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[deathevor]

For Devs:

Idea based on this:


Similarly I thought to make lights in House windows


However the problem is that for billboard it is ok for lights to stay on (not visible in direct sunlight, but still visible in shadow), but for windows it will be very noticeable. So they must be off during day.

So the idea is to be able to switch Illumination only during certain hours, which are customized by user (for example in matlib file - under each Emmision texture).
Therefore the city made with random models also will illuminate randomly, as each user will do their own hours (+ variation option).
(Here's the UTC must be converted to local time based on user position).

Example of Matlib file:

Code: [Select]

{
"name" : "Poster",
"diffuse" : "20.0,20.0,20.0,1.0",
"Ax" : "1",
"Ay" : "0",
"m" : "1",
"tex_diffuse" : "bilboard_d.dds",
"tex_normal" : "",
"tex_env" : "",
"tex_emmision" : "Bilboard_op.dds",  <Start time>, <End Time> <Variation In minutes>,<UTC/Local>
"tex_reflectance" : ""
}
Additionally:

Would be great to find the best way of also randomizing (or setting time-range) for windows (in same texture).
So the house is not illuminated fully in the same time.
This is possible to do by making all windows as separate materials, but a bit too messy.

[cameni]

That's a task for a script, no need to make the material configuration unnecessarily complex for a specialty like this. As for the randomization ... hmm, maybe some kind of a system generated random map usable in materials? But it would require multiple channels with varying periods.

[GHAO]

What would be neat is if the rooms weren't quite random - to simulate people moving form the bathroom to the kitchen, say. Unless it's one room per apartment!

[deathevor]

That's a task for a script, no need to make the material configuration unnecessarily complex for a specialty like this.

Make sense at some point. However, I bet not many 3d modelers, making static model, will go to scripting to make automatic on/off lights.
And when Outerra will be filled with cities, you'll end up with few lights ON at night.

If it's mostly done at your end, with option provided to user, then there will be more will to go for this on user side.
In the end most of cities will light up at night.

But it's definitely must be a "spend an extra minute" option - For this reason I even thought not to mention time ranges - just to make Automatic (at sunset-sunrise) on/off  if the texture have certain tag in name (ex. "N_windows_illumination.dds".
Then all that user need to worry about when doing illumination map, is to add that tag to name.


But still - Will the scripting will be available for static models?

hmm, maybe some kind of a system generated random map usable in materials? But it would require multiple channels with varying periods.

A mask map for illumination map. Basically every element on this mask is in different color (Object ID Pass):

At start time (Sunset) randomly (or even linearly) start to unmask illumination map by gradually revealing Object ID map color parts.

[deathevor]

Additionally:

This kind of name Tags for textures can also be used for switching panel lights in vehicles.
For example if user uses "V_Panel_em.dds" then Outerra knows that this textures need to be illuminated only at night (Or by pressing "L" (Lights) short-key))
and only for textures of vehicle in use.


Again the logic is the same:

Now Cessna has Emission texture which is always ON. Lets think that one day using scripting it will be done that certain element in aircraft illuminates on press of the button.
For everybody to use this method, they will need to find that peace of code, modify it and implement.

In case of tags - just make a tag!

"N_" for automatic On/Off
"V_" for Automatic + Short-key (and works only for vehicle in use)

[Luishi5k0]

I will make a building that has illuminated windows when I get some time and figure out how to set it up in 3DS Max.

Also Cameni if you read this:

Do you have any plans to add displacement mapping (displace model geometry like terrain (like DX11 tesselation)) or parallax occlusion mapping?

[cameni]

Make sense at some point. However, I bet not many 3d modelers, making static model, will go to scripting to make automatic on/off lights.
And when Outerra will be filled with cities, you'll end up with few lights ON at night.

Whatever the case, the low level material system has nothing to do with the game logic, and different games and simulators may have different requirements, and even changing over time (like cities suddenly dying off). No simple tagging scheme will be able to handle all the cases anyway. For vehicles and instruments it's definitely a script driven on/off control.

The script doesn't have to be written for each building, I was talking about a script taking care of animating buildings and cities. Still, it would require some random texture sources from the engine, with the model using some additional texture mapping coords for it. Or a completely specialized building/city support with a generator.

Do you have any plans to add displacement mapping (displace model geometry like terrain (like DX11 tesselation)) or parallax occlusion mapping?

Yes, for the models and also to boost the effect of the existing dynamic tesselation on terrain.