HMart

afaik you can bind a key to run a script function https://modwiki.xnet.fi/Script_%28console_command%29 bind F11 script "function name" I never tried it so don't take my word for it.

Cobwebs http://forums.thedarkmod.com/topic/18643-md3-models/?hl=%2Bvertex+%2Banimation are perfect candidates for the MD3 vertex animation, there's even a example of a cobweb animation on there.

Yes s_shake, unless TDM team changed it, requires wav files. From idsoftware site https://www.iddevnet.com/doom3/sounds.php

That CPU should support SMP is a dual core cpu but i'm not sure as is a old CPU. Yes the 4800 is now a legacy GPU and the last driver for it is 13.9. To know exactly what gpu do you have instal GPUZ is free and tells everything about the GPU in your computer. shader model 3.3 is the shader language (GLSL) version of OpenGL 3.3, it has nothing to do with OpenGL ES 3.x they are two different APIs, but from wikipedia your GPU should support GLES 3.0 and 3.1, maybe Godot implemented GLES 3.2 and that is only supported by GCN GPU's from AMD, HD 7000 and above.

Tell us what CPU do you really have and also what GPU do you have a 4800 HD is really generic because there's many under that family, instal CPUZ or CPUID. Also you can't enable FXAA on AMD GPUs on the drivers, only MLAA, is the same thing tho, FXAA is competing similar tech from Nvidia, it does work on AMD GPUs but for that you need to use a third party tool like the old RadeonPro free software to force it on games that don't have the option. r_shadows 2 on the 2.07 Beta enables the new shadow map shadows, they are still being worked on by duzenko and others and bugs can happen, but your AMD 4800 HD should support them just fine has is a GPU with support for shader model 3.3, unless like duzenko said your CPU is to old and limiting you. What GPU drivers are you using? Catalyst 13.9? For duzenko if he really has a pentium 1 CPU then i don't think it supports SMP is not that for multicore processors only?

Alongside disabling AA go to the advanced tab and mess with the options there, those are the ones that influence performance the most. Also http://forums.thedarkmod.com/topic/18670-performance-tweaks-for-low-end-pcs/

Render to texture is only a part of a portal system, there's more to it, like teleporting the player, cloning the player movement into a clone, when he is entering the portal but has not traversed fully, so you can be in two places at the same time, etc.

Render to texture is the ability to render the 3D view of a camera into a 2D surface, in this case a texture, imagine a security camera view being shown in a monitor, that monitor is the texture. With this feature you can do neat stuff like, security cameras obviously, portals like those of Prey and Portal, mirrors, fancy skyboxes, etc.

Copyright indeed prevents you from copying thief story, characters, names and places BUT imo the gameplay is not copyrighted nor is the missions layouts, if you want to make a TDM mission based on a thief mission layout you can, just make sure to not refer to places and characters from thief and never use assets (textures, models, audio, etc) from thief. I'm sure some TDM mission makers got inspiration from thief missions. About the engine change, yes rope arrows work fine with models, like Judith said is all based on what material the arrow hits not if is a model or a world brush, TDM like rope arrows are perfectly possible in UE4 and because it uses a better physics engine they would look even better, but who cares, this conversation has already been discussed and arrived to a consensus, TDM will never change engines, period. Also TDM fortunately for now has motivated coders with sufficient knowledge to update the engine further, imo making this question even more irrelevant.

Ok thanks for the info but what i was really asking is if the code or source code in there has some clue on how to smooth the volumetric beams, as IMO god rays are essentially the same thing, just trying to help. And btw there's TDM missions with clear sky... ;P

Hey duzenko is this useful for the matter at hand? http://fabiensanglard.net/lightScattering/

Does Carmack's Reverse has really any effect on shadow maps? I thought that was a trick to improve performance and also solve some stencil shadows artifacts only. "Carmack's Reverse" is patented by Creative, if shadow maps needed that we would see more developers in trouble by Creative patent trolling like they did with idSoftware. Ok don't really know about blender but in Modo, the tool i use the most the geometry count (GL count) changes, depending if a model is in quads or triangulated. No problem. Afaik brushes are treated differently to mesh's, not when being lighted but at dmap time, so having a brush behind a flat mesh plane should have no effect for shadow casting, it does have for selling the void and also for the AI navigation. But this should be easy to test.

The engine requires the model to be triangulated, so that count on the striped image is really not accurate as the model is in quads, also thick models are better than flat one sided ones, why, because of shadows, not only stencil shadows work best with closed models but also when shadow maps get included officially on TDM, geometry once again will need to be carefully rethinked. https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/desktop/dxtecharts/common-techniques-to-improve-shadow-depth-maps

Yes i agree a true gaussian blur would be better but box blur/filter is faster and for a already heavy effect. And was just a suggestion, duzenko did asked for something already existing even if what i presented was perhaps partially useful.

I agree that a warning for spoilers would not hurt anyone but IMO people that will see those videos will be those caring about making missions for TDM, not really those concerned with getting spoilers from it, i bet those that really care about spoilers will never click those videos, with a warning or not. I'm not a example for everyone but i never click on trailers or see making ofs for movies when i care about spoilers. And i also bet that a large amount of TDM players don't even browse this forum or care about DR or mission making, they only get to see new missions only when they appear on the mission list ingame. And IMO the more tutorials exist for TDM mission making the better, for that thumbs up for Bikerdude.

This is not really what you want but the box filter could be useful, i assume is just a matter of looking at the code and see how id did the box filter part.

I tested this anyway Performance to me at 1080p was constant 60fps (locked framerate). My shadow mapping settings where the following r_shadows 2 (obviously) r_softshadowsradious 5 r_softshadowsquality 5 r_shadowMapSize 512 Shadows looked more or less good but much worse than i add before ( and worse than soft stencil shadows i most say) but performance increased leaps and bounds, before in some instances shadow maps cut my framerate in half. Volumetrics volume edges don't connect as duzenko already knows. Shadow mapping works fine on the alpha enabled window but the volumetric effect is very subtle on it, makes it almost invisible, is that intended? Volumetrics are indeed very "bandy" but i'm willing to forgo that for the coolness of the effect.

Ok thanks. Ok so no need to test on AMD i see, fine by me.

duzenko i'm right to think you use a AMD card? I seem to remember you talking something about needing to test this on Nvidia, if i'm wrong and you need to test on a AMD GPU i would be willing to help test this, so you guys don't test only on Nvidia gpu's, just give me the needed files, I have a mid range RX 570, I also have a Rysen system if you desire to also optimise for Rysen, is a relatively new CPU and idtech 4 was optimized for Intel architecture so it can cause problems, not that i'm seeing any right now, everything seems to work fine apart from the light geam being always bright no matter if i'm on shadow or not.

I also agree that TDM movement is much smoother than all old thief games, is based on Doom 3 fps controls and idsoftware really knows how to make awesome FPS controls, TDS specially to me, feels contrived because of the full body awareness, that btw, i've yet to play a game where it didn't felt odd to me, almost like i'm being pulled back by a string every time i want to go forward, especially jarring on Dark Messiah. Btw Judith i like how you do your play testing, makes me think that your mission, if that is what your making, will have well thought out gameplay, at lest has parkouring is concerned.

That is also rim lighting, it is a term for a particular effect "Rim lighting is a light that typically comes from beside or behind your subject", Valve just used specular to do it in that case. Search for rim lighting on google you will see the picture bellow.

Rim lighting is not only good to make a better frob highlighting like Judith showed but can also give characters well more character, by making them stand out from the background, Valve for example used it for good effect on all their games since HL2. https://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/DavidRosen/20091103/85835/Character_Rim_Lighting.php

Yes this should be used like you said mostly on windows looking directly to the sun or moon, or used in some interior lights to simulate a dusty foggy environment or some magical effect, etc. Btw occlusion by geometry is pretty much standard in all volumetric effects on other engines i've used, how they do that is beyond me but it proves is not impossible. How unity handles occlusion with simple objects like walls. http://saladgamer.com/vlb-doc/comp-dynocclusion/

Good for him and i hope to see more stuff like that on UE4 games, like they say "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery".

Make a AI occlude the beam? Make a way to give different densities to the beam, for example the beam is stronger next to the window and fainter has it goes farther away? Make a material keyword to give it some animation or augment the shader so you have "moving particles" inside the beam to simulate moving dust? I assume it can be binded to a moving light, i don't see why not, but if don't that could be also a next step. Ability to have volumetrics of different shapes, we don't need to copy reality, this effect could be used to make some fantasy effects. I can't think of anything else right now. Btw imo this effect alone will help TDM reputation increase ten fold, when those saying TDM engine is old and lacks modern effects, see this, they will think UE4 my a** TDM engine is cool!!! ;P