This screenshot of a simple frame with a 100% opaque and a 65% transparency MAPPED texture was an experiment which proved successful, thanks to a friendly user called nomis. The frame on the left was using the entity_basic.fx file while the frame on the right, which shows the improvement, had the modified version of this file - and thanks again to nomis.

Screen rendering is enormously important. I've noticed the stress which is put on frame rate by the developers - which is, of course, of prime importance. But there are other rendering issues that even very simple softwares have overcome a long time ago which FPSCR should have implemented already - and I will tell you why. This partial transparency issue affects the way artists plan their work for the very models and other content which can make or break software like FPSCR. But transparency is not the only issue. I recently made a sundial which won't show shadows on it's surface (duh - what time is it?) because shadow rendering doesn't seem to always work the way it should. Reflections are also a very important part of rendering.

I'm just wondering why, if nomis could spend a little bit of time modifying a simple .fx file and successfully solve a specific rendering problem without issue - then why aren't the developers doing the same thing when these problems and suggestions are being posted here? Do the developers doubt the worthiness of the reports that users so graciously elaborate here?

I would really like to see some outlined help for us modelers to be able to make some simple modifications so that we can be of more help to the advancement of this program. For example, now that this partial transparency issue has a work around, many of us would love to build vehicles of all sorts. To do this, it would be so much help to have a greater understanding of how to set up a model to work as part of the heads up display, replacing the 2 arms and weapon with perhaps a vehicle display (I've been working on one). Along with this, imagine how very far we can take this program if we could lose gravity when we need to fly - and not just for building purposes. What if you are building a game where the player needs to take flight to fight a dragon? This would take time on the part of the modeler, especially with the animations... we really need some simple outlines to help us help this program.

I know these features take time, but I sure hope that the modelers are also given time so that our creations can grow with this program in a somewhat synchronized fashion. Good models are not necessarily poly heavy, but that in itself makes their design a very meticulous process - not to mention the animations applied to them.

Let's all remember, the more workable features everybody creatively processes, the more appealing this software will become to the buyer and then the profits will be appealing as well.

Hi PianoDavy,

I agree with some of your points but some I don't for the simple reason that as Artists we need to learn how things work ourselves to create for any engine or in this case a brand new engine still in Beta. I understand this can be daunting as most of us can be completely new to these things. The reason I put it this way is that you seem a little impatient with it all and the fact you speak as an Artist and not a user. Even if I agree a little more info can be helpful, I doubt TGC are going to write a manual for us. I did feel way back just as you do now but for slightly different reasons and issues we are well beyond now.

To be honest I think that TGC should be concentrating on creating the engine and we should be concentrating on the media, if this means learning by ourselves then that's how it should be.

The fix for your shader issue was a simple flag change and thats how we should regard it,not setting AlphaBlendEnable to TRUE as default is an easy oversight when you got the entire user base shouting at you for features they want, and you were helped by another community member who understands a little about HLSL code and that also is how it should be. If we run into simple errors then we should simply point them out and I am sure they will be default for the next Beta, such as the shader issue.If it's a major issue that doesn't seem to be addressed then as you have seen it causes an outcry



I really don't mean to be offensive when I say that we can't expect TGC to lead us by the hand when it comes to creating media and we can't really blame them when we run into problems that would be an easy fix if we got into it ourselves, my point is if we want to create for games then it's up to us to learn the ropes.



As for the vehicle hud idea it has often been tried in Classic without much success, I do know it was achieved using a mod but how well this worked I can't really say, the main problem being with moving the camera you got the hud moving with it, even on the vertical axis which would kill the illusion right there. It was possible to create a believable vehicle which worked almost like 3rd person through some crafty scripting. Which may not be achievable for a while so you might want to expend your energies on something else for now.



I really want to encourage you to keep at it and make some great stuff for Reloaded, but until things are in place we cant force it, and I find it a great thing that we are in at the start with ideas to utilise features as they are introduced.



I too have many things I want right away but as it is just now I really want to see this engine working with good performance and if I think I can learn myself or get community help with things till the team are a little more free to look at features I want, I can wait.



I also suspect that many of your shadow issues for example will be fixed when the new importer is implemented, pretty soon by all accounts, provided your textures are correct



I can be more patient with features than I can basic core needs, in the meantime we can share findings among ourselves and you will find that most of your knowledge is gained from other community members.



Power to the people