[1.0.5] Reflection Plugin Continued 2.0

[Starwaster]

The shaders CAN be brought in from a text file if you want. Look at KSP.IO I think. I embedded my shaders simply because it was more convenient. If you want, I can take a look at the shaders to see if I can add translucency to them. KSP is *Probably* using the _Color or _Tint field to determine the highlighting and transparency (though I'd have to look at existing shaders to be sure).

It is using _Color. Be my guest any input is welcome

If you have the Unity editor you already have the code for them, if not let me know.

[rbray89]

It is using _Color. Be my guest any input is welcome

If you have the Unity editor you already have the code for them, if not let me know.

Ah, so you are using the default reflective shaders. I see! Looks like the Alpha component is used to determine the weight of the reflective component, and the shader isn't set as a transparent type. We can fix this easy. We can do one of two things. Either we move transparency to another channel (r,g or or move the reflective off alpha. Thoughts?

EDIT: Hmm... looks like the main tex is also used to get the specularity color. We would probably have to add another texture for transparency mapping. Unless we just want a single all-over transparency.

Edited March 5, 2014 by rbray89

[Starwaster]

Ah, so you are using the default reflective shaders. I see! Looks like the Alpha component is used to determine the weight of the reflective component, and the shader isn't set as a transparent type. We can fix this easy. We can do one of two things. Either we move transparency to another channel (r,g or or move the reflective off alpha. Thoughts?

EDIT: Hmm... looks like the main tex is also used to get the specularity color. We would probably have to add another texture for transparency mapping. Unless we just want a single all-over transparency.

Depends on whether we want to be able to mask transparency.

If the answer is no, then the solution gets a lot easier. Having played around with this in both Unity editor and by changing values in the module's settings, it doesn't seem like the alpha channel for main color (not the texture, there's an RGBA color setting), specular color or reflective color actually have any effect. If we're not interested in masking then you could piggyback transparency on one of those channels. And set it easily via the module settings.

The other reflective shader types are setup similarly but I'm not sure the same is true for all of them about the impact (or lack thereof) of alpha...

[frizzank]

If you want good looking reflections with transparency you need separate alpha, and reflective channels.

By combing them your forcing everything that is non-transparent is also non reflective.

[bulletrhli]

What kind of parts do the reflective shaders get applied too? I am unfamiliar with the mod and only have installed it and didn't see immediate results and some more info would be great

[Starwaster]

What kind of parts do the reflective shaders get applied too? I am unfamiliar with the mod and only have installed it and didn't see immediate results and some more info would be great

The parts need to be configured to use it. Look at the first page for example usage. Or download frizzank's FASA mod which uses it in his Mercury Atlas rocket

[blackheart612]

So I finally had some time to play with your plugin. I made it work. How do I mask all them parts I don't want to shine? What file do I create/change? Is it the map or something else?

[Starwaster]

So I finally had some time to play with your plugin. I made it work. How do I mask all them parts I don't want to shine? What file do I create/change? Is it the map or something else?

It's in the alpha channel.

Alpha controls strength:

[blackheart612]

So the bump's alpha channel?

[Starwaster]

So the bump's alpha channel?

No, your main texture, (or diffuse as it's sometimes referred to)

[CaptainKipard]

How hungry is this plugin?

[Starwaster]

How hungry is this plugin?

If you have multiple individual reflective parts on realtime reflection then it can get laggy. If you turn realtime off and give it a refresh of 300 or so (update every five minutes) then it's quite manageable. I notice very little lag that way, but I should also note that that's in game time so that refresh happens based on ship movement about a planet.

Eventually I want to give it the option of using only a single camera for the entire craft. Maybe tie it to the root part.

[frizzank]

The latest beta works well with the FASA parts. The Atlas is almost all reflective chrome and I have not had any complaints on performance because of it.

I also found out if you have several parts with the same update time it may stutter every few min when it tries to update all of the cube maps. I stagger them so they have a few seconds in between updates for each part. So one part would have a refresh of 290 and the next would be 310 it seams to help.

[blackheart612]

Cool, got it working, starwaster. Thanks man!

[frizzank]

I have found the need for animated emission on engines with reflections. Is this possible? Right now im breaking them up into multiple parts and the emissive parts dont reflect...

[jalapen0]

Looks like a great plugin. Are there any default cfg files out there for stock that stupid and or lazy people can use to get some of these nice reflections without a bunch of work? Not sayin I'm stupid or lazy, I'm just sayin.

[Mecripp]

Looks like a great plugin. Are there any default cfg files out there for stock that stupid and or lazy people can use to get some of these nice reflections without a bunch of work? Not sayin I'm stupid or lazy, I'm just sayin.

This will be bad get more then 6 parts with it, It can get laggy but if you can edit a cfg you will see how this puts it on all parts

https://www.dropbox.com/s/kp7j17u2i7c4r39/Reflection_shader_4ALL.cfg

EDIT LOL I did say it would be bad.

Edited April 10, 2014 by Mecripp2

[Starwaster]

I have found the need for animated emission on engines with reflections. Is this possible? Right now im breaking them up into multiple parts and the emissive parts dont reflect...

Are you sure it's not just washing out the reflection? Parts undergoing reentry seem like they still reflect when they start glowing, up to a point.

Looks like a great plugin. Are there any default cfg files out there for stock that stupid and or lazy people can use to get some of these nice reflections without a bunch of work? Not sayin I'm stupid or lazy, I'm just sayin.

Check the second post. Put the example code into a part config file. By default, all meshes on the part on the part will reflect. If it has multiple meshes then you can choose which meshes will reflect, if you know their names. (look at the line that has MeshesToChange in it, commented out)

This will be bad get more then 6 parts with it, It can get laggy but if you can edit a cfg you will see how this puts it on all parts

https://www.dropbox.com/s/kp7j17u2i7c4r39/Reflection_shader_4ALL.cfg

LOL, THAT config is just begging for trouble. I'd be afraid to try that even with realtime reflection turned off, at least with craft having lots of parts.

[Kerbal01]

this plugin is awesome,

If you have a tga with an alpha channel you can get some nice looking reflections.

PNG alpha does not work.

-le snip-

you should to add to add this to FASA!

[Mecripp]

you should to add to add this to FASA!

There aready in FASA.

[Starwaster]

you should to add to add this to FASA!

There aready in FASA.

Yeah, adding this to FASA is SOOoo last month

[Kerbal01]

Yeah, adding this to FASA is SOOoo last month

Blerg... Guess I Didn't really notice (I still use 3.70)

[frizzank]

Are you sure it's not just washing out the reflection? Parts undergoing reentry seem like they still reflect when they start glowing, up to a point.

The reflection shader overwrites the shader that's on the part correct? The animated emisive shader is applied in Unity on export of the part, so if you give it a reflection, no more emissive. The reentry effect is more of a post effect I thought.

Blerg... Guess I Didn't really notice (I still use 3.70)

You don't know what your missing....

[blackheart612]

I'd like to report some issue, I think this isn't compatible with FSTextureSwitcher It refuses to switch

[Starwaster]

I'd like to report some issue, I think this isn't compatible with FSTextureSwitcher It refuses to switch

I'm not sure it makes sense that it would be compatible. Are you trying to force a texture change to something non-reflective? Or just trying to switch texture itself? Is the normal map being changed too?

Are there logged errors?