Ambrosia Garden Archive
    • Ambrosia Garden Archive

    • Mechanisto Glow Effects

       EV Developer's Corner
      3 4 397
      E
      E

      I've been combing high and low for answers, but as of now, nothing...

      So here's the question- how do I make Mechanisto objects (windows, light strips, engines) appear to glow uniformly? Slapping on a semitransparent shader and putting a point light inside just doesn't cut it when your objects aren't spherical.

      While on the topic of point lights, I'm also curious to know how to make the light apperar to decay with distance- it's very frustrating to put in a small, colored accent light only to have it illuminate the entire scene in that color.

      Thanks a lot!

      ------------------
      THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE!
      (Lies are in your head.)
      ------------------
      Ia! Ia! (url="http://"http://www.evula.com")EVula(/url) fthagn! | (url="http://"http://users.adelphia.net/~cyberger/Ben/") Link(/url)

      0
    • E
      E

      First, don't use point lights. Mechanisto corrupts your file if there are too many lights in a scene. I've learned this the hard way, and lost several ships to it.

      Instead, use the shader function "Finish." Within the settings for "Finish," you should find a checkbox labeled "Gets Shading"; you'll find it checked. Uncheck it. I've been using this, and objects with this shader will always appear, even if there is no light source.

      ------------------
      "... Look, I designed this thing, so I know exactly what I'm doing..."
      "MISSILE SELF-DESTRUCT ACTIVATED: 5... 4... 3..."
      "... Of course, I could be wrong..." - Me.

      0
    • P
      P

      The only problem with that approach is that those lights end up looking unrealistic, because it looks like the object is emitting light only in the direction of the camera. Obviously, this makes no sense from a physics perspective. If you come up with something better (my best idea is to use that finish shader, plus maybe a halo and a point light), I'd love to know. Mechanisto's lights are frustrating.

      (edit) btw, in order to set a point light's decay distance, double click on it and set the "decay" value to the one you want. It's in the same dialogue box as the light color and brightness.
      ------------------
      (url="http://"http://www.evula.org/infernostudios/search.html")The plug-in search engine!(/url)

      (This message has been edited by Phyvo (edited 07-18-2004).)

      (This message has been edited by Phyvo (edited 07-24-2004).)

      0
    • E
      E

      Thanks! I also discovered another way online (from Tycho's tutorial)- to render translucent, glowing cylinders, shine spot lights down their axes. Still looking for a good way for non-regular objects... (sigh.)

      ------------------
      THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE!
      (Lies are in your head.)
      ------------------
      Ia! Ia! (url="http://"http://www.evula.com")EVula(/url) fthagn! | (url="http://"http://users.adelphia.net/~cyberger/Ben/") Link(/url)

      0