Rend 2 - A More Modern Renderer
Rend 2 is a more modern renderer being developed by SomaZ to add features such as: Physically Based Materials, HDR Rendering & HDR Lightmaps, Parallax Occlusion Mapping, and more. Starting next release Movie Battles II will begin to incorporate those modern features in new and old assets.
With this new renderer and release, we will continue to upgrade bits and pieces of Movie Battles II to increase visual fidelity with each update going into the future. However, with an increase in visual fidelity comes an increase in cost. While Rend2 comes with a host of optimizations over the base renderer, definitely expect increased file sizes and increased memory usage when Rend 2 is active. In a coming update to the launcher, downloading Rend 2 assets will be optional for those with space and download restrictions.
For the first Rend 2 update, you can expect to see a subset of the new features in maps like: DOTF, Enclave, Kamino, Lunarbase. In player models like: Sith Trooper, Deathtrooper, Tank Trooper, Mandalorian show Imperial Commandos, as well as weapon models such as the E-22 and A-280. The largest visual difference will be on smoother surfaces with high reflectivity and metallic materials.
Check out some Before and After screenshots below! For an easier comparison open the images in a new tab and flip between the two.
Never before have we been able to start implementing such a large visual upgrade to MB2 as we can now. We hope you are all excited for what is to come.
For Modelers, Level Designers​
Please visit the JKHub Rend2 tutorial section for some information about Rend2: Tutorials as well as look for a coming update to the mod tools in order to allow smooth addition of Rend2 content in Movie Battles 2. Levels need -deluxe added to compile lines for normal maps and reflectivity to function properly. However, that comes at a cost of adding additional lightmaps which may result in going over the max lightmap count for JAMP. There is a tool developed by SomaZ coming in the next mod tool update to separate the deluxe maps out to allow JAMP to function properly. Levels also need the new misc_cubemap entity added across the map.
As always, feel free to ask questions on how to create Rend2 content on Discord and the forums!
Damn it looks sharp!
Awesome work.