making shadow box?

[Pizzaman]

Hiya guys,

does anyone know what are the settings for a shadow box?

I made a few tunnels, they have a box item in them,
now how do I set it to cast a shadow?

And... is there any way to determine HOW MUCH shadow they cast,
like really dark or 'a bit'?

[analogkid66]

Here are mine,

Max Material is a square Black texture with a T1 Shader, nothing else.

Instance=ShadowBox_01
{
Render=False
MeshFile=ShadowBox_01.gmt CollTarget=False HATTarget=False ShadowCaster=(Static, Solid, 128, 128)
}

[Owi]

you can use any texture.. the uv scale or match on the mesh makes no different because it gets not rendered anyway.. simple meshbox / some texture done..

no shadow is shadow that way.

you can make a shadow alpha texture - that way you can add a fake shadow with differnt levels of black to white shadows. But this one wouldt be not matched to the sun location / duration angle

[Pizzaman]

Ok so there is two types. I think for tunnels Analog Kids will do.

Under trees, I'd like to make one that has 'streaks'.
You know - branche-like shadows.
How do I go with that? Sun/location doesn't matter.
The track is like this:
http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n234/CapriV6/BC7.jpg
On other parts of the track the trees are closer.
It should look sort of like this:

[Owi]

why not use shadowcaster on the tree textures it drops branches and nice treeshadows with rightdirection to the sun. (Static, Solid, 128, 128) you can use 64, 128, 256 up to 1024 .. pixel for the shadow.. higher = more performance ..sure

(Dynamic, Solid, 128, 128) works to ..


example

Instance=trees_13s
{
MeshFile=trees_13s.gmt CollTarget=False HATTarget=False ShadowCaster=(Static,Solid,64,64)
}

[Pizzaman]

No I do have a shitload of trees, it would make the track FPS very low...
In fact I have SUCH a load it would most likely give 'all dark'.

That is why I would like a shadow with SOME flecks of light, in the middle of the road.
Is that possible?

[Pizzaman]

What am I doing wrong here? I see NONE of both types of shadow.
Thought I'd at least see 'something'...? But nothing, zip, nada, whatsoever.

The pic on the left, that I just want to be a (quite dark) black shadow.
The other one - preferably flecky, if not possible, less dark shadow.
BTW: Any way I can regulate that for longer and shorter tunnels (darker/less dark?)


(clickable thumbnails)

Need I remind you that I am very dumb and very blonde, but not a girl so it is no advantage...

[analogkid66]

Originally Posted by Pizzaman

What am I doing wrong here? I see NONE of both types of shadow.
Thought I'd at least see 'something'...? But nothing, zip, nada, whatsoever.

The pic on the left, that I just want to be a (quite dark) black shadow.
The other one - preferably flecky, if not possible, less dark shadow.
BTW: Any way I can regulate that for longer and shorter tunnels (darker/less dark?)


(clickable thumbnails)

Need I remind you that I am very dumb and very blonde, but not a girl so it is no advantage...

...is the shadow caster button need to be checked?....ive not used 3dsimed editor for a while, i use the 3dmax exporter...

[Pizzaman]

I dunno, that's why I ask. LOL.

[Owi]

i never see shadows that made with casteroption on trk inside 3dsimed.. allways need to run the game.

[Pizzaman]

I tried on track too, of course. Saw nothing.

[Owi]

shadows enabled on ingame graphic options ?

[Pizzaman]

Yup. I'm not THAT blonde, only semi...
I wonder if it is one of those things where it is too 'plain simple'.
As simple as 'it stares at you', but I don't see it.

For instance:
- Does the texture NEED to be black? (for the simple shade);
- If an alpha-thing, does it need to be 100% vs 0% opacity?

Such kinda things... I used the default BTB shed.

[Owi]

meshfaces = wrongsided ?

ok example for our semiblond =) .. uw i luv blond shame your a guy.

Texture = "multipleshadow" steps (black 0% to grey 50% and full transparent 100%)

screenshot 1 show settings (3dsimed)

.trk =

Instance=multipleshadow
{
MeshFile=multipleshadow.gmt CollTarget=False HATTarget=False
}

______________________________________________

example simple shadowbox for sharp edges like tunnels.

Make a extra shadowbox or use shadowcaster of the meshfile (.gmt at all)
If you use ShadowCaster=(Static, Solid, 128, 128) you can add that behind every line on the trk. That way every gmt that has ShadowCaster command set @ .trk will drop a shadow like the object is build alpha teextues like trees will drop the alphachannel as shadow.

or a simple shadowbox (extra meshfile (gmt))
screenshot 2 show settings (3dsimed) (specrgb is a "nomust" option to set the color
no alpha because it drops a shadow out of the ingame shadowcaster.

Instance=ShadowBox_01 (screenshot shows different must be same but you shouldt know as semi)
{
Render=False (because the texture will be invisible ingame but drop only the shadow for it)
MeshFile=ShadowBox_01.gmt CollTarget=False HATTarget=False ShadowCaster=(Static, Solid, 128, 128)
}

[Pizzaman]

now that I should be able to, LOL.

[Owi]

we get you up to pro level

[Pizzaman]

Well, that would be a miracle!

[Owi]

chandler - did you readed this post ? *shakes his head