Bridge Commander Central

BC Forums => BC Modding => Topic started by: FarShot on March 15, 2010, 09:21:27 AM

Title: Would this be feasible...
Post by: FarShot on March 15, 2010, 09:21:27 AM
One thing that annoys me about most space games is that suns are not eye-hurtingly bright.  Would it be possible in BC to have a super bright light emit from every sun, but then have a button in Kiska's options to "polarize the viewscreen"?
Title: Re: Would this be feasible...
Post by: Bones on March 15, 2010, 11:37:46 AM
wouldn't it require pixel shader, bloom or hdr... or anything that cause overbright effect ??? I guess BC engine is too old for such addition
Title: Re: Would this be feasible...
Post by: Villain on March 16, 2010, 10:46:26 AM
Never say never. Freelancer is about as old and someone managed to tack a bloom effect onto it, looks pretty neat too. Also, look har far BC has come itself, and I recall the older modders having said things they didn't think possible initially have become reality. Surely its possible to some degree.
Title: Re: Would this be feasible...
Post by: Billz on March 16, 2010, 10:58:14 AM
Quote from: USS Prime on March 16, 2010, 10:46:26 AM
Never say never. Freelancer is about as old and someone managed to tack a bloom effect onto it, looks pretty neat too. Also, look har far BC has come itself, and I recall the older modders having said things they didn't think possible initially have become reality. Surely its possible to some degree.

BC uses a completely different engine to Freelancer. As in, what may be possible in Freelancer, may most likely not be possible in BC.

In this case, it is a no win scenerio. BC would never be able to support Bloom effects or whatever they are called. Best wait for ST: Excalibur.

Is it possible in STO though?
Title: Re: Would this be feasible...
Post by: Nebula on March 16, 2010, 11:04:43 AM
IIRC Bloom is in STO
Title: Re: Would this be feasible...
Post by: Villain on March 16, 2010, 11:14:07 AM
Quote from: Billz on March 16, 2010, 10:58:14 AM
Quote from: USS Prime on March 16, 2010, 10:46:26 AM
Never say never. Freelancer is about as old and someone managed to tack a bloom effect onto it, looks pretty neat too. Also, look har far BC has come itself, and I recall the older modders having said things they didn't think possible initially have become reality. Surely its possible to some degree.

BC uses a completely different engine to Freelancer. As in, what may be possible in Freelancer, may most likely not be possible in BC.

In this case, it is a no win scenerio. BC would never be able to support Bloom effects or whatever they are called. Best wait for ST: Excalibur.

Is it possible in STO though?

See, there is a thing I like to call "A viable comparison", in where I compare something to another thing to help get a point across. I also never stated they used the same engine. It was an attempt to point out that just because something is old does not mean new things cannot be brought in. Wormholes, Galactic War Simulator, Life Support, New Bridges....

Quote from: Nebula on March 16, 2010, 11:04:43 AM
IIRC Bloom is in STO

If it wasn't that would be quite poor. ;) Quite positive the screenshots I had seen even predating release had Bloom. But even Cryptic wouldn't cheap out on something so standard (now).
Title: Re: Would this be feasible...
Post by: Nebula on March 16, 2010, 11:18:44 AM
Quote
See, there is a thing I like to call "A viable comparison", in where I compare something to another thing to help get a point across. I also never stated they used the same engine. It was an attempt to point out that just because something is old does not mean new things cannot be brought in. Wormholes, Galactic War Simulator, Life Support, New Bridges....

What is preventing Bloom to be incorporated into BC is the desired code that needs to be modified/changed is locked away in the exe. (not to mention the engine may need a complete overhaul to even begin to be thinking about this)
Title: Re: Would this be feasible...
Post by: Kirk on March 16, 2010, 11:21:45 AM
Isn't BC's "Enhanced Glows" like bloom effects? Picture related.
Title: Re: Would this be feasible...
Post by: Villain on March 16, 2010, 11:24:47 AM
Unless somehow you can tack it on, as I initially had mentioned. I'm well aware that there are many things that cannot be outright changed, merely was considering that perhaps something that works outside of it (if you get what I mean, which I doubt because I suck at explaining  :roll). Anyway, it's a nice thought.
Title: Re: Would this be feasible...
Post by: Bones on March 16, 2010, 01:46:48 PM
I think we will need to wait until Excalibur is finished if we really want 'Crysis' among Trek games :P graphics on STE are simply astonishing :)
Title: Re: Would this be feasible...
Post by: Kirk on March 16, 2010, 03:19:23 PM
You do realize Excal is a long way off, right? I had an idea earlier I voiced to Prime. Would it be possible to take the "enhanced glow" effect and apply it to all materials and make the glow amount light sensitive?
Title: Re: Would this be feasible...
Post by: Bones on March 16, 2010, 03:49:26 PM
I'm not going anywhere ;) I can wait, besides, perfection cannot be rushed.
Title: Re: Would this be feasible...
Post by: deadthunder2_0 on March 16, 2010, 07:10:29 PM
why not make a planet that has a self ilum texture that looks like a star's surface, then do what nano did for atmospheres, put a star in the planet to make it glow more?
Title: Re: Would this be feasible...
Post by: Bones on March 17, 2010, 02:10:26 AM
Idea is good but that doesn't settle 'blinding' effect so when you look at the sun, whole screen gets a lot brighter.
Title: Re: Would this be feasible...
Post by: NeoKaede on March 17, 2010, 12:00:35 PM
Freespace 2 (1999) had this: when you faced a sun, the entire screen became very bright. Maybe the same can be done for BC, raising a lot the Gamma values when the in-game camera is aligned with a star?
Title: Re: Would this be feasible...
Post by: Bones on March 18, 2010, 02:34:57 AM
I like that effect in STL so the overbright disappears after a second and screen returns to normal
Title: Re: Would this be feasible...
Post by: Maxloef on March 18, 2010, 04:24:50 AM
Quote from: Bones on March 18, 2010, 02:34:57 AM
I like that effect in STL so the overbright disappears after a second and screen returns to normal

Thats HDR your thinking of and requires actual engine modification wich is ONE illigal and TWO impossible cause weed need the source code :P
Title: Re: Would this be feasible...
Post by: Bones on March 18, 2010, 04:29:53 AM
Quote from: Maxloef on March 18, 2010, 04:24:50 AM
Quote from: Bones on March 18, 2010, 02:34:57 AM
I like that effect in STL so the overbright disappears after a second and screen returns to normal

Thats HDR your thinking of and requires actual engine modification wich is ONE illigal and TWO impossible cause weed need the source code :P
yup, and this means it won't be achieveable without source code which we're not getting anytime soon (more likely never)... pity
Title: Re: Would this be feasible...
Post by: Lionus on March 20, 2010, 06:07:02 PM
Why? Star Trek Excalibur is already on it's way, they're doing the job for us..  :evil :funny
Title: Re: Would this be feasible...
Post by: Bones on March 20, 2010, 06:09:00 PM
Quote from: captain_obvious on March 20, 2010, 06:04:57 PM
Quote from: Bones on March 18, 2010, 04:29:53 AM
Quote from: Maxloef on March 18, 2010, 04:24:50 AM
Quote from: Bones on March 18, 2010, 02:34:57 AM
I like that effect in STL so the overbright disappears after a second and screen returns to normal

Thats HDR your thinking of and requires actual engine modification wich is ONE illigal and TWO impossible cause weed need the source code :P
yup, and this means it won't be achieveable without source code which we're not getting anytime soon (more likely never)... pity


If only we could give the BC devs a call and beg :/
wasn't such call done few times ? at least two times IIRC afterall it's 8 years, dev crew is long time gone and do is the source code :(
Title: Re: Would this be feasible...
Post by: Dalek on March 20, 2010, 06:10:55 PM
Quote from: Lionus on March 20, 2010, 06:07:02 PM
Why? Star Trek Excalibur is already on it's way, they're doing the job for us..  :evil :funny

Yeah, but we don't have it. And might not for some time yet.
Title: Re: Would this be feasible...
Post by: Lionus on March 20, 2010, 07:56:08 PM
A virtue, patience is, young one..

(http://www.listphile.com/Yoda_Quotes_with_Video/May_the_Force_be_with_you_A_how-to_guide/image/Yoda.jpg)
Title: Re: Would this be feasible...
Post by: mckinneyc on March 20, 2010, 07:56:42 PM
Indeed and lets not just give up on BC, every few months modders here push the boundaries of the game with amazing results.
Title: Re: Would this be feasible...
Post by: FarShot on March 20, 2010, 11:13:02 PM
I fart in your general direction for that Yoda!  Spock is much wiser!  He hasn't gotten killed yet!
Title: Re: Would this be feasible...
Post by: JimmyB76 on March 20, 2010, 11:37:42 PM
ok so onto the original idea....  ??

or is this thread pretty much complete?
(aka please avoid offtopic spamming  :dontcare: lol :P)
Title: Re: Would this be feasible...
Post by: FarShot on March 21, 2010, 12:27:12 AM
Yeah, I think the talk has boiled down, but if anyone wants to chime in leave it unlocked.

One final say is that STO will be enough for me until ST:E comes out.
Title: Re: Would this be feasible...
Post by: Mario on March 21, 2010, 05:39:52 AM
BC Net Immerse Engine is old but it still has a few tricks up its sleeve.

I'm a programmer and it is known that programmers do not have that graphics touch (at least in most cases). But me playing around with different variations.

Web Player Slideshow (http://img168.imageshack.us/slideshow/webplayer.php?id=screenshot000b.jpg)

Or direct links.

(http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/6241/screenshot005p.th.jpg) (http://img266.imageshack.us/i/screenshot005p.jpg/)(http://img704.imageshack.us/img704/3165/screenshot004qn.th.jpg) (http://img704.imageshack.us/i/screenshot004qn.jpg/)(http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/3485/screenshot003pr.th.jpg) (http://img401.imageshack.us/i/screenshot003pr.jpg/)(http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/6016/screenshot002ub.th.jpg) (http://img31.imageshack.us/i/screenshot002ub.jpg/)(http://img691.imageshack.us/img691/8127/screenshot001vr.th.jpg) (http://img691.imageshack.us/i/screenshot001vr.jpg/)(http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/7917/screenshot000b.th.jpg) (http://img168.imageshack.us/i/screenshot000b.jpg/)
Title: Re: Would this be feasible...
Post by: JimmyB76 on March 21, 2010, 11:21:02 AM
sovvy - you never cease to amaze me, mon ami :D
Title: Re: Would this be feasible...
Post by: FarShot on March 21, 2010, 02:18:51 PM
That could very much work, now all that is needed is a button that says "turn the dang brights off!"  :D
Title: Re: Would this be feasible...
Post by: Bones on March 21, 2010, 02:35:12 PM
what the.... thank's the maker you'r still with us :bow: :bow: :bow: that last pic makes Legacy suns look like kids in sandbox playing with crap :eek
Title: Re: Would this be feasible...
Post by: Mario on March 21, 2010, 03:16:48 PM
When I find some more time we'll see what can be done.
Title: Re: Would this be feasible...
Post by: Bren on March 22, 2010, 12:17:53 AM
Quote from: Bones on March 21, 2010, 02:35:12 PM
what the.... thank's the maker you'r still with us :bow: :bow: :bow: that last pic makes Legacy suns look like kids in sandbox playing with crap :eek

Most BC screenshots make everything in Legacy and STO looks like that, but it's multicoloured crap, and the kids have ADHD.

As for the screen overbright, I was thinking we could place a rectangle in front of the camera at all times, one end 100% transparent and the other 20% opaque white. Most of the time the clear end is over the camera, but when it points at a sun, the whiter end slides in. The off-camera end rotates about the camera's z-axis and always points to the star nearest the camera's 0,0 on x and y, if you follow. As a star comes closer to the 0,0 point on xy, the rectangle slides along accordingly.

It occurs to me that placing a transparent polygon over the camera might frak up glows and lead to certain Z-order and geometry culling issues. Just a thought, anyway.

I may not be explaining it very clearly, it is very late, and I should be in bed.