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Dark GDK / Limb Questions

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Jna99
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Posted: 2nd Jul 2007 02:56
Hi guys I've got a few questions about limbs, that I'ld like to get answered:

1. Is there any way to use transparency on a limb?
2. How can I make the limb visible from all the camera points of view?

Jna99
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Posted: 2nd Jul 2007 19:03
anyone?

jason p sage
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Posted: 2nd Jul 2007 21:20
What if you attached it in the program and set the property first?

Load Mode, then load limb as object, set your properties - and then attach? Can you do something like that? I'm just tossing an idea - I'm not even sure how feasible this approach is - I'm not too versed in limbs yet. Currently wrestling with dbpro to C++ conversion.

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Jna99
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Posted: 2nd Jul 2007 22:08
jason p sage I'll take a look if it works I your my hero!

jason p sage
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Posted: 2nd Jul 2007 22:58
I meant to say Load Object above, then load the Object you want transparent - set it to look how you want - THEN attach them with void dbGlueObjectToLimb ( int iObject, int iSecondObject, int iLimb )

also - Since your reply I looked at the help enough to believe that this is how you would accomplish it. However - I think certain things are treated differently once the object is attached.. so SCALING the now "complex" object effects all limbs etc. So I would definately set up the preferences before I attached the "second object".

Sounds like what your doing might look pretty cool.
Jason

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Jna99
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Posted: 3rd Jul 2007 23:48
jason p sage I've tried to do the following:

but the properties of an object like the transparency are not hereditary so the limb when texture still displays the "black parts". I didn't use your last suggestion cause I really need to use limbs..About what I'm doing well it's a secret lool! No really I'm creating a solar system where the planets are objects, the rings and the auras are limbs (in this way I can limit the production of objects only to the necessary)! I've found in the forum a plugin to set the transparency of limbs but it's only to dbp.....

Jna99
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Posted: 4th Jul 2007 21:00
..any other ideas besides begging a transparency command for limbs?

jason p sage
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Posted: 4th Jul 2007 23:40
FRom what you talking about - limb might not be the way to go at all. I mean You could easily make "orbits" By making your planets start at 0,0,0 (Where the sun is) and move them where you wat - and then circle math - that is plot a circle... Also you could move the "pivot" point.. and then simple turn right commands I think would do the trick.

Jason P Sage

If you can't do something - try a bigger hammer.

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Jna99
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Posted: 5th Jul 2007 03:46
jason p sage I understand completely that I can do it with normal objects, but I'm trying to spare the creation of objects that is very limiting (on limbs you can repeat the same id on a different object and you have a direct association to an object), and more by using limbs I don't have to limit my in game conditions, but if the only alternative is to use objects, so be it..JEDI lool!

jason p sage
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Posted: 5th Jul 2007 13:42
I totally understand. The fact that you "think optimization" during design is a VERY good trait. But sometimes - (often) - to get the job done - you need to weigh how much time something is taking and how much other things you need to accomplish as well. I know you know this - and I've been hung on "small" details for a long time - sometimes getting what I want - other time taking a deep breath and deleting a bunch of code prior to implementing an alternative solution.

I guess its just another battle waged in the programming war!

Jason P Sage

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Jna99
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Posted: 5th Jul 2007 15:17
Lool jason p sage I've opened a thread for suggestions to new commands and changes to already existing ones (guess I've I suggested!), feel free to visit!
http://forum.thegamecreators.com/?m=forum_view&t=109530&b=22

Jna99
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Posted: 6th Jul 2007 16:34
Well I've found out that if you set the transparency of an object the limbs will also use that set..problem is if the main texture (the object texture) has "BLACK PARTS", so you've only to be selective in the choice of the main texture!

jason p sage
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Posted: 6th Jul 2007 20:23
Not a big problem bro - ZERO = Black to Transparency - but I think rgb(1,1,1) is still QUITE BLACK but doesn't become see through.



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Jna99
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Posted: 9th Jul 2007 21:04 Edited at: 11th Jul 2007 18:52
This question is more directioned to the GDK Core developers....why make the limbs invisible when their not facing the direction of the camera!

Jna99
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Posted: 11th Jul 2007 18:53
Guys?

jason p sage
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Posted: 11th Jul 2007 19:26
Do you mean they are invisible when not in view anyways (Out of sight out of render?)

Or did you mean the way the question reads? If So, are you simply seeing "back Faces" become invisible? Because that's just how they are. You might need to be more clear to get someone else to pipe up an answer because - for instance - I've run demos with limbs that rotate the object all over and the limbs are always visible at all times - so I'm guessing maybe you have a single face on this limb and you CAN definately see through the backface. You might need to "Double Face" it for your purposes. Simply make the equivalent 3d model as doing a negative size Skybox (So visible from inside) as well as making a positive sized Skyboax JUST bigenough to encompass the inner one. This gives you the FACE on EACH side that you may be looking for.

Jason

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Jna99
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Posted: 11th Jul 2007 19:36
Hi again Jason well my problem is the second one, but I don't understand why the GDK Core developers didn't put a command to enable the visibility of all limb sides? Anyway I will test your idea, thks again!

James Bondo
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Posted: 11th Jul 2007 21:01
Because an option to render the backside of a face would effectively double the polygon count and thereby double the processing power needed. If you need something to be visible from both sides, you need to create both sides yourself.

Try considering what that option would do if a lazy modeller/programmer was dealing with a very complicated model you need to see from both sides (like a house, inside and outside walls).

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jason p sage
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Posted: 11th Jul 2007 21:46
You're Welcome.

To answer why the TGC did it that way... Its because each Poly (as far as I know) is three vertexs and ONE SIDE. This is a standard as far as I can tell. There are both rendering speed reasons why this is advantageous as well the fact that it can be useful for various "tricks" and effects. One example is tinted windows, could be textured from the outside... like the side of a building, maybe with a slight ghosting, and completely invisible (or different texture - lighter - ghosted as well) from the inside... give a cheap but effective appearance and "world functionality" if I am allowed to make up my own words

This could be the root of what is going on and I saw it (where like you I was a bit like Hmmm.. not sure if I like that or not) first when I hade a sheild "sphere" appear outside of a ship I was "in" and same for bad guys... the sheild sphere would flash visible when you hit a wall or got shot. I could see it from the outside - but from "inside" the ship and sphere - it wasn't visible. I never did anything about it - I'm still converting my DBPro "stuff" to DarkGDK so I can continue my projects "Where I left off" hopefully soon in DarkGDK... but I Digress

Best Regards and luck,



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Jna99
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Posted: 11th Jul 2007 23:09
Thanks to both, I'll find a way.

Jna99
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Posted: 21st Jul 2007 17:42
Hi I need to hide the main object but at the same time continue to show one of the limbs, I've tried to hide the object and show the limb, but nothing appears on the screen, is there any other way of doing this?

James Bondo
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Posted: 21st Jul 2007 20:24
Make object from limb

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Jna99
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Posted: 23rd Jul 2007 22:14
hmmmm what I really wanted was to use a limb....

IanM
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Posted: 23rd Jul 2007 23:54
When rendering, the SDK will first check the hidden status of the whole object, before checking the status of individual limbs. Hiding the object effectively overrides the hidden/shown status of all limbs.

If you want only one limb to be seen, then you need to be showing the object, and hiding all of the individual limbs that you don't want to see.

Jna99
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Posted: 24th Jul 2007 01:37
Damm...I really needed to hide the main object, I was thinking of doing billboards with limbs!

IanM
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Posted: 25th Jul 2007 16:33
Did you know that the main object is limb 0? Does that help?

Jna99
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Posted: 25th Jul 2007 18:09
IanM you're my hero that helps a lot...this way I haven't got to create another object to make a billboard, just use a limb

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