SOLVED Multiple billboards in one object

Discussion in 'Track Modding' started by toebee, Apr 12, 2017.

  1. toebee

    toebee Registered

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    I created a bunch of billboard bushes. They work like expected. What I would like to do now is combine them all into one object. When I do they pivot around the combined objecs pivot point instead of each billboards individual pivot point. What all needs to be done to attach multiple billboard into one object? I searched around last night for an answer, but everything was about just making a billboard work at all. Any ideas on what I maybe doing wrong?
     
  2. Coutie

    Coutie Moderator Staff Member

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    There should be no issue with it. Did you set the billboard setting to bottom in the exporter?
     
  3. Nibiru

    Nibiru Registered

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    Each separate billboard needs its pivot point centered. After joining all billboards do not touch pivot
     
  4. toebee

    toebee Registered

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    Thanks for the reply's guys. I tried those with no success. I think the problem maybe that I am doing the individual billboards wrong. I was looking at the SCN file of working tracks and noticed they do not have "move" checked. I have currently "move" checked, and unchecking it causes the billboard to rotate around a very strange axis. I want to say it is rotating around world center. I went back to the beginning, but keep getting the same result. I even tried merging some of the billboard polys from Joesville 3DS Max example. Not to sure where I am going wrong. I am using a stamp vertex shader. Changed the alpha of the vertices. Have BB checked. Arrow pointing down checked. Any ideas?
     
  5. Nibiru

    Nibiru Registered

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    It sounds like your settings are correct.
    Try getting 2 billboards to work as 2 separate objects so you know they work then attach them together and export as 1 object they should work correctly
     
    Last edited: Apr 13, 2017
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  6. Jka

    Jka Member Staff Member

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    You have to do nothing, except attach them together. :)

    If you have bunch of billboarded bushes, which work correctly in viewer, then you have done everything right so far.

    What I'm little bit confused is, that you said billboarded objects are tagged as "move" in exporter. That is not necessary or required. Just make sure exporter's "BB" it ticked and (exporter's) pivot point down - symbol is active.

    Just attach them together and export as single object. Do not touch any material- or vertex- settings. Remember to edit SCN - entry to match new attached instance.
     
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  7. toebee

    toebee Registered

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    Thanks but no luck yet. It has me confused as well. I must be doing something wrong somewhere because I can't make a individual billboard work without having "move" checked in the exporter. Works fine with "move" but rotates around what looks like to be world center without "move" checked. Maybe I need to clear the shader cache or something. I will have to take another look at it tonight, but right now I have no clue.
     
  8. Coutie

    Coutie Moderator Staff Member

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    Try resetting the vertex colour and opacity to white and 100, then change the alpha back to whatever you want.
     
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  9. toebee

    toebee Registered

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    OMG You sir are a genius. I wasted so much time on this. Simply changing the color to non white then back to white, and then setting the alpha back to 100 and then changing it back to 99 worked! What a frustrating bug in the settings! Thanks for the help guys!

    Crazy thing is even when I make a new poly I have to set the color to a non white first.
     
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  10. Gijs van Elderen

    Gijs van Elderen Registered

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    "Move" will make the tree move allong with the car. ==> check in dev mode with swing cam.

    - What shader are you using? (Bump Specular Map T1 Stamp Vertex shader)
    - Triangulate the tree plane?
    - Do you have a vertex color applied? (alpha = 99,9 and white =100)
    - is BB ticked and pivot bottom?

    More reading: https://forum.studio-397.com/index.php?threads/billboard-trees-dont-turn.30713/
    Note: When reading: the vertex alpha color = 90 has become 99. Otherwise you'll have transpartent trees like at the old croft, Poznan and Putnam park at the highest AA level.

    Edit: Nija'd :D, Glad you solved it. :)
     
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  11. toebee

    toebee Registered

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    I was actually doing two things wrong. Not only did I have "move" with "BB" checked but I also had "Billboard" checked. That combo allowed me to have working billboard bushes they just couldn't be joined into one object. I am curios what is that second "Billboard" mark even for?
     
  12. Nibiru

    Nibiru Registered

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    I dont agree. Move on a track is to allow an object to move when hit by the car.
    Eg you can set haybales and cones to move ànd they will move when crashed into. Using the correct material names you can control the forces in the .tdf. If you dont it will be a solid object and stop the car. Unless you set it to non collidable.
     
    Last edited: Apr 14, 2017
  13. Leonardo Nogueira

    Leonardo Nogueira Registered

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    Hi guys... sorry for make this tread active again but I'm woring on a track for Formula E that have many trees next to the track and I need a good quality of them becuse it's very next to the car... In this case the best technique is use trees as billboard?
    I create the trees as billboard then it works fine in the most part but I notice that the back trees overlaps the front trees in some parts of the track. The billboard trees is a single object and another trees no billboard in another object to fill the whole place...

    Somebody can help me with this?
    Thanks!!!
     
  14. toebee

    toebee Registered

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    Make sure your offset is set to zero in the material settings.
     
  15. Leonardo Nogueira

    Leonardo Nogueira Registered

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    upload_2017-12-20_16-6-43.png
    this is my material settings, I don't see nothing wrong :\
     
  16. Leonardo Nogueira

    Leonardo Nogueira Registered

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    My export settings:
    upload_2017-12-20_16-9-40.png
     
  17. Jka

    Jka Member Staff Member

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    To me, this looks more like alpha sorting issue. Probably this has nothing to do with actual billboarding function.

    For testing purposes, try export these trees with Chroma blending (Chroma color ticked, Chroma blend value 0). Remember to change Source Blend and Dest Blend back to default (one & zero) before exporting. Other material settings can be as they are. Quality of these trees might be reduced slightly with chroma blending.

    If this issue is solved with chroma blending and its there with alpha blending, then its alpha sorting issue.

    Best (and worky...) solution is to use 3D trees right next to the track and billboarded trees with chroma blending further away.
     
    Last edited: Dec 21, 2017
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  18. Gijs van Elderen

    Gijs van Elderen Registered

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    upload_2017-12-20_16-6-43.jpg

    Alpha transparency (source alpha to inverse source alpha) is mostly used for see thru textures: like track decals, track lines, windows etc... Transparant parts are rendered.

    Alpha Masking (Chroma or alpha test color) is used for non see thru textures: you use the alpha as a mask to cut out parts of the texture.
    Chroma masking is mostly used for trees and fences... Masked parts are not rendered.

    Alpha Masking is much better for performance, so try this one first even for track decals.

    Chroma color picker can be ignored: it doesn't do anything. It makes use of the alpha layer.
     
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  19. Leonardo Nogueira

    Leonardo Nogueira Registered

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    Thanks a lot guys! I'll test tomorrow and say if it works!
     
  20. Leonardo Nogueira

    Leonardo Nogueira Registered

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    It solves the problem... really, thanks a lot!!!!!
     
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