[1.6.x] Rendering Particles without Z-Sorting

[Draco18s]

I'm trying to get a particle to render in front of everything (i.e. blocks) but it's not working.

 

public void renderParticle(Tessellator par1Tessellator, float par2, float par3, float par4, float par5, float par6, float par7)
{
	//skipping various variable setup, texture binding, etc.

	//turn off z-buffer
	GL11.glDepthFunc(GL11.GL_ALWAYS);
        par1Tessellator.setColorRGBA_F(this.particleRed * f14, this.particleGreen * f14, this.particleBlue * f14, this.particleAlpha);
        par1Tessellator.addVertexWithUV((double)(f11 - par3 * f10 - par6 * f10), (double)(f12 - par4 * f10), (double)(f13 - par5 * f10 - par7 * f10), (double)f7, (double)f9);
        par1Tessellator.addVertexWithUV((double)(f11 - par3 * f10 + par6 * f10), (double)(f12 + par4 * f10), (double)(f13 - par5 * f10 + par7 * f10), (double)f7, (double)f8);
        par1Tessellator.addVertexWithUV((double)(f11 + par3 * f10 + par6 * f10), (double)(f12 + par4 * f10), (double)(f13 + par5 * f10 + par7 * f10), (double)f6, (double)f8);
        par1Tessellator.addVertexWithUV((double)(f11 + par3 * f10 - par6 * f10), (double)(f12 - par4 * f10), (double)(f13 + par5 * f10 - par7 * f10), (double)f6, (double)f9);
	//set z-buffer back to normal
        GL11.glDepthFunc(GL11.GL_LEQUAL);
}

From what I understand, this should work.  But it doesn't.

 

If I remove the

GL11.glDepthFunc(GL11.GL_LEQUAL);

line, things do render as expected (i.e. I can see the lava at the bottom of the world, as the depth buffer is ignored).

 

Here's one of the particles showing it being rendered half inside a block, but not fully visible:

http://s7.postimg.org/r5dwbeggb/2014_01_13_13_19_36.png[/img]

[shadowmage4513]

Have you tried disabling depth-testing, as it sounds like you are wanting to do?

 

e.g.

 

GL11.glDisable(GL11.GL_DEPTH_TEST)

at the start of rendering

and then

GL11.glEnable(GL11.GL_DEPTH_TEST)

afterwards to reset the flag for others' rendering

 

This should make it render the particles regardless of what is 'in front' of them, but then it is render-order dependant (anything rendered afterwards will draw over the particles)

[Draco18s]

I actually managed to get it to work, in typing out a message to someone who had gotten the effect I wanted but hadn't posted code.  All I had to do was tell the tessellator to draw what it had in its draw buffer, then start drawing with GL_ALWAYS, add verts, draw, set back to GL_LEQUAL, and start drawing again (leaving the tessallator in the same state it was given to me).

 

Now I just have a brightness problem.

http://s29.postimg.org/fvj50xs7r/2014_01_13_13_33_07.png[/img]

 

I'll try GL11.glDisable(GL11.GL_DEPTH_TEST) and see if that makes any difference though.

 

Edit:

Depth-test didn't change anything (that is, all things being equal the two methods of ignoring the z-buffer render the same).  Still have a brightness issue that I don't know how to fix.

[shadowmage4513]

Ehh, depth-test was worth a try

 

For the brightness, you might try disabling lighting if you haven't already.  It sounds strange that turning lights off makes things brighter, but openGL works in some strange ways sometimes   (rather, it is trying to apply the global/local/currently bound lighting level to every texture that is rendered)

 

 

 

[Draco18s]

It sounds strange that turning lights off makes things brighter

 

Nah, not really.  You're not turning of lights, you're turning of shadows.

 

Edit:

Disabling lighting had zero effect on the rendering of the particle.