Acn2000 -- Light Gem

[Springheel]

Ok, we have had plenty of discussion of what the lightgem should look like, and I think we have reached a consensus of sorts.

 

http://forums.thedarkmod.com/index.php?showtopic=48&st=25

 

Now what we need is someone to actually create the thing. I would be willing to do it, but honestly, I'm not quite sure how. Is this going to be a 3d model? If not, how is it going to be animated? I know it's not as simple as just making a single image in Photoshop, but someone is going to have to explain how to approach this so that we can get going on this.

[Domarius]

The round, star shape with a gem fixed in the center?

 

My suggestion is that it's just a bitmap that is a 3D accellerated sprite. It rotates around, eg. if you face north, the N on the compass will be pointing to the top of the screen.

 

The Gem itself is an animation. The brighter you are lit, the higher frame number used - at the far end of the animation, its fully lit, and at frame 0, its completely dark. Probably the whole compass is the animation, for simplicity.

 

This is the way I think they did it in t2, using an animation, because the light gem has several noticible steps. I mean, you have the noticible steps, which isn't so good, but for simplicity of implementation, I think it's a good idea.

[BlackThief]

they used a 3d model in thief1/2 and simply changed the textures.

[Springheel]

Domarius, if it doesn't use a model, will it still look 3d? I'm thinking of the way the compass looked in T1/2, and T3 for that matter. Perspective was at work so the part further away from you was smaller. Can we achieve that with a bitmap?

[sparhawk]

would be willing to do it, but honestly, I'm not quite sure how. Is this going to be a 3d model? If not, how is it going to be animated? I know it's not as simple as just making a single image in Photoshop, but someone is going to have to explain how to approach this so that we can get going on this.

I think this is a 3D model. We must connect it with a material and at run time we can adjust the material parameters. If it's no 3D model, how should it show the angle the player is currently at? It has to tilt and rotate. You can't do this with a bitmap animation. At least this would take a lot of space because it would need every possible orientiation.

[New Horizon]

Yup, I can confirm that it was a 3D model as well. Before I joined the dark mod I was working on at T2 fan mission. I had been playing with the light gem model in an effort to make a design that was somewhere between T2 and T3.

[Springheel]

Ok, so we need one of our modellers to create a lightgem then? I'll appoint someone.

[sparhawk]

Ok, so we need one of our modellers to create a lightgem then? I'll appoint someone.

Thanks. We are already investigating the lightgem functionality, so this would come in handy.

[Domarius]

Oh I know the T2 one is a 3D model. I was just suggesting that a sunflower sprite could work. It's a flat square mesh that faces the screen, with a texture of the compass thing on it that uses an alpha channel. The mesh rotates on the z axis relative to the screen - as if it is connected to a rod coming through the screen towards you and you are turning it like a volume knob. So north is up.

 

A 3D mesh would look better. I guess the texture for the light gem would still be animated to show the different light levels.

Edited October 23, 2004 by Domarius