emajekral

That is precisely what I'm working on. I plan to separate small 2d and 3d objects when rendering lists are being made and using a special frustum to cull them early. There will be a float range spinbox in elconfig to allow it to be configured. If that's not enough I'll start looking at projecting trees into a texture and rendering them as billboards once a certain distance has passed. Roja is right about where the problem lies. Morcraven Marsh and IP are the worst, the first because of all the grass, the second because of all the trees. I'll let you all know how it works. (Or even better, someone who understands how the frusta are set up can add one and do the lists.) I can already say that there will be a speedup... I get a 2-3x speedup by setting the back clipping plane to 20.0f on the worst parts of some maps and that already looks almost good enough. The speedup isn't enough for slower systems, but it is something. Beware, map load times may go up. Maybe I'll prerender the billboards at some point.

Whoah! Did you photoshop those in or should I forget about implementing a sky? (I'm doing LOD at the moment.)

UPDATE: get patch here I often play with the Perspective set high and find the way banners are displayed to be problematic: with extreme perspective isometric I have reworked the banner code a bit so that they are displayed orthographically: with extreme perspective isometric While there, I hacked a couple of other things: The floating damage animation is more dynamic to help distinguish it from the xp animation. The health bar now scales along with the other elements of the banner, and is shorter and taller, and imho easier to see. This is my first client modification. Could someone give me the incantation to create an appropriate diff? ( I know it's something like "diff -Naur elc/ ../elc/elc/ > Orthographic_banners.diff" but I get a pretty big diff file. What to do? Don't want to think.) I've played the game with the modification a bit and it works OK however I know there may be problems: Having a big font size and therefor big healthbar makes creatures very easy to click When in crowded areas the banners are even more obvious than they were before. Please leave me comments. I will post a diff shortly for those that want to try it out. If this patch goes smoothly I may try tackling some of the graphical enhancements on the wishlist.

The patch should work in any good GL implementation. I have given it a quick test in linux and windows. I need OSX and BSD to confirm no problems, then I will press forward with applying the change across all gamewin text. Until that change is made this patch should NOT be committed (if we want to skip thorough testing I can whip up the complete fix for Monday morning). Anyone who has been trying the binary in the camera thread has been seeing the Orthographically Projected banners too. Please provide feedback on how it works for you.

*BASH* *BASH* *BASH* OW! Got DevC++ to compile EL. (again) Geez, I thought we weren't adding anymore libraries! Compiling Eternal Lands with Dev-C++ Before attempting this Guide please start with a fresh CVS checkout. If you have made changes to and .c .cpp or .h files you can copy them over later. You may wish to reinstall Dev-C++ as well. I do that every time I refresh this guide. Now, a step by step Dev-C++ install and compilation: Get Code Get code from cvs: TortoiseCVS works well, just follow directions in head post. Get Compiler Get this version of Dev-C++. Start it and go oooh, aaaah! Set Up Compiler Set up your development libraries by clicking these links, downloading what's there and clicking next until Finish shows up. (Placid, there's several new libraries. I'm hosting them at my University, but I'd prefer if they were elsewhere... please?) Cal3d and cal3d_extra Internationalization support library XML support library zlib compression library png picture format library jpeg picture format library Ogg Vorbis SDL development package SDL image support I just made these three DevPaks. I've tested them, but I don't trust them. Please try them and report any problems you have. SDL network support OpenAL sound library OpenAL sound library utilities The glext.h that comes with Dev-Cpp is out of date. Save the new version in C:\Dev-Cpp\include\GL\ by right clicking on this link: glext.h At this point you have two choices: While you are in c:\dev-cpp\include copy the contents of the "AL" and "SDL" directories up one level to c:\dev-cpp\include (Hack way) OR Tell Dev-Cpp that you want AL and SDL directories to be in the include path. (Right-er way)Go to Tools>Compiler Options Click on the Directories tab Click on the C Includes tab Click on the button just above the Delete Invalid button. It's next to a small empty text box. It opens a folder browser. Find c:\dev-cpp\include\SDL and press OK The empty textbox now has c:\dev-cpp\include\SDL in it. Press the add button. Repeat the last three steps for c:\dev-cpp\include\AL (or copy and paste the directory into the empty box. Your choice.***Don't forget to "Add" the directory***) Create Your Project Now click on File > New > Project... Make this: an Empty Project a C Project and Give it a name... I recommend el [*]Save the project in your elc development directory - NOT the Dev-Cpp directory that you see as a default [*]Click on Project > Add to Project [*]Click on the upper rightmost file or directory. [*]Press and HOLD the shift key. [*]Hit combinations of Page Down and the arrow keys until all files are selected. (Alternately click then scroll all the way to the right, hold shift and click on the last file you see.) [*]Release the shift key. [*]Locate cal3dwrapper.c and cal3dwrapper.h [*]Press the control key. [*]Click those two files. [*]Press the "Open" button. [*]Wait while Dev-C++ processes these files. Configure Your Project Press Alt + P or click Project > Project Options Click the "Makefile" tab. Click the "Use Custom Makefile" checkbox Include Makefile.win - yu may need to navigate to your cvs directory. Typing *win in the "file name" box will make finding the file easier. in your CVS checkout directory rename make.default to make.conf open make.conf (use notepad) and add this line to the end EXTRA_LIBS=-lstdc++ EXTRA_INCLUDES=-IC:\\Dev-Cpp\\Include\\AL -IC:\\Dev-Cpp\\Include\\SDL Compile Your Project Click Compile, or Execute > Compile, or Ctrl + F9. Wait. You will get some warnings (about 1 three lines long about strstr last time I wrote this ). Ignore them (unless you're on the Dev team. C'mon guys... ;P ) Install Your Compiled Project Copy el.exe from your CVS folder to your Eternal Lands folder (This would be c:\Program Files\Eternal Lands\ by default) Back up cal3d.dll if the Eternal Lands folder you are using is your only one (Bad plan). Go to c:\dev-cpp\dll Copy the libcal3d.dll and libcal3d_extra.dll you found there to the same folder you copied YourProjectName.exe You may have to overwrite the existing cal3d.dll file. Copy alut.dll from c:\dev-cpp\lib the folder where you copied the previous 3 files. Run. Enjoy. Jun. 12/07 update: Changed instructions to handle changes brought on by EYE_CANDY. Made DevPaks for libraries that needed them. (glext.h doesn't have one cause its not worth the effort.)

Uh oh! I knew someone would notice I don't know what I'm doing. Has anyone successfully applied the patch and tested it? There's a bug with some floating messages that I know how to fix when I fix the diff file I'll include the change, and get rid of some extraneous console output. Probably because my dev code is a week out of date and I'm doing a blind "diff -Naur" against the most recent CVS code. CVS is new to me. I'll try to clean it up. Anyone willing to provide a step by step on how to provide the cleanest possible diff for patching? For now I'm applying the patch as cd elc patch -p2 < patchname Don't ask why I'm diffing from so far up my tree. As for height maps... I forgot about the 2D objects. I'll leave it on the back burner for awhile. The changes I had planned would have left map files alone and just jittered some vertices on the z axis in client: slow but tweakable. Sky boxes have been on my mind while at work. Good suggestion.

We already have fog, and people turn it off so they can hunt. I'm pretty sure messing with the fog we have will interfere with rain events, etc. for those who do leave it enabled. I'll look at height maps and see if I can plug a fractal generator into it to create some variation for interest. Expect this to take me a week or so. I may be able extend the height maps we have without breaking anything. I work full time, so I may be unable to get to any of this done at all. Wish me luck. Up until now I have been coding and testing under Linux. I'm about to install dev-c++ and the needed libraries in WinXP to test and debug there. I'll post again when that's done. We have a policy against posting links to binaries, right?

I have added a patch for my camera modifications. See the top of the thread for details. click here for patch

Here's the patch: Click for patch I'm not quite sure of what you want. Do you mean that in perspective mode you want the camera to become first person - you see what the character sees - instead of third person - you see your character and its surroundings? That's no problem. I could do that easily. I'm not sure if the rest of the engine and art are ready for that - the lack of a sky box would become very apparant, some objects may look bizarre from that viewpont as well. As for peripheral object distortion: that's a feature, er bug, of perspective transformations. Since perspective became popular in modern art artists have wrestled with that problem. One solution they have tried is to draw objects that the eye expects to be a certain shape in that shape rather than as they would appear in a photograph. In the real world you never perspective distorted objects because when you turn to look at the object you change your frame and the object is suddenly centered in your eye's camera and correctly shaped. I could attempt to separate objects from scenery and see what happens when I scale and orthographically project them to the screen instead of using a projection matrix. That would require a significant overhaul of the client though. I might try it anyhow... a friend of mine had something like that as part of her PhD research. (I'm an expert by proxy, having had to sit through many incomprehensible lectures on the topic replete with historical examples ) A better solution would be to lower and rotate the camera a bit while keeping a sane FOV. I could do that too, very easily. The problem with this is the player will no longer be able to see much of what is behind the character. That answers my concern in a backward way... I've heard you give that advice before BUT the increase is now so dramatic as to seem like cheating - both the name and the health bar get huge as seen here: If this is undesirable I can change it.

Tinysniper has been actively advertising for "training" in Tyrnim. He has all the answers and all are lies. He's got all my junk and as had a good chuckle. I've got his number and add to the evidence that this guy is an outlaw... or a habitual liar at best. I saw his posts to channel 4 for a few days. Finally I answered: [tinysniper @ 4]: Looking for training partner around 28/31!! [PM to tinysniper: 32/32 with handicap?] [PM from tinysniper: ur 32/32] [PM to tinysniper: Yep Check me with iknow if you like] [PM from tinysniper: so should we train?] [PM to iknow: stats tinysniper] [PM from iknow: error, that player has privacy on so i cannot see the stats] [PM to tinysniper: we can try. Where do you prefer?] [PM from tinysniper: tirnym??] [PM to tinysniper: Isn't that a shade dangerous?] [PM to tinysniper: Hows about wsc arena or desert pines?] [PM from tinysniper: yeh but we can hide where no monsters go no1 ever goes there] [PM from tinysniper: every1 is there] [PM to tinysniper: I've trained there several times and people have shown respect. Have you had a bad experience?] [PM from tinysniper: no] [PM to tinysniper: Why not give dp arena a shot then?] [PM from tinysniper: lets just hide we will be fine] [PM from tinysniper: becouse people kill me all the time there] [PM from tinysniper: lets go to tirnym just try it] [PM to tinysniper: Look. I'm outta there at the first sign. I don't trust you yer.] [PM to tinysniper: yet.] [PM from tinysniper: ?] [PM from tinysniper: i checked arenas people are there] [PM to tinysniper: You're low level. You called yourself sniper. You want me to enter a HL map to train. I give you the benefit of the doubt but I suspect multiplay.] [PM to tinysniper: Just so you know.] Welcome to White Stone, Lakeside Village [PM from tinysniper: Well i guess your so worried about a game so we dont have to train] [PM to tinysniper: I'm worried about my time investment. I'll join you.] * Here I went to storage and switched my usual gear for some leather and a dis ring - just in case I could use it fast enough. [PM to tinysniper: Meet you at the sign?] [PM from tinysniper: yeh] [PM to tinysniper: Passing through lakeside village now.] [PM from tinysniper: Ooo] Rengfer: Arion died too? My friend died for a Chimeran Warning! This leads into a PK(player killing) map. Stormer: Tiny killed Arion tinysniper: lol hey ezzat Ezzat: Hey tiny. tinysniper: hi tinysniper: heres his stuff give back to him Stormer: I am full tinysniper: ahh tinysniper: ill just wait till he gets here tinysniper: rdy ezzat? Ezzat: ready enough. [PM from tinysniper: rdy to train?] Welcome to the Ruins of Tirnym Warning! You just entered a PKing map! This means other players can attack you! * I stand there next to an Orc. It ignores me. Interesting. I wonder what their ignore level is. * He moves right a bit and I follow. He stops and I wait. Then I notice the Chim. I bring up my inv just in case. Then the attack begins. * Without my armour and Uni Med he gets in some good hits. Select a friendly unit for the Remote Heal spell tinysniper: ooo Remote healing was successfully cast. You were healed by Ezzat Select a friendly unit for the Remote Heal spell Remote healing was successfully cast. You were healed by Ezzat Select a friendly unit for the Remote Heal spell Remote healing was successfully cast. You were healed by Ezzat You are under attack, you can't move. tinysniper: flee *Already doing that friend. *Ah! Now I see why you distracted me... The Chim starts in on the fight. Panic time. Get to the ring! Spell failed! You see: Ezzat * Missed! Can't use this command while fighting, duh! * Probably tried to use the Chim. Ezzat is indefinitely indisposed. You have died and gone to the Underworld! [PM to tinysniper: Not worth it dude.] [PM from tinysniper: u dont have mm?] [PM to tinysniper: No. You said "yeh but we can hide where no monsters go no1 ever goes there". I exercised some faith that you might be trusted. You have proven] [PM from tinysniper: dude im sorry lmao] [PM to tinysniper: yourself a liar. I thought so. Now I know.] [PM from tinysniper: ua ttd me] [PM to tinysniper: Decipher please?] [PM to tinysniper: Aw cmon what does "ua ttd me" mean?] [PM from tinysniper: u attd me] [PM to tinysniper: I attacked?] Welcome to White Stone, Lakeside Village [PM from tinysniper: ya] [PM to tinysniper: Missed that I was bringing up my inv.] [PM to tinysniper: Not that that's important. It certainly looke like the monsters were staying back a bit.] Welcome to the Ruins of Tirnym Warning! You just entered a PKing map! This means other players can attack you! * With perspective set high I dodge the Chim and find tinysniper. * He attacks even as I try to heal him. I am completely without equipment at this point. You are under attack, you can't move. You are too far away! Get closer! You are under attack, you can't move. You failed to flee. Ezzat has entered the realm of the unliving. You have died and gone to the Underworld! You need 1 Health Essence and you have 0 [PM to tinysniper: Boo!] [PM from tinysniper: lol u dont like me i dont like you] [PM to tinysniper: No I figured I didn't give you enough stuff the first time.] [PM from tinysniper: lol] [PM from tinysniper: u gave me noob stuff?] *Duh. What was I wearing? [PM to tinysniper: I didn't bring my real equipment. I was gonna give you the HE's to go with the MEs] [PM to tinysniper: And you got em.] Now I know this isn't a newbie scam, not yet. I wasn't going to say anything about it at all until I saw this thread. There it is, a little more evidence about what kind of guy this fellow is. He may honestly want to train... but I doubt it. Watch out for this guy.