SPARKS

If you guys wanted to simulate sparks caused by bullet imapacts on metal objects such as vehicles etc, would you....


Use an animated sprite / particle sys?

Object based particles with gravity?

Any other approaches?


It's for an FPS, but I guess less is more? Couple the animated sprite with a light source?

I am simulating m16's and ak47's

Particle for sure with some random spreading so each time bullet collision happen it will not be obvious repeated same animation set..

Hmmm...

Ok...My first thought would be to create say, 10 particles in one pass and then let them randomize and fall etc.

Would you light source the initial flash at particle creation? I am thinking of creating a low-glow light (red - yellow) to follow the falling sparks.

Would you have the sparks bounce off of the surface they strike?

Too many options! :)

I just thought of this, couldn't you take the X Y and Z velocity of the object just as it hits another object, then move the particles like

MoveEntity Particle,-X,-Y,-Z

to move them the opposite way that the object was moving?

Try those options and select the one which pleases you the most.

I'd rather try what pleases others first; I have been looking at my code for 4 years now....I am tainted! :)

You know, you make a nice graphic/texture or object. It 'wows' you for a day or so....you show your non-interested wife / husband / dog / cat ....and they say "Ummmm yeah, that looks err...cool" [yep, my pets can speak]

After a while, it just looks like stuff....and this community scares me; PPL cant even place a gun in the left hand without 100 posts telling him "it's not the way to do it!!!"


Anyhow, I will try the easiest: Sprite based method to see if the effect is appropriate, but will need to look at actual particles that react with the terrain / walls etc. I have other requirments within my game that require non-sprite particles (rock debris / falling leaves / birds / fish)

@ Green Fire

Good idea, I used this with my grenades as they bounce off of the terrain.
(if the Greande heads at a 45 degree angle when it hits the ground,

it loses 1/3 of its forward speed due to friction.

it flips the fall angle 45 deg to -45 and then takes off a 1/3

Works ok. Not 'great' physics, but effective.

Just watch out with particles as if you have a rapid firing gun, it may produce too many particles and slow your game down. Have a limit on the number of onscreen particles, or spark particles and stop producing them if that limit is exceeded.

Yeah. Thats my major concern. I have a whole lot going on as it is- and I think im near the limit. (no object based LOD atm)

I do that effect with Particle Candy. I just put the particle emitter where the bullet hits.

You can see what I am doing by downloading the alpha build of Hover Cube. If you shoot a green target cube then you get a small explosion with green particles that shoot off.

Download is in my sig. There are some screenshots in the Blitz Showcase.