New Tutorial: UI Render To Texture

A feature in Ground Branch requires rendering Unreal textures to the UI, so while adding support for that, I figured I might as well get render targets worked too. The idea was to use it to render models in the UI, letting the player preview various bits of kit before choosing them.

You’d think that rendering a 3D model in the UI would be easy… well, it is… now that I know how, but getting there was a right pain in the arse. Information I found on the subject either wasn’t very helpful or was just plain wrong – especially the part about using the function SetExternalTexture() function.

Grrr.

Anyways, after going through the motions – and much swearing and general confusion -  I tried something different and, to my knowledge, no one else had suggested. It was almost perfect and, as usual, it was one bloody line. A couple of minor tweaks later and I was done.

Thought I better save someone from a potential aneurism and put up a tutorial on it.

Or is it aneurysm?

*shrug*

Tutorial: UI Render To Texture

TFP demo link updated (again)

MediaFire thinks the TFP demo file is corrupt or encrypted.
I guess it doesn’t like 7zip

Giving 4shared a try instead.
May just grab a cheap domain at some point with a bit of space.
Beats juggling files between sharing sites.

Ground Branch is coming along at a fairly steady, albeit sometimes slow, pace. Should be getting it to a point where we can have a basic online game amongst the devs. Should be a great boost to our morale and drive.

Back to it.

TFP demo link & Oculus Rift

True First Person Demo

A number of people informed me they could not download the TFP Demo from Gamefront. I finally got around to adding an alternate link. Until I know better, I just went with Mediafire.

When I get the time, I do intend to create a new version of the TFP demo based on the UDK classes and the ‘new project’ option. It’ll include a custom player model, though if I do that myself, don’t expect anything of any particular quality.

Oculus Rift

Be interesting to see where this goes.

I imagine a responsive 3D virtual reality headset making internet and gaming addiction even worse. Add to that the number of alternate input devices that will help reduce the disconnect between worlds and we’ll soon get people losing themselves to the game world.

Interesting times.

The Rift SDK is scheduled for release in March (give or take), so with any luck we’ll get a UDK release with native support shortly there after. Along with the UDK, you have Unity with native support, so it won’t be too long there after before a game comes along that focuses on using the Rift in a fashion that is fun, engaging and potentially addictive.

Virtual skydiving anyone?

Where the hell is Kris?

G’day, been a bit a busy lately, working on Ground Branch.

I was contacted in August by John Sonedecker about possibly helping out in the coding department. Given the similarity in goals, it seemed like a great match, so I dove in and went nuts. Two months later, things are progressing quite well. Many systems have been updated or created a new and most of the existing code has been replaced. Nothing playable, but a good base to work from.

Blender to UDK update #2 & new tutorial

Thanks to a gentleman over at the UDK forums, I can now get from Blender to UDK with the correct model orientation.

As such, I updated the MakeHuman to Blender page, splitting off the Blender to UDK section to its own page.

Both pages include more information, along with screenshots and suggestions on scale etc.

Enjoy.

Blender to UDK update

Still have not sorted out the model orientation issue, but it seems that once you add some animations, everything rights itself. Not sure if this will cause problems further down the line, so I will continue to look for a solution.

Blender IK/Constraint baking & FBX exporter

I am getting more familiar with Blender every day, but despite the plethora of turials, advice and forums, I still have a hard time finding some things.

• Stopping the orientation issue after FBX export.
  Mesh faces down no matter what forward or up direction you choose.
• Stopping the armature being added as root bone after FBX export.
• Baking IK/constraints.

Thankfully, I have a solution to the latter two.