Bridge Commander Central

BC Forums => BC Scripting => Topic started by: serverandenforcer on November 10, 2011, 02:33:11 PM

Title: Exploring an idea....
Post by: serverandenforcer on November 10, 2011, 02:33:11 PM
Was wondering if it's possible to create a star in the shape of a ship and have it attached to that same ship.  The idea that I'm exploring about is creating a black star in the shape of a ship, attach it to that same ship that it's shaped after, and emit a low powered illumination in the color of black to emulate shadows being casted upon that ship and anything else.
Title: Re: Exploring an idea....
Post by: ACES_HIGH on November 10, 2011, 06:09:08 PM
IIRC, ships already create shadows, besides, wouldn't that just emit dark light on everything, rather than creating shadows?
Title: Re: Exploring an idea....
Post by: serverandenforcer on November 10, 2011, 06:44:17 PM
IIRC, ships already create shadows, besides, wouldn't that just emit dark light on everything, rather than creating shadows?

They don't currenlty create shadows, but shade only (where the side of a ship facing away from the light is darkened, where as shadows are dark areas casted upon a surface due to light being obstructed by the object casting the shadow).  My theory is that it will only cast dark light on things that are not in the immediate "line of fire" of a bright light source.
Title: Re: Exploring an idea....
Post by: deadthunder2_0 on November 10, 2011, 08:14:08 PM
If you could somehow script a directional light onto said ship you could get shadows... The issue would be that the shape of the shadow would expand infinitely... Bad news because it would not cast a ship like shadow, but a constant darkness around said ship.
Title: Re: Exploring an idea....
Post by: ACES_HIGH on November 11, 2011, 05:09:20 PM
They don't currenlty create shadows, but shade only (where the side of a ship facing away from the light is darkened, where as shadows are dark areas casted upon a surface due to light being obstructed by the object casting the shadow).  My theory is that it will only cast dark light on things that are not in the immediate "line of fire" of a bright light source.

You might be misinterpreting the physics of shadows.  When an object casts a shadow it is because of an absence of light in the region opposite the light source, your method would cast darkness in every direction around the object, assuming the BC engine is even programmed to emit light in this manner, it is more likely that the object would just cast a very dim light that would be washed out by any other light sources.
Title: Re: Exploring an idea....
Post by: serverandenforcer on November 11, 2011, 10:45:05 PM
You might be misinterpreting the physics of shadows.  When an object casts a shadow it is because of an absence of light in the region opposite the light source, your method would cast darkness in every direction around the object, assuming the BC engine is even programmed to emit light in this manner, it is more likely that the object would just cast a very dim light that would be washed out by any other light sources.


Oh, I understand the physics involving shadows. I was just trying yo find a way go manipulate the emulation of them in BC since the game isn't programed to create them.