Feedback: Fire

xot · 2007-10-13 10:55:02

I've been experimenting with video feedback concepts in Game Maker lately. One of the cooler -er- hotter effects I've come up with is fire. I guess I'm breaking my own rule in my very first post in this forum since this doesn't actually use any scripts from GMLscripts.com, but it could conceivably use draw_me(). Well, that's my story anyway and I'm sticking to it. I think it looks nice and it is a super fast effect.

The way it works is, each step I draw a sprite at the bottom of the screen (a surface really). Then the surface is drawn on top of itself three times, shifted to the upper-left, upper-right, and directly above. This has two effects: making the image scroll upward, and continuously blurring the surface as it scrolls. By the time a row of pixels reaches the top it is extremely blurry. I also draw a gradient over everything to darken the rows as they near the top.

I found that the most important factor to get it to look good is selecting a good range of colors. I used black body radiation spectrum as my guide. This is the spectrum of color that something goes through as it is heated, from black to red hot to yellow to white hot. I don't mean to sound too technical, I really just eyeballed it. This is the only graphic used and I'm amazed out how effective it is:

Here's the editable:
Download video-feedback-underwater.gmk from Host-A

Schreib · 2007-10-13 18:06:44

This is a very interesting effect. While the top of the flames are very beautiful and believable (esp. at faster speeds) the lower parts where the fire is created is a bit split and non-commune. It would look better if the "fire pieces" in the bottom were closer to eachother. You could also possibly add a randomwavy (not sine-wave) effect.

Great work!

xot · 2007-10-14 08:28:38

I probably won't be making any more changes, but please feel free to experiment and report what you find here. From my tinkering, the one thing that is clear is, this is a fragile effect. Tiny changes can have large effects, and controlling it is about as easy as controlling real fire. I never had much luck with any wavy effects or slanted motion as errors would slip in at the edges and make for some ugly artifacts. Maybe if I had used a wider surface that wouldn't be an issue. Scanline rendering effects are another possibility but that would slow things down tremendously. I'm rather pleased with how ridiculously fast this effect is right now.

IamCalle · 2007-10-20 15:12:31

Woah! Finally a non-FPS consuming, fancy effect. =)
Interresting indeed, I will def. experiment with this.

xot · 2007-10-20 16:05:20

If anybody makes anything with this effect, some credit would be nice. Thanks.

IamCalle · 2007-10-20 16:43:06

Ofcourse! Credits is always given from me.

Last edited by IamCalle (2007-10-20 16:44:00)

Grand-High Gamer · 2007-10-21 06:24:53

The only concievable problem I can see with the effect is the "interlacing" lines.

IamCalle · 2007-10-21 08:14:10

Yes, I noticed that too.
Hmm, maybe blurring the whole surface in some way?

Grand-High Gamer · 2007-10-21 09:30:10

I'd have a look at the editable but I can't seem to find my reg-key papers.

Bryan · 2007-10-21 10:39:51

Is it just me, or are there horizontal and vertical thingies in there?

Last edited by Bryan (2007-10-21 10:42:55)

xot · 2007-10-21 12:49:25

There are definitely horizontal lines, because I'm skipping scanlines as I scroll. I see the vertical lines in your image, but I'm at a loss as to how they got there, I've never seen that on my screen. It might be caused by drawing a surface to itself. I had a feeling this effect might look different on different screens. Also, are you using 32-bit color depth? I've noticed some feedback effects go to hell on 16-bit displays (although this one doesn't seem to have a problem for me in 16-bits). What graphics card are you using?

Bryan · 2007-10-21 14:23:37

Its most likely my graphics card wink Its a built in one made by intel.. 82945G... *Wants a better one*

Vicces · 2009-11-11 04:58:52

AWSOME!
Useful in my new game:

xot · 2009-11-11 12:08:14

Thanks very much for sharing that, it's gratifying to know something I've worked on has found a use.

Is this game available to play? Do you have it posted on YoYo?

icuurd12b42 · 2009-11-12 23:41:11

You should check out my Visual Music program, and check out my Visualisation scripts in it (which you can edit with notepad). I do fire like this.

GMLscripts.com

#1 2007-10-13 10:55:02

Feedback: Fire

#2 2007-10-13 18:06:44

Re: Feedback: Fire

#3 2007-10-14 08:28:38

Re: Feedback: Fire

#4 2007-10-20 15:12:31

Re: Feedback: Fire

#5 2007-10-20 16:05:20

Re: Feedback: Fire

#6 2007-10-20 16:43:06

Re: Feedback: Fire

#7 2007-10-21 06:24:53

Re: Feedback: Fire

#8 2007-10-21 08:14:10

Re: Feedback: Fire

#9 2007-10-21 09:30:10

Re: Feedback: Fire

#10 2007-10-21 10:39:51

Re: Feedback: Fire

#11 2007-10-21 12:49:25

Re: Feedback: Fire

#12 2007-10-21 14:23:37

Re: Feedback: Fire

#13 2009-11-11 04:58:52

Re: Feedback: Fire

#14 2009-11-11 12:08:14

Re: Feedback: Fire

#15 2009-11-12 23:41:11

Re: Feedback: Fire

Board footer