Would this kind of effect be possible in Source?

[Cypher19]

Last night I came up with this concept, which I'm pretty sure could work in a standalone program, but I'm wondering if this could be done in source:

Most of the time, when we see a bullet hit a wall, a decal is made on the object which is just a black mark. However, on some materials such as metal, I'm wondering if it would be possible to instead use a normal map instead of the typical black dot, and when the decal is rendered using a bump/offset mapping shader to simulate a bullet hole. Could this changing of the decal texture and selection of shader be possible in Source?

 

[SMT]

Somebody asked that in the Info From Valve thread. I believe the answer was "Yes, it is possible."

That said, if I'm ever playing a game where I have enough down time to closely scrutinize bullet holes in a wall for normal mapping, I'll probably conclude that it's too boring and go ride my bike.

 

[Foxtrot]

That would be sweet if light shined through the bullet holes. But that probably is not possible with source.

 

[PvtRyan]

The answer on the email was that it's currently not supported to have normal maps on decals.

And would you notice a normal mapped decal in the first place? I don't think so, maybe only when you shine your flashlight on it.

 

[Some_God]

That would be sweet if light shined through the bullet holes. But that probably is not possible with source.

Didnt they do that in HL1 when you were in the vents and the grunts heard you and shot the vents down... a memorable moment for me.

 

[Foxtrot]

Didnt they do that in HL1 when you were in the vents and the grunts heard you and shot the vents down... a memorable moment for me.

Yah that was so sweet, like a movie...I wonder how they did that though. Because that was the only light effect like that in the whole game I think.

 

[Some_God]

The whole game is like a movie... HL1 that is.

 

[brink's]

That would be sweet if light shined through the bullet holes. But that probably is not possible with source.

I think it would be possible, they do something simular to that in the Dx9 source bink vid.

 

[Maxi]

It would be very cool, but you would think that it would probably hit perfromance quit a bit once you've fired ALOT of bullets at a wall or something else.

 

[Cypher19]

Actually, if done right it could have almost no performance difference compared to classic decals (since the material might already have things like reflections due to a pixel shader algorithm already happening).

Oh, and the reason I think why the light went through the vents that one time was that it was a scripted event, and so the models for the light were pregenerated.

Last note: I think that on some maps it could be noticable. For example, if you had the vent from cs_assault doing some reflections, then the dent would be visible mainly through a deformity of the reflection.

 

[xrdanielalan]

The vent scene in the original Half-Life was built from momentary func_walls. Basically, they were triggered soon as the scripted event(Gordon enters the vent and the shots are fired) were tripped. Not that hard to do at all. It had nothing to do with the lighting portion of the engine. Most of the effects in HL were static and generated by fancy brush-work.

 

[Cyber$nake]

actually im pretty sure that in splinter Cell: Pandora Tommorow they have light shning thorugh holes in thing objects. I remember a multiplayer map where the spies can go ontop of celing tiles and when the mercs shoot, light shines through the holes in the tiles. Not positive- thats just what i thoguht.

 

[Stigmata]

actually im pretty sure that in splinter Cell: Pandora Tommorow they have light shning thorugh holes in thing objects. I remember a multiplayer map where the spies can go ontop of celing tiles and when the mercs shoot, light shines through the holes in the tiles. Not positive- thats just what i thoguht.

That's basically the same as the HL1 vent sequence. It's just noncollidable models placed where the bullets hit the vent.

 

[Polykarbon]

Actually, that specific event in Half-Life was created with a func_conveyor, with an additive render mode, around 80-120 FX amount, and a 0, 0, 0 Y,P,R with multi-managers carrying over the effect through the vent. Of course the flags no push and no solid, as well as light_spot had to be used. Playing it again you can tell it isn't just a func_wall with the correct render amounts and black/blue trans. effect.

Ya though, a simple effect.

Also, Splinter Cell does have a light trace system when an object is cast through a solid/semi solid world object.

Go play the Pandora Tomorrow Merc Tutorial.

 

[Rupertvdb]

captain map to the rescue, how the hell did func conveyor create that effect? I am not that good at mapping so i could well just be showing i'm ignorant.