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HEy guys, I just checked the official migration discussion thread just for the heck of it today and I noticed that v1.17 had displacement and tone mapping-



If this is true then how would I use this feature on my segments/entities?

Hello Hamburger




I could be wrong but I think those features can not be handled or adjusted (changed settings), because they are inherent to the game engine.


I think the displacement mapping is applied to the feature "water " and its waves. You can change the water level, but can not increase the lengths of water waves or noise (disturbance) in the water. I think you Can do that with FPSC x10 (changing the water disturbance), but I'm not sure, however you can not do that in FPSC x9 (about noise or disturbance in the water).


It's nice not to be confused displacement mapping with bumb mapping, because things are similar but not identical.


"Tone mapping, in the context of graphics rendering, is a technique used to map colors from high dynamic range (in which lighting calculations are performed) to a lower dynamic range that matches the capabilities of the desired display device. Typically, the mapping is non-linear – it preserves enough range for dark colors and gradually limits the dynamic range for bright colors. This technique often produces visually appealing images with good overall detail and contrast. Various tone mapping operators exist, ranging from simple real-time methods used in computer games to more sophisticated techniques that attempt to imitate the perceptual response of the human visual system."(source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_dynamic_range_rendering)


With Tone mapping in the same way, it is something inherent to the game engine graphics processing to improve the quality of the images displayed, contrast and illumination levels, etc.. If there is a way to improve things in FPSC x9 about that(colors, contrast,etc. in game) sorry I do not know yet, Until this moment.

Of course you can improve the graphics quality using shaders and high definition textures and that is all you can do, nothing else. By the way, very expensive for the render and dropping the frame rate down though.



If you would like further informations about that subject, please access the following link:


**Displacement Maps vs. Bump Maps


http://www.talkgraphics.com/showthread.php?16280-Displacement-Maps-vs.-Bump-Maps


**Tone mapping


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tone_mapping

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_dynamic_range_rendering

Perhaps the technical support of The Game Creators can help answering your questions better than me.


That's all.

I hope this post has been helpful.

All the best.

Northern

I doubt that displacement mapping is for water, a normal map is used for water turbulence you can create your own and replace the default.

Hello Rolfy

It's nice to know we can change water turbulence or disturbance if you prefer, just changing the normal mapping.

I would appreciate knowing how to do that as well

My opinion about use of displacement mapping is for water was based only on the article published named "Displacement Maps vs. Bump Maps"(at http://www.talkgraphics.com/showthread.php?16280 -Displacement-Maps-vs.-Bump-Maps) in the Talk Graphics forum by Earl who wrote:

"Some uses of Displacement Mapping:
- landscapes
- animating fields of grass or trees
- waves or ocean water (and animating it)
- animating fire, clouds, smoke, or any other particle-driven volume "

However, I do not know if it's correct or not, but for me it is coherent, but I can not say that this technique is used or not in the FPSC game engine.

Maybe some guy from the technical support of the Gamecreators could clarify this point for us all.


If not utilized for water, would you or someone else have some idea where the displacement mapping may be applied in the FPSC X9?


Regards.

Northern

In the effectbank you will find a folder called 'common' the shader can also be tweaked to change scale,speed,reflection etc.
I have attached a normal map for 'smooth water' surface for you to try out, swap it out for the default normal texture after backing up the original.
Heres an in-game pic.


As those are some uses for displacement maps I have no idea what the intention of introducing them is for except to say it might be interesting if it has something to do with the new particle system.
Another interesting idea might be using 'infinite floor' segments if a seamless displacement map were to be used it may create a nice uneven (if limited in height) terrain surface.
Or maybe Lee has introduced a way to cover the entire infinite floor with a single texture map and shader, which would allow for 'true' terrain in FPSC (pure conjecture of course).

Hello Rolfy

Thank you for Normal map and your informations and time on how to change some parameters of water in the FPSC. It really is very interesting and I think perhaps very few people knew about that.

The idea of ​​using displacement mapping to create infinite floor and terrain in the FPSC, without causing dropping frame rate down would actually be another big leap in the evolution of the FPSC game engine, if that is possible to be implemented, however "nothing happens unless first a dream" as said by Carl Sandburg (US biographer & poet ).

Regards.

Northern