Water Transparency Modes

[SimsOCallaghan]

I am trying to create maps with large amounts of water (liquid brushwork) and the visual sorting seems to be odd.

Screenshot = Showing water brushes and extra console command "r_alphasort"

Screenshot = The same map/location in Ironwail with the "transparency" menu on Basic settings

Screenshot = The same map/location in Ironwail with the "transparency" menu on Modern settings

I really hate to suggest this, is there any chance vkQuake can have the Ironwail "transparency" menu and features?

It really makes it impossible to support multiple engines with the same map if engines are doing things completely different visually. I am asuming its ok for engine coders to share features, as this will help the whole community not be tied to certain engines for certain features.

[vsonnier]

Related to #656 and probably #767 ?

[SimsOCallaghan]

I saw [#656 ] and thought the same. There is something really odd with water transparency in vkquake. If you set r_wateralpha 1 you get solid surface and r_wateralpha 0.99 and its a giant step, super transparent. It feels like the visual sorting order for water surfaces is drawing backwards. I just wish vkquake had the ironwail transparency option as that works perfectly. I do have a way around the transparency issue but its using func_illusionary and water brushes with waterskip.

[SimsOCallaghan]

I do have a way to fix the water surface being drawn in vkquake, however its not super compatible with other engines. At the moment my map has a special version for each major engine!
Screenshot = vkquake (latest version) with 2 x func_illusionary

[vsonnier]

@SimsOCallaghan #767 have just been fixed, or so we suppose. Can you try the master to see if it improves something on your side ?

[SimsOCallaghan]

"have just been fixed, or so we suppose. Can you try the master to see if it improves something on your side ?"
I tried all my water alpha tests (screenshots above) with the 1.34.1 build. Which version should I test with?

[vsonnier]

Which version should I test with?

The current master build from minutes ago, using the CI build : https://github.com/Novum/vkQuake/actions/runs/24853441410

[SimsOCallaghan]

I tried the latest master build which is 1.34.2 and I still get water sorting issues

[j4reporting]

is there any chance vkQuake can have the Ironwail "transparency" menu and features?

The only feature missing in vkquae is r_oit == modern
r_alphasort 1 would be the same as dynamic

If you set r_wateralpha 1 you get solid surface and r_wateralpha 0.99 and its a giant step, super transparent.

Is this in general or specific to the new map? I can't reproduce such behaviour, e.g. in ad_swampy
r_wateralpha 0.99 is almost indistinguishable from r_wateralpha 1.

[Novum]

I'll just finally implement OIT probably. I was never quite happy with the algorithm chose by IW but apparently everyone is fine with it.

[Novum]

I have implemented WBOIT like IW but it has the expected artifacts. I am also trying to implement a newer paper based on wavelet OIT, but it's a lot more involved. Probably should land WBOIT first into main when I have time.

[andrey-budko]

I tried the OIT branch, and with r_indirect 0 the viewmodel gets blended with transparent surfaces.

Details

[j4reporting]

r_oit 1 ignores fixed alpha values of brushes and applies r_wateralpha value instead
i.e r_wateralpha .5 ( left r_oit 0 | right r_oit 1 )

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