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Backgrounds and engine features

Posted: Thu Dec 24, 2015 6:15 am
by curious_jorge
Not sure if this is the appropriate place for these questions, but here goes:

1. Reading the list of moddable features, we can change the color of the sector and galaxy view backgrounds. Are these backgrounds pre-rendered images or gradients created by the in-game engine? Will we be able to input specific RGB color values for these and other moddable elements (assuming the latter)?

2. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I assume most of the UI elements and lighting effects are rendered in-game. Did you have to write your own vector graphics and shader functions from OpenGL to implement these features?

Thanks - looking forward to your game!

Re: Backgrounds and engine features

Posted: Thu Dec 24, 2015 9:46 pm
by StuartMorgan
Hi, the sector background colors are gradients rendered procedurally by the game engine and can be changed or new presets added.

This is an example of one of the xml files for a sector color:

Code: Select all

<ColourSector>
	<Name>Blue</Name>
	<Weight>1.0</Weight>
	<Colours>
		<Sector Background="52,72,88" GlowOuter="156,200,216" GlowInner="234,255,255" />
		<AsteroidBelt Primary="156,200,216" Secondary="182,227,235" Tertiary="208,255,255" />
		<PlanetRing Outer="156,200,216" Inner="234,255,255" />
	</Colours>
	<Asteroids>
		<Primary>Sphalerite</Primary>
		<Secondary>Acuminite</Secondary>
	</Asteroids>
</ColourSector>
As you can see the asteroid variants are also assigned to sector colors. This is so I can plan which asteroid colors to match with the background.

The UI, lighting and graphics are mostly created in Adobe Illustrator as vector graphics, but they are exported as large resolution textures to then be rendered in the game engine as simple 'billboard sprites' for performance reasons. They are not rendered as vector graphics in-game.

Re: Backgrounds and engine features

Posted: Fri Dec 25, 2015 5:38 am
by curious_jorge
Ah I see. Good to know! :D