Fake window reflection

[Xterm1n8or]

Hi all,

I recently replayed wolfenstein and noticed the window reflection. On closer inspection the reflection is fake, as its the same for every window no matter what its orientation is.

I read some threads dealing with water. The mirror idea is out as mine is a town map (loads of mirrors), so i was thinking:

Is it possible to scroll a texture depending upon the players view. So if i move right so will the texture. I’m thinking of a semi-transparent texture of a building sillouette ontop of the window glass.

I once saw in a map, a texture that moved so that it’s face always faced the player no matter where he moved.

Many thanks.

[shagileo]

[quote=Xterm1n8or;247879]
I once saw in a map, a texture that moved so that it’s face always faced the player no matter where he moved.

Many thanks.[/quote]

Yeap, although I don’t know how, but I know Rebel was able to make such texs.
Maybe he can enlighten us

[IndyJones]

i guess there could be a real shader for that in upcoming xreal-et.

[UJERebel]

[QUOTE=shagileo;247885]Yeap, although I don’t know how, but I know Rebel was able to make such texs.
Maybe he can enlighten us :)[/QUOTE]

Did I?

Let me think =p

[Zer0Cool]

a texture that moved so that it’s face always faced the player no matter where he moved.

http://toolz.nexuizninjaz.com/shader/

“deformvertex autosprite” for autorotating on one axis, iirc the longer one
“deformvertex autosprite2” for autorotating all axis

[eiM]

i guess there could be a real shader for that in upcoming xreal-et.

that is correct. different ways of realistic reflections are possible

[UJERebel]

[QUOTE=Zer0Cool;247904]http://toolz.nexuizninjaz.com/shader/

“deformvertex autosprite” for autorotating on one axis, iirc the longer one
“deformvertex autosprite2” for autorotating all axis[/QUOTE]

Yes, and maybe, depends where the window is, you could make a camera looking ‘out’ of the window and posting it on the reflection… but dont use in open areas

[SSF-Sage]

Don’t use cameras or your FPS will be 0 very fast!

Here’s shader and textures that Avoc used in the never finished map Heat (I don’t think Avoc will mind me sending it). So if you use this, remember to give credit for Avoc in your readme.

env_city.tga is the reflection and remember to change the paths!

textures/heat/window1_refl_city
{
	qer_editorimage textures/heat/window_refl1.tga
	polygonOffset
	surfaceparm glass
	{
		map textures/heat/env_city.tga
		tcGen environment
	}
	{
		map textures/heat/window_refl1.tga
		blendFunc GL_SRC_ALPHA GL_ONE_MINUS_SRC_ALPHA
	}
	{
		map $lightmap
		rgbGen Identity
		blendFunc GL_DST_COLOR GL_ZERO
	}
}

http://www.speedyshare.com/files/25282108/heat.rar

[Xterm1n8or]

Thanks Sage

I’ll have to change the images to suit my map of course.
Is there a way of maybe reducing the size of the reflection? It seems to me to be too blurred, i know its supposed to be, but i cant make anything out at all. I think perhaps its too big? I tried making the windows different sizes, but that didnt do anything as far as i can tell.

Also, my map is of a town with alot of windows, would this be a problem?

And lastly, i’m guessing i would need at least a couple of these, 1 for ground level and 1 that would reflect the sky or, do i put more sky in the reflection image perhaps off-setting it or something?

Many thanks

[Magic]

You could have a look at Avoc`s and 2bits map Breakout2 - same metod with different images.
Will give you a hint how to set things up.

textures/breakout2/windows/window_1_refl
{
	qer_editorimage textures/breakout2/windows/window_1.tga
	surfaceparm glass
	cull disable
	polygonOffset
	{
		map textures/breakout2/fx/env_01.tga
		tcGen environment
	}
	{
		map textures/breakout2/windows/window_1.tga
		blendFunc GL_SRC_ALPHA GL_ONE_MINUS_SRC_ALPHA
	}
	{
		map $lightmap
		rgbGen Identity
		blendFunc GL_DST_COLOR GL_ZERO
	}
}

[Avoc]

Here’s shader and textures that Avoc used in the never finished map Heat (I don’t think Avoc will mind me sending it). So if you use this, remember to give credit for Avoc in your readme.

Not at all, I should stop being lazy and release the map files already

I’ll have to change the images to suit my map of course.
Is there a way of maybe reducing the size of the reflection? It seems to me to be too blurred, i know its supposed to be, but i cant make anything out at all. I think perhaps its too big? I tried making the windows different sizes, but that didnt do anything as far as i can tell.

The shader simply overlays an image, and makes it scroll depending on which angle the player looks at it. The picture should therefore be tileable, or else the reflection will look strange from certain angles. The more windows you have, the easier it will be to notice.
That is why the reflections I used were blurry and it was hard to tell what it was really supposed to represent.

And lastly, i’m guessing i would need at least a couple of these, 1 for ground level and 1 that would reflect the sky or, do i put more sky in the reflection image perhaps off-setting it or something?

Well, that is really all up to you and how much detail you want to put in the map!
You can take a look at Breakout2 (or at the inspiration for that map, Praetoria: Mission One) to see how the windows look.

In Breakout 2 I originally wanted to have several different reflections, depending on where on the map you were (town/forest/bunker) but due to the big .pk3 size, I had to scrap that idea. I’d suggest you to just make a vague picture to be used as reflection, because anything else will just scream ‘fake’ and make it look cheap I think.

[Xterm1n8or]

Thanks all

This was just what i was looking for.

Special thanks to Avoc. I had a look at Breakout 2, very nice
On a side note, how big should a map be, roughly? Would adding 2 more texs for the other two locations have really been too much?
I’m trying to just use stock texs although i did need a brick one.

Thanks again.

[Avoc]

Well, unfortunately people tend to disconnect if they have to download big .pk3 files (even now that most of us have broadband that can download 20mb in 30 seconds.)

[shagileo]

Well, unfortunately people tend to disconnect if they have to download big .pk3 files (even now that most of us have broadband that can download 20mb in 30 seconds.)

True, but I have to say, there are some servers running custom mods (or voicepacks) which take like 30 -32 mbs ( :eek: ) - and people don’t seem to mind

• but it’s like you said, those 30 mbs can be downloaded in 1- 2 minutes.
• • • • precious 1- 2 minutes

[Xterm1n8or]

Hi

Had some really good results so far. I basically stood infront of my window, turned round, took screenshot, did some blurry squirly stuff in PS and that was my env thingie. And it looks great especially as it really is what the relection should be. They are 128 x 128, the window has alpha and is 64kb, the reflection has no alpha and is 48kb.
I have 5 or 6 different windows, i was hoping for at least 6 different reflections. Is this too much?
I was going to go into spectator and fly to second storey window, then do the same. There are a couple of places where you are level with 2nd storey windows i.e a bridge else i would use a sky reflection.
However it occurs to me that i’m basically taking the same shots but scrolling up. Can the same thing be achieved via the shader, ie offset the texture down so that more sky is seen?
This would save me a few texs.

Many thanks

[lamps]

Well, unfortunately people tend to disconnect if they have to download big .pk3 files (even now that most of us have broadband that can download 20mb in 30 seconds.)

Depends on how good is the download speed (server upload speed). It’s not a problem to download 100MB mod if your download speed is 1MB/s. But if the most you get is 20kB/s, than of course you disconnect.

[Avoc]

[QUOTE=Xterm1n8or;248494]Hi

Had some really good results so far. I basically stood infront of my window, turned round, took screenshot, did some blurry squirly stuff in PS and that was my env thingie. And it looks great especially as it really is what the relection should be. They are 128 x 128, the window has alpha and is 64kb, the reflection has no alpha and is 48kb.
I have 5 or 6 different windows, i was hoping for at least 6 different reflections. Is this too much?
I was going to go into spectator and fly to second storey window, then do the same. There are a couple of places where you are level with 2nd storey windows i.e a bridge else i would use a sky reflection.
However it occurs to me that i’m basically taking the same shots but scrolling up. Can the same thing be achieved via the shader, ie offset the texture down so that more sky is seen?
This would save me a few texs.

Many thanks[/QUOTE]

It can’t.

Depends on how good is the download speed (server upload speed). It’s not a problem to download 100MB mod if your download speed is 1MB/s. But if the most you get is 20kB/s, than of course you disconnect.

Some people simply don’t want to download new maps, even if it only takes them 20 seconds to download
But my clan is running a etpro server, perhaps its different with other mods.

[stealth6]

But my clan is running a etpro server, perhaps its different with other mods.

Nope. :stroggtapir:

[Xterm1n8or]

Hi,

All going well til i rotated a window. I mean windows that are placed at 90 deg. It doesn’t seem to work. Well it does, but not as expected. It doesn’t give a front view, it kind of extends the side. This is the reflection i’m talking about btw. Seems like the view needs to be rotated too. Is there a way round this?

Thanks.

P.s Do people really not bother downloading maps? Isn’t this all then a bit pointless?
Regardless, i like doing this, so i don’t care if no-one plays my map, but it would cool if people did.

[Jaquboss]

Care to explain a little more? You’re having few pixels of “reflection” stretched over whole window? Spherical mapping does bad things on objects not in shape of spheres. You might want to try specular lighting instead (IIRC Q3E shaders allow generating transparency from specular highlight), just make sure there’s enough of vertices to allow it shape a little. (It’ll be less fake but quite model dependant).
Here you’ve got example of this thing in Q3 (couldn’t find better screenshot, but you might get idea)
http://www.freewebs.com/fatmanq3/untitled11.JPG