Edge and Corner Grime Decal

[Fidcal]

Don't suppose this is orginal but while applying grime decals to wall corners and edges I was using 2 or even 3 decals on a surface and had to keep scrolling the texture. Then I had this idea to use an inverted form of the round smut - dark in the corners and edges and clear in the middle. I've made a test texture and it was real easy to apply to multiple surfaces. What do you think? Maybe decrease the blackness? Or maybe two versions - one not so heavy?

 

Question: Is it possible to just create a new def instead and invert the dark round smut to save adding another image file?

 

[SneaksieDave]

Looks great; even lends some "soft shadow illusion" to a scene. And extra claustrophobic feeling for dungeons. Can we see with/without comparison shots? Unreal had something similar to this, built in. The control was "lighten/darken corners" or something like that; just a compile setting in the editor. This method you're using will give even more control over it, as you can apply it only where you want instead of map-wide. Very nice.

 

Edit: multiple versions, yes

Edit: that shot reminds me of Arx Fatalis so much it's chilling.

[OrbWeaver]

What do you think? Maybe decrease the blackness? Or maybe two versions - one not so heavy?

 

One thing you might be able to do is to use the "colored" keyword in the multiplicative material stage, with a fairly neutral and not too dark image map. If you then turned your decals into func_statics, you could apply a colour value to the entity and have it affect the colour of the map.

 

This should probably be an optional separate version of the material, not everyone wants to bother turning decals into func_statics I would think.

 

Question: Is it possible to just create a new def instead and invert the dark round smut to save adding another image file?

 

Try the "invertColor" map expression.

[Fidcal]

No, invertColor makes it all black. The only example I found it was used with diffusemap whereas this decal uses blend filter.

 

This is what it looks like without the decals.....

[Fidcal]

This is with a brighter torch with much larger radius and it still looks OK imo....

 

[SneaksieDave]

Thanks, looks as I was guessing. That is wild. It gives it a painted/storybook feeling. Quite nice. One of those effects that people might not even notice unless they know to look for it, yet when it's missing, they'll think, "why does this look.. just not as good?"

[Fidcal]

I'm sold on this and it's reasonably nice to work with. To decal a full wall or ceiling you just use fit. Job done. If there any edges you don't want to be grimed then you just stretch the scale so the clear middle moves over there. Half the time you also need to then scroll it along depending which way it is facing. But considering before I was applying a grime to each of 4 edges and fit wasn't usually good enough because it didn't align with fiddling I think this is good to use.

 

I've now committed an update of maps/train_locks.map if you want to take a look. You do have a lantern if you want to inspect it close up. The first room off the corridor is done; the second one is not so you can compare how clean that looks. I also did one convex corner which you wouldn't normally. It does look softened but I'm not sure if I'd generally do it. The material is committed as grime_corners in the dirt decals. I've not tried but my guess is if you use fit and then slightly expand the scale in both directions it should make for less invasive grime.

[OrbWeaver]

Perhaps you should commit sets of edge decals -- all four sides, one side missing, and two (opposite) sides missing. This way, you could texture a wall of arbitrary length by using repetitions of the two-side-missing along the middle, and one-side-missing caps at the ends.

[SneaksieDave]

I wonder if it needs a special trick with the lantern, like that spectrum thingy. Updating to check it out.

 

Edit: I see it does not (though this decal in particular is pretty strong...)

[greebo]

That decal effect is really convincing, I'll be definitely using this in the future!

[Fidcal]

Perhaps you should commit sets of edge decals -- all four sides, one side missing, and two (opposite) sides missing. This way, you could texture a wall of arbitrary length by using repetitions of the two-side-missing along the middle, and one-side-missing caps at the ends.

I thought about that very thing myself. I was going to suffix them O, U, L, and I. But for now, let's see how it goes with 'O'. Because this decal is essentially just dark with no texture, it can be stretched effectively. Glad it's getting a positive response anyway - and was relatively easy to create.

[Tels]

Thanks, looks as I was guessing. That is wild. It gives it a painted/storybook feeling. Quite nice. One of those effects that people might not even notice unless they know to look for it, yet when it's missing, they'll think, "why does this look.. just not as good?"

 

I agree, it just makes the "flat" version look so ugly and wrong. Wow. Impressive.

[Tels]

I thought about that very thing myself. I was going to suffix them O, U, L, and I. But for now, let's see how it goes with 'O'. Because this decal is essentially just dark with no texture, it can be stretched effectively. Glad it's getting a positive response anyway - and was relatively easy to create.

 

Can this decal be used with a colored keyword, so to ive it a slight "greenish" etc. tint?

 

Looks great, makes me want to go mapping again

[Fidcal]

I don't recall how but I'm certain it can be done with colour because in my recent tests for supercrumb I remember finding I could get coloured smudges no problem with this method. I think it was just a matter of using a coloured image. But remember, they don't respond to local light

 

The more I work with it the more I think it raises areas that are only ambient lit. Normally these can be quite flat but this helps to lift it. That got me thinking that in some situations it could be used instead of local lights. If one moderately bright ambient light was used to light say a street with several non-extinguishable street lights then carefully placed decals should give the impression of local lights. It's really simulating the pre-calculated lighting of Thief. And of course, no shadows. I doubt it would be of any general use but might be worth keeping in mind where performance is seriously hampered by lights.

[Springheel]

This looks good. We have very few decent grime decals right now, so anything that increases that number gets my support.

[OrbWeaver]

I don't recall how but I'm certain it can be done with colour because in my recent tests for supercrumb I remember finding I could get coloured smudges no problem with this method. I think it was just a matter of using a coloured image. But remember, they don't respond to local light

 

I think Tels is talking about this:

 

One thing you might be able to do is to use the "colored" keyword in the multiplicative material stage, with a fairly neutral and not too dark image map. If you then turned your decals into func_statics, you could apply a colour value to the entity and have it affect the colour of the map.

[Tels]

I think Tels is talking about this:

 

Ah, yes, I forgot that the "_colored" only works for func_static. But one could create material defintions with a pre-set color, right? Like "rgb 0.8" to make it not-so-darkening, "red 0.8 green 1 blue 0.8" to make it slightly greenish in the corners etc?

[OrbWeaver]

But one could create material defintions with a pre-set color, right? Like "rgb 0.8" to make it not-so-darkening, "red 0.8 green 1 blue 0.8" to make it slightly greenish in the corners etc?

 

You certainly could do this, but assuming the decals use multiplicative blending, you will never be able to make them less dark using rgb values. If you wanted to do this the decals would have to be a fairly pale grey, and the rgb value would further darken and colour them.

[Fidcal]

A quick test with red green blue shows it working on the transparent part of the decal - so the dark grime remains the same but the stonework turned bright green! I think if we need a green mouldy version we probably have to make the image file green. But it has to be very dark else it will look luminous in dark corners. I doubt it could be light enough to be noticeable without also being luminous.

[OrbWeaver]

Good point, the rgb will of course make the black stay the same but the white turn green, which is not what you want.

[Tels]

Good point, the rgb will of course make the black stay the same but the white turn green, which is not what you want.

 

Is there any reason you couldn't use additive blending instead of multiplicative?

[Springheel]

Additive blending glows in the dark.

[Tels]

You certainly could do this, but assuming the decals use multiplicative blending, you will never be able to make them less dark using rgb values. If you wanted to do this the decals would have to be a fairly pale grey, and the rgb value would further darken and colour them.

 

Well, at least that sounds an option to get more than one variant with the same image file

 

@Springheel: Would be perfect for glowing runes or radioactive waste water..er wait we don't need *that*

[Fidcal]

Might be of use in a crystal cave system or similar. Lots of luminous mushrooms and light crystals plus luminous grime.

[Fidcal]

By request, this is a general tutorial about applying the grime_corners decal. Compare the two images to see where the decals are applied.

To start, select a number of surfaces where you want to apply the decals. In theory the entire room but I'm scared if I accidentally deselect I'd have to do the lot again so I tend to do 10 or 20 at a time.

 

Not all brush surfaces coincide with the area you want to cover. For example, a brush might be partly obscured (intrude into a side wall) or a surface might be made up of several brush surfaces. In that case just select one and resize it after.

 

Some surfaces don't want the full circle of grime - apply it anyway and adjust later (see later.)

 

• While surfaces are selected, in Dark Radiant > menu > brush > create decal patches.
  
• Apply textures/darkmod/decals/dirt/grime_corners
  
• Surface Inspector > Fit button.
  

That covers 90%+ of applying the grime corners but some need more attention.

 

The decal works fine with the default flush to surface of brush. Only exception is if you already have a decal such as thick dirt slightly above in which case move that grime decal up to be level with the other decal.

 

• Toggle menu > Filter > Brushes so you can see/select the decals, especially for resizing.
  
• Supplement with textures/darkmod/decals/dirt/smut_black_round eg, at base of pillars.
  

 

The grime corner texture is a circle of grime: O. To get U and C and L shapes you enlarge the texture off the decal. Depending on the direction half the time you also need to scroll it. In the example image you see how they are resized around a door. It is very forgiving of imperfections. After all, this is shadowy dirt. You can also add a pipe or something if a streak is a bit too obvious.

To enlarge, use Surface Inspector and do the opposite of what you'd expect (don't ask me why!)

• To enlarge horizontally press the bottom pointer button of the vertical scale until one dark side moves off the decal (even if it is the wrong side.)
  
• To enlarge vertically press the left pointer button of the horizontal scale until one dark side moves off the decal (even if it is the wrong side.)
  
• Half the time that's it but otherwise then use the shift button to scroll into position (use vertical if you used vertical scale and horizontal if you used horizontal scale.)