detail textures and lod_level

[Vectrex]

does material lod_level actually work? I think I'm on the wrong track but even so it appears not to work (automatically anyway).
I'm trying to make detail texture that is only visible close up. It'd be nice if it faded in but just appearing would do.
Now this lod_level material thing, does that effect the whole mesh when it selects another technique? If it does then it'd be no good for detail textures.
Perhaps if I emptied the detail textures lower mip maps the graphics card would do it for me (would this still be processed further away?)
Any other strategies?

this is the material (first technique with detail texture, 2nd just plain)
[EDIT] fixed errors, still doesn't do anything

Code: Select all

material 09_-_Default
{
	lod_distances 500 1000
	technique
	{
		lod_index 0
		pass
		{
			ambient 1.0 1.0 1.0
			diffuse 1.0 1.0 1.0
			specular 0.1 0.1 0.1 40
			emissive 0.0 0.0 0.0
			scene_blend one zero
			depth_check on
			depth_func less_equal
			depth_write on
			depth_bias 0
			cull_software back
			lighting on
			fog_override false
			shading phong
			colour_write on

			texture_unit
			{
				texture tarmac.jpg 2d
				tex_address_mode wrap
				filtering linear linear point
				colour_op modulate
				scroll 0.0 0.0
				scale 1.0 1.0
				rotate 0.0
			}

			texture_unit
			{
				texture asphalt_004.jpg 2d
				tex_address_mode wrap
				filtering linear linear point
				colour_op_ex modulate_x2 src_texture src_current
				colour_op_multipass_fallback one one
				scroll 0.0 0.0
				scale 0.1 0.1
				rotate -28.0
			}
		}
	}
	technique
	{
		lod_index 1
		pass
		{
			ambient 1.0 1.0 1.0
			diffuse 1.0 1.0 1.0
			specular 0.5 0.5 0.5 40
			emissive 0.0 0.0 0.0
			scene_blend one zero
			depth_check on
			depth_func less_equal
			depth_write on
			depth_bias 0
			cull_software back
			lighting on
			fog_override false
			shading phong
			colour_write on

			texture_unit
			{
				texture Grass.jpg 2d
				tex_address_mode wrap
				filtering linear linear point
				colour_op modulate
				scroll 0.0 0.0
				scale 1.0 1.0
				rotate 0.0
			}
		}
	}
}

[regress]

I'm also curious about this...anyone that can comment?

[BenO]

really interesting \o/ waiting for details

[Vectrex]

this is the type of detail texture i'm talking about actually. The small rocks are a second pass, but at a distance it looks nasty and repetitive

[Chris Jones]

wow, nice road texture

[tuan kuranes]

Isn't it actually implemented only on entities ?

So if your object derived from Renderable, MovableObject or SimpleRenderable you won't get it.

You have to override the _notifyCurrentCamera( Camera* cam ) to something like

Code: Select all

void MyMovableObject::_notifyCurrentCamera( Camera* cam )
 {
  MovableObject::_notifyCurrentCamera(cam);
  // Material LOD
  if ( mMaterial->getNumLodLevels() > 1 )
    mMaterialLODIndex = mMaterial->getLodIndexSquaredDepth(getSquaredViewDepth(cam));
}

and override getTechnique

Code: Select all

Technique* myMovableObject::getTechnique(void) const
{
  return mMaterial->getBestTechnique (mMaterialLODIndex);
}

[Vectrex]

ah I see. If this is the case then it'll be no good for detail textures (well for my specific case anyway) and the manual should definately be updated to explain this, espeically if it's not automatic and you have to do others things to get it to work.
In that case how would you suggest to do this? Wumpus' custom mipmap in dagon could do it I guess, by blanking out the lower mips.
I also guess the terrain engine devs would know how (I read one tecnique for measuring distance to nearby vertex points)

[Jon]

Forgive me if I am flogging a dead horse, I am at the point where I know just enough to confuse everyone around me... But I saw this thread and wonder if there is another problem here.

When one specifies multiple lod_distances like

Code: Select all

   lod_distances 500 1000

This would imply the existance of three lod indexes, right?

Index 0 from distance 0 to 500
Index 1 from distance 500 to 1000
Index 2 from distance 1000 to infinity

The original material only had two lod indexes, and I'm curious what happens in this case.

[Bringer of Darkness]

Hm, it works fine for me without any adjustments needed...
Though I have used only one LOD level
lod_distances 250

[Bringer of Darkness]

Hm, it works fine for me without any adjustments needed...
Though I have used only one LOD level
lod_distances 250

The only problem I realized is, that possibly LOD distinction is calculated based upon the distance of the object from camera, not a pixel from camera - I understand that it would be different and more difficult, though it looks weird when the whole objects "jumps" to the new technique...