Are Decals working in 2.3?

[Qbound]

Hi all,

 

are the decals working in 2.3? i tried to create a decal but i got a NULL pointer back. And i think i setup the parameters right. hopefully

 

here is the code

	// Create the pick
TPick _Pick;

// get the ground of the mesh
LinePick( &_Pick, m_vPositionCurrent, Vec3( m_vPositionCurrent.X, m_vPositionCurrent.Y -10, m_vPositionCurrent.Z ),0 ,1 );

// Create the ground decal
m_MeshDecal				= CreateDecal( _Pick.surface, m_vPositionCurrent, 2, 32 );
m_matDecal				= LoadMaterial( "abstract::SFX_DECAL_WAKE.mat" );	PaintEntity( m_MeshDecal, m_matDecal );

 

m_vPositionCurrent is the current position of the player and it is set correct. It has an offset of 2 and the linepick gave me a surface back.

I do not understand what the parameter at the end of the createdecal is. so far with searching the forum (old one) most used 32 a change of this parameter has no effect at all.

 

cu

Oliver

[Masterxilo]

They haven't worked since some versions ago...

[Marleys Ghost]

They haven't worked since some versions ago...

 

 

I've not tried since 2.27 and finding they did not work, but hasn't Tyler got decals working (or something similar) in his weaponwerks project?

[Masterxilo]

Hmm, ok, maybe they were fixed, or everyone who tried before did something wrong.

[TylerH]

Yes, I do have decals working.

 

Here is my code to create a decal:

 

if (pick.surface~=nil) then
			SetWorld(fw.transparency.world)
			decal = CreateDecal(pick.surface,TFormPoint(pick.position,nil,pick.entity),1.0/16.0,64)
			SetWorld(fw.main.world)				
			if (decal~=nil) then
				decal:SetParent(pick.entity,0)
				--decal:Paint(LoadMaterial("abstract::bullethole.mat"))
				decal:Paint(GetImpactDecal(GetMeshModel(pick.entity)))

				decal:SetColorf(1.0,1.0,1.0,bullet.damage/bullet.initialdamage)
			end
		end

 

You can ignore the SetColorf and GetImpactDecal stuff, those are things for Weaponwerks for the dynamic impact system, and to set the alpha of the decal based on how much damage the bullet has inflicted relative how much it could in perfect conditions.

 

For CreateDecal from a pick, you need to pass the surface, the transformed pick position from world to entity space, the radius (1/16.0 is what Josh used by default and makes a nice, though slightly too big bullet hole), and 64 is the max tris (the higher this is, the better the decal can align to the surface).

 

The transparency world and decal:SetParent calls are key in order to make sure it is visible and sticks to the surface.

[Qbound]

Thanks for the help. Ill try this out. At the moment i think the problem is that i do not hit a surface and there for there is no decal created.

 

btw. why you don't use 0.0625 as the 3rd parameter. it will be faster then everytime a devision.

 

cu

Oliver

[Marleys Ghost]

Hmm, ok, maybe they were fixed, or everyone who tried before did something wrong.

 

 

I never got them working in 2.24 to 2.27 I then gave up, but I noticed them working in one of Tylers vids where he is going "Postal" on some lockers.

[macklebee]

Tyler, how are you preventing the old problem of the shot object from changing colors or getting streaks on it? what does your material file look like for the decal?

[TylerH]

The material file was a straight up copy from the last version of the SDK that had shot1.mat or whatever. I think 2.25.

 

Here is the material file:

 

texture0="abstract::shot1.dds"
shader="abstract::mesh_diffuse.vert","abstract::mesh_diffuse_alphatest.frag"

alphatest=1
blend=mod2x
depthmask=0
//normalmask=0
overlay=1
clamp0=1,1
castshadows=0

[macklebee]

hmmm... thats exactly what I was using.. I get the cross pattern around the decal that discolors the entire shot object's face. This was an old problem that occurred back in the early 2.2X days as well for me.

[TylerH]

Are you creating the decal in the transparency world?

[macklebee]

this is what I am referring to as a cross pattern on the model that is shot...

[TylerH]

That is strange, because I don't get that at all.

[macklebee]

That is strange, because I don't get that at all.

 

Ive always had this problem... and I remember others posting about this on the old forum but I can't seem to find those posts...

 

yep, I am creating the decal in the transparency world... using your code! B)

[TylerH]

Hmm.

[macklebee]

ok... ?? i just closed down the editor and restarted it... now it works fine? what in the world?

[TylerH]

B)

[macklebee]

 

yeah... i dunno. changed absolutely nothing inbetween taking that screenshot and restarting the editor... B)

[Canardia]

Many things in Editor stop randomly working from time to time. Then you can close all programs and suddenly they work again.

Just had emitters stop working on firepit and a new emitter, but on one scene they worked, it's totally wierd B)

I blame programming languages with garbage collection (like BlitzMax), as they allow the programmer to make randomly working code, since they don't crash each time when the programmer makes a mistake, and that's bad.

[Masterxilo]

Agreed.

[Qbound]

i second that...

 

cu

Oliver

[Chiblue]

When using decals and Gamelib, I don't seem to be able to get the decal to show, any thoughts?

 

if (pick.surface != NULL)
{
SetWorld( scene->framewerk.transparency.world);
TMesh decal = CreateDecal(pick.surface,TFormPoint(Vec3(pick.X,pick.Y,pick.Z),NULL,pick.entity),10.0,64);
SetWorld( world );	
if(decal != NULL)
{
	EntityParent(decal,pick.entity,0);
	PaintEntity(decal,LoadMaterial("abstract::bullethole1.mat"));    
	EntityColor(decal,Vec4(1.0,1.0,1.0,1.0));
}
}
SetWorld( world );	

[TylerH]

I think you need to have the position non-transformed first, I had to experiment with variations of the position code in my particular implementation because I modify entity positions and undo them, hence all the transforms I have.

 

I would try just placing the decal at 0,0,0 on an entity, then try 0,0,0 transformed between various spaces.

 

Hope that helps!

[Chiblue]

I would try just placing the decal at 0,0,0 on an entity, then try 0,0,0 transformed between various spaces.

 

Hope that helps!

 

Yes it does, after reading this thread and then having a problem I wasn't sure if my code was correct... but I suspected that position may have been the case, when doing this in GDK, I used to start my decal as a box, position is on the object and then see were it was positions, but they did not have a special DECAL class, you had to use a plane....

 

Anyway thats for the suggestions..