Will we ever see MXS on the unity engine?

[VMX_SKYmx99]

I know this is a big task and I honestly don't know if it is even possible, I'm just curious...

I've been playing with Unity3d making environments and it is absolutely badass. As most of you are aware, I like a lot of vegetation and detail in my environments. I would love to be able to utilize global illumination, animated vegetation, parralax maps, etc... All of the goodies!

I am not a programmer, so I am probably asking a dumb question, but is it just a matter of dropping the mxs physics code into unity? I know JLV wrote it all himself, but I don't know how any of this works. I would love nothing more than to have a track set up on a bluff overlooking the ocean. Lots of grass and trees blowing, waves crashing onto the beach, and an awesome sunset casting amazing shadows and reflections all over the place. Ahhh! I gotta stop thinking about the possibilities!

So... Is this possible? If so, what are the chances we will ever see it? JLV, if you even say there is a 2% chance of it happening you will make my night!

[Jeston]

I've always thought about this and how it could be done, but with UE4
Just like you, I'm no programmer



Would love to see JLV take notice of this thread and shed his light on it!

[John23]

That video made me very happy, but it looks very graphics intensive. If sim used this same concept, wouldn't it take a beast of a PC to run well?

[VMX_SKYmx99]

Not really. If you know what you're doing it will run just like any next gen pc game. Obviously there are limitations, but it would be awesome to have!

[m121c]

I know this is a big task and I honestly don't know if it is even possible, I'm just curious...

I've been playing with Unity3d making environments and it is absolutely badass. As most of you are aware, I like a lot of vegetation and detail in my environments. I would love to be able to utilize global illumination, animated vegetation, parralax maps, etc... All of the goodies!

I am not a programmer, so I am probably asking a dumb question, but is it just a matter of dropping the mxs physics code into unity? I know JLV wrote it all himself, but I don't know how any of this works. I would love nothing more than to have a track set up on a bluff overlooking the ocean. Lots of grass and trees blowing, waves crashing onto the beach, and an awesome sunset casting amazing shadows and reflections all over the place. Ahhh! I gotta stop thinking about the possibilities!

So... Is this possible? If so, what are the chances we will ever see it? JLV, if you even say there is a 2% chance of it happening you will make my night!

Jlv has stated previously that he has no interest in a a next-gen engine nor thier useless features, and would rather further develop his current one. http://forum.mxsimulator.com/viewtopic. ... 45#p584488

[m121c]

Unity is a cool engine though I've played around with it, PBR shaders are sweet.

[VMX_SKYmx99]

Ok. I see now. Thanks mason. I guess I shouldn't have said unity, but if we will see these features in mxs ever? I haven't made any models, but there aren't any realistic looking trees imo. Is this a matter of poor modeling (I use the word poor very lightly) or is it limitations by the engine?

Am I trying to achieve an environment that just isn't possible? Lots of grass and trees, etc...

[VMX_SKYmx99]

One other thing... Is it better to combine objects into one big object? Like place all the trees in blender, then make them 1 object? Same for the grass. Then do the same with bales and banners, etc...

[m121c]

Ok. I see now. Thanks mason. I guess I shouldn't have said unity, but if we will see these features in mxs ever? I haven't made any models, but there aren't any realistic looking trees imo. Is this a matter of poor modeling (I use the word poor very lightly) or is it limitations by the engine?

Am I trying to achieve an environment that just isn't possible? Lots of grass and trees, etc...

By "useless" I ment useless to MXS, or not needed btw. Just wanted that to be clear.

I don't expect it, but who knows. I know last I talked to jlv he was still in the works with his models, which should come with a shader update (?). As far as tree's and such, from what I was told in that thread there is no limitation as far as that, you just gotta put a lot of time into optimization and it should be just the same.

One other thing... Is it better to combine objects into one big object? Like place all the trees in blender, then make them 1 object? Same for the grass. Then do the same with bales and banners, etc...

From my knowledge no. You want them to be separate that way you can utilize LODS. Instead of loading a 2k tree on the other side of the track, you could be loading a 100 tris tree or even a plane instead. How well they transition IDK.

If I were going to do it, and I wanted some unique up close tree's (say you go under it or around it on the track), that would be my most detailed tree. Then your "filler" trees that are off in the distance be just low budget trees or even planes really would work. For grass the same concept. It's a lot of work if you do it all by hand... there are tools out there specifically for foliage that help the process though.

[VMX_SKYmx99]

Thanks for clearing all that up. When you say tools for helping with vegetation.... What might those tools be? I have ideas for some really cool stuff, but it may be too much of an undertaking.

[SMR 510RR]

I have GrowFX if I can be of any help. I think probably the biggest thing that makes vegetation look meh in MXS is that there is no way to have shadows on it.

In UE4 for example you have a 2nd UV channel for lightmaps that are baked in UE4 and then you have the proper lighting on a per object basis. If I have a tree and I want to put it all over the place I need to be able to rotate it to not look obvious that it is the same tree but then I can't bake in actual lighting. SInce it is mostly made of planes with leaves it looks better without game shading highlighting the planes and then it just looks flat unfortunately.

[VMX_SKYmx99]

I have forest pack, which looks like it integrates with growfx. I just have the free version. I also have the full version of railclone 2.4. I just moved over the 3ds max from blender so I'm still learning. I would love some help in this department. I think the community is in need of some much better vegetation.

[SMR 510RR]

I have forest pack, which looks like it integrates with growfx. I just have the free version. I also have the full version of railclone 2.4. I just moved over the 3ds max from blender so I'm still learning. I would love some help in this department. I think the community is in need of some much better vegetation.

I have forest pack and railclone full versions as well although probably not that helpful for this. I could relatively easily make a similar (much more basic obviously) script to scatter models with a black/white map to control where they are/aren't though.

[KaseoDip]

Watching that video put lead in my pencil. I honestly believe if JLV keeps the game how it is, the amount of people playing is going to plateau and eventually drop. That's why companies make new games. I'm definitely no programmer so my opinion isn't valued.

[VMX_SKYmx99]

I see your point about the game reaching a plateau, but I for one am not going anywhere. The MVA games and MXGP look great, but MXS just has the physics down. I enjoy the community and honestly this is the only videogame I play. So unless JLV makes an MXS 2, I dont see any new games in my future. lol