Sexy reflections are sexy. If you are going to decrease them, only do it a little.

It all depends if I will decrease the reflections since 3ds max is refusing to get out of freeze mode to export the new fp hands with fixed smoothing

Because ya know, smoothing also helps make the shaders look good to you know :)
Edited by Spartan_094 on Jan 5, 2011 at 04:50 PM

Everything-you-need-to-know-about-shaders tutorial please.

I don't think a spartan wants to be a shiny target.

perhaps i can cover this.

I'll just suck ass giving the tutorial. It's not worth the time.




Just experiment my man, don't think I went through my shaders one time. I experimented with diff cubemaps, diff values, how to make the multipurpose look awesome in-game.

Ya know it's just experimenting.

^This. You can never be "told" what looks best.

I've been experimenting for a while and still can't get it right. Someone needs to go over the facts, like how alphas affect the shader, the different combinations of parallel and perpendicular brightnesses, the difference in shininess bump maps make, etc. The stuff that's hard to practice.
Edit: In reply to moose's post: A good tutorial help the user understand, not just execute. If we had facts on these values, based on the author's experience, we can make whatever we want look the way we personally feel fit.
Would you rather have a user be educated in shaders, to make his own work... or let him learn basic stuff by himself, resulting in bad shaders, and perhaps making the user quit?
Edited by SlappyThePirate on Jan 6, 2011 at 05:55 PM

You do know everybody has there on different opinion on how they make shaders and own opinion on what they think looks good, really just watch for key things like

Don't make the diffuse map bright (if your going to fake bump)
Don't make the multipurpose map overly bright.
ADD a detail map (I ignored this for some time until recently)
Never use the warthog cubemap for certain things (make them look like plastic)

Really look at bungie's shaders from halo 1 and bitmaps they did to make it look good, learn off the halo 1 shaders while change the values a tad bit to accommodate the new stuff (halo 2, halo 3, w/e it is). Once you find a good bitmap tweak the values in the cubemap part.

Not for this map.

Thanks, we need something exactly like this.
Quick question about environment shaders: Are detail maps ABSOLUTELY necessary? What kind of detail map affects the actual look of the shader, and not just it's up-close detail level?

Detail maps are good to have, but not TOTALLY required. Depends on what you want. They can be used for "texture" effect, or they can be applied at a scale of 1 for a "bumpmap" effect, such as what you see on some bipeds or weapons. Not using a detail map usually means your surface will appear flat and smooth, with no bumps. Multi's can also be tweaked to give a small amount of depth.
Edited by MoooseGuy on Jan 7, 2011 at 03:54 PM

I acutely was the person with help from gwunty that figured this out. It's not a true normal map effect, just gives it a nice up res and a shiney finish with the right cubemap.

The real bad side to it though is you can NOT really use it on fp models, you will notice some blur to it, it's a big draw back to it.

Also heres a comparison
Without the "detail fake bump" method (do note this is the old smoothing)

With the "detail fake bump" method (do note the smoothing on the gauntlet and the forearm part)

If you notice a bad cut off from the reflection on the forearm it's because of the smoothing, you rarely see it in FP, so don't worry about it, you will RARELY see it, and if you do you won't mind it unless you take a picture, besides gives it a better look

Edited by Spartan_094 on Jan 7, 2011 at 08:52 PM

The reflection cubemap sucks ass. Dont use that, actually use a world reflecting cubemap, not just some glossy one. Also a higher resolution cubemap would be good too.

And thats polished/waxed.

I don't think metal amour used out on a battlefield being shot at all the time will be reflective.

Mind helping then instead of wasting some time and post maybe idk an example cubemap you know because I'm using default cubemaps that came WITH halo 1. Only time I will ever use custom cubemaps is for very certain things was the halo 3 banshee green type at the top of it or for visors.

Also me, jesse, and anybody else helping/working on sandtrap want to get this now because it's been delayed and such for to long.

lol i can make cubemaps. lol.

Then help then if your telling me to change it, I'm not changing the cubemap on it unless I get something else.

yeah, continue to use this cubemap. It is cool. lol-ololol.

Your a bad troll if your trying to troll me. Really.

Just help if not then stop posting about the fp arms cubemap and move on.
Edited by Spartan_094 on Jan 8, 2011 at 10:34 PM

Can you reword this? Not quite sure what this means...

Also me, jesse, and anybody else helping/working on sandtrap WANT to get sandtrap out soon because it has been delayed for to long last year.

it means its delayed as long as u cant get laid. :O

unfunny troll

no its funny at how bad i fail at doing it. =d

Great I would like to play some games b4 I start taking final tests next week :P

I doubt this month or next month, they rushed the last one, (so i heard), and it really had issues.

Yep. Trying hard to make it so it's not crappy like last time.

And re-making the HUD, fixing shaders, and anything else. The one thing that I absolutely hate is the BSP.

If only someone made Halo 3 bps. Hmm...

inorite

I might have a source that could lend us a rip BSP santrap if he has it. My source is the admin of the site I do my reach modding on :)

If BSP ripping apps exist I want to know about them.

They will be private, don't get your hopes up. Sound extractor is private, BSP extractor is private and all the fun little stuff as well.

That's what I hate most. I regret spending so much time working on bsps that are rippable.
Having these tools is the only redemption out there. I want my life back.