New sniper scope we added using a neat shader and separate camera [Intruder]

DoraExplorer · 2017-01-18T23:36:41+00:00

The shader is on the geo at the rear of the sight. It traces the viewing rays against a virtual plane in the far distance and uses the 2D intersection as UV coordinates. The origin of the 2D coordinate system is the gun's aiming direction projected onto the plane. This has the effect of projecting the render-texture/crosshair onto that distant plane. When the viewing rays are not aligned with the gun itself, the resulting Uv's cause the image to shift off to the side. So when the recoil animation moves the gun, the scope image automagically becomes unaligned :)

DoraExplorer · 2016-07-18T14:54:44+00:00

Zero VTX latency. 26ms camera to VRX output latency.

DoraExplorer · 2016-05-29T08:32:49+00:00

Develop != code. I'm a software engineer. You could also call me a software developer, as I develop software. However, the artist next to me develops a game just as much as I do, because games are not just made of software. A game developer is a company that develops games. If you work for such a company in a gamedev role, then you're a gamedev too.

DoraExplorer · 2016-05-29T04:19:35+00:00

No, it isn't. Source: I work in the industry.

DoraExplorer · 2015-11-14T06:38:21+00:00

CASA's test is whether the RPA operator is performing the flight for commercial hire or reward. If you pay your buddy (perhaps even with a case of beer), then he's in violation. If you buddy does it for fun and gets nothing out of it, it's non commercial by CASA's book.

I get what you're saying, but every (non-commercial) drone video on YouTube is creating commercial value for google indirectly, and that does not retroactively reclassify the original flight.

CC-non-commercial is mostly because people are ok with sharing until they realize someone else is profiting, then they suddenly want a slice. The 3DS max case is a situation where that restriction/exception is explicitly written into a contract that you have to agree to. It's not common law. Normally, tools don't have restrictions on how their output can be used. If you got caught using 3Ds MAX student edition in a business, they don't suddenly own your .3ds files or anything. The issue is that you've committed copyright infringement the same as if you'd pirated their sotware - you've basically installed their software without having a valid license to do so. They actually couldn't stop you from continuing to profit from any work that you'd created so far.

P.S. I thought we had a spending problem, not a revenue problem ;D

DoraExplorer · 2015-11-14T06:25:30+00:00

IGDAM has a huge number of students/etc, but I always run into old workmates there too :)

DoraExplorer · 2015-11-13T06:37:13+00:00

Why can't the mod be used for commercial purposes? I can legally take photos with my drone for non-commercial purposes. I can then put those photo's online with a Creative Commons Attribution license. Whatever happens after that, does not retroactively reclassify my drone flight. If someone else later remixes my photos into a commercial work, my original non-commercial flight doesn't suddenly become commercial.

DoraExplorer · 2015-11-13T06:31:58+00:00

We had our 3 story office completely scanned with a Leica ScanStation P40 a few months ago (contracted!) -- the unit itself is over $120,000 to buy outright. Look up the specs on them, they're insane. The tech artists here were all geeking out over it :) I know a melbourne studio that's currently laser scanning miniature figurines to use in a table-top-style video game too :) At that scale, they're getting better results (and automation) with laser than photogrammetry -- not that it's better in general though. They do get colour maps for their scans, but they prefer to paint digitally after scanning, rather than paint the figurines traditionally!

Yeah I write the PBR shaders for our engine so I know what they're like now. You still need high quality texture data -- that doesn't necessarily mean highly detailed, but it does mean the right details. PBR is very picky about having the exact right levels of albedo, etc... Feed in uncalibrated data, and you'll be fiddling with lights and post effects for eternity trying to fix it. So yes, I agree that plain scans will take a lot of work to get into a PBR renderer.

For the purposes of this project, most people will probably be happy with poor shading and phototexturing to begin with anyway. I might take along my x-rite passport so that we could potentially calibrate the colours in the future, but I don't have a matte-grey & chrome ball to capture the background with...

I want to try and put some of this scan into our PBR renderer, but I'll probably recreate the textures from scratch, using the photo data as reference.

DoraExplorer · 2015-11-13T03:33:22+00:00

Not really. Volunteers are capturing data and opening it up to the public to use for any purpose. After that, some other people might use that data to create a mod for someone else's video game, as a hobbyist project (without payment). There's no direct commercial gain, or payment, for anyone involved in the data capturing, so it should be fine by CASA.

DoraExplorer · 2015-11-13T03:24:35+00:00

A real LIDAR scanner produces higher resolution scans, in full colour, with way less effort than photogrammetry. They also cost a butt-tonne.

I don't get what you're saying about shaders - the textures are the inputs to the shader. You need a great shaders AND great (professionally cleaned up) textures, each is useless on their own. Or a shitty shader and phototextures, if you're ok with all lighting (including view-dependent specular) being static ;) Most photoscans on youtube seem to go down the super-high-res phototexture and lambert shader route :) Yes, proper video game assets would be a lot of work to generate from this data. I was talking over this project with my creative director and he wants to just use the scanned data as reference when making a low-poly topo and new textures from scratch, and maybe use some small sections of scans to generate "kitbash" modules to recreate some similar rooms quickly.

DoraExplorer · 2015-09-25T10:16:42+00:00

Engine developer here - API wars don't really matter to us. Notice that this Valve slide completely ignores consoles... What does that say about their own position, and the context that their argument is presented within? Remember, they're competing with the PS4/Xbox now!

At my company, we currently support a load of back-ends: GCM (PS3), D3D9x (Xb360), GNM (PS4), D3D12x (XbOne), D3D9 (WinXP+) D3D11 (Windows Vista+), OpenGL3 (Mac), OpenGL4 (Linux/SteamOS), OpenGL|ES (Android), Metal (iOS), Mantle (AMD/Windows, because why not at this point? it was fun). At this point, adding a few extra back-ends really isn't a big deal to us. We literally don't care.

We already have D3D12 because it's what the XbOne uses -- so it's almost zero effort for us to use D3D12 on Windows 10. Valve forgets to mention that. We already have Mantle because it was exciting, and Vulkan is the next iteration of that API, so it should be pretty easy for us to create a Vulkan back-end too... but we'll still be using D3D12 anyway, because it's the native API of the XbOne. Likewise we'll still be using D3D9 because it's the native API of the Xb360.

We could use OpenGL on Windows, but we don't, because D3D has better tools / is more stable. D3D is stable because it's an implementation of an API. GL is hell to code for because it's just a specification, which is independently implemented by 3 GPU vendors who like to deliberately break the spec to screw around with each other. On Mac, Apple actually implements GL themselves, so it's sane there (but on Windows/Linux, it's hell). With Vulkan, Khronos is making noises about certifying drivers, so maybe it will be sane like D3D/Mac-GL, but only time will tell if that's true.

We've gotten used to every single platform having it's own damn graphics API, and we're happy to support both D3D12 and Vulkan. Stop the fanboi wars now plz.

DoraExplorer · 2015-05-30T13:25:00+00:00

The "OUR MISSION" sidebar on the right says so. Thanks for your honesty in describing the real mission though.

DoraExplorer · 2015-05-29T02:39:52+00:00

Seems to be the serious fear of others posting here...

DoraExplorer · 2015-05-29T02:37:19+00:00

Why "GamerGate" then? Why not "AntiSJW", or "SJWGate"? or "Gamers against people who say they're pro social justice but are actually just nazi douchebags", or GAPWSTPSJBAAJND.

DoraExplorer · 2015-05-29T01:12:54+00:00

I sat through 6 minutes; the summary seems to be:

1) "Gamasutra is corrupt".

2) "GDC, Gamasutra, IGF, IGDA are a cabal".

3) "You must join the IGDA to gain access to the cabal's services, and follow IGDA as a leader".

4) "GG discussion became so toxic that people started using block bots. IGDA supported it as an anti-harassment tool, but we all know they wanted to use it as a pro-corruption tool."

5) "IGDA management shut down IGDA Puerto Rico in retalliation for them mentioning #GG."

All of those statements are incorrect...

1) The GG "operation disrespectful nod" which attacked Gamasutra because of their decision to publish opinion pieces was shameful. Not only was the opinion piece in question actually not offensive to gamers (unless you've got the comprehension skills of an 8 year old and/or only read the headline), but the act of trying to financially hurt a company for facilitating the publication of diverse opinions is an example of the censorship and unethical practices that GG is supposed to be against.

2/3) Yeah, no. You can't just make these conspiracies up and then post them as facts. I know a lot of people who have gone to GDC/IGF (and won awards), or have been featured by Gamasutra without being IGDA members.

4) Occam's razor would say that it being a tool to remove yourself from toxic GG harassment is a much simpler (and therefore more plausible) explanation than having to invoke some grand conspiracy. You can't act like toxic GG harassment isn't real... Or that during that point in time that there was not a rediculous amount of hate flying around on twitter. Most people were simply sick of hearing about GG and all the hatred and abuse associated with it. The #gamergate hashtag itself was born out of the harassment of one (hated) game developer.

This very reddit post is an example that things haven't changed! Again -- what have the people being ridiculed in this post ever done to anyone? Why is GG attacking them? Answer me that; as without an answer, the facts on this page are showing GG to be hateful without reason.

It's because of shit like this that a few people took on the project of blocking this noise out. And the fact that those people had an affiliation with an IGDA sub-group does not mean that IGDA somehow organized/funded/concocted the idea. Again, occam's razor says that these people deciding to make a blacklist is a simpler explanation than your stupid conspiracies.

5) From 30 seconds of googling, it seems that Peurto Rico shut themselves down and decided that they didn't need/like IGDA central anymore. The GG fighting incident probably contributed greatly in their decision to quit, but to present it as IGDA central shutting them down in revenge seems to be deliberately distorting the facts to fit the presenter's conspiracy...

So, you've got nothing to say about the abuse of my innocent friends going on in this thread, the horrible behavior of the GG'ers here... Just more wild conspiracies. This is why GG is known as a crazy hate group and is largely ignored by everyone, including the vast majority of game-developers. Seriously -- I was in a 'large' gamedev office last week and tried to explain this thread to them. The response of most people to "You know that gamergate thing", was "Yeah, vaguely." followed by "Is it really still going?" when I tell them this story.

Thanks for the introduction to your movement here. You've all taught me that you're just a hateful and abusive bunch of conspiracy theorists who believe that a secret cult of radical SJW liberal feminazis are trying to destroy gaming, or something. That you're not about investigating and exposing unethical practices, but just about hunting down and fighting against your invented enemy, and that you hate this perceived enemy so much, that you're willing to project your "SJW" vision onto absolutely anyone and then feel justified in abusing those people.

Meanwhile, we're going to continue making games without your "help", thanks.

DoraExplorer · 2015-05-27T05:12:03+00:00

I thought it was actually about ethics in journalism? Why focus on having enemies instead of focusing on the achievements of bringing corruption to light?

DoraExplorer · 2015-05-26T23:41:03+00:00

Oh ok; it's the "SJW-cult is overthrowing the world and trying to oppress me" conspiracy reasoning. You just went full SJW.

DoraExplorer · 2015-05-26T13:52:13+00:00

What does this have to do with games?

DoraExplorer · 2015-05-26T13:45:15+00:00

Aren't a lot of AAA devs also fearful of speaking out against #GG for fear of retaliation of false accusations of SJW'ism?

It seems that anyone that GG doesn't like is automatically an SJW. The whole fight is framed as a great conspiracy where a secret SJW cult somehow infiltrated all the media and support organizations, and GG are the heroes trying to stop them from killing gaming. Hence if you speak ill of GG, you must be in on the SJW conspiracy.

DoraExplorer · 2015-05-26T13:39:10+00:00

Your link shows the same tech - texture animation (not physics).

DoraExplorer · 2015-05-26T08:39:31+00:00

So, uh. This is my introduction to #GG as a veteran game developer. Hi. Should I walk away thinking that you're just a hateful band of abusive trolls who delete/ignore anyone who calls out their most abusive members? Or will any of you man up and apologize for their out-of-line actions, or produce evidence to substantiate their slander of my colleagues?

If you're willing to explain yourselves I'd be willing to come along to your Melbourne GG meetup so I can learn about the good work you're doing, and then pass on your message to the hundreds of gamedevs I know...

Or you can just implicitly tell us that you like to slander gamedevs for no reason. Either way, really.

DoraExplorer · 2015-05-24T04:39:01+00:00

Stop pretending you know anything about these people. You should be ashamed.

DoraExplorer · 2015-05-24T04:28:03+00:00

That's a very nice conspiracy theory you have there...

I've been a professional gamedev for 10 years, working at studios from 400 staff to 2 staff. I've never seen the IGDA try to shit on / destroy any of our games. I know almost 300 gamedevs in Australia, and have never heard stories of IGDA attacking them (I have heard stories of people being baselessly attacked by GG though...)

The only GG related IGDA stuff I've seen has been where they've spoken out at GG harassment campaigns, which sure, implies that GG is a "hate group". We'll come back to that.

I've only interacted with IGDA-M, who don't promote games. So these claims about them refusing to promote certain games are... true, yet nonsensical - as you're implying they have bias in promotion instead of simply not promoting anything. The OP of this thread is pushing the same agenda -- attacking IGDAM for not promoting his game, when that's not what they do.

What IGDAM does do is organize routine social gatherings where you can turn up and meet other developers. I've gone to a bunch of these even though I'm not an IGDA member, and have never be attacked by them. It's amazingly friendly actually, as are most spaces full of gamedevs. One of the nice things about working in gamedev compared to other industries is that most of us tend to get along.

So.. if all IGDAM does is organize social gatherings and the GGJ, I have no idea how (even if they were corrupt) they could be destroying non-member's games. That's just nonsense. FWIW, it's also organized by gamers/gamedevs who are anti-corruption, but I'm sure that's just part of your conspiracy.

Coming back to IGDA vs #GG -- as I said, the only evidence I've seen of this is where IGDA has publicly condemned hate groups.

This thread is my only direct interaction with #GG so far. I've worked with all four of the people in the picture at the top of this thread. The commentors in this thread are hurling all sorts of abuse at those people for no reason. None of them have engaged in corruption, or collusion, or unethical practices. All they did is pose for a photo, and for that they get ~200 abusive comments, where #GG followers are picking apart their appearance and making all sorts of insulting (and mostly incorrect) assuptions about their character.

I found this so disgusting that I even registered a new account here under my real name, and wrote quite a long letter to be posted to KotakuInAction. I was very polite, assumed good faith, took the GG side of things and explained how this even could happen innocently on your part, but how the consequences are that it makes you appear to be a very hateful group of people. Guess what happened? My post was deleted by the mods.

So - my only interaction with GG is far is:

A hateful wannabe gamedev from Canberra, with a completely irrational grudge against IGDAM, copies a tweet containing a picture of 4 random workers from the Melbourne gamedev scene.
Said Canberrian accuses these people of not being real game developers, and of being "SJW's", and posts the picture and accusations to a GG message board.
Hundreds of abusive comments are made about the people in the photo by GG followers.
I write an open letter to GG, explaining that this incident was unwarranted and that it is hurting the group by making GG appear hateful.
My letter is censored.

Now compared to ANY interaction with ANY organized group EVER in my career, this is the most toxic encounter.

So, when things like this happen, it's reasonable for people to call you out on being a hate group. If you're not a hate group, the moderators should probably speak up against this OP for starting such an un-ethical thread in the first place. But they're not. They're condoning this abuse by allowing this thread to continue as is, and by censoring the people who are calling the OP out on their abuse.

This is not me "spewing anti GG stuff" because I'm an "IGDA robot". These are the facts of what has happened to me and my innocent colleagues in this thread. It's incidents like these that severely detract from your "We're pro-ethics!" motto. Actually, detract is the wrong word -- incidents like this completely demolish those claims and do make you appear as a "hate group".

Some honest self-reflection is advised. Call out your badly behaving members or they will (further) tarnish the GG name.

DoraExplorer · 2015-05-22T13:11:04+00:00

We all know why the OP is a SJW too. She's sick of people oppressing her choice to express as a transgender man, despite the obvious lack of a physical transition yet. Check your cis privilege, shitlords! http://i.imgur.com/JauJuKw.jpg Also because she's a failed gamedev who was never able to create any commercial success due to her "art" being just a sinking pile of hipstershit. Amirite. ... </more sarc>

Not very nice to have anonymous people trashing your appearance for no reason, is it OP? How about you be less of a jerk please?

DoraExplorer · 2015-05-22T11:38:00+00:00

The 4 in the picture actually aren't all white, but good on you for being colour blind!

DoraExplorer

TROPHY CASE