Small graphics suggestion, but useful I guess

[Norman Stansfield]

I read a lot about historic or less historic air wars and quite often, enemy detection became from spotting this small detail which is a canopy or metal parts glowing - reflected by sun. This effects works stronger from larger distances where reflected beams seem to be cumulated, most of games includes of course proper lighting model, but without this effect. (it is also useful during close dogfight when we seek an enemy plane "camouflaged" below by the terrain downthere). This short spark can help much in such a situation. The other thing is that lot of building's roofs have also the same tendency - from larger distance any town is never totally matte, there are strong, almost mirror effect reflections on some roofs.

I do not think it is hard-to-make effect for graphicians (and not consuming additional power) - the only game I've seen this small but strong glow was ... GTA vice city where similar glows were showing up on cars' windows while watching at proper angles against the sun. It was probably a simple masked additive glowing and very rapidly blinking "sprite" that appeared over the most shining/bright element of the car.

 

I hope it is not too detailed wish,

best wishes

[ThirdELTPoznan]

But you are talking about WWII air fights?? How do you imagine this sun reflection from canopy when enemy plane is 60 km away from you??

[Norman Stansfield]

Ale trafiles, GROM...

 

Prawa optyczne obowiazuja na dość duże odległości (niekoniecznie 60km), poza tym walki wspolczesne odbywaja sie tez na krotkich dystansach, czesto podczas wojny wietnamskiej, przy ataku z gory mozna bylo rozpoznac samolot przeciwnika na tle burej ziemii wlasnie przez owe odblyski, chocby z odleglosci 800-900 m przy wąskich walkach "kołowych", bo czasem rzeczywiście idzie (przynajmniej w symulatorach) zgubić przeciwnika nawet na tak krótkim dystansie.

Poza tym ogolnie estetycznie by to dopelnilo calosc - bo w obecnej wersji miasta sa matowe, a błyszczące (przy odpowiednim kącie do słońca) dachy widać z odległości nawet 30 km. To ciekawy efekt.

[GGTharos]

Norman, while you're correct in both posts in the relative coolness of this, I suspect there may be indeed a programmatic problem with these effects - specifically raytracing the lighting.

 

It may not cost as much computational power as I'm thinking though, so who knows ... but to get all the reflections properly done, ie. a possibly reflection from a double boundary such as the canopy is, in every imaginable position and direction that it might do so may not be so easy.

 

A simplified version might be interesting, of course, but it may be difficult to make it 'fair' in this sim, as the angles might be all wrong. It's a nefarious objection, and I could be wrong easily.

[Caretaker]

It is indeed extremely difficult to calculate this correctly; however some "fake" effect that does not really take into account the precise angles between reflective surfaces and the sun might be possible. MiG Alley already had such an effect some years back, although I personally didn't like it (it looked too faked).

[Norman Stansfield]

Interesting - I havent seen "mig alley" but it is quite an old game. Wonder how it looked like then, and how it could be improved now.

Below the photo to the way I just imagine that from technical point of view - the brightest shining fragment could "turn on" a glow in area restricted to f.e. cockpit region (to avoid strange errors somewhere else). The only problem is a LOD from far distance, where polygons amount decrease to very low level and there may any incorrect fakes appear. But I guess it is not too hard to do even in a good way (restrictions), not a naive one - transparent additive glow, especially with new technologies.

 

the effect I mean:

[ThirdELTPoznan]

Norman...

Pomysl fajny ale i tak sie nie zgodze co do tych ogromnych odleglosci. W walkach na krotkie dystanse na bank bylo by to milo ogladac ale na 60 km tak czy tak tego nie zobaczysz bo nawet od lustra na ta odleglosc promienie by sie nie odbily... Co do dachow to sie zgodze bo maja o wiele wieksza powierzchnie ale co do wiatrolapu to bym sie nie zgodzil

[Norman Stansfield]

Ale ja nie upieram się przy tych 60km. Pojawiałoby się to wtedy, kiedy miałoby się pojawić. Amerykanie od dawna używali matowych powierzchni samolotów, rosjanie niekoniecznie - i takie powierzchnie mogą być widoczne (choćby ogromne, błyszczące Tupolewy) z całkiem dużych odległości.