Environment maps

Troubleshooting graphics
1

Hi, people.



We're digging in the possibility of use environment maps to cause a fake of reflection sensation…The thing is a very old feature in, for example, Max, to catch an exaple many people know…You used to put a map of like water reflection in a river in the environment map slot…this way, when you moved the camera around, reflections vary at least is the sensation.Is not reflecting what is around, but just ref map put into the environment slot. The effect tends to be quite good and cheap.But as we are allways so much targetting low performance machines,we wouldn't use it if it eats too much resources.(we'd test it, so) 



The obj format supports this thing in the mtl :





newmtl metal

Ka 1 1 1

Kd 1 1 1

Ks 1 1 1

Ns 100

illum 2

map_Kd metal.png

refl metalref.png





Well, looks like the OBJ loading is not supporting the  " refl " thing. A pitty… But…as environmental mapping is supported, I guess there's some sort of tag, code, command, something, to force an object render this material special texturing… ( from site's feature list:  # Texture System

Supports mipmapping, environmental mapping, multitexturing)


We'd really use it a lot for our game, as comes really handy for metal, and plastic kind of objects. What I experienced working in certain company is one of this tended to be very cheap for performance and as you rotated camera around it, the reflection changed...you don't get to really notice is not reflecting you, but a reflection map, if done well, which is easy for the artist.

Thanks a million in advance if someone has a clue...


2

TestEnvMap shows off this effect…  so yeah we support it.  (I used it in my old Dirt game in jME to make the armor appear reflective.)



It looks like the obj converter may not support it is all.  not sure how hard it would be to add…  is there more to the refl tag, or does it simply mean to add a texture with sphere mapping?

3

I'd say it's just that, but am not totally sure...

Anyway, already also spoke with Tora, seems I misunderstood some of his explanation...looks like it is possible if just we use same UV channel (1), which I have done also in other engines, so I guess is not much of a problem here, if I make a good general ref map png ;)
Surely applied as a tag, or something, maybe adding the support in obj loader, we don't know yet...

This and the other setting, vertex colors, do allow me achieve much better look to stuff, specially plastic and metals. And surely I'll avoid some of the extra textures ;)

Thanks a million again :)

We'll do now tests with both features.