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This page contains a small cross section of the many new features in the Q3F Beta 2 release.
Above you can see a technology test map, Q3F_Lab, showing off several of Q3F's enhanced visual effects. We'll examine each specific part in more detail in the following shots.
The electrical arcs jumping from terminal to terminal on the generator are examples of the Q3F beam entity. This powerful effect can be used by level designers to create a dynamic link between two points...even moving points, as in the Beta2 map Q3F_Muon. Beams can be toggled on and off, are able to choose random targets, have several options for visual display, and allow for fully customisable textures. You can use them in the traditional electrical arc, or, for example, use a different texture to simulate giant chains that move along with a castle drawbridge. The sparks you see raining down are created courtesy of the all-new Q3F particle engine, which we'll look at next.
A variety of uses can be found for particles, which are basically a set of single points that can be affected by many factors, including gravity, collisions and random motions, to name a few. The steam in this picture and a similar smoking barrel effect found in Q3F_Sunburn are only one application of this powerful system. You will see the particle engine producing such effects as the all-new flamethrower, splashes of water when items skim the surface of a pool, coloured trails behind the flag carrier, and muzzle flashes and flares on weapons. Particle engines are completely configurable by the designer and easily edited from within a simple text file.
Above we see an effect that can enhance the depth of any level: portal skies. The level designer can now create a mini-world, populating it with standard level geometry and effects that cause it to be drawn around the level in place of the sky. In this shot, the foreground cliff and trees hiding our sniper blends seamlessly with the background river and canyon which is, in reality, a small-scale model rendered through the sky portal. As you might have noticed, it is also possible to create a sun and render it through the portal sky, using our new flare system. For a less-traditional use of portal skies, look out for Q3F_Requiem, whose troubled skies are filled with moving gears, flying cogs, and metallic cages.