Models and z-fighting

[Baddcog]

Is there a way we can use a png (which can save with a transparent background) and maybe also use that as the alpha blend?

 

Or can we use that for diffuse and another black/white tex for alpha?

 

Is there another format that allows transparent background besides gif or png, and also allows alpha?

 

I think the problem here is that I am using tga for alpha channel, but something is gonna be where that white is on the diffuse portion. We could try black or just the metal tex.

 

I added that white instead of the metal so people could see the hinge shapew in editor to know which door they were choosing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Read below blabbering if you want.

----------------------

OK, I skipped the last 5-10 posts here...

 

 

 

Watched the vid, yeah that's bad. This is a shader thing i believe. I kindof copy/paste them as I am not that good with putting them together from scratch.

 

Been along time so I forgot how they were done.

 

Basically it is a tga (with alpha hinge shape) + a normal map + a diffuse which is just one of our stock metals.

 

[size="2"]

//////////HINGES/////////////

//Baddcog

bc_hinge01

{

metal

translucent

clamp

bumpmap models/darkmod/props/textures/bc_hinge01_local

specularmap models/darkmod/props/textures/lampmetal_s

{ 

blend diffusemap 

map models/darkmod/props/textures/bc_hinge01

alphatest 0.5 

}



// TDM Ambient Method Related

{

blend add

map models/darkmod/props/textures/bc_hinge01

red global2

green global3

blue global4

}

}

[/size]

 

Something is wrong with that texture though. I don't know when that happened. Look at hinge02, that is not black and white, it has a metal for the hinge. Hinge01 is NOT supposed to be black and white.

 

But it looks like I did leave white behind the metal on hinge02.

[Baddcog]

I updated the textures, actually reverted '01' so it's back to metal tex instead of black/white. changed the back from white to black but sounds like someone tested that. Seems like that was better. I tried to look in game but it locked up.

 

I will edit the meshes tommorrow. I will move the hinges a little further away, right now they are very close. Hopefully that will solve it.

[Baddcog]

OK, I SVN'ed

 

door96x48_3hinge_test.ase

 

could you test it out alongside the old one?

 

I got quite a ways away and the hinge itself starts to fade. But it's really too complex for polys, with three of them it would be thousands instead of 12

 

Bums me that the hinge fades.

 

Maybe in the long run it's best just to have door tex and maybe not as many varieties

 

But they could look better.

 

I just had the idea to do it this way to save on resources.

 

But still, we could have 3 door sizes (just boxes) then paint like 10-20 skins.

[angua]

Not sure if it helps, but you could try to delete the "translucent" keyword. (I don't know what clamp does here, but maybe delete this also and look if there's a difference)

[SneaksieDave]

Here's the result of the test door next to original. At this distance at least, it doesn't seem to be an issue. But I'm not sure what you meant about polys... is the hinge shape itself modeled?

 

http://72.8.59.188/TheDarkMod/temp/zfight2.wmv

 

I will try the added diffuse method, and translucent too, though I dread going into this mysterious territory again.

[Baddcog]

Sneaksie,

Sorry if my post was a little confusing.

 

I meant if we modeled the hinges onto doors instead of this. I think they would render better at all distances but would have a huge amount of polys.

 

I can mess with the shaders a bit more but i think I did and removing those keywords is gonna bugger them I think.

 

I think the main issue was that I just put the polys as close as possible to the door (literally microns away) as I didn't know the z-buffer would be an issue.

 

Now the hinges is hundreds of microns away, not just 1 or 2. I really don't forsee the same thing happening again. I think the video probably shows about the maximum distance we will see in most FM's anyway.

It's easy to get by with it in a blank room, but once alot of details,lights,AI are added huge distances probably just won't happen.

 

Anyway, as much as I moved them away I think we'd have 10x the distance to go before the z buffer becomes a problem again.

 

And still right up close you can't tell there is a gap.

 

Thanks for posting that vid.

 

-----------

I am glad that it is working better now. I haven't looked at them that far away, that is a pretty good distance.

 

If everyone is good with that I will do the same to the other 2 doors Wed. and we can call it good.

[SneaksieDave]

Oh. Cool. So then we do have a choice:

 

1. changed models, like this test one, which worked well with a big distance (confirmed up to 2400 units, and at that point, the door getting too small to see anyway)

2. continue forward with added diffuses, if that works (it should, but so far there have been problems I believe)

 

I guess #1 requires two new models, no big deal. #2 requires some figuring out, testing, and then if it works, new materials to be produced. Oh, and possibly(?) changes to the models so they can properly use the new materials.

 

Sounds like #1 is the easier of the two.

[Tels]

Oh. Cool. So then we do have a choice:

 

1. changed models, like this test one, which worked well with a big distance (confirmed up to 2400 units, and at that point, the door getting too small to see anyway)

2. continue forward with added diffuses, if that works (it should, but so far there have been problems I believe)

 

I guess #1 requires two new models, no big deal. #2 requires some figuring out, testing, and then if it works, new materials to be produced. Oh, and possibly(?) changes to the models so they can properly use the new materials.

 

Sounds like #1 is the easier of the two.

 

As far as I understand, #1 is just moving the already existing hinges a few sub-units away from the door. So just update the door models and be set

[Baddcog]

Yeah, I'll be back home on Wed and do the 2 remaining doors then.

 

I just was too tired to do all three last night then find out it didn't work anyway.

 

Obviously I got the material order mixed up on that test one too (hence the wood lock plate)

[SneaksieDave]

I noticed also that the door edges seem non existent (not just shader not found - invisible), as you probably already know.