how to create a beam of light

Graphics and GPU Programming Programming

Started by makingroulette March 27, 2005 07:58 AM

4 comments, last by mirex 19 years ago

110

Author

March 27, 2005 07:58 AM

does anyone know how to create the effect of a light beam, i don't want it to be strong a bit like the light beam from the BATMAN movies where the light points into the sky. or the beam from a spotlight pointing towards the ground, so that if your looking at it side on you see a cone shape beam

Aldenar

378

March 27, 2005 02:17 PM

Check out Light Shafts by Jason Mitchell. It is possible to achieve very nice results with that technique, but it is fillrate intensive.

Zakwayda

2,389

March 27, 2005 02:20 PM

In Quake 3 it was just a mesh with an appropriate shader. IIRC, the shader was translucent white with maybe some swirling dust particles, etc. Of cource that was a while ago - more recent games may employ more sophisticated methods. But the Quake 3 method might be a good place to start.

Anonymous

March 27, 2005 08:25 PM

NeHe hosts a demo of some cheap light beams - under S in the downloads section. I have never checked this out so I dont know if it is entirely suitable.

Fahrenheit451

498

March 27, 2005 08:27 PM

Sorry. That was me. Mistakingly posted as AP. Here is the correct message with the links.

NeHe hosts a demo of some cheap light beams - under S in the downloads section. I have never checked this out so I dont know if it is entirely suitable.