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Check-in on shadows

JonPatch

JonPatch

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Folks, anything new come up with respect to having gmax objects cast shadows on other objects? My large surface object looks odd with so many objects on it not casting shadows.

I have made it a platform, so AI objects do cast shadows on it, so at least I've got that much.

If not, what are thoughts on putting in fixed shadows? So it at least gives the image some 3D depth, albeit the same all day.

Jon
 
Those darn shadows

Oh, oh, I'm not as happy as I was about the gmax shadow issue: AI a/c shadows are only visible if the viewpoint is very close. Ugh. Any ideas how to fix this?

Jon
 
Shadows on objects

Hi, Jon

I feel the same way. It can be disconcerting that a platform of sorts doesn't show shados of objects above it or around it.

I pursued it quite a bit, and all told me that is was not possible with FS2004.

HOWEVER... You may not like it, but it IS POSSIBLE show shadows on a platform (or other object) with the FS2002 game pack JUST FOR THE PLATFORM, which will work fine in FS2004. All the other objects can be normal (FS2004). You will have to separate the platform from the other objects, and export it with the FS2002 gamepack with the "Keep Files" option on. Then you need to edit the asm file by hand (very simple, really) and re-compile with BGLC.

If you are interested, post a reply and I will place here the editing to make shadows appear on objects.

I am adding a picture just to show.

Fern
 
Gosh, Fern, since I'm getting close to release time, I think it's important that I throw a monkey wrench in the works! Yup, I'm willing to try the FS2002 SDK for the platform. This lack of shadows is a pretty big problem. And no worries about mucking with the asm. However, there's a couple of requirements:

- I want the platform to be flicker-free as much of it matches ground level; currently I use a zbias of 1 to achieve this
- another really important constraint which I forget now :confused:

I assume it still will be landable.

Thanks for the offer!

Jon
 
Ah, I remembered the other really important constraint! Hopefully the shadows will not cause a huge performance hit . . . I look forward to hearing from you how to do this!

Jon
 
Shadows

Hi, Jon

Sorry for the delay. We had a MAJOR snow storm here in North Bay and I ended up with over a metre of snow in front of the house, as it gets blow off the lake and piled up guess where. It was almost a full day to move all of it.

Here is what you do:

1. I will assume you have MDLCommander installed (was it called "Middleman" for FS2002?), so your compillation stops to give you the chance to click on "Keep Files"

2. Open xxxx.asm with a text editor such as Notepad.

3. Look for the following text:

OBJECT_0_START label word
IFIN1 OBJECT_0_FAIL, image_complex, 2, 32767
ADDOBJ OBJECT_0_SCALE
SHADOW_CALL OBJECT_0_SCALE
OBJECT_0_FAIL, label BGLCODE

4. Replace it with

OBJECT_0_START label word
IFIN1 OBJECT_0_FAIL, image_complex, 2, 32767
ADDCAT OBJECT_0_SCALE, 8
OBJECT_0_FAIL label BGLCODE

5. Note that the lines 1, 2 and 5 are just repeated, line 3 is modified, and line 4 disappears altogether.

6. Save the xxxx.asm file (same name).

7. Move BOTH xxxx.asm AND xxxx_0.asm files to whatever folder contains your BGLC.exe programme.

8. Click and drag xxxx.asm on top of bglc.exe. It will compile the code and generate the bgl of the object which will have NO SHADOW and will show the shadow of other objects. The xxxx.bgl file will be placed in the same folder as the bglc.exe programme is.

It has worked for me a few times. As for the bleeding or flickering, I don't think this has effect on it. If your zbias is not set, most ground polygons will flicker a bit.

NOW... as for your ground polygon to be a landable surface (tires don't kick up dirt as you taxi), I have another recipe for that. Let me know if you need it. This one is only for shadows, and it works for non-ground-polygons objects as well, such as, in my case, concrete bases for monuments, a carousel, and the Arecibo Observatory antena dish.

Let me know if you have problems. I am no expert, but I have a binder full of tips from Arno and other fellows.

Fern
 
Gosh, how I miss the snow. Not.

Thanks for the info!

Fern said:
1. I will assume you have MDLCommander installed (was it called "Middleman" for FS2002?), so your compillation stops to give you the chance to click on "Keep Files"
Click to expand...
Yup, I do have MDLCommander.
Fern said:
It has worked for me a few times. As for the bleeding or flickering, I don't think this has effect on it. If your zbias is not set, most ground polygons will flicker a bit.
Click to expand...
Gotcha.
Fern said:
NOW... as for your ground polygon to be a landable surface (tires don't kick up dirt as you taxi), I have another recipe for that. Let me know if you need it.
Click to expand...
It's already landable, I've attached a platform in gmax. Well at least it's surface is landable. Whether one can stop before the fences is another issue . . .

But this has to be done with the FS2002 gamepack right? I've retrieded gmax from my FS2002 disk. How do I install the FS2002 gamepack without screwing up the FS2004 gamepack? :eek:

Jon
 
Re-install FS2002 Gamepack

Hi, Jon

Remember, I am no expert.

But I did send a friend JUST the FS2002 folder that goes in the gamepacks folder, and it worked for him. That means, from then on, starting gmax from the FS2002 gmax icon in that folder, the gmax that comes on will direct itself to compile with the FS2002 MakeMDL.

To answer your question, YES, this "recipe" only works for the gmax/FS2002 export style. The gmax/FS2004 is not capable of doing the same thing. You CAN remove the shadows using "KillShadow", but the object won't show the shadows of other objects or aircraft. This method that I am suggesting, for FS2002, WILL WORK IN FS2004 and the object will show shadows of other objects.

If you want me to send you what I have for the FS2002 gamepack (and which worked for my friend withour further installs), send me an email at fernmarques@yahoo.com with your e-mail address and I will fire it to you immediately.

Fern
 
Thanks a lot, Fern, for your help with this. I set up the FS2002 gamepack and followed your instructions. Objects still don't cast shadows on my surface . . .

Jon
 
So if eventually with Fern's help I get this to work, I am still left with the question: given that MS seems to discourage the use of gmax objects as ground polys, how would I make an object/surface with sharp edges (wharves) that was large (600m square) that I could overlay an airphoto on, and was landable?

Jon
 
As you can see MS places photos with the mesh techniques (so with resample). If you want higher quality photos that is impossible with the Fs2004 techniques at the moment (unless you use GMax, but that has a lot of trouble as you see now). So hopefully they will increase the mesh resolution a bit in the future.
 
Ah, as I suspected. So I feel justified that I'm following the MS paradigm as best as possible.

Fern has been kind enough to continue working with me offline on this. I'll post the results when we're done . . .

Jon
 
... and the answer was - - no joy. There were side effects of using the FS2002 gamepack: specifically there seemed to be scenery priority problem with objects behind the main object appearing through. Further at points the large object is higher than the ground underneath. In these places the shadow from other objects appeared as if it was cast on the ground, not the large object.

So I'll just let shadows go, and hope that MS comes up with a good way of doing detailed large objects in FS10 or 11....

Jon
 
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