Blurring Alpha Channel

(Mr_Tickles) #1

Was just wondering if it’s possible to get an alpha channel which could have varying levels of transparency and have a predefined blurring effect. It would make creation of glass textures a lot more interesting and give them more realism. Also, I think it may be good to add the effect to water. I suppose that it will use quite a bit of processing power though.

(ratty redemption) #2

couldn`t you just do that in your paint program?

(Fracman) #3

Else this will require heavy pixel shader programming which is not feasible with Q3x engines…

(Mr_Tickles) #4

Ratty, I meant a transparent surface like the normal alpha channels, but instead of showing the stuff behind it, it blurs it aswell. For example, most people have frosted glass in their bathrooms as the window, and some may have it as their shower ‘curtain’. I.e. not necessarily a stationary image, but a blurring of what you see behind it.

Fracman, I was just wondering if this would be possible with a mod, but now I think about it, maybe not as it would need to be compiled into the map aswell… maybe. Hmmm, actually, it might not

(ratty redemption) #5

understood and unfortunately I dont think well see that in our q3 engine games, nice idea though.

(Lil Killa) #6

That requires frame buffer distortion if I remember correctly…

(Mr_Tickles) #7

oh cool, thanks, unfortunately I have no idea how to implement that, and if I did I’d have no time to do it :(. If anone else is willing to have a go though… feel free :slight_smile:

(Gate) #8

if you just want to fake the appearance of ‘frosted’ glass, just chuck a fine noise image with matching alpha channel into your shader : ) granted, it won’t distort the image through it, but the noise will give the appearance of obstruction and substance… :shrugs: i use a similar shader to simulate block glass…

(Mr_Tickles) #9

Yeah, thanks :slight_smile: Would be good if we could get a blurring aswell :smiley:

(SCDS_reyalP) #10

That would most likely require access to the engine, or at the very least, doing really nasty things in the gamecode.