FOG fx

"Machismo"
E-Mail:- cool_machismo@yahoo.com

INTRODUCTION

Just shows you how to make fog and implement fog in your level. This one shows you how to set volumetric lighting and apply fog effects to a level. You need to set some different setting in UT to get fog to show up.

IMPLEMENTATION

• Zone The Area :- The first thing you need to do is to zone off the area completely where you want the fog to appear. Even if its a huge area try working in a zoned off area - its just plain better for the frame rates. Only don't use huge zone sheets that's as bad for the frame rates as the above.

• Zone Info Actor :- After the area is completely zoned off place a plain "zone info" actor in the level - from actor > info > zone info (without expanding it). Now all you need to set is a single property like this:-

bFogZone to true is all you need to set here.

• Fog Color:- If all you want is white looking natural fog skip this step. I wanted to simulate a dust storm - so I needed to set the fog color to a brownish hue. SET THE VALUE's UNDER LIGHT > LIGHT COLOR.

Fog Color sets the fog color (duh ........... its me Einstein again ;) and fog distance the viewable distance that the fog covers.
NOTE: ALSO SET THE VALUE's UNDER LIGHT > LIGHT COLOR

• FOG Emitting Lights :- To make fog appear in the level it is the light actor that needs to be used to cast fog as well as light. First ensure that you turn on radii view - in any of the views right click near the joystick and under the actors menu choose radii view. Now place the lights in your level that you want to cast fog and set the following properties under lighting:-

  
  
  For fog emitting lights the last three entries under lighting are the ones that we are concerned with:-

  • Volume Brightness - This has a lot to do with how white (if the fog is white in color that is) in degrees the fog will be.

  • Volume Fog - Thickness of the fog - use 128/127 for medium. 255 means the players wont be able to see anything unless they are upon it. The volume is the biggest frame rate reducer - if you want to push frames up set to a low amount.

  • Volume Radius - The area that the fog will cover. This works just like the light radius. The radius of the light is depicted by a red circle (controlled by Light Radius) and the radius of the fog by a pink circle (controlled by volume radius). Like this:-

  
  

• Rebuild :- Rebuild time. Now just rebuild and play the level. You should see the fog now.

• Volumetric Lighting :- If you are running the editor in software mode you should be able to see the fog in the level. If you are running in D3D fog does not show up by default. Now in UT hit the console (~) and type preferences without the quotes and hit it. Now when the preferences dialog box opens set volumetric lighting to true. You can do the same with UnrealEd2 itself from the command bar or going to the view menu> advanced options. Set it here :-

• "May The FOG Be With You" :- Fog slows the level down so watch it buddy.
  

End of this one. Email me here with questions or comments about this tutorial or my site :- cool_machismo@yahoo.com.