new GL tools

The GL tools are one of my favorite patches... unfortunately my compositions using the spline patch using v0.4 look a bit bitmapped when I installed the new version- I tried re inserting the (new) spline into the compositions and re connecting but it still have a jagged feel - the width and alpha dont seam to work with the patches I've made. I've had to reinstall the original. If anyone wants to have a look I'll forward on a patch I've been having problems with.

with the new GL tools installed this patch looks the line looks quite course and loses all the subtlety of the original. it seams much "solid" for want of another word - maybe something to do with the alpha perhaps~???

can anyone help on this??

there are a few things on the new version that look like best fun - but I dont fancy having to rebuild all of my previous work to take advantage of them

thanks for any comments / help / thoughts in advance

regards ~mark

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cwright's picture
blending

we've built a new version of gltools that extends the built-in blend modes and adds one more mode: a proper alpha blend mode. (we also recently added a torus patch too, but that's not related to this discussion).

you've got the beta in your hands, and we'll be doing some refining/clean up over the next day or two, and then pop out a beta release to stress test this extension (while conceptually simple, this is actually a somewhat invasive modification, changing a built-in port type's behaviour and all....)

toneburst's picture
Matrix Tools

Could you explain the usage of the Load Matrix and Matrix Multiply macro patches?

Cheers,

a|x

gtoledo3's picture
I was curious about this

I was curious about this myself and had found this when reading about GLSL...

"GLSL also has some built-in uniforms: gl_ModelViewMatrix 4x4 Matrix representing the model-view matrix.

gl_ModelViewProjectionMatrix 4x4 Matrix representing the model-view-projection matrix.

gl_NormalMatrix 3x3 Matrix representing the inverse transpose model-view matrix. This matrix is used for normal transformation."

Soooo..... that kinda explains it a little more for me, but I would like some more explanation of how that works/ the implications of this with this plug-in.

I have another GLSL question.... is "shadowing/drop shadows" something that is done with GLSL? Is there a way to make a lighting source create a drop shadow with an object in QC?.... even if it is just an "imitation" where you take the object, angle it, black/grey it out, and make it move in proper relation as if it was a shadow. I am fairly sure that even if it couldn't be done for real, that it could be faked somehow....

I don't play too many video games, but I was over at a friend's house watching him play some "shooter" game where there was a giant oak tree. There was a drop shadow on the ground that really looked great, and it has had me curious since seeing that.

shakinda's picture
line and point structure confused

hi, i seem to be missing the point... i have the new tools plugin in grid and line and point all working but don't seem to see anything in the viewer when i add a line structure or point structure render object to my comp....

cwright's picture
undemo'd

we had a demo of how to use these internally, but we didn't release it because it was incomplete. I'll try to whip up a functional example today and post it so you know what's going on and how to use it.

cwright's picture
(un)possible

it's difficult to say what's possible and what isn't with glsl -- it's a function of how clever you can be :) I'm certainly not one to ask about pulling off fancy stuff in glsl most of the time.

That said, "drop shadows" as you call them (actually just shadows) usually require a multi-pass algorithm or an accumulation buffer, neither of which QC supports. A plugin can manually do multi-pass rendering (sort of?), but nothing can change the lack of the accum buffer...

cwright's picture
valley of the real

Matrix Multiply has been in there forever, and I'm not sure what exactly it would be useful for. it sort of manually does the 3d Transformation stuff, but it's a bit difficult to use since it multiples whatever qc provides, matrix-wise.

The loader is a bit easier to use: It allows you to specify the projection or modelview matrices. These are used by OpenGL to set up the camera (the projection matrix), and set up how the object is mapped to screen space (the modelview matrix).

You have to know matrix math to use it effectively, but in effect, it allows for Asymetrical Frustums (useful for stereo projections), Look At matrices (google how to construct these), and other silly projections with the projection matrix, and it allows for translations, rotations, shears, scales, and other linear deformations with the modelview matrix. 3D transformation is basically a stripped down version of this, where it just allows translation and rotation.

If you'd like, I can whip up a simple, useless-but-somewhat-informative demo of how to do a shear or something...

toneburst's picture
Ah.. I see. No need for the

Ah.. I see. No need for the demo- I think I know where to find that kind of info, anyway.

a|x