AWSOME SPECIAL EFFECTS 4 GAMES!!!

Hey, are you looking for cool special effects for your games? Then stop killing your brain cels, I did it for you :p

What I did was 2 .bas files, each of them with 1 function:

-PREDATOR-LIKE CLOAKING SYSTEM - This one makes a special effect similar to the Predator's cloaking system based on a mask. Fast and very cool =)

http://freepages.ugo.com/jotaf98scie...es/distort.zip

-REAL-TIME TRANSLUCENCY- You heard right: real-time translucencies. Unlike many other attempts at making this, this function is extremely fast!

http://freepages.ugo.com/jotaf98scie...iles/trans.zip

Oh, please don't forget to reply here if you download them, so I can know if people like it ;)

And all I ask you in return is to include my nick, real name and e-mail (you'll find them in the Readme.txt) in the Thanks to section of your game ;)

Enjoy!

Bye,

-Jotaf98

[email protected] - ICQ#60784495 - http://jotaf98.cjb.net

nice effects, the predator mask one was a little hard to see though. ;)

Thanks!

Try changing the constant in the .bas file to 2 or 3, you'll see it better ;)

Hey, 15 people have read this thread until now, but I only got 1 reply...

I said that I wanted some feedback, but... hehe... ok, I'll post this in the general questions forum, maybe someone will see it there.

And you guies that are developing that strategy game, do you think this would be cool to use in your game (these are the special effects found in Starcraft!)?

BTW, some comments were wrong and I managed to enhance the trans function even more so it's faster! So I guess it's worth to redownload (it's about 25k each).

Thanks!

Bye,

-Jotaf98

[email protected] - ICQ#60784495 - http://jotaf98.cjb.net

Cool, I'll try to change those constants. Those effects would be Awesome in a game, you could cloak your units.

hm, I downloaded the demos, looks nice, but it uses SetPixel() and GetPixel() so it will (for sure) be too slow for the most games... or at least for mine ;).

DirectX is faster, you need to use GetLockedArray() - Try looking at the VB Sample Fire that comes with the Directx7 SDK kit.
Final Note: SetPixelV is also faster than SetPixel.

Huh... sorry... I don't know if I have DirectX 6 or 7, but I don't know about any kit :(

Do you know the exact name of the help file or something, or where I can download it? Or even sending it to me (e-mail)?

Thanks anyway! Also, if I can't use DirectX, I'd like to know more about SetPixelV.

Bye,

-Jotaf98

[email protected] - ICQ#60784495 - http://jotaf98.cjb.net

look no further for the directx 7 sdk:

http://www.microsoft.com/directx

Thanks! I'll look at it now...

Bye,

-Jotaf98

[email protected] - ICQ#60784495 - http://jotaf98.cjb.net

When I try to get a sample code, it says to go to (your SDK folder)\blah blah...

But I don't have one, where can I get those things? :(

Bye,

-Jotaf98

[email protected] - ICQ#60784495 - http://jotaf98.cjb.net

You can download or oder it from Microsoft.

But the samples are not very easy.

I'd look at the Void Man example on http://www.ur.co.nz

It's easy to underdstand and easy to expand.

Hey, thanks a lot! ;)

The official tutorials were a bit hard... they only teach the teories, not how to do it in a game :(

Bye,

-Jotaf98

[email protected] - ICQ#60784495 - http://jotaf98.cjb.net

If you download the directx tutorials from the platform SDK, you'll find everything you need. They're well laid out, and FINALLY have something useful for VBers!

ftp://www.microsoft.com/developr/platformsdk/july2000

There'll be an MSI file to install there.

Yeah, I know, my dad gave me the official CD (Thanks anyway!)

You just HAVE to see the SpaceShooter example game, it's soooooooo cool! (Kinda hard to find though -- it's in the Misc section of the VB examples, but you'll only find the EXE in the SRC folder!)

Bye,

-Jotaf98

[email protected] - ICQ#60784495 - http://jotaf98.cjb.net

Oh my goodness. I have never seen anything even close to that distort effect. It looks awesome. I'm making a 3D engine right now. It could use a special effect like that. The only real problem is that your Distort effect is for 2D images. I need it for 3D meshes(models), and I need it in DirectX. Is it possible to have this in 3D and DirectX?
BTW: Interesting that you used an Age 2 Screenshot for backround and Starcraft firebat unit.

Hey man - you're ace.
That distort really is a good effect.

Thanks everyone!

Anyway, as to use the Distort effect in a 3D engine...

This is just a guess, but maybe you could use this effect in the texture (sorry, don't ask me how!), or if there's a way of extracting a pixel and setting it in Direct3D (don't look at me, I'm just a newbie with that stuff, all I could do until now was a HoloMap - you know, that one from LBA - Twinsen's Adventure? :) ), maybe you could calculate the area covered by the mesh using Simon Price's technique and... ok, this is having lots of "ifs" and it's gettin' too confusing :)

If you get a way of extracting a pixel and setting it in Direct3D, just tell me, I think I found a way...

Bye

As to using Starcraft and Age Of Kings pictures, well, I play both games, they're not "uncompatible" :p

I was planning to use the Firebat and some terrain from SC, but I found this screenshot from AOK and decided to use it...

BTW, I think I saw your name in SC Map Development forum... or in a clans page, can't remember ;)

Bye

Hmmm... I don't remember being in one of those clans or anything, but I have used SC b4. I usually play AOEROR on the zone. If anyone wants to get a hold of me another way than this, You'll be in luck if you use the zone. My zone name is the same as this name: Warmaster199