Muzzleflash models

CheapAlert

How would you do yours? This is my silly method, designed for q3 shader'd engines:



I'd really LOD it too, making the sphere the highest and the sprite the lowest in detail. The autoSprite2 appears in medium.

MoP

That's probably close to how I'd do mine... I probably wouldn't use a hemisphere though, I'd just use more flat plane sprites, because that way you wouldn't get any hard polygonal edge angles showing up, it'd all be smooth alpha-blended edges.

CheapAlert

heh autosprite2 hates me

Delaney King

nice!

Try flipping the normals of the cone. if you have a camera normal shader (I reccomend getting these in your engine if you have a code monkey handy) you can make a falloff to remove that sharp edge. As the polys turn away from the camera they fade out.

I make my muzzle flash textures really subtle and use more planes. This gives a gassy edge and a more complex feel. I also use hints of pink and blue on some of the planes to look like uncombusted gas. s'nice.

hum, someone offer me a job in London doing muzzle flashes.

KDR_11k

Doesn't autosprite2 align itself along the vertical axis and then rotate the plane towards the camera? AKA billboard?

EDIT: Your Daveness, Cheapy is his own code monkey.

r13

i've done some FX shapes like this in the past for planetside and swg, but honestly i found it wasnt really useful for muzzel flashes. flat camera facing sprites and/or local space locked sprites, really seemed to be the most efficent way of muzzle flashes for myself. they need to be big and bright and really quick. .25 seconds is not a long time, all easily done with sprites alone. and in the context of your project I really suggest that would be your smartest bet.

I did have more sucess with crunched up geospheres and torus for some controlled blast radius and rings in some explosions.

Joao Sapiro

the muzzle ( at lest in real gun ) is barely seen, the thing that makes it real is the smoke after, the best muzzle flashes ever are max payne 2 ones...so f***** real...

Scott Ruggels

[ QUOTE ]
the muzzle ( at lest in real gun ) is barely seen, the thing that makes it real is the smoke after, the best muzzle flashes ever are max payne 2 ones...so f***** real...

[/ QUOTE ]

Actually , the amount of smoke depends on the poweder you are using and the length of the barrel. Most Pistol Poweders from domestic (U.S.) manufacturers burn fairly cleanly, with just a slight amount of smoke. Most rifles leave almost no smoke.(but can kick up dust from the ground). However old, or foreign manufactured ammunition may be quite smokey, and often smell really funny after firing.

Scott

Scott Ruggels

Reference for muzzle flashes, from the Indy Movie I worked on

http://www.killjanedoethemovie.com/KJD%20Firepower.htm

Scott