Functions help for editing the uneditable

[PG]

I've been trying to edit various parts of my scene by using functions but have found that most parts of my scene won't touch functions with a bargepole, sunlight nodes for example, is there anyway that I can edit sunlight objects with nodes or do I have to wait for the SDK?

[jo]

Hi PG,

Although I don't have an answer myself, if you can say what you're trying to do that might help.

Regards,

Jo

[PG]

One of the things I've been trying is to manipulate the rays of light passing through certain types of clouds to create different effects like halos in cirrus clouds or rainbows in rainclouds. Although TG2 doesn't simulate particles like rain I can synthesize it if I can calculate the scattering coefficient of rays of light passing through the atmosphere. The existing atmosphere already has rayleigh scattering but it's difficult to manipulate it directly.

Basically I need a way to get the sunlight vector to a particular area and then manipulate properties of those rays of light with functions.

[jo]

Hi,

Matt would need to confirm it, but AFAIK there is no way to do what you want.

Regards,

Jo

[rcallicotte]

Maybe it will possible with the SDK?  If not, I don't care.  Just wondering.

[PG]

That's what I was thinking but even then, editing something like that would have to be done at a higher level, effectively like an interface that adjusts values that are returned by the methods that control light.

[Oshyan]

This kind of deeper access is mainly available for terrain and texture manipulation - I would say the atmosphere is a bit behind in this area. However you can do some tricky things with clouds that may approach what you're aiming for. BigBen has a good example project here: http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?topic=3517.0

- Oshyan

[PG]

Yes I was very impressed by this, and for once I can actually see what the functions are doing (mostly) although some of them are renamed so I don't know what they are

[Hetzen]

That rainbow exapmle is interesting, but I've got to say that it would be far, far easier comping on a layer in photoshop. I know I maybe missing the point a little, but even so.

[PG]

lol. maybe a little. I like doing things procedurally...unless it's programming of course.