Guild of Writers

aaaarrrrggg! I don't know WHY I always wait until I'm in a RAD to learn something new....

Okay, I've read and re-read the tutorial in the Wiki on this, and I STILL can't seem to get my head around this.

What I'm trying to do is simple: make those dynamic ripples you see in the water when your avatar walks though the water.

Specifically though a waveset.

Problem with the tutorial, is the waveset part is added like an after thought...

Let me go over what I understand, and then what I'm at a loss about:

Step 1: create a plane and add the material and texture for my ripple (like you would for footsteps). Check.

Step 2: Add the alcscripting to apply this to the waveset:

Code: Select all

    logic:
        actions:
          - type: ripplevsmgr
            ripplevsmgr:
                matpreshade: <material ref>
                matrtshade: <material ref>
                targets:
                  - <waveset surface>
                notifies:
                  - <footmgr ref>
                waveset: <waveset ref(same name as waveset surface)>
                initu: <initial size of ripple in U-axis>
                initv: <initial size of ripple in V-axis>
                finalu: <final size of ripple in U-axis>
                finalv: <final size of ripple in V-axis>

Okay, NOW the confusion on my part. I ASSUME that this logic is added to the waveset, as that only makes sense to me. BUT, I have to reference a "footmgr". What footmgr?

Okay go back up and re-read the begining of the tutorial and it says I need to apply this script to "any" object

Code: Select all

<object name>:
    logic:
        actions:
          - type: footmgr
            footmgr:
                matpreshade: <material ref>
                matrtshade: <material ref>
                lifespan: 20
                targets:
                  - <object name>
                  - <object name>

So what? I have to make some other object somewhere else and apply this logic to it, so that I can then reference it in my waveset logic???

Yep, okay that's how you do it: you put the footmgr on some other object, I put it on my plane for my material.

Okay, only problem I'm having now is, the ripples show up all right.......except they are not transparent! I have the ripples in a black square. Guess I've got to look at what is going on (as I KNOW the texture is transparent and I've got alpha set....hrmmm)

You also have to put the ripple material on another object. These are my settings:

Code: Select all

FootDecal:
    logic:
        actions:
          - type: footmgr
            footmgr:
                matpreshade: MatFoot
                matrtshade: MatFoot
                wetlength: 6.0
                decaystart: 0.75
                lifespan: 12.0
                waitonenable: 1
                targets:
                  - Terrain03

RippleDecal:
    logic:
        actions:
          - type: ripplevsmgr
            ripplevsmgr:
                matpreshade: MatRipple
                matrtshade: MatRipple
                targets:
                  - Puddle
                notifies:
                  - FootDecal
                waveset: Puddle
                initu: 9
                initv: 9
                finalu: 1.5
                finalv: 1.5


Puddle is my waveset and Terrain03 is the surface that shows footprints. I did not add any extra Alcscript to the waveset object itself.

I have the Texture Blending Mode of my ripple set to "add". And UseAlpha is actually off.

Hmmmmm...

I did, I put the alcscrpt you're showing on the plane with the ripple decal itself. Then I added the alcscript in the wiki to my waveset script.

Works great!!

Except I HAVE to use the "add" button on the Edit Panel for Texture Faces or else it won't show up as transparent.

The only problem I have now is that the ripples are so bright, I have an after image when I close my eyes!!

Yes, according to the wiki the script can be added to any object. I put it under the decal object itself so that I would know where to find it.

I adjusted the brightness with the material colors and by tweaking the transparency of the original image.

Wow.

Your gonna need a fortnights sleep to recuperate after this, if the problem isnlt solved, go for a walk away from the computer
when you come back the answer usually pops straight out