[2.11] Frobstages: automatic generation and customization

[stgatilov]

The latest dev build (dev16629-10139) contains some changes regarding frob highlight.
The full explanation is given in 5427.

Most importantly, the material stages are now generated by default if they are missing.
The core materials will be cleaned accordingly in near future.

Also we added new syntax for customizing frob-highlight in simple cases.

First of all, you can set frob-highlight with custom texture (e.g. it can be specular map) and arbitrary coefficients:

• frobstage_texture textures/darkmod/sfx/whiteglass2 0.25 0.5

Since diffuse texture is used in most materials, here is a shortcut for it:

• frobstage_diffuse 0.1 0.35

The first number is the multiplier applied to texture, and the second number is the amount of white color added.
You can also make non-white multiplier or addition by putting three numbers in parentheses, e.g.:

• frobstage_diffuse (0.15 0.35 0.15) 0.4

Of course, the most recommended approach is to not write any frob text, in which case frobstages are added implicitly as "frobstage_diffuse 0.15 0.4".
The implicit frobstages are added only if there are no frobstages specified explicitly.

If you want to suppress implicit generation of frobstages (not recommended), you can write:

• frobstage_none

Finally, if you want to make something special and customizations listed above are not enough, then you can just write frobstages the old way via parm11 parameter. The old frob-highlight stages should continue to work properly.
If you write frobstages manually, please follow the rules (or you'll get warnings):

1. Start every frobstage exactly with if (parm11 > 0) condition.
2. Do not mention parm11 outside frobstages.

 

P.S. Here is previous discussion of frob highlight, in case anyone is interested:

 

[datiswous]

1 hour ago, stgatilov said:

The old frob-highlight stages should continue to work properly.

So do the new frob-highlight stages look different? A lot of missions include their own materials with material stages included. This could mean, that sometimes in the mission the highlight looks different, depending of using their own materials or use of core files.

Sorry if this is total nonsense.

[stgatilov]

50 minutes ago, datiswous said:

So do the new frob-highlight stages look different? A lot of missions include their own materials with material stages included. This could mean, that sometimes in the mission the highlight looks different, depending of using their own materials or use of core files.

There is nothing like "new frob-highlight", nothing has changed in the way highlight works.

What's new is:

1. Rule for generating frobstages implicitly.
2. Some new "frob macros" that you can use for the rare cases where default looks too bad.

Under the hood, there is nothing new.
Both implicit stages and the macros are 100% equivalent to frobstages which are all over the core materials (and missions, I suppose) right now.

The existing materials should look the same as they did.
Although there is some risk that added implicit frobstages could break something.

[datiswous]

3 hours ago, stgatilov said:

Most importantly, the material stages are now generated by default if they are missing.

Very nice that we don't have to add these manually for every material anymore, if I understand correctly.

[stgatilov]

I'm currently cleaning frobstages in core materials.

I noticed that the macros I listed above are broken
It is strange because I tested all this stuff... perhaps I reordered generates frobstages in the end, which triggered the bug.

Just keep in mind that the macros don't work as intended... maybe implicit generation also.

[STiFU]

Thanks. This is basically what I was asking for in that frob outline thread. Nice to see some cleanup happening on our materials and a default frob highlight as well to fix missing frob highlight definitions.

In what way are your macros broken? Can you post screenshots? Does the default frob highlight work?

[stgatilov]

7 hours ago, STiFU said:

In what way are your macros broken? Can you post screenshots? Does the default frob highlight work?

On the latest dev build, the wrong texture name is used.
For instance, frobstage_diffuse often uses _white instead of diffuse texture, so things look "milky".

[stgatilov]

Ok, the bug is fixed in the new dev build.
Also, we have removed old-style frobstages from core materials.

[snatcher]

Hi,

I recently created a mod (script) that makes use of the parm11 parameter to force a blink when some objects are within frob distance.

I was made aware by @stgatilov of some changes in relation with parm11 in the development branch and I gave dev16818-10434 a try and I noticed the beat or blinking pattern is slower than in 2.11a and therefore slower than intended.

While I don't expect any support for mods I thought it was worth mentioning it because something definitively isn't as before.