User:JacobsDevelop/GlowArticle

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Activation

• Add GLOWS_ENABLE to the preprocessor directives on your client and server projects (don't forget to add it for release and debug, too!)
• Add the following line to ClientModeShared::DoPostScreenSpaceEffects:

g_GlowObjectManager.RenderGlowEffects( pSetup, 0 );

Materials Required: SDK2013_TF2_GlowOutlineMaterials.zip

• Precache the effect by placing this code in clientmode_shared.cpp (search for other references of CLIENTEFFECT_REGISTER_BEGIN for usage example):

CLIENTEFFECT_REGISTER_BEGIN( PrecachePostProcessingEffectsGlow )
CLIENTEFFECT_MATERIAL( "dev/glow_color" )
CLIENTEFFECT_MATERIAL( "dev/halo_add_to_screen" )
CLIENTEFFECT_REGISTER_END_CONDITIONAL( engine->GetDXSupportLevel() >= 90 )

Don't forget to add the include defintion for the precache system!

#include "clienteffectprecachesystem.h"

(Optional) Transferring getters and setters from CBaseCombatCharacter

Important:This part is completely optional if you're okay with how glow works by default you can skip to usage section.

By default objects derived from CBaseCombatCharacter have getters and setters which can be problematic.
This section shows how to transfer setters and getters from CBaseCombatCharacter to CBaseAnimating since most entities are derived from CBaseAnimating e.g. CBaseCombatCharacter, CDynamicProp, CBaseProp and more.

There are two parts: Server and Client, where we'll start with server first. Firstly delete this part of code from basecombatcharacter.h (lines 415-420) and put it into baseanimating.h (recommended lines 54-58):

#ifdef GLOWS_ENABLE
public:
void				AddGlowEffect(void);
void				RemoveGlowEffect(void);
bool				IsGlowEffectActive(void);
#endif

After that, do the same thing to this part of code (basecombatcharacter.h, lines 459-462, baseanimating.h recommended lines 171-174):

#ifdef GLOWS_ENABLE
protected:
CNetworkVar(bool, m_bGlowEnabled);
#endif

Note:This part of code needs to be in protected: modifier. If there's no protected modifier make one

And finally repeat that with this part of code (basecombatcharacter.h, lines 467-468, baseanimating.h recommended lines 355-356)

void				UpdateGlowEffect( void );
void				DestroyGlowEffect( void );

Note:This part of code needs to be in private: modifier

Now move to basecombatcharacter.cpp and baseanimating.cpp First part of code to delete from basecombatcharacter.cpp (lines 193-195) and put it into baseanimating.cpp (line 230):

#ifdef GLOWS_ENABLE
SendPropBool( SENDINFO( m_bGlowEnabled ) ),
#endif

Next, from basecombatcharacter.cpp (lines 744-746) put this part of code into baseanimating.cpp CBaseAnimating::CBaseAnimating

#ifdef GLOWS_ENABLE
m_bGlowEnabled.Set( false );
#endif

Lastly delete this from basecombatcharacter.cpp (lines 3227-3252)

#ifdef GLOWS_ENABLE
//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
// Purpose: 
//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
void CBaseCombatCharacter::AddGlowEffect( void )
{
	SetTransmitState( FL_EDICT_ALWAYS );
	m_bGlowEnabled.Set( true );
}

//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
// Purpose: 
//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
void CBaseCombatCharacter::RemoveGlowEffect( void )
{
	m_bGlowEnabled.Set( false );
}

//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
// Purpose: 
//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
bool CBaseCombatCharacter::IsGlowEffectActive( void )
{
	return m_bGlowEnabled;
}
#endif // GLOWS_ENABLE

and put this part somewhere under CBaseAnimating::~CBaseAnimating in baseanimating.cpp

#ifdef GLOWS_ENABLE
//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
// Purpose: 
//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
void CBaseAnimating::AddGlowEffect(void)
{
	SetTransmitState(FL_EDICT_ALWAYS);
	m_bGlowEnabled.Set(true);
}

//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
// Purpose: 
//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
void CBaseAnimating::RemoveGlowEffect(void)
{
	m_bGlowEnabled.Set(false);
}

//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
// Purpose: 
//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
bool CBaseAnimating::IsGlowEffectActive(void)
{
	return m_bGlowEnabled;
}
#endif

This is the end of server part, now onto client part. We'll be mainly operating on two files c_baseanimating.cpp/.h and c_basecombatcharacter.cpp/.h Firstly delete this part from c_basecombatcharacter.h (lines 17-19) and put at the top of c_baseanimating.h

#ifdef GLOWS_ENABLE
#include "glow_outline_effect.h"
#endif

Secondly is to delete this part of code from c_basecombatcharacter.h (lines 94-97) and put it into c_baseanimating.h (recommended lines 149-152)

#ifdef GLOWS_ENABLE
CGlowObject			*GetGlowObject( void ){ return m_pGlowEffect; }
virtual void		GetGlowEffectColor( float *r, float *g, float *b );
#endif // GLOWS_ENABLE

Then repeat that for this for this part of code (from c_basecombatcharacter.h, lines 100-103 to c_baseanimating.h, recommended lines 458-461):

#ifdef GLOWS_ENABLE	
	virtual void		UpdateGlowEffect(void);
	virtual void		DestroyGlowEffect(void);
#endif // GLOWS_ENABLE

And this (from c_basecombatcharacter.h, lines 110-114 to c_baseanimating.h, recommended lines 481-485):

#ifdef GLOWS_ENABLE
	bool				m_bGlowEnabled;
	bool				m_bOldGlowEnabled;
	CGlowObject			*m_pGlowEffect;
#endif

Now go into c_basecombatcharacter.cpp and c_baseanimating.cpp Firstly delete this part of code from c_basecombatcharacter.cpp (lines 33-37) and put it into c_baseanimating.cpp (recommended lines 737-741):

#ifdef GLOWS_ENABLE
	m_pGlowEffect = NULL;
	m_bGlowEnabled = false;
	m_bOldGlowEnabled = false;
#endif // GLOWS_ENABLE

Then delete this part of code from C_BaseCombatCharacter::~C_BaseCombatCharacter and put it into C_BaseAnimating::~C_BaseAnimating

#ifdef GLOWS_ENABLE
	DestroyGlowEffect();
#endif // GLOWS_ENABLE

and repeat this for this part of code (from c_basecombatcharacter.h, lines 58-60 to c_baseanimating.h, recommended lines 4528-4530):

#ifdef GLOWS_ENABLE
	m_bOldGlowEnabled = m_bGlowEnabled;
#endif // GLOWS_ENABLE

and again (from c_basecombatcharacter.h, lines 66-71 to c_baseanimating.h, recommended lines 4716-4721):

#ifdef GLOWS_ENABLE
	m_bOldGlowEnabled = m_bGlowEnabled;
#endif // GLOWS_ENABLE

Remove this section of code from c_basecombatcharacter.h (lines 85-128)

#ifdef GLOWS_ENABLE
//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
// Purpose: 
//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
void C_BaseCombatCharacter::GetGlowEffectColor( float *r, float *g, float *b )
{
	*r = 0.76f;
	*g = 0.76f;
	*b = 0.76f;
}

//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
// Purpose: 
//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
void C_BaseCombatCharacter::UpdateGlowEffect( void )
{
	// destroy the existing effect
	if ( m_pGlowEffect )
	{
		DestroyGlowEffect();
	}

	// create a new effect
	if ( m_bGlowEnabled )
	{
		float r, g, b;
		GetGlowEffectColor( &r, &g, &b );

		m_pGlowEffect = new CGlowObject( this, Vector( r, g, b ), 1.0, true );
	}
}

//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
// Purpose: 
//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
void C_BaseCombatCharacter::DestroyGlowEffect( void )
{
	if ( m_pGlowEffect )
	{
		delete m_pGlowEffect;
		m_pGlowEffect = NULL;
	}
}
#endif // GLOWS_ENABLE

and put this section in c_baseanimating.h (recommended start on line 4387):

#ifdef GLOWS_ENABLE
//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
// Purpose: 
//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
void C_BaseAnimating::GetGlowEffectColor( float *r, float *g, float *b )
{
	*r = 0.76f;
	*g = 0.76f;
	*b = 0.76f;
}

//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
// Purpose: 
//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
void C_BaseAnimating::UpdateGlowEffect( void )
{
	// destroy the existing effect
	if ( m_pGlowEffect )
	{
		DestroyGlowEffect();
	}

	// create a new effect
	if ( m_bGlowEnabled )
	{
		float r, g, b;
		GetGlowEffectColor( &r, &g, &b );

		m_pGlowEffect = new CGlowObject( this, Vector( r, g, b ), 1.0, true );
	}
}

//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
// Purpose: 
//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
void C_BaseAnimating::DestroyGlowEffect( void )
{
	if ( m_pGlowEffect )
	{
		delete m_pGlowEffect;
		m_pGlowEffect = NULL;
	}
}
#endif // GLOWS_ENABLE

and lastly get this part of code from c_basecombatcharacter.cpp (lines 97-99) and put it into c_baseanimating.cpp (recommended lines 150-153):

#ifdef GLOWS_ENABLE
	RecvPropBool( RECVINFO( m_bGlowEnabled ) ),
#endif // GLOWS_ENABLE

And you're done. Now you can create entities with glow (e.g. prop_dynamic, npcs, etc.) as long as they're derived from CBaseAnimating onwards.

Todo: I plan to add control by inputs/output and also color control, but it'll take some time

Usage

No matter if you have followed this or if you had just enabled glow usage is the same with only difference being that if you haven't followed this step then you can only use setters and getters on objects that are derived from CBaseCombatCharacter onwards, however if you followed additional step you can use setters and getters for objects derived from CBaseAnimating onwards.

To start a glow, call:

myObject->AddGlowEffect(); //Make it glow

To update a glow, call:

myObject->UpdateGlowEffect(); //Update glow

To stop a glow, call:

myObject->RemoveGlowEffect(); //Make it stop glowing