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FPSC Classic Product Chat / Billboards - The key is Ingenuity - Are they the way forward?

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Marc Steene
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Posted: 18th May 2010 23:27 Edited at: 18th May 2010 23:33
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Alright guys, I'm sure most of you have seen some of my threads by now showcasing various pieces of work. This one is dedicated to billboards to emphasise how powerful they are, and how you should use them to create effective and otherwise impossible scenes in FPSC.

I've used billboards to make effects like the following:

Covenant Capital Ship, anyone?


Liven up an area with entire forests (Part of my billboard pack...not perfect as the black edges are visible but you get the idea)



Create stunning Nuclear Explosions



Create powerful weather effects


Or even simulate a rocket launching into space...



My point is, billboards take up almost no performance using up only 2 polygons, can be scripted to move around, and thanks to bond1's new shader, even have animated textures.

So this is my message to everyone - learn to use billboards effectively and you can create some stunning effects in FPSC you never thought possible.

I billboards.



[b]FPSC MIGRATION: http://forum.thegamecreators.com/?m=forum_view&t=142497&b=21
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Bugsy
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Posted: 18th May 2010 23:32
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agreed. In an early concept level for WWC, I used a billboard of characters I animated in flash to run across a hallway that's blocked by fences. the characters would run across the hallway and peek back around the corner, pointing you out.

imageflock.com/img/1272671763.jpg[/img]
skype = isaacpreston. I want to talk to YOU
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Nickydude
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Posted: 19th May 2010 01:37 Edited at: 19th May 2010 01:39
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I used crossed billboards for trees in "he is coming..." looked really good, without the frame lag.



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Shadowtroid
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Posted: 19th May 2010 02:20
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I don't think they are the way forward, but they are perfect for FPSC.

Mid-quality, super efficient...It's great for FPSC, but hopefully we can move on to higher-res stuff in the future.

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WWIV Studios
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Posted: 19th May 2010 03:05 Edited at: 19th May 2010 03:05
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Im not sure how to make billboards but i love them. They work absolutely wonderful. Any help on how to make them?
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Kravenwolf
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Posted: 19th May 2010 03:41
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Quote: "Any help on how to make them?"


Just apply a texture with an alpha channel to a flat plane.

Kravenwolf

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WWIV Studios
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Posted: 19th May 2010 05:36
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Quote: "Just apply a texture with an alpha channel to a flat plane."


Thanks, but heh... Im not that smart...How do you do that?

Sorry, WWIV Studios
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Marc Steene
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Posted: 19th May 2010 10:35
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Quote: "I don't think they are the way forward, but they are perfect for FPSC."


Not the way forward for commercial games, obviously, but for us I think they're ideal

@Keith - those billboards really create a convincing forest effect, good work!

Quote: "Thanks, but heh... Im not that smart...How do you do that?"


I personally use Signs to make my billboards by using the overlay option. For the Covenant Capital Ship, I set the fpe scaling to 5000, and it reach both ends of the map.

The lightning is my personal favorite


[b]FPSC MIGRATION: http://forum.thegamecreators.com/?m=forum_view&t=142497&b=21
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A r e n a s
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Posted: 19th May 2010 13:14
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You can now go even further then billboards if you can model The sky box can be a giant 3d object In calibre this is how we have set it up, with a small mod to the engine, you suddenly have no limits to the size of a map being made in FPSC. But you guys will have to wait for the release of Calibre before you can see this in action

DISCLAIMER: This was an old effect we played with in the beginning stages of generating effects for calibre, we may be making a new engine, so what I have said could be released at any point, not necessarily after Calibres release If this is so, ignore what I have said

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Scurvy Lobster
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Posted: 19th May 2010 13:51
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Marc Steene: could you give some scripting examples of how you are using these billboards?

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WWIV Studios
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Posted: 19th May 2010 15:02
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Quote: "I personally use Signs to make my billboards by using the overlay option. For the Covenant Capital Ship, I set the fpe scaling to 5000, and it reach both ends of the map."


I must just be stupid. What program do you create billboards in?

(I have photoshop, 3ds Max 2009, Fragmotion, and Blender.
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Metal Devil123
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Posted: 19th May 2010 15:45
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Quote: "What program do you create billboards in?"

I think, he makes a picture and goes into signs and applies it as the texture on the overlay.... not sure, I never used that program, but I think that is how it works.


Heimo Vesa ROCKS!!!!!
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Marc Steene
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Posted: 19th May 2010 19:35
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Quote: "could you give some scripting examples of how you are using these billboards?"


For example:

:state=0:moveup=2

This will cause the billboard to rise up at a constant speed.


[b]FPSC MIGRATION: http://forum.thegamecreators.com/?m=forum_view&t=142497&b=21
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The Master Dinasty
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Posted: 19th May 2010 22:04
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Never under-estimate the power of cheating(In a good way...), the effects are cheap and look great, i am kind of suprised that no-one have really been abusing them yet


-Massap2

We are the magnificent Masters, builders of pyramids.
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WWIV Studios
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Posted: 19th May 2010 23:38
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Quote: " i am kind of suprised that no-one have really been abusing them yet"


Marc Steene kinda has-in a good way.

BTW Marc, how do you make billboards?
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DarkJames
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Posted: 20th May 2010 00:04
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You already asked this 200 times WWIV studios...

Just make a plane in Milkshape, put a texture on it with an alpha background,export it and done..

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WWIV Studios
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Posted: 20th May 2010 00:13
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Quote: "put a texture on it with an alpha background"


Im trying to figure out what a alpha backround is....

Sorry for being a nuisance
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Bugsy
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Posted: 20th May 2010 05:11
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it's a transparent background

imageflock.com/img/1272671763.jpg[/img]
skype = isaacpreston. I want to talk to YOU
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moncho
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Posted: 20th May 2010 07:32
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WWIV
you said you have PS, 3D'S MAX, FRAGMOTION, and BLENDER yet you still dont know what a alpha channel is ....
anyways in PS, create new layer set it to transparent put your texture
there and note be sure that you only put the texture no background or anything save as DDS PNG and i think tga also supports alpaha channels
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Kravenwolf
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Posted: 20th May 2010 07:48
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Quote: "you said you have PS, 3D'S MAX, FRAGMOTION, and BLENDER "


It seems like everyone around here has a licensed copy of 3D Studio Max (even people that don't know how to model)! I must be the only one that doesn't have a spare $3,500 lying around

Anyway, @WWIV Studios; Alpha channel.

Kravenwolf

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mgarand
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Posted: 20th May 2010 08:13
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Quote: "It seems like everyone around here has a licensed copy of 3D Studio Max"


lol yeh, i see that too lately, too bad i don't have the money for it, but i hope my new school wil pay a discount always hope...



Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun.
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moncho
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Posted: 20th May 2010 11:10 Edited at: 20th May 2010 11:14
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Quote: " I must be the only one that doesn't have a spare $3,500 lying around "

haha and why would anyone buy fragmotin or use blender when they have max. and i agree people "buy"a 3.5 k software and have no idea how to make a billboard.or buy PS and not know what alphas are or how they work.
wow people must really have spare cash !

anyways dont want this thread to become one of those piracy thread.


ANYWAYS billboards are really useful and look great. i was wondering does anyone know if mw2 used billboards for their grass because i really like it!
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WWIV Studios
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Posted: 20th May 2010 23:31 Edited at: 20th May 2010 23:33
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Quote: "anyways dont want this thread to become one of those piracy thread."


Good, because i legally bought it. i won the Star 94 Season 20 Grand radio show last winter. (2009) and im only fifteen, so i spent 5 grand since then. Im also a designer/photographer so i already had Photoshop.
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Red Eye
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Posted: 21st May 2010 00:19
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Its defintely cool, but certainly not the way forward.

But great effects anyway.

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