Re: XFile Creation and XFileClasses Effects
 

So am I.

If you make them small enough, you can use a cluster of sprites in an arc that hugs the planet surface, and then make them rotate around the z axis either with or against the planet's rotation.

My warppoint generator can be set up to do something somewhat like that, although only in thin bands without some custom tweaking...
Think something like the FQM black hole animation, except wrapped around a planet, and using a cloudy white colour instead of incandescent blackbody spectra.
Also, much MUCH smaller, and shallower, and not contiguous

Re: XFile Creation and XFileClasses Effects
 

How do you control "rotate around the z axis" in the effects?

Re: XFile Creation and XFileClasses Effects
 

<font class="small">Code:</font><hr /><pre>Effect 1 Rotate Z := 0</pre><hr />

Re: XFile Creation and XFileClasses Effects
 

I get it... you mean rotate in position, where I meant rotate in orientation. Yeah, that would work for small sprites around a planet.

Anyway, I agree that wouldn't be practical for clouds, but it might be nice for asteroids or sub-tiny moons for huge worlds, or maybe planetary infestations.

Re: XFile Creation and XFileClasses Effects
 

Question:

I created an Effect, that I want to retain the original bitmap's color, without any transparency or 'brightness' recoloring. How do I do that?

Blend_Zero seems to result in a silhouette... and Blend_One seems to result in transparency.

Re: XFile Creation and XFileClasses Effects
 

There are a whole bunch defined in the files (check the PDFs), perhaps you can find a mix of source and dest blends that will do something cool.

Re: XFile Creation and XFileClasses Effects
 

Destination blend one, source blend zero should do it.

Re: XFile Creation and XFileClasses Effects
 

dyslexically correct... Thanks!

Need to fix my graphics... black edges and not enough frames of animation.

But... I now have a small moon orbiting a planet... with an inclined orbital plane that matches the axial tilt of the planet.
Why 25 units = 90 degrees is a mystery to me. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: XFile Creation and XFileClasses Effects
 

You're welcome.

Could be radians?...

Re: XFile Creation and XFileClasses Effects
 

Not even close to radians.
Planets unrotated are on their sides... the rotate X 50 flips them 180 degrees and the rotate z 25 makes them right side up (not sure why X isn't ignored and X set to -25).
Starting Rotate X := 50
Starting Rotate Y := 0
Starting Rotate Z := 25

Since the default rotation vector is 25 (90 degrees): I decided you could rotate X away from the vertical... and then add an X rotation vector that trigonometrically pairs with the Z rotation.

This solution works near perfectly... ~10 degree tilt
Starting Rotate X := 53
Starting Rotate Z := 25
Continual Rotation Vector X := 3
Continual Rotation Vector Z := 15.1

You can vary the direction of the tilt, messing with the signs and getting Y involved... However, I see no good way of distributing different tilts throughout the planet types.

The orbital plane for satellites is harder... I can't consistently predict whether the initial position is the low or high end of the incline.
But I got this one working for the above axial tilt:
Effect 2 Offset Position X := -19.65
Effect 2 Offset Position Z := 3.75
Effect 2 Rotate X := 0.000375
Effect 2 Rotate Z := 0.001965

If you like your trig, you can quickly figure out why 3 is paired with 15.1 and 19.65 is paired with 3.75. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif