Victor D. Goossens
@mr4goosey.bsky.social
Sr. Technical Artist at Voxel Plugin.
Previously: Technical Art for Prehistoric Kingdom and Kenshi 2.
Previously: Technical Art for Prehistoric Kingdom and Kenshi 2.
In a nutshell; take your instance-space Z position, multiply that by world-space up (0,0,1).
Subtract instance-space Z multiplied by instance-space up ((0,0,1) transformed instance->world).
This is the core WPO math for 'straightening'. Do make sure your mesh is aligned to the surface first!
Subtract instance-space Z multiplied by instance-space up ((0,0,1) transformed instance->world).
This is the core WPO math for 'straightening'. Do make sure your mesh is aligned to the surface first!
November 17, 2025 at 8:30 PM
In a nutshell; take your instance-space Z position, multiply that by world-space up (0,0,1).
Subtract instance-space Z multiplied by instance-space up ((0,0,1) transformed instance->world).
This is the core WPO math for 'straightening'. Do make sure your mesh is aligned to the surface first!
Subtract instance-space Z multiplied by instance-space up ((0,0,1) transformed instance->world).
This is the core WPO math for 'straightening'. Do make sure your mesh is aligned to the surface first!
This same math also lets you easily adjust the height of your grass - you can drive this using instance data if scattering procedurally, or based on noise textures or global parameters (like seasonality).
I often use instance data in PCG to decrease grass height close to edges.
I often use instance data in PCG to decrease grass height close to edges.
November 17, 2025 at 8:25 PM
This same math also lets you easily adjust the height of your grass - you can drive this using instance data if scattering procedurally, or based on noise textures or global parameters (like seasonality).
I often use instance data in PCG to decrease grass height close to edges.
I often use instance data in PCG to decrease grass height close to edges.
I barely ever use the Shader Complexity view mode anymore.
I honestly feel like it's mostly a gun for people to shoot themselves in the foot with when new to graphics optimization in Unreal. It'll send you on endless wild goose chases that don't actually matter, while not showing you what does.
I honestly feel like it's mostly a gun for people to shoot themselves in the foot with when new to graphics optimization in Unreal. It'll send you on endless wild goose chases that don't actually matter, while not showing you what does.
October 24, 2025 at 9:42 AM
I barely ever use the Shader Complexity view mode anymore.
I honestly feel like it's mostly a gun for people to shoot themselves in the foot with when new to graphics optimization in Unreal. It'll send you on endless wild goose chases that don't actually matter, while not showing you what does.
I honestly feel like it's mostly a gun for people to shoot themselves in the foot with when new to graphics optimization in Unreal. It'll send you on endless wild goose chases that don't actually matter, while not showing you what does.
This is just the usual T&C panic. Whenever any company changes T&Cs, people that aren't into legalese read the changes and go "LOOK HOW THEY'RE ABUSING US!" regardless of whether that's actually the case.
If you're sharing this, you should also share Mozilla's reply: blog.mozilla.org/en/firefox/u...
If you're sharing this, you should also share Mozilla's reply: blog.mozilla.org/en/firefox/u...
An update on our terms of use | The Mozilla Blog
On Wednesday we shared that we’re introducing a new terms of use (TOU) and privacy notice for Firefox. Since then, we’ve been listening to some of our
blog.mozilla.org
October 13, 2025 at 1:13 PM
This is just the usual T&C panic. Whenever any company changes T&Cs, people that aren't into legalese read the changes and go "LOOK HOW THEY'RE ABUSING US!" regardless of whether that's actually the case.
If you're sharing this, you should also share Mozilla's reply: blog.mozilla.org/en/firefox/u...
If you're sharing this, you should also share Mozilla's reply: blog.mozilla.org/en/firefox/u...
It's also easy to do this just for the current session!
If you press Ctrl-Shift-W, the Widget Reflector will open. That contains a global Application Scale setting as well, which will be discarded after you restart.
If you press Ctrl-Shift-W, the Widget Reflector will open. That contains a global Application Scale setting as well, which will be discarded after you restart.
September 17, 2025 at 3:42 PM
It's also easy to do this just for the current session!
If you press Ctrl-Shift-W, the Widget Reflector will open. That contains a global Application Scale setting as well, which will be discarded after you restart.
If you press Ctrl-Shift-W, the Widget Reflector will open. That contains a global Application Scale setting as well, which will be discarded after you restart.
I dunno. Just spitballing. It's a fun problem 😄
August 25, 2025 at 1:51 PM
I dunno. Just spitballing. It's a fun problem 😄
Depends how much state you actually have, I guess. But I feel like you'd probably want to find your 'root' flow path first, and then in 'post' allow paths (higher likelihood/width as flow gets higher) to branch off it when terrain's flat, forcing them to pathfind back to the root flow when steeper?
August 25, 2025 at 1:51 PM
Depends how much state you actually have, I guess. But I feel like you'd probably want to find your 'root' flow path first, and then in 'post' allow paths (higher likelihood/width as flow gets higher) to branch off it when terrain's flat, forcing them to pathfind back to the root flow when steeper?
As I think about this, deltas are just a consequence of large amounts of water in soft terrain with relatively little verticality. Feels like you should be able to just increase 'flow' along the river as you get further from the origin, and then deviate into multiple smaller paths if slope is low?
August 25, 2025 at 1:47 PM
As I think about this, deltas are just a consequence of large amounts of water in soft terrain with relatively little verticality. Feels like you should be able to just increase 'flow' along the river as you get further from the origin, and then deviate into multiple smaller paths if slope is low?
You guys really do keep hitting it out of the park! Super cool to see you doing as well as you are, wholeheartedly deserved.
August 20, 2025 at 6:09 PM
You guys really do keep hitting it out of the park! Super cool to see you doing as well as you are, wholeheartedly deserved.
Is this more or less doing normal-based shading (presumably using a smoothed normal of some sort)? Or is it doing more complex intra-object shadowcasting?
August 20, 2025 at 6:07 PM
Is this more or less doing normal-based shading (presumably using a smoothed normal of some sort)? Or is it doing more complex intra-object shadowcasting?
I'm not sure by any means, but I don't think any of our components are in VoxelCore. What type of thing are you looking for?
August 18, 2025 at 8:42 AM
I'm not sure by any means, but I don't think any of our components are in VoxelCore. What type of thing are you looking for?
Huh, interesting. This has never bothered me.
To me 'bugged' in a game context implies that there's one specific issue being referred to. 'Buggy' implies there are various issues. You could say 'there's a bug with/when X', but I think 'X is bugged' conveys the same meaning.
To me 'bugged' in a game context implies that there's one specific issue being referred to. 'Buggy' implies there are various issues. You could say 'there's a bug with/when X', but I think 'X is bugged' conveys the same meaning.
July 30, 2025 at 12:50 PM
Huh, interesting. This has never bothered me.
To me 'bugged' in a game context implies that there's one specific issue being referred to. 'Buggy' implies there are various issues. You could say 'there's a bug with/when X', but I think 'X is bugged' conveys the same meaning.
To me 'bugged' in a game context implies that there's one specific issue being referred to. 'Buggy' implies there are various issues. You could say 'there's a bug with/when X', but I think 'X is bugged' conveys the same meaning.
I wonder - does the voxelization respond in real-time to runtime material changes, i.e. a material parameter collection driving leaf color? Also whether it's possible to mask out some of these voxels entirely using opacity masking from materials still.
Curious to see whether this can do seasons.
Curious to see whether this can do seasons.
July 24, 2025 at 9:23 AM
I wonder - does the voxelization respond in real-time to runtime material changes, i.e. a material parameter collection driving leaf color? Also whether it's possible to mask out some of these voxels entirely using opacity masking from materials still.
Curious to see whether this can do seasons.
Curious to see whether this can do seasons.
Needs a related buff card saying you know where to find a piece of super useful renderer information on the Unity docs, because said info also applies to UE but isn't properly documented on the UE side.
July 19, 2025 at 11:39 AM
Needs a related buff card saying you know where to find a piece of super useful renderer information on the Unity docs, because said info also applies to UE but isn't properly documented on the UE side.
Today in correlation/causation 101...
July 4, 2025 at 5:57 PM
Today in correlation/causation 101...
It is absolutely baffling. This introduces such an incredible amount of confusion in communication, making it super easy to misread *badly* even when you're familiar with the topic. I wish it were otherwise.
June 27, 2025 at 9:58 AM
It is absolutely baffling. This introduces such an incredible amount of confusion in communication, making it super easy to misread *badly* even when you're familiar with the topic. I wish it were otherwise.
I'm not aware of this being possible, but @phyronnaz.bsky.social might have further input, given his extensive delves into hacking the renderer from plugins.
It definitely is possible to modify engine shaders from a plugin though, so if you're open to hijacking an existing SM there's that option.
It definitely is possible to modify engine shaders from a plugin though, so if you're open to hijacking an existing SM there's that option.
June 26, 2025 at 4:59 PM
I'm not aware of this being possible, but @phyronnaz.bsky.social might have further input, given his extensive delves into hacking the renderer from plugins.
It definitely is possible to modify engine shaders from a plugin though, so if you're open to hijacking an existing SM there's that option.
It definitely is possible to modify engine shaders from a plugin though, so if you're open to hijacking an existing SM there's that option.
I've been pondering this problem for a while because we do need a way to refer to game AI, ideally with a proper acronym. Lord knows we're not going to displace the LLM folks' theft of the term at this point.
The best I've been able to come up with is to just talking about NPCs again.
The best I've been able to come up with is to just talking about NPCs again.
June 23, 2025 at 2:39 PM
I've been pondering this problem for a while because we do need a way to refer to game AI, ideally with a proper acronym. Lord knows we're not going to displace the LLM folks' theft of the term at this point.
The best I've been able to come up with is to just talking about NPCs again.
The best I've been able to come up with is to just talking about NPCs again.
One of the big problems here is that these models just aren't good at maintaining state. While the shapes morph *slowly* now vs. older models, they do still morph. An easy example here is that the top of the shoulder pads switches between rounded and ridged. That's going to destroy photogrammetry.
June 13, 2025 at 6:59 PM
One of the big problems here is that these models just aren't good at maintaining state. While the shapes morph *slowly* now vs. older models, they do still morph. An easy example here is that the top of the shoulder pads switches between rounded and ridged. That's going to destroy photogrammetry.
Man, that's rough 😕
Huge congrats on the graduation regardless, though!
Huge congrats on the graduation regardless, though!
June 1, 2025 at 2:04 PM
Man, that's rough 😕
Huge congrats on the graduation regardless, though!
Huge congrats on the graduation regardless, though!
For whatever reason, I had no conscious awareness you were dev-rel at Epic until I saw this title card 😅
Will be watching this weekend!
Will be watching this weekend!
April 24, 2025 at 9:43 PM
For whatever reason, I had no conscious awareness you were dev-rel at Epic until I saw this title card 😅
Will be watching this weekend!
Will be watching this weekend!