Len Granowetter (lengrano++at++mak.mak.com)
Tue, 08 Nov 94 16:10:31 -0500
I'm looking at different approaches for including smoking, flaming,
explosions, etc. effects in a Performer application.
One approach that we are considering is using MultiGen models of
effects, that can be converted (via LoadFlt) into (perhaps)
pfSequences of pfBillboards, for instance, a sequence of many
different flaming textures. Since they are on a pfBillboard, they
will always face the viewer, and since they can be inserted into the
scene graph, you only need to know the position of the effect in scene
coordinates.
What I am wondering is whether this is a common approach. The fact
that pfusmoke does this in a completely different manner, and Angus
Henderson's flaming code also does this in a completely different
manner, leads me to believe that the "use models" approach must be
flawed. Is it very inefficient? Lead to worse visuals? Is this a
feasible approach?
Also, I noticed a post a few weeks ago asking about pfusmoke. Bill
Balboni had asked whether anyone had any simple working examples that
use pfusmoke. He said that adding the few pfuSmoke calls to simple.c
did not work. I haven't seen any replies to that, but if anyone did
reply to him via private email, could you also post your replies, or
email them to me.
Thanks in advance for any information that may help,
Len Granowetter
MaK Technologies
(617) 876-8085
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.0b2 on Mon Aug 10 1998 - 17:50:39 PDT