RVMAT Does Not Shine. :(

[abs 2]

Hello,

I am having problems with an RVMAT that refuses to shine for me in the dark. I can see it shining in buldozer, but not in the game. It also worked in Arma2. Any advice?

ambient[]={0,0,0,1};diffuse[]={0,0,0,1};
forcedDiffuse[]={1,1,1,1};
emmisive[]={0,0,0.99999923,1};
specular[]={0,0,0,1};
specularPower=1;
PixelShaderID="Normal";
VertexShaderID="Basic";
class Stage1
{
   texture="STA3_Federation\STA3_Planets\Data\STA3_earthbump_NOHQ.paa";
   uvSource="tex";
   class uvTransform
   {
       aside[]={1,0,0};
       up[]={0,1,0};
       dir[]={0,0,1};
       pos[]={0,0,0};
   };
};
class Stage2
{
   texture="";
   uvSource="tex";
   class uvTransform
   {
       aside[]={1,0,0};
       up[]={0,1,0};
       dir[]={0,0,1};
       pos[]={0,0,0};
   };
};
class Stage3
{
   texture="";
   uvSource="tex";
   class uvTransform
   {
       aside[]={1,0,0};
       up[]={0,1,0};
       dir[]={0,0,1};
       pos[]={0,0,0};
   };
};
class Stage4
{
   texture="STA3_Federation\STA3_Planets\Data\STA3_earthspec_SMDI.paa";
   uvSource="tex";
   class uvTransform
   {
       aside[]={1,0,0};
       up[]={0,1,0};
       dir[]={0,0,1};
       pos[]={0,0,0};
   };
};
class Stage5
{
   texture="";
   uvSource="tex";
   class uvTransform
   {
       aside[]={1,0,0};
       up[]={0,1,0};
       dir[]={0,0,1};
       pos[]={0,0,0};
   };
};
class Stage6
{
   texture="";
   uvSource="tex";
   class uvTransform
   {
       aside[]={1,0,0};
       up[]={0,1,0};
       dir[]={0,0,1};
       pos[]={0,0,0};
   };
};
class Stage7
{
   texture="";
   uvSource="tex";
   class uvTransform
   {
       aside[]={1,0,0};
       up[]={0,1,0};
       dir[]={0,0,1};
       pos[]={0,0,0};
   };
};

Thanks in advance,

Abs

[abs 2]

Okay, so I've made headway in this a little bit.

I should be clear: using the RVMAT I posted above, I was able to achieve this glowing effect when post-processing was turned on. This is my goal again in Arma3.

I messed around with the RVMAT value, as I noticed that is appeared to be somewhat working, but it was barely noticeable. I came up with this:

ambient[]={1,1,1,1};
diffuse[]={0,0,0,1};
forcedDiffuse[]={1,1,1,1};
specular[]={1,0,0,1};
specularPower=1;
emmisive[]={100,10,10,100};
PixelShaderID="Normal";
VertexShaderID="Basic";

As you can see, I ramped everything up to values that would blind you in Arma2. It ended up with the following effect:

As you can see, the glow from the RVMAT is missing, despite the fact that I have all my video settings turned on to maximum.

I think what I need to do is to add actual reflectors to the model now, and I'm going to give that a shot. Naturally, since it's a new lighting engine there will be some changes expected. Hopefully I can get the desired effect I was looking for.

Thanks for all those who viewed this threat and genuinely tried to think of what was wrong.

Abs

[m1lkm8n 411]

Hey abs

I thought that for everything except spec power the numbers go from 0-1.

Try turning emissive to 1,1,1,1. I did that by accident on one of my floors inside my buildings and at night it was lite up like a Christmas tree lol

[da12thMonkey 1943]

Nah, BIS use values >1 in those arrays on a number of their Arma 3 .rvmats now. As Abs says, I guess it's down to the new lighting engine and rewritted shaders.

For example the tail-light glow on the hunter has

emmisive[] = {33500, 390, 38, 1};

the glass on the ACO collimator sight has

specular[] = {6, 6, 6, 1};

and the red-dot has

ambient[] = {10, 10, 10, 1};

These high values usually look really harsh in current Buldozer because by default it uses the Arma2/OA engine to render the shaders, but they seem to look okay ingame in Arma 3. I'd imagine they'll look okay in any updated version of Buldozer that might come with the future Arma 3 toolset and use the Arma 3 engine to render the viewer.

[abs 2]

I'd imagine they'll look okay in any updated version of Buldozer that might come with the future Arma 3 toolset and use the Arma 3 engine to render the viewer.

Over in the Visitor forum they're talking about using the A3 executable in place of buldozer...I haven't tried it myself yet, but it might help.

BTW, where did you come across those tail light values, mate?

Anyway, going to give the lights a shot at some point today and will report back here in case someone in the future has the same question.

Abs

[m1lkm8n 411]

It definitely works for visitor buldozer but like you I never tried it as a o2 replacement.

[da12thMonkey 1943]

BTW, where did you come across those tail light values, mate?

Sorry mate; I really can't remember exactly. I extracted the .rvmat I got those values from, from one of BIS's .pbos quite early on in the alpha. It was in order to try and help out in this thread. That particular data might have changed by now, given all the patches and updates to the .pbos and models.

I think I found it by browsing the hex data for the Hunter's .p3d with Notepad++, and searching for ".rvmat" in the text until I found a filename that sounded like it was for the tail lights.

I did make an attempt to use Arma3.exe as the O2 viewer a while ago (copy and pasting the .exe to P: drive and all that - tried several things). Couldn't get it to work with O2 - but I was just quickly doing a bunch of trial and error shit based on ideas being discussed by the fine gents in the Visitor forum. There may well still be a way to do it for somebody more dedicated and practical than I :D

Edited October 26, 2013 by da12thMonkey

[abs 2]

Nope...turns out I was wrong. I do not need reflectors...I just had to turn it up as bright as the values used in-game!

I put the red value up to 40,000 and I got this.

Thanks for the discussion, all!

Still would love to hear if anyone gets the A3 exe working with O2.

Cheers,

Abs

[da12thMonkey 1943]

Would be interesting to find out if the values of certain .rvmat parameters are now meant to correspond to any real-life quantities of light measurement or something (candelas, lumens, lux etc. or their associated radiometric equivalents) now that they don't appear to simply be a boolean colour array.

Looks cracking anyway mate! Nice work

[Caduseus 10]

Good info.

Model is looking good. Steady as she goes.