Last week I introduced our prelminary decal editor for Overgrowth. At that point, the decal editor worked very much like the object editor, with 3D bounding boxes for each decal. This presentation style was quite messy. Decal editing has many of the same requirements as object editing, but it also has its own special conditions and constraints. Unlike objects, decals live on 2D surfaces, they are projected, and they will often be layered on top of one another. This week I worked on making decal editing more custom tailored to the nature of decals themselves. I think a video shows it best:
There are now two modes for interacting with decals: surface mode and projector box mode.
By default you start in surface mode. This mode is meant to be an easy way to quickly arrange smallish decals. All controls and graphics for each decal are projected onto the world in the same way as the decal itself is. With this mode, you get to work directly on the surface you are editing, sliding decals all about in a physcially intuitive way.
However, sometimes more powerful control is required. Our decal system works by projecting 2D images onto the ground. Thus, each decal is internally represented a 3D projector box, which shoots a decal texture from its front face to its back face, wrapping the texture across anything hit in between. In surface mode, the projector is automatically aligned to project head on with the surfaces it hits. This minimizes the distortion of the decals. But at times, we may want stretched and distorted decals, such as for elongated shadows and splattered liquids. We also may need to fine tune the projection direction in tricky situations, such when projecting onto a bumpy surface for which no single direction can, exactly, be called "head on."
This is where the projector box mode comes in. This mode allows full rotational control over the projection direction. In addition, the projector box mode allows the user to scale the third dimension of the projector: its maximum projection distance. Having a maximum projection distance is important. Otherwise, if, say, you are covering a tree in slime mold decals, you may find that some parts of the decals miss the trunk, fly across the map, and splatter all over your charming rabbit village.
What do you guys think of these two decal editing modes? There's still a lot of embellishment I want to add (for example, scrolling to navigate through layered decals). Do you guys have any suggestions for more functionality specifically tailored to decals?
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WOW! Amazing work guys! :D
this game is so beautiful, every aspect of customization you release makes me want it more and more.
Thanks! :) Mods are one of our highest priorities. As an indie developer, we can't make a thousand hours of content, but we are hopeful that if we make really good modding tools, the community will step in and make us competitive with even JRPGs.
LOL, that is quite a good goal
the tools do look fantastic, I'm certain you can foster quite a larger modding community with you epic game.
I'm curious I've been looking into pre-ordering to get the alphas. In the scripting engine will you have access to things like camera's and camera controls? What about viewports and input?
BTW: Amazing work.
You can bind new keys for input, you can change a number of things about the camera, including the FOV and location. There is still a lot of stuff to expose though!
very awesome! and this game is becoming quite the looker! ;)
This engine looks incredible, I cannot wait for this game to be released. Great work guys!
That is really incredible tech, moving the projection around like that from world-mesh to the placed stuff so seamlessly. Very cool :-)
You could do projectors this way.
Just align decal like light source...
...
Well... Medieval projectors.
LMAO.
But I'm saying this in case someone will make TC with modern weaponry and setting.
This would be cool.
I really liked the engine from the very start and it's getting better all the time. Decals are more important then they seem and your system is already quite convincing, because the bounding box makes it easy to stick to round objects and repetition of the same decal can be avoided (blood splatters, etc).
I am really looking forward to Overgrowth and think this will be an editor to get into and explore with a lot of fun. I believe, if you make it possible now, people would start modding for Overgrowth already and content would become ready with the game. In other words, there could already be select mods made for overgrowth.
People already are, in a small way.
They profiled a user-created map on March 31 i think, 'Foothold'.
I know you are probably meaning full-blown content, but this is a great beginning.
great tech! i watched your other videos too, it looks like the engine is coming together reeally well. best wishes!
Keeping it beautiful guys! Kepp up the good work!
Tattooing rocks is now easier than ever! :p Nice work!