o.o

[Phopojijo]

*ahem* Neither of them work for them anymore o.o<sighs> You know the root of my post and that doesn't affect it.

I'm saying I'm nervous about the Games for Windows Live initiative breaking the PC mod construct in place to limit content to a paid-only ideology. Incremental micro transactions worry me that Microsoft had a taste of selling map packs and senseless accessories/costumes and are very-much purposefully trying to limit mod makings to basic cut-down map BSPs so that in the future people will be more accustomed to paying 3$ for a couple of weapons even on the PC market -- after people forget they could simply have made their own.

But anyway, I've derailed this enough I think... Sorry Bum. Again, not trying to be a twonie-on-your-thread's-traintracks nor a jerk. Just felt compelled to clarify my position and that its nothing against the game itself (and likewise DEFINITELY not the makers), just a general demonstration of an omen. A very bad omen.

[bum has knife]

Thanks so much bum, that fixed it! Some +rep for your advice mb mb.


Woo! I finally helped fix something!

Also, thats the most ominous warning dialog i've ever seen. I expected it to say something like "Warning: you are going to hell when you die".

@phopojijo: Sorry if I snapped a little bit. I guess I was just trying to say that, in general, nothing is as obvious as it may seem.


If anyone has gotten any cool water going on, feel free to show your work. Ok, now its time to figure out that sonic the hedgehog water.

[Skyline]

It doesn't stay like that all the time, it might just be some of the settings I used in the bsp tag.

[Roostervier]

The water has Real Time Refractions and everything, but it is too tiled to really notice... I can't figure out how to make it less tiled. Once I do, I will post a vid of it.

[Roostervier]

Sorry to double post but....

http://img296.imageshack.us/img296/7177/water2qd4.jpg

Real Time Refractions look great! Everything so far works, and I know how to tile it now. Of course, if any one would like the shader, PM me or if enough people want it I will just post it =p, with bums instructions, as they were exactly what I used as my resource aside from kornmans bitmap packs. Thanks to both of them =D.

Trust me, it looks better in motion.

[Kornman00]

too dark :saddowns:

also, trillian. +rep

[Roostervier]

It's just dark in that general area =p. Anyway, yeah, I don't mind giving the shader out, just ask.

[edit] D:, cannot give rep to kornman again.

[StankBacon]

i made your picture brighter so you can see the water..


http://img247.imageshack.us/img247/4031/water2qd4lq8.jpg

send me the shader plz :D

[Roostervier]

Well, I know the few people that have asked me are not a lot, but I figure I will post something in the release forum anyway. I hope I can find a permanent host for this *cough*LightsorGhostmb*cough* rather than the rapidshare link I am handing out.

[Lightning]

Give me a few days to get the site's layout for the databse sorted out, and I would be more than happy to have it hosted. ^^

[Btd69]

I have hosting you can use, just AIM me: bittoodrunk69

[StankBacon]

i already pmed him a link of it hosted on halonews.

[Roostervier]

Yup, thanks baturkin! I'm waiting for the release topic to be approved. If it is not, for any reason, I will just be handing the link out.

[UXB]

I hope I can find a permanent host for this *cough*LightsorGhostmb*cough* rather than the rapidshare link I am handing out.http://h2v.halomaps.org is all set up and accepting uploads.

[Roostervier]

If you have a .shader section, I will probably make a small readme and a picture and go ahead an upload.

[Ki11a_FTW]

*sob* can some one tell me why my water is black, i can see the reflection map and ripple but the water is black i have all the bitmaps UNUSED not checked

[Kornman00]

sewage?

[Ki11a_FTW]

besides that

[Kornman00]

Apocalypse :-3?

[madworkz]

OK, quick question bum on water. I have set up my water in max by creating a plain and assigning a the % symbol at the end of my material name. I created a great looking water shader which Refracts my enviroment realtime as well as holds the correct splashing sprites from my bullets/gernades. It also make the sloshing sound when i walk. HOWEVER the plain seems to be COLLIDABLE with MC . I'd like it so i can walk through my ankle deep water instead of walk on top like jesus :P. I tried the 2-side render only symbol which actually alows me to walk through effectivly, but it loses collision with my bullets and such. any idea's of what im doing wrong ?

[spookers622]

i dont think you add any symbols at the end... just use +media and assign the shader in guerilla

[madworkz]

i dont think you add any symbols at the end... just use +media and assign the shader in guerilla

I tried using the +media method but it would not show up in sapien. I added my water shader in the water block spot found in the senerio strucure file but the +media plain refused to show up in sapien. The same + media plain however would show up as a fog plain if i assigned a fog in the fog panel in the scenerio file. But once i tired using a plain and assigning a material with my shader name it worked. I still had to assign the water shader in my scenerio structure for the cool refraction thing to work, anyone have flawless water made yet ?

[spookers622]

someone uploaded a water shader to halomaps.org... i haven't tested it but it doesnt come with three of the bitmaps so you'll have to ask theem for them or use deifferent ones

[madworkz]

Ok here is my SEXY water. Everything is Great except the fact MC is collidle with water. meaning i walk on top of water not through it. Please help !!!! anyone. read above for more details

http://server3.uploadit.org/files/snakeyes4life21-water1.jpg


http://server3.uploadit.org/files/snakeyes4life21-water2.jpg
http://server3.uploadit.org/files/snakeyes4life21-water3.jpg

[spookers622]

that looks amazing... can i have a copy of your shader lol

[madworkz]

that looks amazing... can i have a copy of your shader lol
You and eveyone else can have as soon as i figure out the small issue i am having. At least is looks like and some what acts like H2v water :). just wondering if/how the whole +media thing works.

Ill await a responce from BUM or flying rooster.

seems like applying a material with my water shader name in max is a temp solution

[Roostervier]

Well, thus far I've not really messed with water that splashes when shot at (nm vindication_water!? is the material name). I will start on that as soon as I am finished with what I'm doing for CMT (atm).

...Bum? =3

[Skyline]

What shader template would be used for something like the ray of light in waterworks? With it being animated as well.

[Ki11a_FTW]

ahhh i see it in your sig. Thats one hawt shader nonetheless.

[madworkz]

Ok here is my SEXY water. Everything is Great except the fact MC is collidle with water. meaning i walk on top of water not through it. Please help !!!! anyone. read above for more details

http://server3.uploadit.org/files/snakeyes4life21-water1.jpg


http://server3.uploadit.org/files/snakeyes4life21-water2.jpg
http://server3.uploadit.org/files/snakeyes4life21-water3.jpg


Im still waiting a responce from BUM on what needs to be done so the water is collidable with bullets, BUT alows MC to pass through it. As of right now its collidable with bullets but MC seems to walk ontop of my ankle deep water instead of walk through it. Please help. Its the last thing that needs figured out befor the water is flawless

[Ki11a_FTW]

You could make it render only, but then it wouldent be collideable with bullets

Also, i placed a +Media right under my water plane, but how do i get the fog to show?

[Roostervier]

Im still waiting a responce from BUM on what needs to be done so the water is collidable with bullets, BUT alows MC to pass through it. As of right now its collidable with bullets but MC seems to walk ontop of my ankle deep water instead of walk through it. Please help. Its the last thing that needs figured out befor the water is flawless
Maybe you could make the cosmetic part be render only, and copy the ground geometry that is under the water, drag it up a tiny bit, make it double sided and have the physics properties of water (make it non render, as well). Then bullets will collide with it, but it will still seem like you can walk in the water.

[teh lag]

I think that fog tags can be assigned a collision mateiral name - I saw this when I opened one up. I'm not sure if it works though.

[Skyline]

You can also assign a collision in the bsp tag but they locked that up and you can't add it in.(Under water definition)

[Vicky]

So erm, how would you make your own cubemap of the surroundings? Suppose i would want an indoor fountain, then i wouldn't want a reflection of the sky.

[Skyline]

Well all you really need to do is take a print screen of ceiling the water is facing then make it a bitmap, only compile it as a cubemap (I think->) and the other's will either be black or the same as the first.

[Lightning]

Attempted to make the materials with an ! on the end of it, Madworkz?

[Vicky]

Well all you really need to do is take a print screen of ceiling the water is facing then make it a bitmap, only compile it as a cubemap (I think->) and the other's will either be black or the same as the first.
Ok, thx i'll give it a shot.

[Skyline]

Attempted to make the materials with an ! on the end of it, Madworkz?
If you add a ! then the projectiles will just go through it. Someone needs to ask yoyorast how he did it on yoyorast island, although it might be different for halo 2.

[Llama Juice]

aren't projectiles supposed to go through it?... I thought it only stopped the rocket's shot....

[Ki11a_FTW]

i think its the fog effect

[jahrain]

If the fog tag is set to be water by having the water flag checked, then it will have water collisions.

[Vicky]

Hmm, can get water with reflection etc. but can't seem to get it animated... it's a bit rinkled as well but it won't move. Not sure if i got that identity function with the right settings, or could it be the bumpmap transition?

[Roostervier]

Put this in bump_map_index. Make sure your bump map has multiple images. See how many, and in identity, put it from 0 to whatever number it goes to (Halo 2's default water is 0 to 16). Then, set the time to .5, as bum stated. Hope that helps.

Also, back D:

[et_cg]

Hey bum,

I was just wondering why the screenshot_cubemap function doesn't work in Sapien anymore. I believe it's that command, I haven't looked in a while. But my main reasoning is, what if I wanted to create a cubemap for ice or water?

I really don't feel like getting a render in 3ds max or Maya to look similar... so if it still does work on the user end, could you explain on how to use it?

It would deffinately help with shader development.

Thanks,

Lee

EDIT: P.S.: I know you have to do the command, then the name of what you want the bitmap to be when it get's processed... but where does it output to?

[Kornman00]

It and the other screenshot functions don't work in release (what was included with the game) builds of sapien, sorry :(

EDIT but of course, the printscreen button still works in sapien.

[Llama Juice]

I know this thread has been all about water so far... but.. .uhh.. I didn't wanna make a new thread... sooo

do you have any idea which shader template to use to make a shader similar to a ladder?.. (not climbable... that's not a shader thinger ...) I mean so that the alpha will be invisable

[Ki11a_FTW]

two_alpha_clouds


thats what i used for my ladders in Destination

[et_cg]

I know this thread has been all about water so far... but.. .uhh.. I didn't wanna make a new thread... sooo

do you have any idea which shader template to use to make a shader similar to a ladder?.. (not climbable... that's not a shader thinger ...) I mean so that the alpha will be invisable

It's pretty simple, just take a look at the old Halo 1 tags, and compare it's settings to what Halo 2 is capable of doing with the templates;

for the beavercreek ladder I used; tex_bump_env_alpha_test

Basically this shader allows you to:

-Use a bump map
-Use a texture with an alpha channel
-Use a base map
-Use a lightmap_alpha_test_map, which I have yet to play with.
-And use an Environment Map (Useful for making shiny, or elude the bump maps)

Depending on how shiny you want it to be, I'd suggest checking into a couple different shader templates. This one allows the texture to be alpha tested, bump mapped, and get a bit of shiny shiny on it.

Hope that helps. Like I've mentioned before; I'm going to be releasing all the shaders I make in packs. So expect a shader pack with a release of a map from me.

:D

[Lightning]

Or you could put the alpha in the bumpmap.

That's how Halo1 does it.

[TheGhost]

Yeah, well I think you could just use tex_bump_env based on et_cg's post.

[et_cg]

Well, it's really up to you to decide which looks best... but from what I can tell, it's at least comparable. :D, both use the same textures. (Cept for h2, it's using the new forerunner interior environment cube map.)


Halo 1:

http://img400.imageshack.us/img400/4524/h1ladderswfc2.jpg


Halo 2:

http://img360.imageshack.us/img360/6885/h2ladderswkw2.jpg

[jngrow]

Sorry about another water question, but how would I create the geometry for it? I'm pretty sure my shader is fine (if not, i just need to fix lightmap), but I'm not sure how the game wants me to make the geometry for the water. I tried just making a box, tried selecting random polys, etc. no good.

[Roostervier]

Try making it a flat plane.

[jngrow]

thanks, I made a box and it was all messed up.