Engine Work

[Ki11a_FTW]

yeah sunny that looks amazing, +rep

[Geo]

Awesome job sunny. +rep

[MNC]

Sunny, you are amazing. When I get back to mapping, I'll be sure to use it. If I am able to hold that awesome, which I doub

[Jay2645]

This map is looking so awesome I would have to break out one of the underused smileys.

[SuperSunny]

I took a few screenies of the differences between basic radiosity lighting and then dynamic lighting added in.










Here are some of the 1080 HD shots I took before. Because of the high resolution textures, the end result wasn't too bad.

[MNC]

Wow is the only word.

So while I've been drooling at the screens I haven't been exactly paying attention to the technical part. Is this all the Halo engine or is it an external program?

[SuperSunny]

Wow is the only word.

So while I've been drooling at the screens I haven't been exactly paying attention to the technical part. Is this all the Halo engine or is it an external program?

Everything is all Halo. The only external program there is, is the 3p/FOV Hack by Bitterbanana, but I integrate the FOV into the map after compiling it, so even that doesn't matter. It's all Halo.

[SuperSunny]

I whipped up a quick test to show how the game can look, for any future project for anyone that isn't only "Halo."


jesus look at the edge on that light, I suck with the cut tool in poly



Performance hit IS minimal with the stronger shaders and lighting. Obviously if many of these are placed in one open location it drags, but that's with almost any game now. If these are added into a typical map, with portaling, the hit would almost be invisible, unless your card actually sucks.

This imitates bloom, stronger normal maps, and naturally renders the reflections, normal maps, and dynamic lights. The lens flares for the bloom were specially created to blend properly in any environment, as long as there is light (radiosity). Also, with the standard radiosity, dynamic shadows are visible. If it were only dynamic lights, there would not be any shadows being created from the chief.

I'm going to admit, utilizing this IS hard. It took me a lot of work to get everything to look decently right.

But that's because I didn't plan any of this. I just did it. If a map is in development, it's best to finish that map first. Then the detail can be applied, generally in the form of the art style of the map. Shaders can be updated, lighting can be fixed and made more natural, and then screenies can be shown to wow everyone.
It would indeed be incredible to see future maps for this game (how ironic) look a little better visually.

[SnaFuBAR]

can yo do this with flickering light?

[SuperSunny]

can yo do this with flickering light?

Yes, but it would have to be part of the same object I'd assume. Each flickering light would have to be different based on the positioning of the markers, as the method I do now (scenery objects, no geometry but with markers for the flares) won't "link" to the light. But it can work. I'll test it out.