Matt McDonald
@lordzargon.bsky.social
Rendering performance enthusiast
Principal Tech Artist at nDreams Elevation
Tech Art consulting & outsourcing
Prev: Azra Games, Alta Reality, Maze Theory, Jagex, Totem Arts
Unity, Unreal & others, shaders, VR, Maya, Python, C# et al
Principal Tech Artist at nDreams Elevation
Tech Art consulting & outsourcing
Prev: Azra Games, Alta Reality, Maze Theory, Jagex, Totem Arts
Unity, Unreal & others, shaders, VR, Maya, Python, C# et al
Reposted by Matt McDonald
Why do we stick with just 4 channels for textures? It makes sense for visible images with transparency, but for masks? Sheesh, not built for that.
Why can't we have a n-channel texture format, where we simply have as many we need (up to a point, but more than 4!)? Then I can just call .sample once!
Why can't we have a n-channel texture format, where we simply have as many we need (up to a point, but more than 4!)? Then I can just call .sample once!
June 18, 2025 at 4:29 PM
Why do we stick with just 4 channels for textures? It makes sense for visible images with transparency, but for masks? Sheesh, not built for that.
Why can't we have a n-channel texture format, where we simply have as many we need (up to a point, but more than 4!)? Then I can just call .sample once!
Why can't we have a n-channel texture format, where we simply have as many we need (up to a point, but more than 4!)? Then I can just call .sample once!
My eldest made a card at school for Father's Day.
They were told to write words on the cards that described their Dad/Father figure.
Smack in the middle of my card?
"SARCASTIC"
They were told to write words on the cards that described their Dad/Father figure.
Smack in the middle of my card?
"SARCASTIC"
a cartoon character from the movie wreck it ralph
ALT: a cartoon character from the movie wreck it ralph
media.tenor.com
June 16, 2025 at 1:44 PM
My eldest made a card at school for Father's Day.
They were told to write words on the cards that described their Dad/Father figure.
Smack in the middle of my card?
"SARCASTIC"
They were told to write words on the cards that described their Dad/Father figure.
Smack in the middle of my card?
"SARCASTIC"
Leathermans are the best fidget toys.
June 11, 2025 at 4:49 PM
Leathermans are the best fidget toys.
This is *so* good. Well worth a read - makes an absolutely solid case for proper color management pipelines and authoring HDR content from the start.
www.alexandermejia.com/from-sdr-to-...
www.alexandermejia.com/from-sdr-to-...
From SDR to ‘Fake HDR’: Mario Kart World on Switch 2 Undermines Modern Display Potential
Nintendo's Switch 2, launched with Mario Kart World, suffers from inadequate HDR implementation despite industry standards. The game qualifies "fake HDR," using SDR-first methods that limit color and ...
www.alexandermejia.com
June 10, 2025 at 4:12 PM
This is *so* good. Well worth a read - makes an absolutely solid case for proper color management pipelines and authoring HDR content from the start.
www.alexandermejia.com/from-sdr-to-...
www.alexandermejia.com/from-sdr-to-...
Happy Sleep Token Day!
May 9, 2025 at 11:24 AM
Happy Sleep Token Day!
It's as if @garyseconomics.bsky.social knows what he's talking about
April 1, 2025 at 6:42 AM
It's as if @garyseconomics.bsky.social knows what he's talking about
www.gamesradar.com/games/rpg/da...
HAHAHAHAhHHhahHAHahhAHhahhAHhahAHAa ... *sharp intake of breath* ... HhAHHahHAHhahAHHahhAHHhahHA HahA Ha hAHHahhAH
HAHAHAHAhHHhahHAHahhAHhahhAHhahAHAa ... *sharp intake of breath* ... HhAHHahHAHhahAHHahhAHHhahHA HahA Ha hAHHahhAH
Days after EA CEO suggests players crave live service guff, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 boss says their single-player RPG made all its money back in one day
Amid Dragon Age: The Veilguard underperformance, Andrew Wilson reckoned players seek "shared-world" features
www.gamesradar.com
February 9, 2025 at 8:59 AM
www.gamesradar.com/games/rpg/da...
HAHAHAHAhHHhahHAHahhAHhahhAHhahAHAa ... *sharp intake of breath* ... HhAHHahHAHhahAHHahhAHHhahHA HahA Ha hAHHahhAH
HAHAHAHAhHHhahHAHahhAHhahhAHhahAHAa ... *sharp intake of breath* ... HhAHHahHAHhahAHHahhAHHhahHA HahA Ha hAHHahhAH
Letterboxed @nytimes.com - apparently 'shit' and 'wank' aren't words.
I have exactly two words which adequately describe my feelings about this, can you guess what they are?
I have exactly two words which adequately describe my feelings about this, can you guess what they are?
January 31, 2025 at 8:38 PM
Letterboxed @nytimes.com - apparently 'shit' and 'wank' aren't words.
I have exactly two words which adequately describe my feelings about this, can you guess what they are?
I have exactly two words which adequately describe my feelings about this, can you guess what they are?
Reposted by Matt McDonald
I'm back. Here's What We're Doing in 2025
YouTube video by Garys Economics
www.youtube.com
December 29, 2024 at 7:08 PM
Reminded today how far we've come, cut my teeth on this - modelling _one vertex at a time_. Some masochistic part of me miss that simplicity.
December 3, 2024 at 7:35 PM
Reminded today how far we've come, cut my teeth on this - modelling _one vertex at a time_. Some masochistic part of me miss that simplicity.
I made a GameBoy LCD shader that also (optionally) supports horrendous environment reflections that make it impossible to see what you're looking it - truly authentic!
November 18, 2024 at 10:11 AM
I made a GameBoy LCD shader that also (optionally) supports horrendous environment reflections that make it impossible to see what you're looking it - truly authentic!
Reposted by Matt McDonald
📢 IT'S HAPPENING!!!
My next indie game MYTHWRECKED launches on Dec 5th 2024 for Steam, Xbox and Nintendo Switch...
🏝️ Explore a secret island
⚡️ Meet the gods of legend
🔎 Uncover the truth, behind the myth
My next indie game MYTHWRECKED launches on Dec 5th 2024 for Steam, Xbox and Nintendo Switch...
🏝️ Explore a secret island
⚡️ Meet the gods of legend
🔎 Uncover the truth, behind the myth
November 14, 2024 at 6:34 PM
📢 IT'S HAPPENING!!!
My next indie game MYTHWRECKED launches on Dec 5th 2024 for Steam, Xbox and Nintendo Switch...
🏝️ Explore a secret island
⚡️ Meet the gods of legend
🔎 Uncover the truth, behind the myth
My next indie game MYTHWRECKED launches on Dec 5th 2024 for Steam, Xbox and Nintendo Switch...
🏝️ Explore a secret island
⚡️ Meet the gods of legend
🔎 Uncover the truth, behind the myth
Some ramblings on YCoCg color space:
half4.xyz/index.php/20...
half4.xyz/index.php/20...
November 13, 2024 at 10:17 AM
Some ramblings on YCoCg color space:
half4.xyz/index.php/20...
half4.xyz/index.php/20...
Reposted by Matt McDonald
Add more variation to your panning textures by manipulating the UVs for a bulging or pinching effect! This technique is a great way to add more volume and shape to panning textures! #realtimeVFX #UnrealEngine #gamedev`
November 7, 2024 at 3:00 PM
Add more variation to your panning textures by manipulating the UVs for a bulging or pinching effect! This technique is a great way to add more volume and shape to panning textures! #realtimeVFX #UnrealEngine #gamedev`
Reposted by Matt McDonald
Hola graphics people! ❤️
I've been meaning to do some write-ups that are hopefully useful, so this first one is about my approach to Order-Independent Transparency.
osor.io/OIT
🙌Super excited to finally release this!🙌
I hope you enjoy it!
I've been meaning to do some write-ups that are hopefully useful, so this first one is about my approach to Order-Independent Transparency.
osor.io/OIT
🙌Super excited to finally release this!🙌
I hope you enjoy it!
November 5, 2024 at 6:34 PM
Hola graphics people! ❤️
I've been meaning to do some write-ups that are hopefully useful, so this first one is about my approach to Order-Independent Transparency.
osor.io/OIT
🙌Super excited to finally release this!🙌
I hope you enjoy it!
I've been meaning to do some write-ups that are hopefully useful, so this first one is about my approach to Order-Independent Transparency.
osor.io/OIT
🙌Super excited to finally release this!🙌
I hope you enjoy it!
@coxlin.bsky.social pointed me to these C# things today, sharing!
Exploring Unreal Engine — C++, Blueprints, and UnrealSharp medium.com/@coxlinsblog...
Exploring Unreal Engine — C++, Blueprints, and UnrealSharp medium.com/@coxlinsblog...
Exploring Unreal Engine — C++, Blueprints, and UnrealSharp
As I have said in the past, I am not a big believer in engine bias. It doesn’t really matter what engine you use, as long as you make a…
medium.com
August 14, 2024 at 8:13 PM
@coxlin.bsky.social pointed me to these C# things today, sharing!
Exploring Unreal Engine — C++, Blueprints, and UnrealSharp medium.com/@coxlinsblog...
Exploring Unreal Engine — C++, Blueprints, and UnrealSharp medium.com/@coxlinsblog...
Latest project I'm working on has regular devlogs here:
youtu.be/8d22F44KI74?...
#MetaQuest #PCVR #VR #Unity
youtu.be/8d22F44KI74?...
#MetaQuest #PCVR #VR #Unity
Alta: Project 2 - Channel Trailer | April 2024
YouTube video by Alta: Project 2
youtu.be
August 13, 2024 at 1:49 PM
Latest project I'm working on has regular devlogs here:
youtu.be/8d22F44KI74?...
#MetaQuest #PCVR #VR #Unity
youtu.be/8d22F44KI74?...
#MetaQuest #PCVR #VR #Unity
After working on numerous standalone VR titles, I'll collated quite a lot of esoteric knowledge on the platforms with regards to rendering and performance.
There's a lot to digest so I dumped a load of it here:
half4.xyz/index.php/20...
There's a lot to digest so I dumped a load of it here:
half4.xyz/index.php/20...
Getting Started with Developing for Mobile VR – half4.xyz
half4.xyz
August 13, 2024 at 1:38 PM
After working on numerous standalone VR titles, I'll collated quite a lot of esoteric knowledge on the platforms with regards to rendering and performance.
There's a lot to digest so I dumped a load of it here:
half4.xyz/index.php/20...
There's a lot to digest so I dumped a load of it here:
half4.xyz/index.php/20...
Some old R&D, using custom mip chains to create stylized textures that aim to maintain brush stroke widths.
half4.xyz/index.php/20...
half4.xyz/index.php/20...
August 13, 2024 at 1:35 PM
Some old R&D, using custom mip chains to create stylized textures that aim to maintain brush stroke widths.
half4.xyz/index.php/20...
half4.xyz/index.php/20...
I spend too much time thinking about Look Up Tables - here's another one, where I approximate thin film interference:
half4.xyz/index.php/20...
(I need to dig out the source code for this, and re-link it - comment if I forget to!)
half4.xyz/index.php/20...
(I need to dig out the source code for this, and re-link it - comment if I forget to!)
August 13, 2024 at 1:32 PM
I spend too much time thinking about Look Up Tables - here's another one, where I approximate thin film interference:
half4.xyz/index.php/20...
(I need to dig out the source code for this, and re-link it - comment if I forget to!)
half4.xyz/index.php/20...
(I need to dig out the source code for this, and re-link it - comment if I forget to!)
Working on a character customization system? Here I wrote how to make use of bitmasking so you can dynamically layer up as much clothing as you like, without any nasty clipping.
half4.xyz/index.php/20...
half4.xyz/index.php/20...
August 13, 2024 at 1:25 PM
Working on a character customization system? Here I wrote how to make use of bitmasking so you can dynamically layer up as much clothing as you like, without any nasty clipping.
half4.xyz/index.php/20...
half4.xyz/index.php/20...