When you have shadows on, and high detailed shadows on, they look pretty good, but only the creatures and npcs cast shadows. So I figured, why not make a normal static mesh a creature so that it will have a shadow. I did and it worked, it looks great. My main idea was to give my tree meshes shadows, but soon learnt that alpha + shadows doesn't mix, you end up getting a shadow of the square leaf mesh not the alpha'd texture, so that idea failed, but it can still be used for the average mesh.
Here are some examples:
Building
Mushrooms
Mushrooms
Mushrooms
It's cool how it casts the shadow over other meshes. There's a few obvious problems with them being creatures, the main being performance if you use too many creatures. So I was thinking, I wonder if there would be a way to get the shadows working on normal static meshes? I noticed that in most or all of the creature nifs, there was a node with the name shadow in it (pic), which I assume is what makes the shadow...I wonder if it would be possible to somehow copy that to a static mesh.
I did try, but failed, I'm hoping someone with a bit of knowledge of nifskope would be interested in having a look into it.
Here are some examples:
Building
Mushrooms
Mushrooms
Mushrooms
It's cool how it casts the shadow over other meshes. There's a few obvious problems with them being creatures, the main being performance if you use too many creatures. So I was thinking, I wonder if there would be a way to get the shadows working on normal static meshes? I noticed that in most or all of the creature nifs, there was a node with the name shadow in it (pic), which I assume is what makes the shadow...I wonder if it would be possible to somehow copy that to a static mesh.
I did try, but failed, I'm hoping someone with a bit of knowledge of nifskope would be interested in having a look into it.
QUOTE(Vality7 @ May 18 2008, 12:22 PM) [snapback]12256955[/snapback]
When you have shadows on, and high detailed shadows on, they actually look pretty good, but only the creatures and npcs cast shadows. So I figured, why not make a normal static mesh a creature so that it will have a shadow. I did and it worked, it looks pretty good. My main idea was to give my tree meshes shadows, but soon learnt that alpha + shadows doesn't mix, you end up getting a shadow of the square leaf mesh not the alpha'd texture, so that idea failed, but it can still be used for the average mesh.
Here are some examples:
Building
Mushrooms
Mushrooms
Mushrooms
It's cool how it casts the shadow over other meshes. There's a few obvious problems with them being creatures, the main being performance if you use too many creatures. So I was thinking, I wonder if there would be a way to get the shadows working on normal static meshes? I noticed that in most or all of the creature nifs, there was a node with the name shadow in it (pic), which I assume is what makes the shadow...I wonder if it would be possible to somehow copy that to a static mesh.
I did try, but failed, I'm hoping someone with a bit of knowledge of nifskope would be interested in having a look into it.
Here are some examples:
Building
Mushrooms
Mushrooms
Mushrooms
It's cool how it casts the shadow over other meshes. There's a few obvious problems with them being creatures, the main being performance if you use too many creatures. So I was thinking, I wonder if there would be a way to get the shadows working on normal static meshes? I noticed that in most or all of the creature nifs, there was a node with the name shadow in it (pic), which I assume is what makes the shadow...I wonder if it would be possible to somehow copy that to a static mesh.
I did try, but failed, I'm hoping someone with a bit of knowledge of nifskope would be interested in having a look into it.
I doubt it Vality.
I create custom shadows for all of my meshes and the shadows only display when attached to the player or an NPC. Shadows are basically secondary meshes, often lower polygon versions of the main. I believe that the high detail setting uses the main meshes geometry as the basis for the shadow.
QUOTE(Phijama @ May 19 2008, 12:11 AM) [snapback]12257030[/snapback]
I doubt it Vality.
I create custom shadows for all of my meshes and the shadows only display when attached to the player or an NPC. Shadows are basically secondary meshes, often lower polygon versions of the main. I believe that the high detail setting uses the main meshes geometry as the basis for the shadow.
I create custom shadows for all of my meshes and the shadows only display when attached to the player or an NPC. Shadows are basically secondary meshes, often lower polygon versions of the main. I believe that the high detail setting uses the main meshes geometry as the basis for the shadow.
Well I didn't have to create any sort of custom shadow geometry for those mushrooms or buildings, I simply copied and pasted them into a creature's nif (the centurion spider), and the shadows were created automatically and properly, and there was no spider shadow, which is what leads me to believe that this shadow node is a generic kind of node that could be pasted into any nif somehow and create a shadow automatically of that mesh.
Those shadows (being attached to object's nif) can be used without any external programs or I misunderstood what you said (which is likely since I'm not really [not at all in fact] into so complicated things as this one)?
The shadows don't require any external programs. Creatures cast shadows, and that's what these are. The point of this thread is to find out if it's possible to make it so that non-creatures, as in static meshes, can have shadows applied to them using nifskope.
QUOTE(Vality7 @ May 18 2008, 01:44 PM) [snapback]12257104[/snapback]
Well I didn't have to create any sort of custom shadow geometry for those mushrooms or buildings, I simply copied and pasted them into a creature's nif (the centurion spider), and the shadows were created automatically and properly, and there was no spider shadow, which is what leads me to believe that this shadow node is a generic kind of node that could be pasted into any nif somehow and create a shadow automatically of that mesh.
Like I said, when set to 'high detail shadows', each object will use itself as a shadow, warts and all. For hi polygon ojects this will create a lot of slowdown since the entire mesh will be 'cloned' to create the shadow mesh. This is how I understand the process any how.
That aside, I have tried to create shadows before for my Mayan temple by using creatures. The main creature consisted of a tiny single plane, but its shadow was the temple shadow. The 'creature' was placed inside the temple mesh so it couldn't be seen. It worked well and was the only workaround I could think of at the time. This is okay for unique buildings, but I'd imagine it would be very time consuming for many objects.
There may be some way using external programs to activate shadows for none creature/ NPC/ player equipped meshes.
Shadow is a mesh node (NiTriShape) with flag 69 (TES exporter creates flag 67), without UVs, and name “Shadow” or “Tri Shadow”. Creatures and all MW PC/NPC animation nifs contain this node. This is a MW specific feature. I have failed to generate shadows for static actors with the same nif structure, flags, etc. I think that this (shadows for creatures and PC/NPC) is a game engine limitation and the only way around is the one you have used.
I like the high-detail shadows. I play either with them or with none at all. 
How do you enabled 'high detail shadows' ?
Lol, and the Morrowind's rendering engine is like of the year 2000!
Vality, do dead creatures take up as much performance as live ones?
...and if not, do dead creatures still cast shadows?
For if dead houses have less performance impact yet still cast shadows, that would be sweet.
Another Idea:
Like this, but I'm thinking only one creature per town/settlement with a shadow mesh the size & shape of the whole town (very poly-reduced). What would that get you?
...and if not, do dead creatures still cast shadows?
For if dead houses have less performance impact yet still cast shadows, that would be sweet.
Another Idea:
QUOTE(Phijama @ May 18 2008, 11:12 AM) [snapback]12257777[/snapback]
The 'creature' was placed inside the temple mesh so it couldn't be seen. It worked well and was the only workaround I could think of at the time. This is okay for unique buildings, but I'd imagine it would be very time consuming for many objects.
There may be some way using external programs to activate shadows for none creature/ NPC/ player equipped meshes.
There may be some way using external programs to activate shadows for none creature/ NPC/ player equipped meshes.
Like this, but I'm thinking only one creature per town/settlement with a shadow mesh the size & shape of the whole town (very poly-reduced). What would that get you?
QUOTE(lyobovnik @ Aug 4 2008, 03:21 PM) [snapback]12621902[/snapback]
Like this, but I'm thinking only one creature per town/settlement with a shadow mesh the size & shape of the whole town (very poly-reduced). What would that get you?
That's the old method of light-mapping, essentially. It would work well (has been proven time and again to be a smooth and pretty way of fast shadows), except the it would have to be generated for each town, and the time of day/sun position would have to be calced in somehow. Having 3 or 4 lightmaps per town might work, but have fun finding a good way to generate them (without rebuilding the town as creatures, or in an external rendered).
QUOTE(peachykeen @ Aug 4 2008, 08:55 PM) [snapback]12623979[/snapback]
That's the old method of light-mapping, essentially. It would work well (has been proven time and again to be a smooth and pretty way of fast shadows), except the it would have to be generated for each town, and the time of day/sun position would have to be calced in somehow. Having 3 or 4 lightmaps per town might work, but have fun finding a good way to generate them (without rebuilding the town as creatures, or in an external rendered).
Neat. If I get around to learning 3d modelling, this could make a fun "first major project".
Actually, you might not need to learn to model. Since all the models are already there, you'd just have to place them in Max, make a white surface the shape of the land (only real modelling involved), place a light, and bake the shadows to the ground-model. Then you take the baked texture, invert the color, use that as alpha, flood the RGB black, and you have a shadow map. Then export the ground-model as an NIF, apply your texture, and place it in town.
I think that's actually all you have to do. Sure it might take some time, but since the building are already made, it shouldn't really be hard.
I think that's actually all you have to do. Sure it might take some time, but since the building are already made, it shouldn't really be hard.
QUOTE(peachykeen @ Aug 7 2008, 01:11 PM) [snapback]12639981[/snapback]
Actually, you might not need to learn to model. Since all the models are already there, you'd just have to place them in Max, make a white surface the shape of the land (only real modelling involved), place a light, and bake the shadows to the ground-model. Then you take the baked texture, invert the color, use that as alpha, flood the RGB black, and you have a shadow map. Then export the ground-model as an NIF, apply your texture, and place it in town.
I think that's actually all you have to do. Sure it might take some time, but since the building are already made, it shouldn't really be hard.
I think that's actually all you have to do. Sure it might take some time, but since the building are already made, it shouldn't really be hard.
Hmm... I am unfamiliar with these terms, but perhaps that's because I do not have Max. Mortgage eats all my money. With luck there is a free utility that can accomplish the same.
