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[Nicpon]

Kinda like was done in early isometric RTS games like Age of Empires.

posts like this make me feel old.

Anyways. Great job with that mockups.

Without toady's intervention, we could make visualiser out of this(like 3Dwarf), and then optimize it to make it usable real time (as additional window).

[Solifuge]

Without toady's intervention, we could make visualiser out of this(like 3Dwarf), and then optimize it to make it usable real time (as additional window).

I hate to seem like an attention-whore, but I'm actually trying to get a group together for just such a project.
The thread is here.

If we borrowed bits and pieces from other fan-made utilities, such as the Full Combat Text retrieval in Fortress Mode (ala Dwarf Companion), Map info and Sprite reading (ala 3Dwarf / Dwarvis), and the ability to pass simple keyboard commands back to the original program (ala Mining Macros, etc.), and so on, it is entirely feasible to make a Graphical Shell to run on top of DF, that would look something like this.

[Sunken]

Not that I know how to fix it, but the transparency mockup made me think for a minute that the dwarf is floating above the wall. Possibly make the fall-off quicker, or the bubble smaller?

I rather think the problem is that the wall isn't transparent enough where the dwarf is. If you couldn't see the wall "through" the dwarf's feet you wouldn't have that illusion.

[Mike Mayday]

Ok. So how about gradually increasing blur for portraying lower levels? (as an option of course)


Also:

[florian]

That last mockup doesn't look right. Could you give the dwarf a yellow outline that lies on top of the wall, while the dwarf stays hidden?

[Urist McDetective]

I think that's a sticking point - you want an outline, he wants transparency & I'd like every second dwarf pixel to be shown through the wall.

I think level blurring is a good idea, but it needs something extra to really differentiate between levels of blurriness.

[chucks]

I like the idea of some sort of obscuring filter for each successive lower level, but I don't think blurring is the way to go.  I've read more than a few OpenGL tutorials that talk about utilizing fog to obscure objects on the horizon so your game doesn't suffer from 'popup' too badly.  Since the game already utilizes GL/SDL as the graphics suite of choice, it's something you already have at your disposal.

Just use an appropriate bubble image or algorithm to create a compromise between misty/smoky/cloudy style fog appropriate to being at a higher z-planes than lower z-planes.

[bjlong]

An added filter for darkening/blue...er...ing would make portraying lower levels nicer, I think. And the more transparency made things worse, for me. One last mockup with less transparency would help, I think, but it's up to you, Mayday.

[Drakale]

I actually like how the "blurred as you go down" tower is looking. I'm wondering how it would hold up if you where really high... In fact there is a set limit to the depth you can show using this isometric view right, the view will just eventually cut off the screen before hitting the bottom? So it all work out...
I'd like to see a mockup with obscuring to compare.

Nice work by the way, hopefuly this will inspire Toady 

[Tormy]

Ok. So how about gradually increasing blur for portraying lower levels? (as an option of course)

It looks awful imo...

[chucks]

An added filter for darkening/blue...er...ing would make portraying lower levels nicer, I think. And the more transparency made things worse, for me. One last mockup with less transparency would help, I think, but it's up to you, Mayday.

This is actually a specific method of using fog.  You could have linear opaqueing of blue as the z-depth from the current highest level decreases.  Even though its called fog, it doesn't always look like fog.  Starcraft and Warcraft have the 'fog of war' which is the terrain you know exists past your current detecting units but is darkened to show that you don't have current, updated recon on those areas.

[Mike Mayday]

There you go:

[Impaler[WrG]]

That actually looks rather nice, I had tried a tinting effect in my Khazad project but was disappointed when I got a very purplish effect and decided to retain a shading effect to show depth.  I know that's just a mock up but how exactly are you doing it?

A lot of the discussion in your earlier thread informed my project and lead me to ultimately reject a 2D system how ever well designed for a true 3D system.  I felt that the geometry would have to be 'real' for their to be a guaranteed of an accurate representation.  Once you know its accurate then various tweaks and tools can be used to make it easier to see and understand such as the exploded view levels and in the future I'll likely make obscuring walls translucent or transparent.

[chucks]

Very nice.  I would prefer shades of grey for this effect, since the dwarf at the bottom looks like he's drowning underwater.  Still, very nice.

[Lear]

I can't decide with method of portraying depth I like more. The blurred building looks really cool but the dwarf looks better with the greying.