Table of Contents
Techset-Suffix :: ShaderModel 2 :: Assign Techniques :: Additional Info
Techsets are rather simple and there is not much to know about them really. They just define different techniques for different lighting/rendering states within the game. There is one thing thats kinda tricky tho, … knowing what states are needed and what they are needed for.
1. Techset Suffixes
Different suffixes and multiple techsets might be needed, depending on where you use your material.
["2D-Materials"] :: requires 1 techset without any suffix at all
(eg. my_techset.techset)
["3D-Materials"] :: requires atleast 2 techsets, one without any suffix just like "2D" only ones and:
> Models :: needs an additional "mc_" suffixed one (eg. mc_my_techset.techset)
> Geometry :: needs an additional "wc_" suffixed one (eg. wc_my_techset.techset)
> Models & Geo :: needs both of the above (eg. mc_my_techset.techset & wc_my_techset.techset)2. Techsets for ShaderModel 2
Like stated in the introduction: Techsets in root\raw\techsets will be used by GPUs running ShaderModel 3, but CoD4 also supports ShaderModel 2
so you have to create copies of your techsets and place them into root\raw\techsets\sm2 (otherwise get’ll errors when linking your fastfile).
These will obv. not work on SM2 hardware but I personally do not care about that.
3. Assigning Techniques
Only a single technique can be assigned to a state but multiple states can be assigned to a single technique.
Not defining a state used by the game results in .. ? (unsure)
2D only techsets
"unlit":
my_hud_technique_name;"Model techsets with prefix "mc_"
/* eg. viewmodels */
/* most techniques used for models have a _dtex suffix*/
"fakelight normal":
fakelight_normal_dtex;
"fakelight view":
fakelight_view_dtex;
"case texture":
case_texture_dtex;
"shaded wireframe":
wireframe_shaded_dtex;
"solid wireframe":
wireframe_solid_dtex;
"depth prepass":
zprepass;
"build shadowmap depth":
build_shadowmap_model;
"build shadowmap color":
build_shadowmap_color_dtex_sm2;
"build floatz":
build_floatz_dtex;
"unlit": // assigning multiple states to a single technique:
"lit":
"lit sun":
"lit sun shadow":
"lit spot":
"lit spot shadow":
"lit omni":
"lit omni shadow":
"light omni":
"light spot":
"light spot shadow":
my_model_technique_name; // the only thing you need to change for viewmodels really
// but you have to turn off dynamic lights in-game or your viewmodel start flickering when ads'ing :p
"sunlight preview":
sunpre_r0c0_dtex;
"shadowcookie caster":
shadowcookie_caster_dtex;
"shadowcookie receiver":
shadowcookie_receiver_dtex;World techsets with suffix "wc_"
/* example for world geometry*/
"fakelight normal":
"fakelight view":
vertcol_simple;
"case texture":
case_texture;
"shaded wireframe":
wireframe_shaded;
"solid wireframe":
wireframe_solid;
"depth prepass":
zprepass;
"build floatz":
build_floatz;
"unlit":
my_fullbright_technique_name; // if you would like to use a different technique that calls different shaders
// when using r_fullbright for example
"lit":
"lit sun":
"lit sun shadow":
"lit spot":
"lit spot shadow":
"lit omni":
"lit omni shadow":
my_technique_name;Sky techsets with suffix "wc_"
/* example for skies*/
"shaded wireframe":
wireframe_shaded;
"solid wireframe":
wireframe_solid;
"fakelight normal": // radiant doesn't like heavy shaders so if you get errors within radiant
"fakelight view": // assign a technique with simpler shaders to these 2 here
"unlit":
"lit":
"lit sun":
"lit sun shadow":
"lit spot":
"lit spot shadow":
"lit omni":
"lit omni shadow":
"lit instanced":
"lit instanced sun":
"lit instanced sun shadow":
"lit instanced spot":
"lit instanced spot shadow":
"lit instanced omni":
"lit instanced omni shadow":
my_sky_technique;4. Additional Information / Engine Background (SM / HSM)
Techset abbreviations
w // world
wc // world color
m // model
mc // model color
l // light
sm // shadow
hsm // hardware shadow
scroll // scrolling texcoords
r0 // reflection sample
c0 // colormap
d0 // detailmap
n0 // normalmap
s0 // specularmapUsing the l_sm prefix for techsets allows the engine to remap it to a l_hsm (hardware shadowmapping) techset if cod4 detects that your GPU supports HSM. This means that you need to have the same techset name but prefixed with l_hsm. Linker will throw an error if you don’t.
Example: most, if not all cod4 weapons use the l_sm_r0c0s0 techset. If your GPU supports HSM, the engine will now look for the l_hsm prefixed techset. Since this example is about models, the engine will look for the mc prefix. That means that the actual techset being used is mc_l_hsm_r0c0s0.
Confused? This might clear things up for you: cod4-shader-reversed-weapon
Techset Lighting States Explained
"fakelight normal" // radiant fakelight
"fakelight view": // radiant fakelight
"case texture": // radiant only
"shaded wireframe": // radiant only
"solid wireframe": // radiant only
"debug bumpmap": // r_debugShader 1-4
"debug bumpmap instanced": // ^ grouped objects like grass
"depth prepass":
"build shadowmap depth":
"build shadowmap color":
"build floatz":
"unlit": // fullbright
"lit": // sm_enable 0 + not in sun || sm_enable 1 + not in sun
"lit sun": // sm_enable 0 + in sun
"lit sun shadow": // sm_enable 1 + in sun
"lit spot": // sm_enable 0 :: spotlight / dlight
"lit spot shadow": // sm_enable 1 :: spotlight / dlight
"lit omni": // no clue
"lit omni shadow": // no clue
"lit instanced": // prob. grouped objects like grass / trees
"lit instanced sun": // ^
"lit instanced sun shadow": // ^
"lit instanced spot": // ^
"lit instanced spot shadow": // ^
"lit instanced omni": // ^
"lit instanced omni shadow": // ^
"light omni": // fx omni lights
"light spot": // fx spot lights
"light spot shadow": // fx shadow-casting spot lights
"sunlight preview": // radiant only?
"shadowcookie caster": // shadow caster
"shadowcookie receiver": // shadow receiver