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Atmospheric light scattering FAQ: Difference between revisions
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Technically, '''Atmospheric Light Scattering''', '''ALS''', is a forward rendering framework for FlightGear, supplying a series of GLSL shader effects with consistent position-differential lighting and fogging for the whole scene. | |||
Conceptually, ALS serves to make the Flightgear visuals realistic, committing the computing power of the graphics card predominantly to what a pilot gets to see most during flight, i.e. chiefly visuals in the air, from the cockpit. Primarily this is, as the name suggests [[Atmospheric light scattering| light scattering in the atmosphere]] on the air and haze and visuals of sky and clouds, then [[Procedural Texturing| hires dynamical texturing]] of the terrain and finally support for effects on 3d models. Things like aircraft shadows or secondary lights, the speciality of [[Project Rembrandt]] are minimally supported by ALS since they are relevant primarily on the ground and cost a lot of performance. | Conceptually, ALS serves to make the Flightgear visuals realistic, committing the computing power of the graphics card predominantly to what a pilot gets to see most during flight, i.e. chiefly visuals in the air, from the cockpit. Primarily this is, as the name suggests [[Atmospheric light scattering| light scattering in the atmosphere]] on the air and haze and visuals of sky and clouds, then [[Procedural Texturing| hires dynamical texturing]] of the terrain and finally support for effects on 3d models. Things like aircraft shadows or secondary lights, the speciality of [[Project Rembrandt]] are minimally supported by ALS since they are relevant primarily on the ground and cost a lot of performance. | ||
== I am an aircraft developer, how do I make use of ALS effects? == | |||
Like any rendering framework, ALS has a simple default technique to render models. For more interesting effects (normal, reflection or dirt maps) it supports the [[Model-combined effect]] which is also supported by the other rendering frameworks (default and [[Project Rembrandt]]). | Like any rendering framework, ALS has a simple default technique to render models. For more interesting effects (normal, reflection or dirt maps) it supports the [[Model-combined effect]] which is also supported by the other rendering frameworks (default and [[Project Rembrandt]]). | ||
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In addition, there is support for several ALS-specific effects: hires grain overlay, raindrop splashes, simple aircraft shadows, canopy glass and shading of the cockpit interior. These are documented in the [[ALS technical notes]]. | In addition, there is support for several ALS-specific effects: hires grain overlay, raindrop splashes, simple aircraft shadows, canopy glass and shading of the cockpit interior. These are documented in the [[ALS technical notes]]. | ||
== I am a custom scenery developer, how do I make use of ALS terrain texturing? == | |||
ALS has extensive support for [[Procedural Texturing]] which is xml-configurable in the (regional) [[Howto:Editing tile textures and materials| materials file]]. | ALS has extensive support for [[Procedural Texturing]] which is xml-configurable in the (regional) [[Howto:Editing tile textures and materials| materials file]]. | ||
[[Category:Shaders]] | |||