MisterMayhem
06-03-2008 23:14:50
I've seen an approach in some games where a greyscale texture is used to add detail close up, but fade out at a distance, probably beyond its last useful mipmap. From what I've read, this black and white detail texture averages out to half-values, and modulates the underlying pass, brighter where it exceeds half-value, and darker where it is below. This allows for it to seemlessly fade with distance.
It is a fairly effective approach used by the Torque engine, and I think I've seen it in the PC Halo demo on rocks and things. It is efficient in that it isn't in effect for polys that are far away.
My concern is that a naive approach would have too much overdraw for all the far away polys. I wonder if anyone has dealt with this approach effectively and efficiently? I think it would really add to the already great terrain.
It is a fairly effective approach used by the Torque engine, and I think I've seen it in the PC Halo demo on rocks and things. It is efficient in that it isn't in effect for polys that are far away.
My concern is that a naive approach would have too much overdraw for all the far away polys. I wonder if anyone has dealt with this approach effectively and efficiently? I think it would really add to the already great terrain.