Elvas Tower: Build A Better Skydome - Terragen 2 ? - Elvas Tower

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Build A Better Skydome - Terragen 2 ? Rate Topic: -----

#21 User is offline   scottb613 

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Posted 22 March 2021 - 11:06 AM

 steved, on 22 March 2021 - 11:01 AM, said:

That one's pretty good too.


Hi Randy,

Beautiful station you have there.
:)

Regards,
Scott

#22 User is offline   steved 

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Posted 22 March 2021 - 11:13 AM

Scott,

Thanks, it's a work in progress.
Is it possible to have thunderstorm clouds coming in from the west while having the calm before the storm in the east?


#23 User is offline   scottb613 

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Posted 22 March 2021 - 11:22 AM

 steved, on 22 March 2021 - 11:13 AM, said:

Scott,

Thanks, it's a work in progress.
Is it possible to have thunderstorm clouds coming in from the west while having the calm before the storm in the east?


Hi Randy,

I'm sure it is - that was the next thing I was going to try and tackle - some real storm clouds. The software is pretty darn deep and complex. I've only just scratched the surface.

Here's some by another user - most people don't use the "Fisheye Camera" that we need - but if someone sets up a scene and shares it - all I need to do is change the camera to create a Skydome out of it.


Attached Image: file.jpg


Regards,
Scott

#24 User is offline   ebnertra000 

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Posted 22 March 2021 - 03:43 PM

 scottb613, on 22 March 2021 - 11:22 AM, said:

Hi Randy,

I'm sure it is - that was the next thing I was going to try and tackle - some real storm clouds. The software is pretty darn deep and complex. I've only just scratched the surface.

Here's some by another user - most people don't use the "Fisheye Camera" that we need - but if someone sets up a scene and shares it - all I need to do is change the camera to create a Skydome out of it.


file.jpg


Regards,
Scott


That would be cool. Just needs some flashes and distant rumbling. I kind of wish the weather effects when you're in the storm were a bit better, too

#25 User is offline   ErickC 

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Posted 22 March 2021 - 04:44 PM

When I uploaded the replacement environment sounds, a separate set of storm SMS files was included with directions for swapping it with the rain set. It would be nice if a "storm" option could be coded into OR - it could use the storm SMS set, increase the rate of rain, reduce visibility, and increase wind. Throw in random sprite-based lightning strikes and you've got a winner. The way I see lightning working is that you'd have a set of alpha images containing the whole lightning bolt from cloud to ground, and those would get rendered on a sprite that would appear in random locations for a fraction of a second, and while it appears, the visible portions could rapidly change through colours not unlike diesel smoke.

#26 User is offline   copperpen 

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Posted 23 March 2021 - 02:47 AM

Far as I know, you cant have a texture displayed without having a shape to put it on. Skydome.png does not have a corresponding skydome.s shape, but if you open a route in TSRE5 and close it, then look at the TSRE log you will find a reference to skydome.s which means the shape is generated during runtime from the code. Basically the same way that MSTS generated sky, but not as refined.

#27 User is offline   scottb613 

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Posted 23 March 2021 - 05:27 AM

 ebnertra000, on 22 March 2021 - 03:43 PM, said:

That would be cool. Just needs some flashes and distant rumbling. I kind of wish the weather effects when you're in the storm were a bit better, too



 ErickC, on 22 March 2021 - 04:44 PM, said:

When I uploaded the replacement environment sounds, a separate set of storm SMS files was included with directions for swapping it with the rain set. It would be nice if a "storm" option could be coded into OR - it could use the storm SMS set, increase the rate of rain, reduce visibility, and increase wind. Throw in random sprite-based lightning strikes and you've got a winner. The way I see lightning working is that you'd have a set of alpha images containing the whole lightning bolt from cloud to ground, and those would get rendered on a sprite that would appear in random locations for a fraction of a second, and while it appears, the visible portions could rapidly change through colours not unlike diesel smoke.



 copperpen, on 23 March 2021 - 02:47 AM, said:

Far as I know, you cant have a texture displayed without having a shape to put it on. Skydome.png does not have a corresponding skydome.s shape, but if you open a route in TSRE5 and close it, then look at the TSRE log you will find a reference to skydome.s which means the shape is generated during runtime from the code. Basically the same way that MSTS generated sky, but not as refined.


Hi Folks,

Thanks for the interest - and Mervyn - thanks for looking.

It's a shame that the shape is generated - as that puts it out of reach to all except a qualified programmer. I'm assuming the environment code is ancient (wasn't Rick Grout involved at some point?) - which is why there's probably a reluctance for anyone to look at it. I know enough about coding to know that it's an onerous task to try to figure out someone else's code that hasn't been documented properly. That said - our environment is sorely in need of some TLC - as the sims graphics are the first thing anyone new to ORTS see's and can make or break an impression. While I would love to see a more substantial and comprehensive overhaul of the environment - I do realize our resources are sparse and limited - which is one reason I tried to make improvements with just a texture upgrade. Hopefully someone takes up the challenge at some point.

Regards,
Scott

#28 User is offline   scottb613 

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Posted 23 March 2021 - 06:22 AM

Hi Folks,

On a side note - one other thing I've learned from Terragen - is it has a FAR better way to texture landscape - vs the archaic tile systems we use. I believe its system is all based in Fractals - and - you texture by specifying how much coverage you want a given color - then it applies the color with all kinds of different noise algorithms to give the color highlights and shadows - you can specify shaders to control the placement of the color by altitude - area - even slope constraints of the terrain. It makes it easy to add cliff faces - shore lines - snow covered mountain peaks - forest floors - riverbeds - etc etc etc. You can mask off areas for roads and use relatively small seamless textures to create them. Most of the terrain can be done with with just tiny little bits of standard colors - which means - they don't need any massive TERRTEX textures - and they make far more realistic landscapes with basic colors - than I've ever seen in a train sim.

Regards,
Scott

#29 User is offline   steved 

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Posted 23 March 2021 - 07:32 AM

Scott,
This sounds way better than what we've been using.
Do you have any examples? How would this work in conjunction with TSRE?


#30 User is offline   Genma Saotome 

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Posted 23 March 2021 - 10:27 AM

 copperpen, on 23 March 2021 - 02:47 AM, said:

Far as I know, you cant have a texture displayed without having a shape to put it on. Skydome.png does not have a corresponding skydome.s shape, but if you open a route in TSRE5 and close it, then look at the TSRE log you will find a reference to skydome.s which means the shape is generated during runtime from the code. Basically the same way that MSTS generated sky, but not as refined.


It might not be so hard to improve... it's possible the code produces a sphere of m diameter and n faces where both values are there in plain sight and easily changed. A quick scan for "skydome" in the code should reveal places to look. A possible block would be how Rick applied the texture to the faces

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